CHAPTER 60
NOW WE'RE EVEN
Jason slowly returned to his senses and tried to focus. I'm in a box. Why am I in a box? Wait a minute, haven't I been here before? Then he heard Mel say, "Doctor, I think he's waking up." He tried to reply and was rewarded with a stabbing pain. This was enough to wake him fully and he realized, with a bit of a jolt, that he was still in his true form. The monitor above him came to life and he read the information, discovering that he'd been in the cabinet for nearly seven hours. He had no memory of being shot, and only knew he had been because of the readings. One second he had been fighting for his life, and the next he was waking up in the recovery cabinet of his own sickbay. As he scanned the data, he heard the Doctor's voice saying, "Jason, don't try to talk. Your communication center's been badly damaged."
Having already figured this out—and then some—the Alterran used the computer within the cabinet to type out a response. "No kidding."
The Doctor gave a surprised cry of delight when the reply flashed up on the monitor screen beside the observation window. He leaned down and looked inside the cabinet, seeing the internal monitor for the first time. "Well, now would you look at that," he remarked approvingly. "Was that a part of your paranoia induced marathon reprogramming session?"
"No comment."
"What is it?" This was Mel, who was standing beside him.
"He's got his own systems monitor in there," the Doctor said admiringly. He straightened, turning back to his companion. "He probably knows more about his condition now than I do."
"Are you okay?" Jason then asked.
"Yes, Mel and I came away relatively unscathed," the Time Lord replied.
"I heard you."
The Doctor scowled. "When?"
"Before. I thought you were in trouble."
That is an understatement and a half, the Doctor thought. "Yes, Mel told about that. I had a bit of a run in with Trevor. That must be what you heard."
Jason had been scanning the monitor and could find no sign of anyone else being treated on the medical system. One of the transport capsules had been activated, but he could not tell if it was from when he himself had been in it or not. He had a feeling he already knew the answer to his next question before he even asked. "What happened to Trevor?"
This was one of the questions the Doctor was dreading and he cleared his throat nervously. "You don't remember what happened?" he asked evasively.
"No. Clearly I've been shot."
The Time Lord stiffened involuntarily but did not reply.
After a minute, Jason became impatient. "Well…?"
The Doctor looked through the observation window, seeing the Alterran's sensors glowing brightly. He was watching him closely and obviously waiting for an answer. "Trevor's dead," he said at last. "He took the full force of an energy blast."
There was no immediate response to this. Despite the fact that Trevor had practically destroyed his life, Jason could not help feeling sorry for him. He had obviously suffered more than a simple mental breakdown. Something had sent him completely over the edge. Nothing else could explain the twisted obsession that spawned the Machiavellian scheme that destroyed an entire planet and very nearly cost him his life. If only he knew what it was? Finally, he asked the next question the Time Lord was dreading. "Did you shoot me?"
An anguished expression came to the Doctor's face. "Yes, I'm afraid I did."
"Dare I ask why?"
"It was a mistake. I thought it was set to stun!" the Time Lord cried defensively.
A pause.
"A mistake?"
The confrontation on the ARGO's flight deck returned vividly to mind and the Doctor growled in anger, although it was himself he was angry with. "Yes. A mistake. You don't think I shot you deliberately, do you?"
"You just said you did."
The Doctor stiffened involuntarily. Now it seemed that he was the one whose motives were in question. "That's not what I meant and you know it!" he snapped impatiently. "I didn't even want the wretched thing in the first place. You're the one who insisted that I take it."
Jason had no reply for this. The Doctor was right, and he was just being malicious. He had, after all, insisted that his friend take the weapon for his own protection. He also knew that the Doctor would never purposely try to harm him. Not after what they'd just been through. He needed to learn the exact circumstances of what happened—
"This is unbelievable. We're right back where we started," the Doctor said in annoyance, breaking into the Alterran's train of thought.
Mel had been listening in bewilderment. "What?"
The Doctor turned to her, growing angrier with himself by the second. "It was a mistake that turned into a misunderstanding of epic proportions," he replied in exasperation. "That's why everything went spiraling out of control. I didn't believe him, now he doesn't believe me."
"Now we're even," Jason replied.
"Oh, very funny," the Doctor snapped acidly.
At that moment, the Med-computer gave a small beep, ending the argument before it went any further. The Doctor turned his attention to the monitor, scrutinizing the readings. The expression on his face worried Mel. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing's wrong," the Time Lord replied mildly, glancing over at her. "Jason's reached his target energy levels. It's safe for him to come out now."
As if to confirm this, the recovery cabinet opened automatically and the examination table slid out, revealing Jason in his human form. He sat up slowly, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. He looked tired but otherwise unharmed.
"Are you alright?" Mel asked concernedly, going to his side.
The Alterran gave a small smile and nodded. When he spoke, his voice was thick and husky, as if he had a heavy cold. "I just need to get my strength—" He put a hand to his throat, surprised at the sound of his own voice. "—and my voice back." He looked at the Doctor, seeing an anguished expression on his usually bright and cheerful face.
"Jason, I really didn't—" the Time Lord began in an earnest tone.
His friend held up a hand. "The trouble with text is there's no inflection," he said mildly. "I wasn't pointing a finger, Doctor. My bright idea to save you was to put a bullet through your chest. I'm the last person you should be trying to justify yourself to."
"I'm not trying to justify anything," the Doctor said defensively. "It was an accident!"
"I know," came the insistent reply.
The Doctor was completely thrown by this unexpectedly fervent reply. "You know?"
"Yes. You wouldn't be so adamant if it hadn't been," Jason pointed out astutely. "The last thing we need is for this to turn into another misunderstanding of epic proportions."
"No," the Doctor replied, venturing, "Am I forgiven then?"
Jason gave him an amused smile. "Doctor, you are always forgiven." He regarded his friend steadily. "Am I forgiven?" he then asked.
"I'll have to think about that," the Time Lord replied playfully, adding quickly, "Oh, alright. Yes. You're forgiven."
Jason smiled and turned to Mel, who was still beside him. "Any chance of getting something to eat? According to the computer, I've been in there for seven hours. I'm starving."
The Doctor was suddenly all smiles. "Would you like it here, in the galley or bedside service in your cabin, your royal highness?" He crossed to his friend, offering him his arm.
Jason gave him a quizzical look. "What's put you in such a good mood all of a sudden?" he asked suspiciously, clinging to the Time Lord's arm for support as he got unsteadily to his feet.
"I've just realized something," the Doctor replied happily as he turned toward the door.
"What? That I still have an inquiry—sorry, a trial to finish?"
The Doctor stopped, looking off into the distance. "Oh, yes, I was forgetting that," he said thoughtfully. He gave his friend a devilish look, shaking his head. "No. I just realized, with our puppeteer finally dealt with, we can get back to the proper business of taking pot shots at one another without fear of outside interference."
Jason could not help himself and laughed at this observation. "Well, before we start, I better show you the proper settings for that gun."
"What? And take all the fun out of it?"
"I just want you ready for the next alien influence that comes our way."
"Ah, good thinking," the Doctor agreed blandly as they passed through the door. "Alien influences are a dime a dozen these days."
"Really?" the Prince replied, sounding as if this were amazing news.
Mel giggled, following at a discreet distance, not that it mattered. Somehow, she had a feeling that they had already completely forgotten about her.