CHAPTER 15

HARD TO KILL

As the Doctor made to begin the next extract, he glanced up. None of these events had been covered in his original testimony. He noticed the prosecutor and Inquisitor were waiting expectantly for the next section to begin, having gotten wrapped up with the story.

How had the Doctor gotten out of this? What happened next?

They were about to find out.

oOo

Mission Day 53

When the Doctor returned to his senses, he immediately wished he hadn't. He felt as though his insides had been put through a blender. He groaned and opened his eyes, finding himself staring at the ceiling in the sickbay.

"That was a singularly unpleasant experience," he muttered as he sat up, discovering at the same time that he was on an examination couch. He put a hand to his head to stop it spinning, wondering abstractly why the room would not stop along with it.

"Computer," he said at last, "how long have I been unconscious?"

"Thirty-nine hours, forty-two minutes."

"What!" he cried out, and then wished he hadn't done that either. "How did I get from the flight deck to the sickbay?" he asked in a subdued voice.

The computer gave a concise report of events. After the Doctor's request for help, defense shields activated, protecting the Time Lord from further attack. He was transported into the sickbay and placed in stasis while repairs to his damaged body were carried out. When this was completed, the stasis field shut down, allowing him to awaken on his own.

The Doctor sat back in amazement. "All that by simply asking for help," he observed, clearly impressed. He looked over at the transport capsule, giving a small salute. "If nothing else, Jason, you were a programmer extraordinaire." He made to rise, discovering at the same time that he was wearing only a sheet.

"Um, computer, where are my clothes?"

A light came on across the room, illuminating his clothes hanging against the wall. They appeared to have been cleaned, pressed and repaired of all damage.

The Doctor got shakily to his feet, wrapping himself in the sheet. He waited a moment to make certain he was steady enough to cross the room before finally attempting it.

"Do you desire nourishment?" asked the computer, and a food synthesizer lit up not far from his clothes.

"Well, such service," the Doctor remarked. He got dressed slowly, allowing his head to clear more fully. He then dialed up a light breakfast, carrying it to the flight deck where he sat down and started to drink his tea. Finally feeling like his old self again, he looked up at the map of the Eldeberon system that was still on the main view screen. After nearly forty hours, the fleet would be long gone. "What's the status of the fleet?" he asked casually.

The reply was not what he expected. "The Glyateven command ship exploded forty-eight minutes after leaving orbit," the computer said blandly. "Subsequent explosions destroyed the accompanying ships."

The Doctor almost choked on his tea. "What? All the ships were destroyed?"

"Affirmative."

"Well, Fontraal, looks as though you got your wish. Now even you can't tell of this error," the Doctor muttered darkly. As he finished his breakfast, he wondered what the implications of all this might mean. Before he could decide on any course of action, the main systems in the sickbay came to life. The rising hum gained the Doctor's attention and he turned in time to see the transport capsule containing Jason's body glowing. A moment later, the Alterran was back on the examination table, which immediately retracted into the scanning cabinet.

"Computer, what's going on?"

"Revival program initiated," the computer replied. The Doctor watched in amazement as the system monitors came to life, the inside of the Med-cabinet glowing dully in response. "Repair program in progress."

"Repair program? Computer, explain. What is happening?"

"Patient is being revived from stasis," came the startling reply. "Repairs of physical injuries in progress. Revival halted until blood volume returned to safe levels."

The Doctor found himself unable to take it all in. He crossed to the Med-cabinet and looked in at the pale, motionless occupant. "Computer, your patient died almost two days ago."

"Negative. Patient placed in stasis when blood volume dropped below critical level. Stasis maintained until revival mode activated."

The Doctor cursed the logic of computers and Jason's genius at programming them. "What activated the revival mode?" he asked.

"Revival mode activated by preprogrammed system trigger."

"In other words, you don't know."

"Revival mode activated by preprogrammed system trigger," the computer repeated.

"Oh, shut up!" the Doctor snapped impatiently. He could see Jason's color was already returning to normal. "So, you're not dead after all," he observed darkly. "But you went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure everyone, including me, thought you were. Was it just to outwit the Glyateven? Or was it to leave you as the last of the Triad in sole control of Tri Global and the power that goes with it? A deception within a deception." The Doctor drew a deep breath, adding admiringly, "Programmer extraordinaire."

Within half an hour, the revival program was completed and Jason was opening his eyes. He struggled to focus on his surroundings. I'm in a box. Why am I in a box? Then his mind cleared enough for him to realize he was inside the recovery cabinet in his own sickbay, the green light within glowing slightly brighter as he came more fully awake.

"Jason, can you hear me?"

The Prince jumped, startled by the unexpected voice. He tried to focus his muddled brain without success.

"Jason, it's the Doctor. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Jason said weakly. "Where…?"

"You're onboard the ARGO," the Doctor replied cautiously. "You brought us here. Do you remember?"

"Not…really…" the Alterran replied faintly. "Computer, what's my—?"

"Cancel," the Doctor cut in. "This is no time to play Healer, Jason. You're the patient now. You let me worry about your status." He prayed the Alterran was too weak and confused to refuse or fight him, which he was.

Closing his eyes, Jason nodded. Even though he could not see the Doctor properly, he knew that the Doctor could see him. He also knew what the Time Lord wasn't telling him. Within the recovery cabinet, located directly above his head was a monitor that displayed his status as well as how much time had passed since his arrival on the ARGO. He drew a deep breath and tried to get hold of his thoughts. This was nearly impossible to do. "Did I pass out?" he asked finally.

"Yes. Just after we arrived," the Time Lord replied truthfully, choosing not to tell him that this had been two days ago.

"I'm so…tired…"

"Not surprising. You lost an awful lot of blood," the Doctor informed quietly.

The Prince nodded and struggled to get his head together. "Is it safe now?" he asked finally.

The Doctor was uncertain how to take this question. He knew from his own experience that revival from stasis left one very disoriented, and Jason had been under for nearly fifty straight hours. "Safe? Safe with me, you mean?" he asked guardedly.

After a long pause, Jason replied shakily, "I don't know what I mean. I can't…think…" He put a hand to his injured side. "And I feel awful," he muttered darkly.

"Well, you were stabbed," the Doctor observed. It was all too apparent that the Prince was far too weak and confused to balk at anything he told him. In a gentle tone, he said, "Get some sleep and let the computer do its job. We'll talk when you're stronger."

"Yes…" Jason said faintly. He was asleep almost immediately.

The Doctor watched the peacefully sleeping figure for several minutes. He looked so vulnerable and defenseless, and yet, once he got his strength back…

"Computer, is it possible to keep your patient unconscious while his system is being repaired?"

"Affirmative."

"Good. Do it."

"Unable to comply."

The Doctor cursed under his breath. "Why?"

"There is no medical benefit to such an order."

The Doctor repeated the curse. "Your patient was conscious a moment ago, correct?"

"Affirmative."

"And did this strengthen or weaken him?"

The computer analyzed the data a moment. "The patient's condition weakened during conscious activity."

The Time Lord gave a satisfied snort. "Given this data, isn't it logical to conclude that the patient will recover more quickly if he is kept unconscious while repairs are underway?"

"Affirmative. Program amended."

The Doctor smiled smugly, pleased to have finally gotten one better on the computer. "How much time will it take for all repairs to be completed?"

"Total time for repairs forty-six hours, seventeen minutes."

"Two more days," the Doctor said in surprise. "He really is in a bad way."

oOo

The image suddenly froze and Fitzhugh was on his feet.

"I wondered when he'd wake up," the Doctor muttered quietly.

"Doctor, why did you order the computer to keep the accused unconscious during his recovery?" the prosecutor wanted to know.

"To keep him…inactive," the Doctor replied evasively.

"Inactive," Fitzhugh repeated. "Isn't it a fact that you ordered the computer to keep the accused unconscious to prevent him from attacking you a second time?"

"That was hardly likely to happen, considering he'd just revived from nearly fifty continuous hours in stasis."

"And after he awoke again?" the prosecutor asked pointedly. "Wasn't it simply a way of restraining the accused?"

The Doctor sighed heavily, admitting, "Alright, yes, I did it to restrain him. I didn't want him waking up before I was ready for him."

The prosecutor smiled smugly. "And how did you get ready for him?"

"I didn't. It never came to that. Something else came up before I could work that out."

oOo