Chapter Two
"Sorry about that Alistair, just a little business to clear up." said the Doctor while leading the Brigadier away.
"When do you believe Miss. Smith will be up to hearing the details of where you… originate from? I would like to arrange a time when Dr. Sullivan and I aren't involved in any meetings." explained the Brigadier.
"If her fever doesn't spike again, we could do it tomorrow. But I would prefer to wait till she will have recovered further and I can make sure the water didn't damage her lungs any further." said the Doctor when they reached the Brigadier's office.
"What exactly happened in the Tardis Doctor?"
"Jakill, the Averian leader was able to use Sarah's fear to feed his addiction one last time. Sarah was drowned by Jakill. He pulled her under the water again and again. She fought as long and hard as she could, but in her already weakened condition, she never stood a chance of escaping him. By the time I reached her, she had stopped breathing. I gave her CPR, but I couldn't revive her. Then suddenly, she was breathing and coughing up water." He paused, meeting the Brigadier's eyes before continuing, "I can't explain how it happened. It can only be described as a miracle. And you know that I use that word rarely. But it's the only thing that makes any sense." He had an involuntary shiver. He could still see her in his mind's eye, her body on the bottom of the pool, then laying along the side of the pool dead. He remembered yelling her name in anguish. Then suddenly she was alive. And he could breathe a sigh of relief. He flopped down in the chair in front of the Brigadier's desk, suddenly exhausted. He knew he must be tired, he didn't even remember the walk from the Sick Bay to the Brigadier's office.
"This Jakill that you spoke of, what happened to him? asked the Brigadier sitting in his chair. He couldn't believe all that had happened, in such a short span of time.
"He was apparently so 'high' that he forgot he was in the pool. He just sort of relaxed himself to death in the water. By the time Sarah was breathing he was in the pool dead. Suffering from the same fate that he had sentenced Sarah to." said the Doctor holding his head down with regret that the outcome had been so final.
"So, where is he now, still in the Tardis?" asked the Brigadier solemnly.
"No, the Time Lords hijacked the Tardis to Gallifrey and carried him out. Then we returned to UNIT, and here I am." finished the Doctor with a clap of his hands and a smile. He really didn't want to talk about this anymore, he just wanted to try and get the images out of his head.
"All right Doctor, I can see this has been very trying on you, so let's get down to it. What do you want and how much will it cost?" asked the Brigadier steeling himself for the answer. The Doctor had a tendency to want things that cost a great deal of money and were usually hard to explain on an expense report.
"This time Brigadier, I assure you it won't cost much, well, very little anyway. I want a new assistant." started the Doctor.
"We've been down this road several times already Doctor. I thought we agreed that you work best alone. I have sent you at last count," the Brigadier paused, referring to a file on his desk, "twenty eight assistants and the longest any of them lasted was two days, and not even two full days. You said some weren't smart enough, some thought they were too smart, some of them were annoying, one's voice was too high pitched, one's voice was too low pitched, some of them were too tall, some of them were too short and one who's hair was too big, need I go on?" the Brigadier rattled on.
"This time it's different. I know she'll be the perfect assistant. Granted she won't understand most of what I'm doing. But neither did any of the others. She's smart and intelligent and she doesn't take no for an answer."
"I can vouch for that." added the Brigadier with a frown, guessing it was Sarah he was talking about.
"The things I'm going to tell you…let's keep just between us, all right Alistair?" asked the Doctor hoping he wouldn't discuss this with anyone else. He hated to give out personal and private details about Sarah without her consent. But he felt the Brigadier needed to know everything, well just about anyway, to get him on what he hoped would be sometime soon, 'their' side.
"Of course Doctor, if that's what you want." replied the Brigadier as he leaned forward in his chair, to give the Doctor his undivided attention.
"When I brought her to the Tardis I did an extensive scan on her. She has had a hard life Alistair, lots of broken bones. From the looks of it, she wasn't taken to a physician for treatment either. By looking at the way the bones developed, this had to have happened during her childhood, early childhood. And the pneumonia, she had that before she was ever involved with the Averians." said the Doctor with such sadness in his voice, the Brigadier couldn't help but to want to make Sarah's life better too. She was about the same age as his youngest daughter.
"So how did she develop the pneumonia?" asked the Brigadier.
"From what I can gather from Sergeant Benton, she's been living in her car. It 'is' I believe, the season that you humans call winter, and I know for fact that it's already snowed. During all that time, she's been sleeping and living in her car as well as chasing leads for her stories. According to Benton she only gets paid per story, and that's 'if' they decide to use it. Sarah must have thought if she could crack this story, she could rent a loft and get off the streets. In the meantime with no heat, and the snow and rain, she continued to get sick. If I hadn't shown up at the last kidnapping scene and recovered her, she would have died by now anyway." explained the Doctor.
"So you want to hire Miss. Smith, correct Doctor?" asked the Brigadier.
"Yes, exactly." said the Doctor, looking hopeful.
"Doctor, granted she's a hard worker, but does she have any other qualifications? I mean, you have to understand Doctor the PM won't understand my hiring one of the 'press' as your assistant. We here at UNIT tend to avoid calling attention to ourselves. It all goes hand in hand with the 'secret' part of the whole operation." the Brigadier needlessly explained. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the fact that you want to get this young woman…"
"Sarah, Sarah Jane Smith is her name." interrupted the Doctor. He stood and leaned over the Brigadier's desk. He didn't want the Brigadier to think of her in a generic frame of reference, a nameless, faceless one of London's masses. He knew that if he could get the Brigadier to think of her as an individual, he would come along to the Doctor's way of thinking.
"Yes Doctor I am aware of her name. It's just that, even if I could get the PM to look the other way and get her on the payroll, how could she assist you? She doesn't have experience as a scientist of…well…anything." stated the Brigadier hating to put his foot down on something the Doctor wanted so badly, maybe too badly.
"My dear Alistair, what is the one thing that you continually harp about? Give up?" the Doctor asked as the Brigadier shrugged his shoulders. "Paperwork. Your blasted paperwork. Requisitions, receipts, borrowing from other labs without putting it to paperwork…" the Doctor started while pacing in front of the Brigadier's desk.
"Well it's nice to see you actually heard me. I always thought I was talking to dead air." the Brigadier said, sighing and leaning his chair back.
"I always hear you Brigadier. I just don't always care. And don't even try and tell me it's not the same with you. I've seen your eyes glaze over and go to your 'happy place'." the Doctor said while raising both hands in the air to add visual quotation marks at the words, 'happy place'. "At times when I'm trying to explain something to you, you are… never mind, this is beside the point. I'm not here to argue, I'm simply trying to accomplish something for you as well as give Sarah a job. Besides when you tell her that I'm a Time Lord wouldn't it be better for you, if she were employed by UNIT?" the Doctor argued passionately.
"Yes, I agree with the last part. But do you even know that she would want a job with UNIT? Have you even had a conversation with Miss. Smith yet? You seem to be very concerned about this young woman. Is there anything that you want to tell me?" inquired the Brigadier, hoping the Doctor would open up about what was really going on in his head.
"Granted I haven't had an extensive conversation with Sar…Miss. Smith yet. But I feel that she will accept this job as well as the situation." said the Doctor, not wanting to say the wrong thing and reveal too much too soon. He was still trying to analyze everything going on inside himself as well.
"All right Doctor, we'll try it your way and see where this goes. But remember, if you need to talk about…anything, I'll be available." The Brigadier sympathized with him. He could recognize a first love as well as anyone. He just hoped it would go as the Doctor hoped it would. Whether he was ready to admit it to himself or not, he could be in for a bad fall. All he could do was be ready to talk and help his old friend.
"I'm going to go check on Miss. Smith's condition. I'll call you to set a time to talk to your Dr. Sullivan and Miss. Smith." said the Doctor as he left the Brigadier's office. He felt as if he would burst with happiness. He had never felt this way before. He had never witnessed anyone on his home planet of Gallifrey with such strong feelings. How could such anticipation be so nerve wracking and yet so delightful at the same time?
The Brigadier picked up the phone as soon as the Doctor left. He dialed the number to the Sick Bay. He let it ring a dozen times and no one picked it up. Aggravated that he received no answer, he called Sergeant Benton.
"Sergeant Benton, UNIT HQ." Benton answered professionally.
"Sergeant I've been trying to raise someone in the Sick Bay, but no one picks up. Where's Dr. Sullivan, it was my understanding that he was staying at UNIT overnight? It's only five in the afternoon, he shouldn't have left the base yet without alerting someone of his whereabouts. He does realize he's on call, doesn't he?" unloaded the Brigadier.
"Sir, I have passed Dr. Sullivan several times during the course of the afternoon. He has treated several accidents and illnesses all over the base Sir." explained Benton, hoping he was doing a good job covering for the plan he and the Doctor had implemented.
"What accidents? I haven't received reports of any accidents. And illnesses, I also haven't received reports of any illnesses. What's going on Sergeant Benton?" asked the Brigadier, wondering if something wasn't going on behind his back. The men had a bad habit of giving anyone new, especially someone with an attitude problem, grief on their first few days. He decided to let it go. If the men needed some harmless fun to keep the tension down, then so be it. He just didn't want to know about it. "Never mind Benton. I need you to get a message to Dr. Sullivan. Tell him that he is to stay away from Sick Bay room twelve. I've given the Doctor complete authorization to treat Miss. Smith. Tell him the Doctor will be in complete charge of Miss. Smith's care and he should focus on the care of the rest of UNIT. Also tell him the Doctor wants her in complete isolation, and if he has any questions tell him to contact me. Is that understood, Sergeant?" said the Brigadier, hoping he wouldn't have to break up any more schoolyard fights.
"Sir, yes Sir. Will there be anything else Sir?" asked Benton, grateful the Brigadier wasn't going to push the issue.
"No Benton, that will be all." said the Brigadier and hung up the phone.
Benton hung up the phone and sat back in his chair and let out a sigh and a quiet laugh.
As the Doctor walked through the halls of UNIT he passed a number of men he had worked with in the past. Could they tell? Were they looking at him any differently? Could they see what he feared the Brigadier saw? And now the big question, was he becoming paranoid? He had to get control of himself. The Brigadier was right, he hadn't even had a 'real' conversation with her yet. Yet her eyes, when he looked into her eyes they answered every question in the universe, in his universe in any case. He knew there was a connection. She was dead, he saw her laying there, not breathing, no heartbeat, no pulse, nothing, just dead. Yet when he screamed her name, with a pain he never thought he would ever possibly have, she came back. Back to life, back to him. He was walking into UNIT's Sick Bay now. Smiling and exchanging pleasantries with the staff. Trying with every bit of control he had to calm down and hope he wasn't overcompensating, and if he was he hoped no one would notice.
Up ahead he saw the door to her room. This was it. He put his hand on the knob and turned it. The lights in the room were on dimly and Sarah was sleeping. The Doctor quietly closed the door behind him. The nurse had risen from her seat at the side of Sarah's bed and was bringing her chart to the Doctor. Just as he was about to go over the chart, the door was pushed open and Harry Sullivan came barging in, apparently livid.
"What's going on in here? I have been sent on one wild goose chase after the other in order to keep me too busy to come to this room. Now I want to know what's going on?" Harry was yelling now. He had just walked past a break room where some of the soldiers were laughing about having to come up with fake injuries in order to keep UNIT's newest physician busy and away from the Sick Bay. Apparently they were doing a favor for the Doctor. And from the sounds of their laughter, they were more than happy to help.
The Doctor looked over his shoulder and could see Sarah stirring. He caught the eyes of the nurse and motioned with his head for her to go to Sarah. Having done that, he pushed Harry from the room. When he was sure the door was shut securely behind them, the Doctor exploded. "What are you doing? Miss. Smith was 'sleeping' before your interruption. What kind of physician are you? Do you always come charging through doors like a giraffe in a china shop? Or maybe a better analogy and one you might better understand would be a two year old throwing a temper tantrum." the Doctor said, now incensed.
"A giraffe in a…?" he replied momentarily confused, then remembered why he was mad. "I know all about your little masquerade. Was the Brigadier in on this day too or just a select few of your friends?" asked Harry.
"The Brigadier wouldn't be a part of anything and I'm sure I certainly don't know what you're talking about. Now, is there something I can help you with?" the Doctor started, backpedaling fast.
Sergeant Benton had run into Dr. Sullivan's last case of fake chest pains and found out he was on his way back to Sick Bay. He hoped he could beat the physician to Sick Bay and head off a bad situation by giving the Brigadier's orders to him in person. Wrong! He came through the door of Sick Bay in time to see Dr. Sullivan being propelled backwards through the air, away from what he could only guess was Miss. Smith's door. This was going bad fast.
He hated to do it, but he decided to call the Brigadier. "Sir, this is Sergeant Benton. I'm in the Sick Bay and there seems to be a problem Sir. Dr. Sullivan is yelling and the Doctor looks like he's getting ready to blow. Sir, I realize it's late but could you come down here?" asked Benton hoping the Brigadier wouldn't find out about his part in this little play.
On the other end of the phone, the Brigadier could hear for himself that Dr. Sullivan and the Doctor were without a doubt getting out of hand. He was hoping the explanations could wait till tomorrow but this was getting ridiculous, they were like two children. "It's all right Benton, I'll be right there. Try to keep them from killing each other till I get there." said the Brigadier slamming down the phone and hurrying from his office.
He was dreading this meeting when all parties were calm, and now he would have to play the role of a referee to keep everyone from killing each other. Ego, that's what it all boiled down to, ego. And the Doctor wasn't any better than Sullivan. Maybe he should put them in a ring and let them fight it out. Oh good, he thought sarcastically as he arrived at the door marked Sick Bay, they were still going at it. He knew this because their voices could be heard in the entire east wing of the base.
"Aahmm." the Brigadier cleared his throat loudly, very loudly. Both men instantly stopped bickering and looked towards him. "All right, who wants to tell me what the bloody hell is going on, and why you think the Sick Bay is the place to do this?"
Both men looked at each other and started to talk at the same time. Just as the Brigadier was debating on calling the guards and throwing each man into the Brig, both men stopped fighting and looked back at Miss. Smith's door.
The door opened and Sarah stepped forward unsteadily in a pair of the military issue blue pajamas. Her chestnut colored hair was still damp, she had dark circles under her green eyes, bruises on her face and her hands. She said weakly, "What's going on, what's all the yelling about?"
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. You shouldn't be on your feet." said the Doctor, his face a mask of concern and guilt.
Sarah recognized him at once. The voice from her dreams. The voice that had called her back from the edge of death. The eyes that had more love in them than she had ever known. He was the one who held her hand. He was the one that calmed her when she was afraid. It was really him, not a dream as she had feared. It was suddenly all so real. Her right foot was throbbing. She felt dizzy and the lights were getting dimmer. Then suddenly 'he' caught her before she hit the floor. He would always be there to catch her. She didn't know how she knew this, but she did. She felt herself slipping away to the land of dreams again. But now she really knew, he wasn't a dream. He was real and she could sleep. She was safe.
The Doctor jumped forward as she swayed on her feet and scooped her up in his arms. He took her to the bed, where the nurse was waiting with the blankets pulled back. He laid her in the bed and immediately checked her vitals.
"I'm so sorry Sir. I had stepped over to the sink to get her antibiotics and water and turned around and she already had the door open. Please accept my apologies. If you would like, I can get another nurse to replace me." said Mrs. Granger.
"No, I don't think that will be necessary Mrs. Granger. It wasn't your fault. Could I see her chart please?" said the Doctor. Mrs. Granger really seemed to be sincere, and that's who he wanted taking care of Sarah, someone who would truly care about her as a person not just another patient.
"Of course Doctor." said Mrs. Granger as she handed Sarah's chart to the Doctor.
"So her temperature dropped to 101.5° less than an hour ago and now it's back up to 102.6°, and everything else other than her respiration are almost normal." stated the Doctor. Mrs. Granger shook her head, bewildered. She should be getting better. The drug he had given her was excellent for treating pneumonia. In fact if it weren't for her near drowning, he would expect her lungs to be clear. There must be a secondary infection.
The Doctor was checking Sarah's skin over closely. "Mrs. Granger…when you were dressing Sarah did you happen to notice anything that looked like an injury or new bruising? Sorry, stupid question on my part. She's covered in bruises." the Doctor explained.
"She had some blood on her, and she slept as I cleaned it off. But as you said, she has quite a few injuries Sir." she said.
The Doctor was pacing. She should be getting better, this didn't make sense. He went over it all again. Earlier, before her abduction by Jakill, her fever was coming down, slowly, but coming down. Granted drowning wasn't a step toward recovery, but it shouldn't have affected her infection. He came to the same previous conclusion. It's not the original infection alone, but something else, something new. He looked over at Mrs. Granger who was disposing of the used medical supplies. "That's it, it has to be it! He had access to the Tardis' Infirmary. He would have everything he needed to possibly poison Sarah. He probably ran into the Infirmary, couldn't believe his good luck at finding Sarah and decided he would have one more 'experience' before he was caught or killed." the Doctor was talking to himself, pacing back and forth as he worked it out, almost picturing what had happened.
Sarah was regaining consciousness again.
"It's you." Sarah said while looking at the Doctor. She was having such a hard time staying awake or even thinking for that matter. In any case 'he' was back, that's all she needed to know.
"Yes Sarah, I'm here. I need you to stay awake a little while and answer some questions. It's very important. Stay with me, okay?" he said while stroking her right hand and smoothing back her hair from her face. She shook her head yes in response. "Sarah, do you remember the man that dragged you into the pool?" Once again Sarah shook her head yes. She was fading, he needed to work fast. "Sarah did the man give you any pills, or an injection? Try to remember Sarah. This is very important." the Doctor was all but pleading with her now.
"He hurt my foot." Sarah whispered.
"Sarah, which foot? Which foot did he hurt?" asked the Doctor, now hopeful that there could be a resolution to this.
"My right foot, on the bottom." Sarah whispered struggling to stay awake and answer his questions.
The Doctor turned to the nurse and said in a low voice, "I'm going to need a surgery pack."
"Yes Sir, right away." said the nurse as she ran from the room.
The Doctor pulled her covers back and examined her right foot. Upon removal of the blanket, he could hear several people inhale sharply. Sarah's foot was one massive bruise. Her foot was covered by tiny veins that were swollen with what appeared to be a mixture of blood and infection. When the Doctor tried to examine her foot Sarah cried out in pain. "I'm so sorry Sarah, but I need to look at your foot. I'll try to be as fast and gentle as I can, all right?" He looked up into her eyes. Because of the amount of pain she was in, she was wide awake now. She shook her head yes. The swollen veins were starting to travel across her ankle and would eventually spread to the rest of her body.
He looked carefully over the surface of the bottom of her foot and that's when he found it. A tiny needle that was broken off in her heal. He would need to extract that and analyze the substance that she was infected with. He turned around in time to see the nurse return with the surgery pack. She opened it on an instrument table she had returned with. She then brought over a portable exam light and turned it on, placing it over his shoulder. "Thank you nurse." said the Doctor quietly. He didn't want Sarah to know how grim this situation actually was. He motioned for the nurse to bring him a pillow that he was pointing to. He placed the pillow on Sarah's abdomen to block her view.
He looked up at Sarah and gave her one of his best smiles. "All right Sarah, there appears to be a little thorn of sorts in your foot. I need you to hold very still so that I can get it out in one piece. Can you do that for me?" He gave her another smile trying to convey confidence that he didn't feel. This was bad, very bad, depending on whether or not it had not only infected her blood stream but damaged her organs. Looking back at Sarah, she looked so lost and alone. He needed someone to be with her. He turned and met the Brigadier's eyes. Without a word, the Brigadier moved forward.
"Miss. Smith, do you remember me?" asked the Brigadier gently. Sarah shook her head yes. "Would you mind holding on to my hand? It's strange I know, but the Sick Bay has always made me nervous, gives me the willies." he said as he picked up Sarah's small, weak hand placing it in between both of his. "Thank you, I feel much better. How about you?"
"Thank you Brigadier." Sarah answered as she looked up into the Brigadier's eyes with a small smile.
"Okay Sarah, here we go." said the Doctor first looking into Sarah's face and giving her a smile. He sat down on the stool Mrs. Granger had provided at the end of Sarah's bed. Once he was below Sarah's line of sight, he looked at the Brigadier and mouthed, 'thank you', to which the Brigadier gave a slight nod of his head.
He used the smallest pair of forceps he had ever seen, which were perfect for this procedure. He lined the forceps up with the broken needle. Very carefully and very quickly he placed the forceps on each side of the needle and pushed into Sarah's foot to expose as much of the needle as possible to the forceps and then pulled it out. Sarah screamed, but held her foot still. He looked over the pillow at Sarah and tried to convey his pride at her bravery with his smile. He quickly pulled his Gallifreyan microscope out of the bag he had brought from the Tardis. He put the broken needle on a slide. He looked at it under the microscope. It was a parasite that he had observed in his academy days. It was a parasite from Wogg 5. The parasite would increase the white cell count of the poor victim in unbelievable numbers. All Averians carried this in their genetic makeup. As to why he did this to Sarah, he didn't know. All that was important now, was that she receive the proper treatment.
He turned to the nurse and requested that she get some gloves on and clean the surface area of the wound. He turned back to Sarah whose temperature must have risen. She was covered in perspiration and she was violently shaking. The Brigadier backed away from Sarah's bed, feeling out of his element. The Doctor spoke softly but with a conviction he hoped to convey to Sarah. "It's going to be all right Sarah. I can treat this. Sarah, can you hear me?" She was staring straight ahead, but at nothing in particular. He ran to the sink and filled a basin with cold water and dropped a towel in. He brought it back to her bedside and sat it on the table. He pulled the towel from the water and wrung it out. He wiped the perspiration from her face and folded it and placed it on her forehead.
He reached into his bag and pulled out the assortment of injectable antibiotics that he had packed. He brought all types in case her condition changed. He took some alcohol and a piece of gauze that was on the tray that the nurse had brought. He swabbed the inside of her right arm. After drawing the correct dosage from the bottle, he injected her with it. He looked up to see her face covered in perspiration again. He took her temperature. It was climbing dangerously high, quickly, too quickly. It had gone from 102.6° to 103.9°. She had been through so much. He had to save her.
He saw the nurse noting the time he gave Sarah the injection on her chart. He went back to the only thing he could do for her now, keep her blankets tucked around her and wipe her face with a cold towel.
He saw movement from the corner of his eye and turned his head. He had forgotten they were all there. Everyone, even Dr. Sullivan, had looks of grave concern on their faces.
"Doctor, do you think I could see you for a minute, in the hall?" the Brigadier asked in a concerned, yet firm way.
The Doctor moved from Sarah's bedside and indicated to the nurse to take his place. He knew the Brigadier was more than likely going to chew him out, but he didn't care. All that mattered now was Sarah. He had to save Sarah. He shut the door to her room closed behind him.
"I was going to let you two have it about this grade school fight you have going on, but I can see by your faces that the two of you understand this can't continue. That's all I'm going to say on the subject. Tell me gentlemen, will I have to bring this up again?" asked the Brigadier with a look of distaste on his face.
"No Sir." Harry answered with his head facing the floor.
"I'm sorry Brigadier. I let my temper get the best of me. It won't happen again." said the Doctor.
He looked as if he had been through the wringer, the Brigadier thought. "Is there anything I can do to help Miss. Smith, other than we discussed earlier?" asked the Brigadier. He felt sorry not only for Sarah but for the Doctor. He prayed she would pull out of this for both their sakes.
The Doctor shook his head no. "I'm sorry Alistair, but I need to get back inside. Maybe we can talk tomorrow." said the Doctor while opening Sarah's door and hurrying inside.
"Brigadier, surely you can see that I should be the one treating Miss. Smith. I have had training that from what I can see, can't compare with his." said Harry exasperated that he was back at square one on this.
"Dr. Sullivan I can tell you that much is true." said the Brigadier.
"Then…" Harry started.
"Dr. Sullivan, I promise you that tomorrow I will sit down with you and all of this will be made clear to you. We have all had a very long and trying day. I will contact you tomorrow to set up an appointment to explain things. I will be in meetings a large part of tomorrow, but believe me I will talk to you about this. And make sure you stay out of the Doctor's way as well. Let him treat Miss. Smith in the manner that he sees fit." With that the Brigadier turned to leave closing the subject, at least till tomorrow. "Good night Dr. Sullivan. Come along Sergeant Benton." Benton turned, shaking his head and followed his commanding officer out of the Sick Bay leaving Dr. Sullivan wondering just exactly what was going on.
In Sarah's mind, the scene was being replayed. She was sleeping in this strange room that the man with the kind eyes had left her to recover in. She was being shaken awake, but it wasn't the kind man, it was a creature from a nightmare. He kept changing from image to image. From human to a creature that couldn't possibly exist. He was looking for something. He opened a drawer in a cabinet next to her head. He took out what looked like a syringe, a large syringe. He held it in front of her face and then her neck. She didn't know what to do. He took the syringe and held it in front of his chest and started laughing. Sarah started crying. This seemed to please the creature. He took both hands and thrust the syringe into his chest. He then pulled back on the plunger and Sarah thought she would faint. The syringe was quickly filling up with a green liquid. He pulled it out of himself and looked at her and laughed. The thing walked to the foot of her bed and pulled off the blanket.
"Oh no, no, no, no! Please no, please! Don't hurt me, please!" Sarah pleaded.
"Tell the Time Lord goodbye!" he said as he laughed. He looked at her after yet another transformation. This time he appeared as a gorilla. He took the loaded syringe and emptied its contents into the bottom of her right foot. The pain and burning was excruciating. Sarah screamed for all she was worth. She screamed until she thought her lungs would burst. He transformed into a greenish humanoid shape and pulled Sarah off the scanner, dragging her through what looked to Sarah as a maze of sorts. The IV inserted in her arm was being ripped out of her, taking skin and tissue with it. There was blood all over her. Her foot felt as if it were on fire, and the fire was racing through her body. She was trying desperately to grab onto anything she passed, but nothing seemed to stop him. She was too weak to fight and she realized this was probably the last minutes of her life. Where was the kind man? She needed him, she knew if he were here he would save her.
The next thing she knew she was falling and landed in water. The creature was there. He was holding her head under. This was it. She was tired, so very tired. She tried to fight but it was no use. He held her firmly under the water. She could feel the rippling of the water around her. She felt him squirming beside her as if he were having a seizure. She felt the water filling her lungs. She was tired, she let go.
Then the dream started again, this time with her parents and their friends, each performing different parts of the dream. Stop! She just wanted it to stop!
The Doctor returned with a plan of attack. What she needed was a transfusion to give her a clean start. But not an ordinary transfusion. The Time Lords had invented a machine that would take the blood as it came from the body and the blood would go through a series of purifying cycles and be returned to the body. The machine cleaned and returned an individual's own blood back into their body. The problem was, this had only been used on Time Lords in the event of a deadly infection, to prevent a premature regeneration. It had never been used on a human.
This infection would cause her a painful death. However, the Gallifreyan machine itself could also kill her. Either way she could die. He had to give her the only chance that she had. The Gallifreyan machine. He had one in the Infirmary in the Tardis. The machine was fairly small in size and on wheels. He would leave Sarah here and return to the Tardis, and bring the machine back. "I'll be right back, don't leave her for any reason." shouted the Doctor to Mrs. Granger as he left the room at a run.
"Yes Doctor." said Mrs. Granger. She really hoped he could save her. She had suffered so much and he was obviously taken with her. She decided this was a good time to say a prayer.
The Doctor raced through UNIT in record time and unlocked the door of the Tardis. He ran at top speed to the Infirmary and grabbed the machine and pushed it back to Sarah's room. He placed the machine on the left side of Sarah's bed. "I need a surgery pack please." he said to Mrs. Granger without looking up.
"Here you are Doctor." said Mrs. Granger awaiting further instruction.
The Doctor raised Sarah's pajama top from her waist and pushed her bottoms a little below her hip bone and wiped the area with an alcohol soaked piece of gauze. He then inserted a needle that was attached to tubing going to the machine. He left the line of tubing closed until he turned the machine around and placed the other line into the same location on Sarah's right side. He opened both lines and turned the machine on. He looked up and could see the nurse had questions, but she didn't ask. He assumed this was part of her work, the secrecy of working for UNIT.
"Is there anything I can do Doctor?" the nurse asked the obviously tired Doctor.
"Yes, could you be kind enough to find me a cup of coffee? I can't tell you how nice that would be." the Doctor asked with a smile, a smile he didn't really feel. "But before you do that, go get yourself some dinner. Take an hour off. If anything comes up I'll be sure to call you." He said indicating the cell phone the Brigadier had given him earlier. He always looked at them before as a nuisance, but maybe they did have a few practical uses.
The nurse smiled as she picked up her sweater and cell phone and left the room. She wondered when the Doctor had last slept. He looked exhausted.
The Doctor was taking Sarah's vitals every fifteen minutes now. He hoped she was strong enough to live through this. He could see the green fluid that was collecting in the separator. Why didn't he examine her more closely? He knew that Jakill was capable of anything. He was a strung out junkie that would do anything or kill anything for a fix. They were masters at creating terror. He should have known this, should have paid more attention. Now it could cost Sarah her life. He sat down in a chair by Sarah's right side. He bent over and placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He had to focus. He needed to be strong for Sarah.
"Shhh, it's all right." He couldn't believe it. It was Sarah. She barely had her eyes open but she was reaching her hand out to help him. "What's wrong?" Sarah asked struggling to stay awake. He knew she must be in terrible pain.
"Nothing, just sleep Sarah. It's important that you rest." said the Doctor, ecstatic that she was talking to him and yet through her pain, she was worried about him. In his mind that proved their connection was real, whether there were words for it or not.
"I'm sorry, I know you told me your name but I don't remember. Are you my Doctor?" Sarah asked groggily.
"You can call me the Doctor. And yes, I am your Doctor." Was that ever a loaded question and answer! "Sarah, I want you to close your eyes and sleep now. We'll talk some more later. Is there anything I can get you?" asked the Doctor unable to look away from her.
"No thank you. I have everything I need." Sarah said as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. She did indeed have everything she needed. 'He' was here and she felt safe and protected. This time, maybe the bad dreams would go away.
Five restless and tense hours later the Gallifreyan machine had finished it's cycle. Sarah's coloring was much better. She was still very pale but that was to be expected. Her lungs were still clicking when she coughed but that was also to be expected due to her near drowning. Her temperature was down to 101.5°.
He sent Mrs. Granger to get some sleep. He then went to the officer's lounge and dragged an old black leather recliner back to Sarah's room. After checking her vitals one more time, he sat back in the recliner and fell asleep.
As a rule Time Lords need very little sleep. But considering the stress of the attacks on the humans, his newfound feelings for Sarah, being hijacked by the Time Lords and keeping his feelings a secret, this had been a very eventful two days. He slept without dreaming, deeper and more soundly than he had in years. He allowed himself two hours, though a part of his mind was ever vigilant for any sound coming from Sarah. He opened his eyes and they immediately went to Sarah. She was sleeping. He rose from the chair and stretched.
He walked to the foot of her bed and checked her chart. Her temperature was down to 100.5°. He lifted the blankets from her feet. Her right foot's swelling was down and the bruising was limited to the bottom of her foot. The coloring of her foot was pale but definitely not green anymore, he could once again see a pinkness to her skin. The portion of her legs that were exposed was also a more normal color. He tucked the blankets again around her feet.
He turned to find Mrs. Granger had returned and was awaiting orders. "Mrs. Granger you have been wonderful." he said sincerely to the nurse. "Why don't you go get yourself some breakfast and take a break." he said with one of his huge smiles. A smile that he now truly meant.
"But Doctor, I've only just returned on duty." protested Mrs. Granger.
"Nonsense Mrs. Granger, you've been lovely and I truly appreciate everything you've done. Now, go get some breakfast." He smiled and walked her to the door, not taking no for an answer.
With Sarah on the mend, life could truly get back to normal. Or maybe become a new, yet wonderful normal for him. He had always fought against the Time Lord's idea of normality. But maybe he could find a normal that would appeal to both Sarah and himself. He was getting ahead of himself again. Take it hour by hour, day by day he told himself.
There was a quiet knock at the door. The Doctor went to the door and opened it. It was the Brigadier, looking concerned. "How is Miss. Smith?" he asked preparing himself for the worst.
The Doctor stepped outside the room and partially closed the door. "She's doing well …finally. Her blood has been cleansed of the Averian parasite, and the pneumonia is being treated with success. Hopefully in a few weeks, she should be the picture of health." Beamed the Doctor with a smile.
"I'm glad to hear she's doing better." said the Brigadier with honest relief. "Doctor, I've been trying to put off the 'big' explanation of your origins to Dr. Sullivan until we could explain it to both he and Miss. Smith at the same time. But because of her health and the fact that he's driving myself and Sergeant Benton insane, I think I'll tell him alone. That is, unless you have any objections." finished the Brigadier.
"Of course Brigadier, tell him. I can see how he might be annoying." the Doctor replied with an obvious smirk.
"You realize of course to prove this, it always leads to a tour of the Tardis." stated the Brigadier. Everyone including himself, used the Tardis as the one piece of definitive technology to prove that the Doctor was indeed an alien.
"Yes, that does seem to be the way this always works Alistair." beamed the Doctor. He wasn't going to let anyone get him down today. And that included the most annoying physician he had yet to encounter on this planet that he called, his home away from home.
"Is there anything you need Doctor?" asked the Brigadier, grateful that the Doctor would be willing to let Dr. Sullivan in his Tardis.
"No thank you. I'm just going to wait here till Sarah comes around. Let me know when you need the tour of the Tardis. But be warned, if this is going to be a regular thing, I'm going to have to insist that we start charging for the tour. I can give you twenty percent off the top, but the rest will have to go to me. All the upkeep you know. I'll need to buy some velvet ropes and a number machine to keep people from jumping the line. And of course I'll need to install a gift shop, you always need a little gift shop. I like a little gift shop. And then there's the advertising. Should we go with just print advertizing or television, or maybe both?" said the Doctor with an ear to ear grin on his face. He loved to wind the Brigadier up and watch his face turn from one expression to the other with the final outcome of sheer annoyance.
"All right Doctor, that won't be necessary. A simple yes, that won't be a problem, would have sufficed." replied the Brigadier. Inside he was greatly relieved to see the Doctor back to his jovial self. "If you need me, you know where I can be found. I'm going to look…never mind I see Dr. Sullivan now." said the Brigadier as he walked toward the Sick Bay entrance where Dr. Sullivan had just entered.
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh. Poor Harry Sullivan's world was about to be turned upside down. It couldn't happen to a nicer fellow, thought the Doctor sarcastically.
As he stepped back inside the room, he heard a yawn. He smiled. Sarah was waking, not in horrendous pain, not in a fevered stupor but simply waking.
As he walked over to Sarah's bed he realized, this is it. He decided in the space of a heartbeat, or heartbeats in his case, that he wouldn't put pressure on himself or Sarah.
"Good morning!" he said giving her his best smile. "How do you feel?"
"Good morning back and odd." said Sarah with a smile answering both of his questions.
"How much do you remember?" asked the Doctor.
"Bits and pieces. Like parts of a dream that you try to touch, then fades away." she tried to explain.
The Doctor smiled and said, "Can you tell me all the parts you remember? That is unless you're too tired. If you are, we can talk later."
"No I'm not tired. The first thing I remember is, I had a call from Digger. Digger is one of my contacts. He said he had information on the London area disappearances. So I met him and then…it gets kind of fuzzy after that. Something happened but I'm not sure I remember what it was." Then it suddenly occurred to her, "Digger! Is Digger all right? Has something happened to Digger?" Sarah asked in a panic. She sometimes was aggravated with Digger, but she didn't want anything bad to happen to him. She looked to the Doctor for her answer.
"Digger was the man you were meeting?" She shook her head yes. "I'm sorry Sarah. May I call you Sarah?" he asked her again for the familiarity of using her first name in case she didn't remember their previous conversation. He wished he didn't have to give her the bad news.
"Yes of course. Digger, he was taken?" she asked hoping he was all right.
"He's gone I'm afraid." said the Doctor with regret.
"And the others, all the others?" asked Sarah with tears in her eyes.
"They're all gone, I'm so sorry Sarah." He didn't know anything else he could say. He watched her as she came to grips with it. It hurt him, deep in his soul to see her in pain. Yet another new, yet unwelcome emotion he was coming to terms with.
"Okay, go on. Tell me everything. I want…I need to know everything!" she said with tears begging to fall from her eyes.
"Are you sure, really sure?" he asked. He wasn't even sure 'he' was ready to tell her everything.
"All right.," he hesitated looking into her eyes trying to find a way to soften the horrible news but ultimately realized there wasn't any. "The night you were to meet Digger, I had been tracking the Averians, that's the name of the aliens that I had been tracking. They were the ones behind the disappearances and deaths of your fellow humans." He started his explanations. He let out a deep breath and looked at Sarah. "Are you all right?" he asked Sarah.
"I'm fine. So these…did you say aliens?" Sarah started, her voice shaky.
"Yes, I did. They are called Averians, they are a race of shape shifters. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask." He gave her an encouraging smile.
"How do you know they were aliens? Do they carry an identification card?" asked Sarah trying to absorb what he was saying and still keeping one foot in what she knew as reality.
"No they don't carry identification cards but that would make it easier, wouldn't it?" said the Doctor trying to slowly and lightheartedly let her grasp reality as everyone here at UNIT knew it to be.
"You're serious, aren't you? How do I know it's true?" asked Sarah.
"Would you believe me if I told you I wasn't born on your planet?" asked the Doctor giving Sarah a serious but friendly look.
"Give me your hand." he said while unbuttoning two buttons on his shirt.
"Oh no you don't. I don't know what you're doing but…!" said Sarah, shaking her head.
The Doctor had to laugh at that. "No, you have me all wrong."
"That's what they all say." said Sarah shaking her head and trying to scoot back in the bed .
"All right, would you feel more comfortable if I asked the Brigadier to join us?" he asked, starting to get up and go to the door.
"Right, the next thing you'll tell me is you're talking about Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart at UNIT." said Sarah incredulously.
"I am. That's where you're at. Did I forget to mention that?" the Doctor asked with a smile. She must have been too sick to remember much of their previous conversation in the Tardis, when he told her that she was at UNIT.
"Okay, now I know you're full of sh…"
"Sarah!" said the Doctor, while failing to look really shocked.
Just then, there was a tap at the door. The Doctor rose from his seat giving Sarah a smile and wagging his finger in shame. He opened the door and Sergeant Benton stepped in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Doctor, but I wanted to check on Miss. Smith."
Sarah put her hand to her mouth in shock, taking a sudden sharp breath out loud. Her memory, or at least parts of it came back to her in a flash.
"Sarah, what's wrong?" said the Doctor. He was by her side in a second to make sure she wasn't hurt.
"It…it…it's you. You were in my dream. All of you. The Brigadier, you Sergeant Benton, you Doctor and another man. It just came back to me. No, it can't be true. Because if that's true then the rest of the dream is true too." Sarah started crying and rocking herself back and forth with her arms wrapped around herself.
The Sergeant tugged at the Doctor's sleeve. "Doctor tell her I'll check back on her later." he whispered.
"I will, she's just in a bit of shock. Too much information too quickly." said the Doctor as he saw Benton to the door.
He turned around to find that Sarah had stopped crying but was still rocking herself. He walked over and sat in the chair he had abandoned earlier next to the bed. "Sarah? Sarah? I'm here. It's going to be all right. I'll explain anything you want me to. Just tell me what you want to know. Sarah?" He leaned forward in the chair, ready for anything she needed.
And that's when she heard it. That's when she remembered. It was him. The one who had been there with her from the beginning. He was the one who calmed her when her fevered brain told her there was no hope. He was the one who had desperately called her back from the dead. And he was the one that fought for her life when she wasn't able to. She stopped rocking and looked into his eyes. The eyes that were focused on her in a way no one ever had before, or ever would again.
So much had happened to her. Everything she thought she knew was a lie. But in his eyes she knew she would find the truth. She took her hands from around her body, a practice that she had acquired when very young. It was a way to comfort herself that she still used. She took one of her hands and held it out to him.
The Doctor had suspected she was strong. But to trust him, to accept his comfort on the value of what he knew must be memories from various parts of her trauma spoke volumes. He reached out very slowly and took her hand, then the other as she offered both. He met her eyes, her beautiful green eyes.
Sarah looked into his clear blue eyes and with all the strength she had left, she squeezed his hands and said, "I don't know how to thank you. You have saved my life several times now, and all I can say is 'thank you'. It hardly seems adequate. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
The Doctor was so touched by Sarah's words and actions that he could hardly speak. "Sarah, I don't know what to say except, you're most welcome." he said without looking away from her eyes once. What he wanted to say was, that he wanted to be the one that would always be there to save her life. But he decided 'that' was a conversation best left for another time.
"Would you tell me everything that happened? Don't worry, I'm not as much of a security risk as I'm sure the Brigadier has led you to believe. You can trust me completely." Sarah ended with a hopeful smile.
"The Brigadier did mention something about you, but he'd be the first to tell you that I never listen to half he says." the Doctor said with a lilt in his voice and a smile on his lips. "Now, by everything do you mean from the big bang that formed the Earth, or just the recent part you're involved in?" the Doctor asked still smiling.
"Let's just start with the part that I'm involved in." said Sarah smiling back. She laid back against the pillows. The problem was she was getting sleepy fast and she didn't want this back and forth between them to end. She enjoyed being the center of his attention. She was able to stifle a yawn, if only the room didn't seem to be getting darker.
"Sarah, I think maybe we should continue this story later after you've had some more rest." He saw her eyes shutting and stood, tucking the blankets back around her. "Don't worry. We'll continue this later." After he was sure she was asleep he added, "We have the rest of our lives to finish this.". Somehow he knew they did.
He went back to the old, weathered black recliner and sat down. He sat there for hours, just watching Sarah sleep and tried to come to terms with his newfound feelings for this particular Earth girl. If Gallifrey ever found out they would…well, it didn't matter, because he would do his very best to make sure that they never found out. What did they know anyway? A bunch of aristocratic snobs!
Just then Mrs. Granger returned. "Sir, is there any improvement?" she said in a low voice while removing Sarah's chart from the end of her bed.
"Indeed there has been. Her temperature is down to almost normal and she's aware of her surroundings. She hasn't yet been told of 'all' that she's been through." he said in a hushed whisper while directing Mrs. Granger away from the bed. "She wanted to know everything, but she is still weak, whether she wants to admit that to herself or not." he said while looking toward Sarah with what Mrs. Granger thought of, as a look full of respect and love. "In any case, she fell asleep. Tomorrow will undoubtedly be a day full of explanations, and now that she's doing better, she'll be able to handle all she's been through. I'm sorry Mrs. Granger, I'm not sure why I'm rambling on."
"It's the relief Doctor. I've seen it a thousand times. When someone you're so close to, comes so close to the edge…well, it's hard to see them in such pain and imagine what your life would be like without them. I'm glad to see that you didn't have to experience that loss. Is there anything I can do for you or Miss. Smith? asked Mrs. Granger.
"No, just keep an eye on her. I'm going for a walk…to sort things out." he said while grabbing the cell phone. As her turned to leave he looked at Sarah once again. Sleeping like an angel, isn't that what he heard someone on this planet say once? He really needed that walk. Where had the day gone?
He left the Sick Bay and headed for the Tardis. From all the training he received on Gallifrey, and everything he was taught growing up, his head screamed at him to run. Get to the Console Room, set the coordinates and take off. Don't get involved with a species that is below you. He reached the Tardis and as he turned the key in the lock, he knew the one simple truth. He had never felt so alive before in all his life. He had some major accomplishments under his belt, but none satisfied him as much as saving Sarah's life. He never really believed in destiny. He always believed that you made your own destiny. But from the second he pulled her back from the Averian beam he knew she was his destiny and he was hers.
He walked through the Tardis looking for his coat and scarf. He remembered leaving them outside the ductwork in the hallway near the pool. He walked through the Infirmary and saw Sarah's blood and discarded instruments everywhere. He decided he might as well use this pent up energy. He started picking up the instruments and righting the carts. He used the cleaning solution to clean up the blood and that's when he saw it. The syringe that almost stole Sarah's life. It had most likely been flung to the far side of the room. He knew it was useless to expend energy to hate the dead, but he did and most likely always would. He hated Jakill and he was overjoyed that he was dead.
He walked to the hallway beyond the Infirmary and saw his discarded coat and scarf on the floor. It had been only twenty four hours ago, yet it seemed like days. He opened the door to the pool and saw the spot where he frantically tried to breathe life into Sarah's lifeless body and failed. He had gone over it a dozen times and he still didn't know how or why she came back. He had prayed that she could hear him calling for her. But only she knows. He picked up his coat and scarf from the floor and placed them over his arm.
He turned around and returned the way he came, but instead of going to the Console Room he went to his bedroom. He hoped that a shower would help him clear his mind. As he undressed, he thought of how nice it would be if only Sarah would accept his offer of assistance, literally. As the hot water hit him, he tried hard, very hard not to think too far ahead. Maybe she wouldn't want the job. No, whether she wanted the job or not, she 'needed' the job. He was thinking again, too, too far into the future. Drying off, he looked in the mirror. He looked tired, maybe Time Lords needed more sleep once they turned three hundred and fifty.
He dressed in a billowing white shirt, brown vest and brown trousers. He checked the room over to see if he had forgotten anything and then put his coat and scarf over his arm.
Then as he was leaving his room an idea hit him. She had no home, he had a Tardis spilling over with rooms. He stopped by a door, three doors from his bedroom and turned the knob. A storage room, a large storage room. This could be Sarah's bedroom suite. Well it would be, if it had a bed and a bathroom. But with the Tardis that was simply details. He could tell the Tardis what he needed, and it would become whatever he needed it to be.
He headed to the Console Room and typed what he needed into the computer and stepped back watching the Tardis do as he requested. He had a room for Sarah. Chances are she would rather sleep in a bed than on the floor. He then circled around to the far side of the Tardis. He laced his fingers and turning his wrists outward stretching them. He searched the inventory program of the Tardis' data banks for furniture to fill the room. He watched on the small screen below him as picture after picture appeared alongside the name and dimensions of the piece.
The previous station on the other side of the Console was beeping, trying to get his attention. It seemed the Tardis was finished with the construction phase of the project and was now inquiring about wall color and flooring. He chose the color pale pink for the walls. This was what the Tardis suggested after consulting with various websites. The Tardis then suggested a toile inspired pattern of pale pink and black for the carpet. For lighting in the room, the choice was a small clear crystal chandelier, along with several crystal, cut glass wall sconces.
He circled the Console and returned to the previous screen. The Tardis had found a white bed that had small bouquet of pink and blue flowers carved on the headboard. It had a canopy that was covered in white crocheted lace, as well as a night stand, dresser, chest of drawers and even a desk where Sarah could work. The Tardis also suggested something from the storeroom's bedding inventory and selected pastel sheets, feather pillows, a feather bed, quilts and towels. He knew he was getting ahead of himself again, but for the first few days after Sarah would be leaving the Sick Bay, she would still require long periods of rest. She couldn't go back to that car, not with the newly fallen six inches of snow he'd heard Sergeant Benton complaining about.
He rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he left the Console Room and headed for the newly constructed bed and bath. As he opened the door, the first things he noticed was the color and the beautiful chandelier. Looking around, the room seemed to be fit for a princess. He hoped Sarah would like it. Speaking of which he thought, it's time I checked on her. He closed the door, then popped his head back in saying, "You've outdone yourself again old girl!" He stroked the wall lovingly with a smile before shutting the door again.
He stepped from the Tardis and almost ran into the Brigadier, Sergeant Benton and Dr. Sullivan. "So, can I assume you're here for the tour?" he said with a big smile. The Brigadier looked aggravated, Harry Sullivan looked very pale and in the back of the group Sergeant Benton was trying to suppress a very unmilitary looking smile.
"Yes, we're here for the tour. Let's get this over with so that we can all get back to our jobs." said the Brigadier. He didn't understand it. Why is it that no matter how many times he goes through this, the person he's trying to convince looks as if he might faint dead away? "And by the way Sergeant Benton, I can hear you laughing. Let us not forget when it was you that I had to convince. Was it your right arm or your left that you broke when you fainted?"
"My right Sir." Benton said quietly, wishing the Brigadier hadn't shared that bit of history with the new physician. Maybe he should wait outside while the Doctor proved his authenticity.
"So what would you like to see first?" asked the Doctor watching the look of unbelief turn into amazement as everyone stepped into the Tardis' console room. "Let's get the standard conversation out of the way. Yes, it 'is' bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. She's called a Tardis, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. Get it? It's a she, at least she feels like a she, in any case she, the Tardis is alive. I can travel backwards or forwards sometimes sideways in time as well as to any planet, galaxy, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…" the Doctor finished, sounding like a bored tour guide. He went about emptying his pockets looking for money. He was thinking about going to a bar near the base to get some dinner. That would definitely require money. He decided when things started to settle down that he would definitely try to keep his pockets less full. He laid the Averian detector/disruption device on the top of the Console. There it is, cash, perfect. Looking up, the Doctor had momentarily forgotten he had visitors.
"So this is a spaceship?" asked Harry. He staggered a bit and looked as if he might faint himself. He took off the white lab coat he was wearing and casually tossed it onto the central console.
"Excuse me! Does this look like a coat rack to you?" the Doctor asked loudly. Really, he has some nerve coming into my Tardis and throwing his clothes around as if he were in what, considering his prior action must be, his pig sty of a house. Here he was, nice enough to let him see the Tardis to prove himself…why did 'he' always have to be the one to prove himself? Harry was walking toward the Tardis hallway. "Excuse me again! I didn't offer you free rein over the Tardis. And why do I always have to prove who I am? How do I know you're who you say you are? How do I know you are actually a physician? I've not been presented with anything to prove your status." the Doctor said all the while walking towards Harry, till he started backing up away from the doorway.
"Doctor!" said the Brigadier in a firm voice.
The Doctor and Harry at the same time said, "Yes?" They both looked at each other and said at the same time, "He was talking to me! No he was talking to me!" All the while each pointing a finger at himself.
"Gentlemen, can we both agree to disagree?" said the Brigadier as if he were trying to calm two children. "Listen, I don't know what happened to make you two dislike each other so much, but whatever it is, you need to find a way to either ignore your feelings or work it out. Either way I want this settled by tomorrow. No more hostility. Remember, both of you are on the same side. I am going to check with Sergeant Benton, get my coat and head home early, the roads are getting bad. Dr. Sullivan," the Brigadier started remembering to use his name so that another fight wouldn't ensue, "did you find a loft yet?"
"Yes and no Sir. I found a loft near the base but there was a problem with the plumbing so I thought I would sleep on a cot here tonight." said Harry, slightly embarrassed to be called down by the Brigadier.
"Very well. Remember what I said. Tomorrow. Get everything cleared between the two of you by tomorrow. Have a pleasant night gentlemen." he said as he walked out of the Tardis.
They stood and simply stared at each other for several minutes. Neither saying a word or moving an inch. They both felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Listen," started the Doctor, "I need to go and check on Sarah, but if you'd like to talk, I'll be back in about twenty minutes." Deep inside the Doctor knew that the Brigadier was right, he just didn't want to admit it to Harry.
"Sure, that would be…fine." He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew the Brigadier was right. "Maybe if you don't have any plans, we could grab a bite to eat. I'm starved."
"There's a bar about a half mile from the base that the Brigadier took me to once. We could get there in Bessie if you want." offered the Doctor. Sarah would more than likely sleep through dinner this evening he thought, so he may as well get this over with. He respected the Brigadier and decided it wouldn't kill him to actually do something he asked of him. Not kill him, but maybe Dr. Sullivan. Okay, maybe kill 'is' a little extreme, but perhaps he could manage being polite.
"Great. That would be great. But, what's a Bessie?" asked Harry with a look of confusion on his face.
"Bessie is my automobile. The UNIT garage is kind enough to take care of her for me in between 'visits'. And before you ask, no, Bessie unlike the Tardis is not alive. It happens to be a way to get around on Earth when I cannot take the Tardis." the Doctor explained while leading Harry to the door of the Tardis. "I'll meet you in front of the Officers' Barracks in say, twenty minutes?" asked the Doctor while leaving the Tardis door and turning to lock it behind him.
"Yes, I'll see you then." said Harry as he walked towards the Duty Officer's desk, to let him know his plans in case of a medical emergency where his services would be needed.