CHAPTER 57
REALITY
The Doctor would answer none of the questions that were thrown at him when he emerged from the temporal fissure, Jason's battered and limp form cradled in his arms. He ordered l'X'el to close everything down, and strode straight for the TARDIS, pausing only long enough for his companion to open the door for him. Grant threw a helpless look back at the trio before he too vanished into the time machine.
The Doctor was placing Jason on the sleeping mat on the control room floor when his companion entered. Uncertain what to do, Grant closed the doors and crossed to a chair that was near the Doctor's position but still far enough away not to irritate him. He could not help but notice the long scratches on either side of the Time Lord's face; Jason's previously unmarked face now bruised and bloodied. Grant had to fight the urge to ask innumerable questions as the Doctor rewrapped a handkerchief around what looked like a bite mark on the palm of his hand. He sat silently for several minutes, waiting for the usually loquacious Time Lord to speak. When he did not, the young man asked quietly, "Doctor, is Jason going to be alright?"
The Doctor looked up sharply, the scratches on his face standing out a livid red. He turned to his companion with an anguished expression on his face but made no reply, quickly looking away. How could he answer when he did not know himself? He was still trying to sort through the ocean of information filling his mind, his distress compounded by the crushing guilt that he could be capable of such vicious behavior. To his shock, his companion suddenly let out a cry of anguish. "I knew it. He's dying!" Grant moaned. "It's all my fault. I never should've let him go in. I told him he wasn't strong enough, but he wouldn't listen!"
Before the Doctor could think of a suitable reply, Jason stirred. The Time Lord reached out a hand only to stop, uncertain as to whether he should touch him. It turned out he did not need to as Jason came awake all at once. He took an enormous gulp of air, his eyes snapping open. He raised his hands defensively and one made contact with the outstretched hand, the Time Lord's aura registering instantly. Jason gave a cry that was a combination of fear and rage, seizing the hand and lashing out as he had with Grant. Unlike his companion, however, the Doctor was prepared for the attack and caught hold of the arm as it moved to strike him.
"No, let me go! Damn you, let me go!"
"Calm down, calm down," the Doctor soothed gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Liar!" the Alterran screamed, much to Grant's amazement. "It's all a power trip for you, isn't it!"
"Jason, stop this!" the Time Lord thundered. "It's over. You're in the TARDIS. You're safe."
In the past, the authority in his voice would have caused Jason to freeze instantly but this time it only caused him to scream with anger and fight even harder. The Doctor knew what he had to do next would only make the situation worse, however briefly, but he had to get his friend under control before he completely exhausted himself. Switching his hold on Jason's wrists, he rose up onto his knees and pinned the Alterran's arms to the floor. "Don't make me sit on you," he commanded, already having the full weight of his upper body across the struggling form to keep him down. "Now stop fighting me and listen!"
"Why? So you can issue more threats?"
"Be quiet and listen!"
Suddenly the only sound that could be heard was the combatants' heavy breathing. After a moment, Jason said bitterly, "I don't hear anything."
"Yes, you do," the Doctor replied breathlessly. "Now listen."
Again there was silence. After a few seconds the angry lines on Jason's face suddenly cleared as he realized he was hearing the quiet hum of the TARDIS around him. He struggled slightly when one of his hands was moved from the mat, only to relax when it was pressed against the floor, a clear invitation for him to scan it.
"The TARDIS," he said in a quiet, disbelieving voice. "We…we're in the TARDIS. This is the console room."
"Well done," the Doctor said with a sigh of relief. He released his grip and sat back.
"I…I don't understand," Jason said helplessly. "How…? How did I get here?"
"I carried you out of the time fissure that you so foolishly took upon yourself to enter."
The Doctor's patronizing tone only served to set Jason off again. "Damn you!" he shouted in rage, lashing out with his fist. This time he managed to strike the unprepared Time Lord, knocking him sideways. "Damn your condescending Gallifreyan hide! I just went through hell for you. Once, just once, the least you could do is be grateful without criticizing first!"
The Doctor was stunned by this outburst. "I am grateful."
"Are you? You're not sorry that one of my species had to come in after you?"
"Jason…" The Doctor put a hand on his friend's shoulder, which only made matters worse.
"Don't touch me!" Jason cried, clawing at the hand to push it away. "Just don't touch me!"
"I'm not going to hurt you," came the patient reply. "Now, please, calm down. You are perfectly safe."
"Grant! Where's Grant? If this is the TARDIS, Grant should be here!"
The Doctor threw a pleading look in his companion's direction. "I am. I'm right here," the bewildered young man said quietly.
Jason relaxed slightly upon hearing this. He could feel his strength draining away and was keenly aware of his current vulnerability. He could not afford to let his anger fade, and with it his strength. Not until he knew he truly was safe.
"There, you see?" the Doctor said gently. "I'm not lying to you."
Jason closed his eyes and hugged himself. "Why?" he blurted out finally. His voice was trembling badly, and despite his best efforts, his anger was fading and shock was setting in. "Why did you? How could you…?" Too overcome to go on, his voice trailed off, the horrifying reality of what had happened suddenly falling in on him.
"Oh, Jason…" the Doctor sighed sadly. "I am so dreadfully sorry."
Jason covered his face with his trembling hands and turned away, his tears returning in full force. "Just what did you see in my future, Doctor?"
"Your future?" the Time Lord repeated softly
"How horrible do I become that you feel the need to destroy me now?"
"What? You think this has to do with...?" The Doctor closed his eyes and groaned. "How could you possibly think that?"
"Why else would you…? All this time I thought… What you said!" Unable to get his thoughts together, Jason cried, "Oh God…I don't understand…anything anymore!"
The Doctor gave him a pained look. "You're in no condition to go into any of this now," he said quietly. He gently touched his distraught friend's shoulder, feeling his whole body go rigid in response.
"Don't—!"
"It's only your energy tube," the Time Lord informed softly, slipping it into his friend's hand. "Get some rest. We'll talk when you're stronger and your head is clearer."
Jason found himself nodding without realizing, which only added to his confusion. The last thing he wanted was to agree with anything his one-time-friend-turned-lunatic had to say. "Just go away," he moaned, unsuccessfully fighting back his tears. "Please, go away."
The Doctor closed his eyes, anguish written clearly across his usually bright and jovial features. He gave his companion a steady look that spoke volumes before disappearing into the depths of the TARDIS interior.
It took several minutes before Jason was able to get control of himself enough to speak again. "Grant?"
"I'm still here," the young man said quietly.
"Don't leave me."
"I won't."
"No, I mean, don't leave me even if he asks you to."
Grant frowned, throwing a quick glance in the direction the Doctor had taken. "Just what happened in there? You both look like you've been through the mill."
"Something terrifying." Jason shuddered and closed his eyes tightly, curling further into a protective ball. In a small voice, he added, "And at the hands of a friend."
The Wieonol trio had done as the Doctor asked and sat waiting for him, or someone, to emerge from the TARDIS and tell them what to do next, if anything. They were certain the Doctor would return, as he had yet to retrieve his toolbox and the device he'd patched into the manipulator. With nothing better to do, l'X'el set the globe to track the progress of the approaching Alterran forces, watching as they grew closer and closer. From time to time he would check to make certain the Gres-Fa-Raayn had truly left the system and were not simply lurking somewhere, waiting to spring out the moment the barrier was lowered. So far, there was no sign of them, just the single trace of the ship that had fled from orbit.
The Doctor returned to the console room nearly an hour after vanishing into the vastness of the TARDIS interior. He had repaired the scratches on his face and hand and now looked completely unharmed—at least on the surface. He stood in the inner doorway silently watching Jason's sleeping figure. Grant was at the console reading a display and turned when he heard his name.
"Is he asleep?" the Doctor mouthed, receiving a nod in reply. He motioned his companion over. "A word," he said quietly.
Grant threw a nervous look in the Alterran's direction. He was keenly aware of his promise not to leave him, as well as completely confused as to why it was necessary. He went quietly to the door, refusing to cross to the other side. "I promised not to leave him alone," he explained, mentally adding, "Even if you asked me to.
The Doctor lowered his head and sighed heavily and for a brief instant Grant wondered if he had just read his mind. "We'll leave the door ajar. I don't want to wake him."
His companion considered and nodded, entering the corridor and partially closing the door.
"Now, would you please tell me how Jason got from the console room to the temporal fissure?" the Doctor asked pointblank. He held up a hand when a guilty expression came to the young man's face. "I'm not blaming you. I can probably guess how he got out of the TARDIS. Jason can be very…persuasive once he sets his mind to something."
The Doctor's voice was frighteningly calm and Grant felt a chill run down his spine, thinking he preferred it when the Time Lord was ranting. He drew a deep breath and explained what had happened, beginning with the alarm sounding on the TARDIS console.
When the Doctor returned to the manipulator room he was still withdrawn but did not ignore the boys' questions any longer. He simply stated that he and Jason had been battered within the malfunctioning corridor, the already debilitated Alterran having been overcome by the temporal energies. Because of this, he needed to remain in the TARDIS until he was completely healed. The Doctor then asked what the trio had been up to in his absence and was pleased to learn they had been doing something constructive. He was also pleased to learn that there were no signs of the Gres-Fa-Raayn fleet anywhere, not that he believed they would stay away forever. Still, it would give the Alterran forces some breathing space.
The Doctor finished disconnecting his device from the manipulator and returned it to his toolbox. He was about to hand it to one of the youths to take into the TARDIS and stopped himself. With all that had happened, the boys practically worshiped Jason, having turned him into their newest folk hero. The last thing they needed was to see the emotional wreck the Time Lord feared he had turned him into again.
"What's the ETA on the arrival of the Alterran fleet?" the Doctor asked conversationally.
K'ell'k glanced at the computer screen he had been monitoring. "Just under six hours."
"Good. Now if one of you—or all of you—would be so kind as to find SorRell and let her know what's been happening, I'd be most grateful."
"All of us?" l'X'el echoed.
The Doctor gave his a quizzical look. "Don't you want to see your parents? You started all this because of them, if I recall my facts correctly. And you've been cooped up down here ever since we arrived."
l'X'el exchanged a glance with his brother and then lowered his eyes. "I guess."
An amused smile came to the Time Lord's face. "l'X'el, you're a hero, you know."
"What? No. That's silly. I'm no hero."
"My dear child, who do you think I've been telling everyone was responsible for getting me here in the first place? It was all your doing."
By this time the young man was staring at the Time Lord in disbelief.
"It's true, Lix," his brother confirmed. "They were all asking about you when Cee and I went up before."
"Why didn't you tell me?" l'X'el wanted to know.
"I wasn't supposed to distract you," K'ell'k said, shooting a sideways glance in the Doctor's direction. "And then…I forgot."