CHAPTER 10

SANCTUARY

Eustis had to stifle a laugh before saying in a serious tone, "I believe you've made your point, Doctor. Lord Fitzhugh, the charge will not be added to those already on record. Have you any further questions?"

"No, my lord."

"Proceed, Doctor."

The Doctor noticed that Jason was also having difficulty keeping a straight face and gave him a stern look before continuing. "After the incident at Tri Global, my next conscious memory was waking up in the Sanctuary…"

oOo

Mission Day 48

"Hey, I think he's waking up," a gruff male voice said.

"You've been saying that all afternoon," another male voice admonished. "It's too soon."

The Doctor tried to concentrate on the voices, wondering abstractly if this was what it was like to be a molecule in one of the four corners of the universe. He gave a low moan and the first voice spoke again, nearer this time. "See, I was right. He is waking up."

The Doctor managed to open his eyes, only to shut them again, the bright light in the room stabbing through his brain like a hot knife.

"Lou, turn the lights down," the second voice snapped. "Remember what the Doc said about light sensitivity."

The room went into partial darkness and the Doctor tried again, this time managing to open his eyes enough to focus on the faces above him. "Welcome back," the first voice that apparently belonged to Lou said happily. "You gave us quite a scare."

"I gave myself quite a scare," the Doctor replied softly. He moved a hand to his chest, feeling the bandages over where his right heart should be. If he'd regenerated, there would be no need for them and he closed his eyes in relief. "I take it I'm not dead."

Lou laughed. "No. 'Cause if this is the afterlife—"

"Shut up, Lou, and go get Doc Learner," Joe snapped. Lou gave him a sour look before doing as he was told. "Sorry about that," Joe said gently as he checked the readings on the monitors above the bed. "I'm sure it's a bit of a shock for you, ending up here and not…" He waved a hand to indicate the vast nothingness of space. "Troy'll explain it. He knows all that technical stuff. His name's Troy—Doc Leaner, I mean."

Joe gave a small smile that the Doctor thought was meant to be reassuring. The man attending him had obviously been injured in the fighting that was raging throughout the country. His face was badly scarred and he did not seem to have full use of one arm.

As he studied his unlikely attendant, the Doctor felt his mind clearing with each passing second. "Have you been looking after me, Joe?" he asked.

Joe looked up, a smile twisting his already twisted face. "Yeah. Me and Lou."

"Thank you. I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"Really," came a stern voice from across the room. "I thought I was the Doctor around here."

Joe looked up. "Our friend finally woke up, Troy," he announced happily.

"I can see that," the physician replied in a playful tone. "Joe, go see that Lou stays out of trouble while I talk to Doctor…?"

"Just Doctor," the Time Lord said calmly.

Joe patted the Doctor reassuringly on the shoulder. "I'll be back to look after you," he promised before scuttling off in search of his partner.

Dr. Troy Learner waited until the door closed before turning to his patient. He was younger than the Doctor expected, thin and dark, but with the look of a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I'm sure you're bursting with questions," Troy said as he pulled up a chair.

"A few. Would I be correct in assuming that the signal from the dispersal disk was picked up by your transmat?" the Doctor asked blandly. "And would I also be correct in assuming that once I landed up here, someone, possibly yourself, preformed the surgery that saved my life?"

The physician's mouth dropped open. After a few stunned seconds, he nodded before finally finding his voice. "Yes. That's it in one. How in the world did you know all that?"

"My dear Dr. Learner," the Time Lord replied, "this isn't the only planet in the cosmos with transmat technology."

"No, I suppose not," Troy heard himself saying. He gave the Doctor a curious look. "Why do I get the feeling I'm the one who should be getting answers from you?"

oOo