A/N: Here we start to introduce Diana and the Doctor's relationship. Let's hope it ends well.

Behind us, a small group of men from UNIT and the hospital approached with their guns drawn as well. I all but lost my mind in confusion; the story had not gone in this direction back home and I knew it had changed because of me. That meant that I couldn't be completely sure that I was doing the right thing to protect or save anyone and that terrified me.
I slowly bent over and placed the gun in my hand on the ground so I wouldn't appear as a threat. With my eyes trained on the men who were previously guarding the TARDIS, I blindly reached behind me to grab the Doctor's hand. He gently tugged on my arm so that my back was pressed against his chest. A sigh escaped my mouth as I realized that we were probably not in a very good situation due to my holding a gun.
"Look, uh, I'm sorry," I said softly as I looked at the guards. "We were about to be kidnapped, which is why I have a gun. I-I stole it from my captors. But they, uh... They got away. Sorry."
The men behind us circled around our sides with their guns lowered. I frantically looked for the Brigadier, but found that he wasn't with any of the men. I looked back at the Doctor and nervously bit my lower lip. He looked down at me and widened his eyes as if to say that he didn't know what to do either.
I turned back to the group of men and smiled nervously. "This is the Doctor, for those of you who don't know. I'm Diana Scott. We're friends and we're completely harmless. The Doctor is UNIT's scientific advisor, if I haven't got his timeline all messed up."
One of the men I recognized from the hospital, Munro I think, spoke up. "If the two of you could come back with us to the hospital, then we can re-admit this Doctor and take you to see the Brigadier. He'll want to speak to you about this."
I nodded. "Yes, of course."

Munro, his soldiers, the Doctor, and I had just stepped onto the gravel driveway of the hospital when the Doctor suddenly cried out. He lurched forward and I just barely managed to catch him before his sudden weight made my knees buckle. I fell on my knees and the Doctor landed on his side with his arms sprawled across my thighs.
"Someone, help!" I cried worriedly.
The men who had escorted us back to the hospital came to my side and picked the Doctor up and carried him inside. Munro stayed behind, after giving his men orders, and told me to follow him. My instructions were to wait for the Brigadier to arrive, tell him what had happened, and then wait for Munro to return so that he could take us both to see the Doctor.

"Do you know why he went unconscious?" the Brigadier asked.
I exhaled softly. "Well, I think so. Since he's just gone through a traumatic regeneration, his body's still... cooking. He's going to be exhausted and confused and everything in between. That's why he's been going on about his stupid shoes for the last hour... Most likely."
Alistair nodded. He then gave me a tiny smile and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Me? Oh, yeah. Of course."
"Well, you were nearly kidnapped and shot. And heaven knows what else you've been through. So it's perfectly natural for you not to be alright."
I couldn't help but smile at the Brigadier's kindness and concern. His own smile grew in return and he looked almost fondly at me. "I've been through a lot, you're right. But I'm alright. The Doctor's been with me through all of it and he's been very understanding."
"He cares for you."
"I should certainly hope so!" I replied with a laugh. I thought back to the kiss he'd given me in his ninth incarnation and couldn't help the feeling of hope that he did more than just care about me. "Otherwise-... Well. Nevermind."
The Brigadier smirked and pulled his hand back, casually resting his arms behind his back and looking around. He seemed terribly pleased with himself and I wondered if I'd just said something that made my crush on the Time Lord more obvious than necessary.
Does he care about me? I wondered. If he doesn't, then none of this makes any sense. I mean, he cares about all of his companions and even the ones that never really travelled with him. So what makes me so special? He did kiss me, after all. And take me on a date. And give me a journal that's all but identical to River's. Does that mean he cares for me more than all his other companions? I shook my head and just barely kept myself from snorting. I sighed in disappointment. You're overthinking and over-reacting. Try concentrating on important things like the details of the plot of this episode. Try not to get killed, either.

"Unconscious?" Alistair questioned.
Doctor Henderson nodded. "Yes, he's more unconscious than anyone I've ever seen. Have a look at this EEG."
"EEG?"
"This machine registers the electrical activity of the brain. Normally the line fluctuates considerably, even when the patient is unconscious."
Munro raised an eyebrow. "Not a lot going on, is there?"
Henderson nodded again. "Nothing whatsoever. Completely passive."
"What is the cause, then?" the Brigadier asked a little confusedly. "Could it be shock?"
"Could be, but I doubt it. No, he's is such a deep coma that I'd say it is-..." Henderson stopped himself from continuing his sentence, probably feeling that he would sound ridiculous if he continued his thought.
"Is what?"
"Self-induced."
"Is that possible?"
"Yes," I said lowly.
Doctor Henderson gave me a strange look, but continued. "For you or for me, no. But we're dealing here with a completely alien physiology. All I can do is guess."
I smiled slightly and crossed my arms over my chest. "I can assure you that it is perfectly normal. For him, at least it is."
The Brigadier looked from me to Henderson. "Well, is it safe to move him?" he asked slowly.
"I honestly don't know, but I'd advise against it." Henderson looked at me for an answer.
"Well," I started, "I don't actually know. But most likely not."
Alistair sighed. "Oh, very well. You'll keep me informed of any change in his condition?"
"Yes, of course."
"Thank you."
"Oh!" Henderson exclaimed as the Brigadier started to leave. "By the way."
"Yes?"
"We found this in his hand when he was brought in. We had to pry his fingers open. He was really hanging on to it."
Henderson held up the key to the TARDIS. I gasped a little, instinctively concerned seeing it the hands of someone not the Doctor or one of his companions. The men all looked at me in confusion for a second before looking back at one another. I desperately wanted to hold on to the key myself, but wasn't sure how good of an idea it was. I knew that Alistair would keep it safe from anyone who might want to steal it, mostly, but the desire to protect it myself was surprisingly strong. Ultimately, as it was supposed to, the key ended up in the coat pocket of the Brigadier.
"Would you like to come to UNIT headquarters with me, Miss Scott?"
I smiled and shook my head. "Sorry, Brigadier. I'd prefer to stay with the Doctor. Just to look after him."
He smiled in return. "Of course. Be careful, now. And goodbye."
"Thank you, I will be." I waved in farewell. "Bye."
I returned to my chair once the Brigadier left, resting my hand over the Doctor's and gazing adoringly at his face.

I jerked awake, blinking wildly and looking about myself. The Doctor was crawling silently out of his bed, but he had accidentally bumped my knee with his foot as he stood. He bent over to grab his shoes and held them at his side. When he tiptoed out of the room, I quietly followed him so that I could keep looking after him and make sure he didn't do something incredibly stupid.
Two men were at the right end of the hallway and the Doctor was already sneaking down the left end in his hospital gown. I smiled and tiptoed after the Time Lord.
"Good journey down, sir?" one of the men behind me asked.
"Terrible!" the other man replied gruffly. "You know, there's no room for a decent car on the roads these days."
Ahead of me, the Doctor entered a room labeled 'Doctors Only.' I smirked at the irony and was sure the sign was the main reason he chose to enter the room. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to hide from the Doctor once I entered the room, I quickly opened the door and slid through the entrance. The Doctor whirled around in moderate surprise with his hospital gown up around his thighs.
"Diana?"
I knew that my entire face had turned bright red, so I turned around to face the door I had just come through. "Trying to get rid of me, Doctor?" I asked as casually as I could manage.
"I didn't want to wake you."
I couldn't think of any kind of coherent response I could possibly give the Doctor. I was blown away by his sweetness at not wanting to wake me and completely mortified that I had walked in on him undressing. My mouth moved soundlessly for a few long seconds before a strange seal noise escaped my mouth. I felt the rest of my face and neck turn bright red and shook my head.
"I'll just wait outside?" I half asked and half stated. He said my name as I reached for the door handle in front of me. I paused and swallowed noiselessly. "Yeah?"
"Thank you for being with me when I-..."
I noticed the Doctor's voice had seized up. Knowing he had limited time to escape the hospital and find the Brigadier and Liz, I quickly ran into the Doctor's arms and gave him the biggest hug I could manage. His arms closed around my shoulder blades and squeezed lightly. I obviously had no idea what emotional and physical pain he experienced when he regenerated and most likely never could. But he seemed to appreciate not being alone when it happened.
"I'll always be there for you, Doctor," I whispered. "I promise. I will do whatever is in my power to make sure that I am always there for you when you regenerate. You should never have to be alone for something like that."
He sighed, his chin resting on the top of my head and his breath gently rustling my hair. I smiled and snuggled up against his chest; the faint beating of his hearts against his breastbone was strangely comforting. I assumed it always would be a source of comfort for me, knowing that he was real.
Then I remembered that he was on a schedule of sorts and had to hurry out of the hospital. Coughing lightly, I stepped out of his arms (though I really didn't want to) and silently fixed the hem of my shirt. Our eyes met when I brought my head up for a brief moment and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. His eyes shone with thanks and something else, something I could not identify. I smiled and absently rubbed my left forearm.
"I'll go find our get-away vehicle," I said with a wide grin.
Then I turned on my heel and walked out of the room with my head held high. He'd appeared to be amused that I knew what he was planning. Once again, I wondered how much about myself he knew in this incarnation.

The Doctor came jogging out of the hospital doors, a red and black cloak fluttering behind him. I couldn't help but admire how he looked in his new attire, of which I approved greatly. I was leaning against the canary-yellow roadster he would eventually call Bessie with my arms folded across my chest and a smile. The Doctor approved of my choice with a nod and climbed into the car, fiddling with the controls as I climbed awkwardly in after him. The horn suddenly went off, making me let out a tiny shriek and jump about two feet in the air.
I sat down next to the Time Lord and gave him a glare. "I see the horn works," I commented dryly. He ignored me and started the engine. I chuckled when I noticed he couldn't figure out how to go into reverse. "It's right there," I said and pointed my finger.
I was ignored once more and Bessie backed out of the parking spot. We took off at a comfortable speed down the road our kidnappers had taken hours earlier.
It felt incredible to be in the roadster with the Doctor next to me and the wind frantically tossing my hair around my face. My eyes stung from the cold wind and lips were partially chapped, but it was completely and brilliantly wonderful.
I looked over at the Doctor with a slightly open mouth. His hair was being whipped about just as wildly as mine and his frilly shirt was being abused as well. My eyes remained glued to his features, taking in every line and wrinkle. His new incarnation was much older than me in appearance, which might have been unattractive to any other normal girl my age, but I found his face very pleasing to the eye.
"Do you like my new face?" the Doctor asked out of the blue, his eyes still trained on the road.
Realizing I'd been caught staring, I quickly turned my head so I was looking at the road instead of the Time Lord. I heard the Doctor chuckle and felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment for what must have been the millionth time that day.
"No," I grumbled.
"Oh really? Then why were you staring?"
I looked over at him and sighed in exasperation. "Well you seem awfully full of it today!"
The Doctor took his eyes off the road for a moment, looked at me, and said, " 'I happen to like it very much, Doctor.' Weren't those your exact words to me?" Then he looked back at the road with a pleased smirk.
"How could you... possibly remember me saying that?"
"Time Lord," he responded smugly.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. A smile worked its way onto my face as I slowly ran a hand through my hair. "Oh, because you're so impressive with your superior Time Lord brain and all."
"I am very impressive, Diana, and don't you forget it."

The Doctor drove into the underground garage we were approaching, slowing his speed only slightly. A security guard stepped out from a booth on the right side of the car. The guard ordered the Doctor to stop the car and not go any farther.
"All right, all right, I suppose you want to see my pass?" the Doctor snapped in annoyance. "Yes, well, I haven't got one. And I'm not going to tell you my name, either. Now you just tell Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart that I want to see him." The guard blinked in confusion and simply stayed rooted to the ground. This aggravated the Doctor even further and he snapped at the man again. "Well, don't just stand there arguing with me, man! Get on with it!"
Without another moment of hesitation, the Doctor drove forwad and parked Bessie in the garage. He jumped out of the car with a grace that I envied. I tried to copy his movements, but ended up falling on my rear end on the asphalt instead. Hoping he hadn't seen my less than elegant fall out of the roadster, I jumped to my feet and jogged to catch up to the Doctor,
He was walking at a very quick pace that made it difficult for me to keep up with due to my somewhat short legs. But I did my best to look as though the brisk pace was nothing but a walk in the park for me. We walked to the opposite end of the garage where we stepped inside an elevator and rode two floors up to UNIT Head Quarters. When we stepped out of the elevator, the Doctor pulled his left sleeve up to reveal a wristwatch that was beeping.
"What's that?" I asked, leaning against his shoulder to see the watch better.
"A homing device. It's locked onto the TARDIS."
"Oh... That's clever."
The Doctor looked at me the same time I looked up at him. He smiled and said, "Isn't it?" Then he held out his hand to me and I took it immediately. "Let's go see the old girl."
We took off at a jog, hands intertwined. During the few adventures I'd had with the Doctor, I had already come to love the feeling of his hand wrapped around mine and adrenaline pumping through my veins as we ran. The feeling was no different with Three; in fact, it was better.

"Ah, there you are, my dear fellow. I expect you're wondering how I found you here?"
The Brigadier didn't seem surprised to see either one of us. "Yes," he said with a sigh.
The Doctor showed off his wrist watch. "Fortunately I had this with me, you see. It homes on the TARDIS." He turned to his left and saw the TARDIS. "Oh, there she is. How nice of you to look after her for me. Do you happen to have got the key, by the way?"
"I do, but it won't work."
The Doctor only smiled. "Ah ha! But it will for me."
The Brigadier shook his head when the Doctor held hand out for the key. "Not so fast. I have a lot of questions to ask you."
"My dear Brigadier, it's no earthly good asking me a lot of questions. I've lost my memory, you see?"
Alistair raised an eyebrow. "How do I know that you're not am imposter?"
"Ah, but you don't, you don't. Only I know that. Well, and Diana." The Doctor paused and looked from me to the Brigadier. "What do you think of my new face, by the way? I wasn't too sure about it myself to begin with. But it sort of grows on you. Very flexible, you know."
I laughed when the Doctor started wiggling his eyebrows. I tried wiggling my eyebrows in response, but received a disapproving look from Liz and the Brigadier. "Sorry," I mumbled shyly.
"Could be useful on the planet Delphon," the Doctor continued, "where they communicate with their eyebrows... Well, that's strange. How on Earth did I remember that?"
"All right, all right," Alistair agreed. "If I accept that you are the Doctor, there are still a lot of things... Oh, by the way, this is Miss Shaw."
The Doctor wiggled his eyebrows at Liz with a smile. "That's Delphon for how do you do. Delighted, Miss Shaw, delighted."
I wrapped my arm around the Doctor's elbow and smiled, giving Liz a small wave. "Hello," I said. "I'm Diana."
"What are you a doctor of, by the way?" Liz inquired.
"Practically everything, my dear."
"From what we can gather," Alistair added, "you arrived last night in the middle of a shower of meteorites."
"Did I really? How terribly exciting."
The Brigadier sighed. "Well, objects from space, at any rate. You must realize that I can't let you go until I'm sure there's no connection."
"I've no recollection of last night," the Time Lord protested. "That's most unfair."
I nodded in agreement. "The Doctor was barely able to walk. He was incoherent last night! How could he possibly have any connection to it?"
"Miss Scott, do excuse me, but you know I must be cautious when something like this happens."
"I know," I responded with a sigh. "But this is the Doctor! You can trust me! It's really him! He's only got a different face."
"What on earth are these?" the Doctor asked, pulling away from me and stepping towards the lab table Liz was leaning against.
"Those are bits of what the Brigadier thought might be a meteorite," Liz explained.
"Plastic?"
I followed behind the Doctor, keeping my eyes trained on him. When I passed the Brigadier I noticed he raised his eyebrows and gestured for me to approach him. I glanced at the Doctor and then stepped towards Alistair.
"Yes?"
"Come to my office once the Doctor leaves. I'd like to speak with you."
"Have I done something?"
He shook his head. "No. I just need to speak with you."
Behind both of us, the Doctor was still talking to Liz about the strange plastic objects. "Yes, well, you can tell from the shape this was a hollow sphere. I should think the space inside was about three thousand cubic centimeters, wouldn't you?"
"Do I gather you're going to help us, Doctor?" the Brigadier asked, stepping past me.
"If I do, will you give me the key to the TARDIS?"
"Possibly."
"Then go away and let Miss Shaw, Diana, and I get on with our work, there's a good fellow." Then the Time Lord, looking slightly irked, turned to Liz and asked, "Look, do I really have to call you Miss Shaw?"
"No, Liz. Just Liz."
"Ah, Liz. That's much better. Now, how many of these things actually came down?"
The Brigadier answered, "About fifty, as near as we can estimate."
"And you found only fragments, no whole ones?" the Time Lord questioned.
"One, yes. But there was an accident. It disappeared."
"Then the answer to your question's obvious, isn't it? By the time your search party arrived, the rest of these things had been collected. Collected and taken somewhere. The question is, where?"

"Where are you going?"
I looked over my shoulder at the Doctor and smiled. "The Brigadier asked me to speak with him in his office."
"Oh." He nodded slightly and offered me a half smile in return. "Well, come back right after. I need to... show you something."
"Alright."
Alistair was standing just outside the door, waiting for me when I stepped through the doorway. He smiled politely at me and told me to follow him. I acquiesced and silently trailed behind the Brigadier all the way to his office. A guard was standing by his office door and they saluted each other as the Brigadier opened the door and walked into the room. He held the door open for me, a welcome change from the life I had before the Doctor, and closed it silently behind me.
"Please sit down, Miss Scott."
I sat down at the chair facing directly opposite the Brigadier's desk. I instinctively crossed my legs at the ankles and folded my hands in my lap. A strand of thread was coming loose on the leg seam of my jeans and suddenly, I found it very interesting.
"I need you to tell me about the Doctor, Miss Scott."
"C-Could... Could I ask you something?" I asked nervously, avoiding the Brigadier's gaze.
"Of course."
"Well... Could you call me Diana instead? I-If you want me to call you Alistair, then you should call me Diana. I'd... prefer it." I heard him laugh, which confused me. I looked up and stared at the Brigadier. "What's so funny?"
"I've heard you ask me that question more times that I can count, Diana."
"Really?" I asked slowly.
He nodded. "I can never tell how well you know me. Whenever we meet, it's always out of order."
Shocked, I muttered, "T-That's how I meet the Doctor. I always meet him out of order."
Alistair smiled kindly at me. "How long have you known him?" he asked.
"Not long. I haven't met him from before this time in his life. But I've met him in his future. Four times."
The Brigadier looked a little surprised at my response. "Only that long?"
"Yeah..."
His smile grew a little. "Interesting."
I cleared my throat and shyly scratched the back of my hand. "So... Um, you wanted to talk about the Doctor?"
"Yes, I did, Diana. I know you won't lie to me about the Doctor."
I pressed my lips together. "Let me guess. You want to know whether this man is really the Doctor or not and if he is, you want to know how he changed and why. Am I right?" The Brigadier nodded, his hands folded and held against his lips. "Well, he is definitely the Doctor. I watched him regenerate. I-"
"That's one thing I don't understand, Diana. What do you mean, he 'regenerated'?"
"The Doctor's a Time Lord. He's alien. And the way he keeps himself from dying is to regenerate. His people, the Time Lords, exiled him and forced him to regenerate somehow. That's why his face and personality have changed, that's what regeneration does to a Time Lord."
"But why would his own people force him to... regenerate? If he does it to keep himself from dying, then wouldn't it mean that his people tried to kill him?"
I nodded. "I'm afraid so, Alistair."
"Why would they want to do that to him?"
"I don't know. I wish I did... He said something to me right before he changed, though. He looked up at me and tried to speak... It was hard for him to say much of anything since he was dying, but he said, 'I don't regret it.'" I stared absently in front of me, reliving those confusing moments when Two had transformed into Three. "He tried to smile and reach for my face, but he couldn't really..."
The Brigadier's hand came to rest on mine, drawing me from my thoughts. I looked up at him and smiled weakly; he had moved around the desk to stand next to me. He slowly bent at the waist so he was at my level.
"Are you sure you're alright?" I shrugged and gave him the slightest nod of my head. "Because you're my friend, Diana, and I know when you're not yourself."
"I'm fine."
There was a sudden knock at the door, startling both of us. The Brigadier stepped back, placing his hands behind his back, and calling for the person to enter. A UNIT officer opened the door and ushered in a middle-aged man who looked extremely worried.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but this man said it was urgent that he speak to you."
"Yes, of course, Mr. Courtney. Please, sit down."
I quickly jumped up and offered the man my seat, moving to stand behind Alistair's chair with a polite smile. Alistair nodded in thanks at me and sat down.
"So, Mr. ..."
"Ransome, sir."
"Mr. Ransome. Why have you come to talk with me?"
Ransome glanced hesitantly at me. "Who's she?"
"An honorable and trustworthy young lady, Mr. Ransome. Anything you wish to say to me, you can say to her as well."
"Well, sir, I was at the factory I used to work at and-..."
"Yes?" the brigadier urged.
"There was a face, sir! A horrible face that tried to attack me!"
"What did it look like?"
"The face was smooth, shiny. It was plastic! Made in the factory," Ransome exlained frantically.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, just before this thing came after me, I passed a whole line of them. They were all exactly the same.
Alistair raised his eyebrows a little. "It's quite a story, Mister Ransome."
There was a knock at the door and Liz entered.
"Yes?"
"Can I have a word with you, Brigadier?"
"Not now, I'm busy."
"This is rather important. You see, the Doctor thinks-"
"Miss Shaw, your work in this laboratory is part of one big exercise. You'll have to be patient." The Brigadier turned back to Mr. Ransome and continued his questioning. "You say this, er, creature was armed?"
"It took off its hand!" Ransome exclaimed. "And there was a sort of tube, and the whole of the arm appeared to be hollow. Well, you should see the hole it blasted in the wall!"
Behind the Brigadier's back, Liz saw the TARDIS key, took it, and left. I slowly followed Liz out the door. when we were a safe distance from Alistair's office, I called Liz's name.
"Liz! Wait for me!"
She whirled around and stared at me. "You going to tell the Brigadier about me?" she questioned.
"What? Oh, no. Of course not. I'm here to help the Doctor."
"Alright," she said after a moment or two of hesitation.
I smiled in relief. "Thank you."
Liz looked me over again and exhaled softly. "Right. Well, follow me."
With a nod, I stayed at Liz's side and walked with her until we reached the laboratory. Liz and I opened the door to see the Doctor waiting expectantly. Liz gave the key to the Doctor and he smiled.
"I'm afraid he's going to be awfully cross with you," the Time Lord said.
"Well, if you're quick," Liz suggested, "he mightn't even miss it."
"Come here, Diana," the Doctor requested. "I'd like for you to help me."
Knowing what would happen, I nodded and came over to the Doctor's side. He pushed the key into the lock and opened the TARDIS door.
"It didn't work when the Brigadier tried to open it," Liz commented in confusion.
The Doctor replied, "Well, that's because the lock has a metabolism detector. Now come along, Diana."
He entered the TARDIS with me close behind, and instructed me to close the door. The TARDIS dematerialization sequence started, but it began sputtering and slowing down. There was the sound of a small explosion inside the console and huge clouds of smoke filled the room. The Doctor stumbled towards me, coughing into his arm. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me backwards.
"Out, out!" he ordered. "Come on, my dear!"
I covered my mouth and stumbled coughing out of the TARDIS. Liz and the Brigadier were waiting for us, looking very put-out.
"Just testing," the Doctor insisted innocently after he closed the TARDIS door. "I wanted to see if the controls-"
"Doctor, you tricked me," Liz said in annoyance.
the Time Lord sighed, realizing he'd been caught. "Yes. The temptation was too strong, my dear. It's just that I couldn't bear the thought of being tied to one planet and one time. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
The Brigadier held his left hand, his other hand resting at his side. "It won't? Give me the key, Doctor. "
"Oh, must I? The TARDIS no longer works, as you saw."
"Well, will you give me your word not to try to escape again?"
"I couldn't escape now, even if I wanted to. They've trapped me here!'
Liz tilted her head to the side. "Who have?"
"That mean, despicable, underhanded lot! They've changed the dematerialisation code!"
"The what?"
"The code that allows the Doctor to make the TARDIS go from place to place," I explained.
The Doctor shook his head. "It doesn't matter, you wouldn't understand anyway," he told Alistair.
"There's a great deal that I don't understand. But one thing I did understand, Doctor, was that you promised your help."
"Yes, well, I've tried to help you the best way I can, but I need more evidence. I need more to go on."
"Well," said the Brigadier, "I think I may be able to help you."

Liz, the Doctor, and I had all returned to the Brigadier's office where Ransome was waiting patiently.
"What made you go back to the factory?" Alistair questioned.
"I wanted to try to talk to George on his own. And I wanted to get a look at that security area."
"Do you think he's afraid of something?"
"I don't know, but this other man who came in-"
"Did you find out who the other man was?"
Ransome nodded somewhat eagerly. "Yes, his name's Channing. Now, he seemed to have some sort of mental hold over George, almost as if he was hypnotized."
The Doctor gave Alistair a glance. He had an almost-smile on his lips. "You know, Brigadier, I think perhaps a visit to that plastics factory would be in order, don't you?"