Chapter 9
In the Brigadier's office, Detective Shreeves felt as if he were watching a tennis match. The Doctor seemed to be fighting with the Brigadier over permission to tell him something. The Brigadier was fighting with the Doctor over matters of clearance and security. Sam Shreeves decided he would stay out of it and just wait and see who won out. He was in no hurry to get back to the Sick Bay. He still felt shaky and was glad of the time to recover.
"Just let me put a call through to the PM. Can I count on you to at least give me fifteen minutes?" the Brigadier asked. He could understand wanting to get at least one member of the police force on their side. However it wasn't up to him, it was up to the powers that be.
"I'll even give you twenty Alistair. Come along Detective. I'll introduce you to the liquid that UNIT calls coffee." he said as he rose and held the door open for Shreeves who passed through silently.
The Doctor and Shreeves walked slowly through the hallways of UNIT with the Doctor acting as a tour guide. He wanted to give the Brigadier the time he needed to come to what the Doctor hoped would be an agreeable decision. For his part, the decision was already made. He was just waiting for the Brigadier to catch up.
"So Doctor, I understand you are the Scientific Advisor here. In the Sick Bay you seemed to also be a physician. Are you?" he asked trying to politely pry information from the Doctor.
"Well…I like to think I'm well rounded. A sort of expert in all fields. At last, the Mess Hall, aptly named if you know what I mean, though they make a great meat loaf." the Doctor said with a smile.
"It couldn't be any worse than that sludge at the station." he replied with a smirk, as he took the mug from the Doctor's hand.
"Let's take a seat over here." the Doctor said as he directed them to a table in the corner.
Shreeves took a sip of the coffee and made such a face that the Doctor laughed out loud. "How do you drink this stuff?" he said setting the mug down and pushing it away.
"I guess it's what you get used to. So Detective, what are you used to?" the Doctor inquired.
"I don't understand."
"Do you specialize? Homicides, kidnappings, robbery perhaps?" he asked taking another sip.
"No, I take whatever 'they' assign me. 'The powers that be'." he said emphasizing the word they with a smirk. "I was assigned this case, or at least to find out if there was one." There was a buzzing sound coming from the Detective. "Excuse me." he said as he opened up the cell phone. "Shreeves. Yes, what have you got? And you're positive? Anything on the name? No, I'll come by later, thanks." he said as he ended the call.
"Important information Detective?" the Doctor asked.
"It could be. It just doesn't…." Do you think we could get back to the Brigadier now and see if a decision has been reached?" he asked the Doctor. The results he was just given didn't make sense, not with what he had seen with his own eyes. Maybe it would all be clear before he left UNIT.
"Yes, we can. Let's hope he's made the right one." the Doctor said as they wound their way back to the Brigadier's office.
The Master was pacing inside his Tardis. He had been watching the grounds of UNIT, expecting to see the Detective drag Miss. Smith out kicking and screaming. But instead it appeared as if the Detective was going to spend the day there. Insolent humans, you give them all the puzzle pieces and they still couldn't put it together.
After a call to Miss. Acrims, it was all abundantly clear. Apparently Miss. Smith was ill again. He was sure the Detective was beginning to wonder how a sick girl could have made her way across town and murdered the Detective 'and' finished off her family. Stupid girl, she was ruining it all. Still, with so much death around her and all the evidence pointing to her, the Detective would have no choice but to arrest her. Anyway, all this confusion had to be causing the Doctor 'some' discomfort. It would happen. The Doctor would be broken. The Doctor would lose everything that mattered to him. He would feel all of the pain that he deserved.
The Doctor and Detective Shreeves entered the office to find the call between the Brigadier and the Prime Minister just ending. The Brigadier motioned them to sit down. "Yes Sir, I feel that is the best way to examine the facts. Thank you Sir, I'm glad you understand our position here. Of course, nothing more than necessary. I understand. Yes Sir, we keep such paperwork on hand at all times. Yes, I agree, it is always better to be prepared for anything. Thank you Sir. Goodbye." the Brigadier said, and hung up the phone.
He looked to the Doctor and said, "Permission has been given. 'After' the confidentiality papers have been signed." The Brigadier reached into his bottom desk drawer and retrieved a file with the paperwork needed. "Detective Shreeves, we have been given the okay to let you in on some classified information to help with your investigation. I hope you understand, we didn't have to do this. We could have let you hit quite a few dead ends and still have been none the wiser for your efforts. But unlike Captain Martin, you seem to be after the truth, something that we at UNIT strive to attain ourselves. So I'm going to go with the Doctor's and my instincts and let you in on all we know about this incident and the time frame and everything that happened around it." he told the Detective.
The Brigadier stood and leaned across the desk with a pen and a set of printed papers and finished, "But only after you sign the confidentiality agreement. I suggest you read it thoroughly. There are several sections outlined within that you will not be able to put in any report that you submit to your superiors. If these are terms that you cannot or will not be able to live with, then let us know now. In which case we will advise you of the restrictions that we must put in place. 'That' is from 'my' superiors." The Brigadier sat down and looked at the Doctor, sending an unspoken signal not to say anything until the papers were signed.
Detective Shreeves looked from one man to the other, seeing they were presenting a united front. They had his curiosity aroused now and they knew it. He only had a brief knowledge of UNIT from his Uncle Mike, a Crown Court Judge. He had grown up being told more than a child probably should have been told about UNIT. But even then, there was enough vague references to make their work seem mystical and scary. And now here he was, being given the chance to peer inside and see exactly what they did. It didn't matter if he were signing away his soul, he was going to sign that paper. He glanced over it, and decided it seemed pretty standard stuff. He took the pen and signed it. "I can get a copy of that?" he asked as the Brigadier put the paper in front of him to check the signature.
"Of course." The Brigadier spoke into his intercom. "Mrs. Greene, could you come in please?" he asked, then looked up when his secretary immediately entered the room. "Ah, Mrs. Greene please make a copy of this for Detective Shreeves. Also make sure it is entered into the computer today." Mrs. Greene nodded her head and disappeared with the paper. "Now Doctor, would you like to update him yourself or would you like help?"
"I think I can handle it myself Brigadier. Before we get started, I need to check in on Sarah." he said hoping the lack of Harry's calls meant she was doing well.
"Doctor, about that. I have hired another nurse to attend to Miss. Smith when you need her. Her name is Mrs. Troy. She is a great deal like Mrs. Granger. She is someone my wife and I know very well and can highly recommend. She, like Mrs. Granger will be very discreet, I think you'll like her." he said hoping the Doctor didn't think he was overstepping his bounds with Miss. Smith's care. Like the Doctor, he had come to think of Miss. Smith as a member of the UNIT family.
"Alistair, I'm touched. Thank you, I'm sure we'll get on well. You heard about Nurse Acrims didn't you?" the Doctor asked . The Brigadier simply smiled. "Very funny! Come on, I'll fill you in on everything as soon as I check on Sarah." He turned to look back at the Brigadier and said, "And you can wipe that smile off your face Alistair." The Doctor closed the door. "I'll tell you on the way." he said to Detective Shreeves as they left the outer office. "So Detective, I hope your schedule is clear for the entire day." he said, but was then distracted by Sergeant Benton. "Benton, just the man I was looking for."
"Of course Doctor. What can I do to help?" Benton asked as he looked from the Doctor to Detective Shreeves.
"I've just been given authority by the Brigadier to let the Detective here in on the incidents of the last month or so at UNIT. And I was hoping you would be available later to corroborate the facts." he said smiling at Benton.
Oh he 'knew the parts' he would be needed to corroborate all right. "When do you think you'll need me Doctor?" he asked, hoping he was holding his obvious amusement inside.
"Do you have plans for after work this evening Sergeant?" he asked.
"No, no plans. But, I've got to get to a meeting now with the Brigadier. So just find me when you need me. I'm sorry, I really have to go." he said as he started to walk away.
"Thank you Sergeant." The Doctor looked at the Detective and said, "You've been awfully quiet. You didn't have a pressing engagement this evening did you?"
"No, I don't. I'm just wondering what you could tell me that will need corroboration. That's what you said the Sergeant is for, didn't you?" the Detective said as they walked through the base heading for the Sick Bay.
"Yes, just as I said, and in fact I'm also going to ask Dr. Sullivan to join us. You see he just recently joined our little group and he'll be an excellent witness. Of course much of what you learn today will depend on Sarah's health." he said as they reached Sarah's door.
The Doctor and the Detective entered to find Harry going over Sarah's chart with a woman who the Doctor assumed was the nurse the Brigadier had hired. Seeing them enter Harry came over to the door.
"How is she?" the Doctor asked looking over Harry's shoulder seeing Sarah laying very still and very pale.
"She's been sleeping mostly. A few bad dreams, but she was able to go back to sleep. Her temperature at the last reading was 100.1°. Her heart rate is good. But unfortunately she's very dehydrated. I really think we should get her started on some fluids." Harry said as he looked back at Sarah.
"I know. I've been putting it off. She's been stuck so many times in the past few weeks, it's getting hard to find a place on her that's not bruised. But you're right, we should do this now. If there aren't any more incidents, I plan on giving her a less toxic antibiotic this afternoon. I'll be with you in a few minutes." he said to the Detective, leaving him waiting by the door.
"Take your time. I'll be right here." he said as he leaned against the door frame.
The Doctor walked up to the nurse and said, "Hello, I'm the Doctor. You must be Mrs. Troy, the Brigadier told me you would be here. Thank you for coming." he said as he shook her hand.
"I'm glad to be here Doctor. How can I help?" she said with a smile that was reminiscent of poor Mrs. Granger, the Doctor thought.
"We're going to insert a line in Sarah's arm." he told the nurse as she went to get the supplies they would need. He reached the bed and picked up Sarah's hand and kissed it.
"Hi." Sarah said weakly. As she looked around she noticed Harry bringing a IV bag and a nurse bringing an IV pole and needle. "No, please." Sarah cried.
"I'm so sorry Sarah, but we need to get some fluids in your body. You're very dehydrated. Listen," he said taking her chin in his hand to direct her face to look at him, and away from the activity going on around her. "If you don't get sick, I'm going to be able to change your antibiotic this afternoon. It will be one with no side effects. The most it will do is help you to rest. That's all. Then you can start to drink again, and once you start taking in fluids we won't need the IV. It will be all right. I promise. Have I ever broke a promise to you?" he asked.
"No." she said in a voice barely above a whisper. The nurse was starting to prepare her arm for the IV. She looked back into the Doctor's eyes and tried to relax.
"Good girl. Harry," he said looking over his shoulder to signal Harry to come over, "will be right here with you.".
Harry took Sarah's left hand in his and said, "Okay Sarah, just try to relax. Look into my eyes and remember how I looked when you beat me mercilessly at poker that night."
Sarah smiled at this and the Doctor inserted the needle. Sarah let out a small cry.
"That's it Sarah. You did very well." he said as he taped it in place. "Thank you Harry."
"Thank you Harry." Sarah repeated the Doctor's sentiment.
"Anytime Sarah." Harry replied. "Sarah this is the nurse who will be helping us." he said as he looked at the nurse at the foot of Sarah's bed making notations on her chart. "Sarah this is Mrs. Troy."
"Hello." Sarah said. She could feel her strength slipping away and sleep was coming fast. She was trying to fight it.
"No Sarah, don't fight it. Let yourself sleep." she could hear the Doctor saying as he straightened the blankets around her. It was no use, he was right. Sleep had taken hold of her again.
The two men walked to the door towards Detective Shreeves. "Harry, I have a favor." the Doctor said.
"Sure, anything." Harry replied.
"I need to take this blood sample I took before I started Sarah's IV and drop it off in the Tardis to be analyzed. Do you think you could take the Detective to lunch?" he asked as he shook the sample.
"Sure. Detective, I'll take you to the Officer's Club. You may get something that more closely resembles food there." Looking back he signaled to the nurse he was leaving. Pulling his attention back to the Doctor he said, "She has both of our numbers in her cell phone and she will call the instant there's a problem. Don't worry." he said as he pushed the Doctor and the Detective from the room.
"I'll catch up with you after lunch." he said to Harry and the Detective. He left the pair and headed back to the Tardis anxious to see the results.
"So when do I find the information I came for? Or will the two of you keep passing me back and forth all day?" he said with a smile.
"I'm sure as soon as the Doctor gets the results of Sarah's blood work you'll find out everything you need to know. "Let's get lunch." he said as he led the Detective to the Officer's Club.
After sixty minutes of trading school horror stories Harry and the Detective were now old friends and on a first name basis. The Doctor was surprised to see the two getting along so well when he entered the Officer's Club. "Well, I can see I left you in capable hands Detective Shreeves." said the Doctor with a smile.
Harry could see a change in the Doctor's mood. Almost as if a weight had been removed, it had to be good news about Sarah. "From your mood, the blood work must have shown improvement." Harry commented.
"Oh yes, vast improvement. Just between the three of us, for a while there I wasn't sure she was going to make it. But let's not let Sarah in on that bit of information." the Doctor said as he tilted his head down. He could only just now admit to himself that losing her was possible. Seeing Harry staring he realized he hadn't answered the question. "The Treilen did its job. The virus has been downgraded to a more manageable virus. I just left her after giving her the new antibiotic. She's still in for a rough time, but now she has a good chance of beating it. I just wish I had noticed her behavior earlier." the Doctor said, berating himself.
"Doctor, you did everything you could." Harry tried.
"But all day Saturday, she was so quiet. I should have known something was wrong. Sarah is rarely quiet." he added for Detective Shreeves' benefit.
"So she was with you all day Saturday?" asked Detective Shreeves.
"Yes Detective, all day, all afternoon and all night." the Doctor said trying not to get defensive, which wasn't easy where Sarah was concerned.
"I'm sorry Doctor. I witnessed how sick she is, I'm not trying to cause problems. I appreciate the fact that you want to help me. I really appreciate the depth that you're willing to go to help me. I'd like to start over." he said as he stood. "Hi my name is Detective Shreeves, but I'm hoping you'll call me Sam." he said as he extended his hand.
The Doctor shook his hand giving him the benefit of the doubt. He had a feeling that this policeman was a honest one, one he could trust. "First let's go to one of the conference rooms. I've pulled a few of my files to get you started."
"You have files?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Yes I have files. And if you ever tell the Brigadier I'll take you to Dringess 3 and leave you there." he said pointing at Harry, then remembering what Sarah had told him, pulled his finger back. He looked to the Detective who had a smile on his face. "And I guarantee before this day is out you won't be smiling either. By the way, I don't really have a first name, so you'll have to settle for calling me Doctor. Now, come on Sam." he said as he turned to leave. "By the way Harry, can you meet the two of us and Benton in my lab at five?"
"Sure, wouldn't miss it." he said with a smile on his face watching the two leave the Officer's Club. He now could truly appreciate where Benton was coming from when it was his turn in the hot seat.
After four hours of discussions and out and out lectures from the Doctor, Sam Shreeves had gotten a lot more information than he had bargained for. "So let me get this right. You're an alien? A Time Lord?" he asked unbelieving.
"Do you mean to tell me after seeing reports, pictures and video that you believe all that, but can't believe I'm not from your speck of dirt?" he asked. Why was it always like this?
"It's not that I don't believe you Doctor. It's just that it's all so different than what I was raised to believe. You're telling me that Miss. Smith is suffering from an infection that was given to her by an Uverian?" he said looking at his notes.
"No an Averian, and that's why she needed treatment with such a destructive antibiotic. That is also why she wasn't capable of doing the things that Martin and your superiors think she did. Now, as soon as…" he started but could hear Harry and Benton coming. "Ah gentlemen, how wonderful you could join us. I think we should move the meeting to somewhere more appropriate, don't you?" the Doctor said as he motioned with his hand for the Detective and the others to follow.
The group entered the small room in back of the lab. Shreeves said, "So Doctor, why do you keep an old Police Box here?" The Doctor just turned and smiled. He then produced a strangely shaped key and turned it in the lock, opening the door, and went inside. "Should we wait here or…?" he said looking back at the two men who just shook their heads no. Benton placed his hands on the Detective's shoulders and pushed him forward, inside the Tardis door.
The look on Shreeves' face was priceless. He ran back outside and ran around the Tardis, twice, checking for secret panels or anything that could explain what he had just witnessed with his own eyes. When he realized there was nothing to explain it, he went back inside.
"Welcome back." the Doctor said smiling as he leaned against the central console. "Do you want to have another run around or are you satisfied?"
Shreeves looked from Harry to Benton, each with a big grin on their face. "What…? I mean, who…? How…? Do you…? And you…?" he said staggering back till he hit the wall.
"Are you all right…Sam?" the Doctor asked with an ear to ear smile. "I know you had questions, are they sufficiently answered?"
"And you," Sam said looking to Harry and Benton, "you're fine with all this?"
"Well it took a bit of time to get used to, but essentially yes." answered Harry.
"You just sort of, just get used to it all." smiled Benton.
"And Miss. Smith, she knows about all this?" he asked sweeping his arms to encompass the room.
"Well, I'd like to think so. She's living here." the Doctor smiled. "If you don't believe me, I could show you her room."
"So there's more than this?" asked Sam incredulously.
"Oh, so much more than this. Would you…?" he said waving his arm toward the main hallway.
"No! I mean no, thank you. Not now. So she was here, in here" he said taking both of his hands and pointing to the ground, when I called Saturday night?" Sam asked.
"Yes, she was in her room, in bed when you called. She was barely conscious. I had planned on keeping her in her room to treat her, where she would be more comfortable. But when the Brigadier told me Monday that you would be making an 'appearance'…" the Doctor started.
"You couldn't let me see her here. So you moved her to the Sick Bay. All right, I'm up to speed. Not sure if that's good or bad, but I'm up to speed." Shreeves said as he tried to look a little more 'with it'. Thank goodness he didn't say that aloud, that would certainly date him and cause them all to collapse in the fit of laughter they already seemed to be on the verge of. They were all waiting for him to say something. "So I still need to…" he started then his cell phone rang. "Shreeves." he said into the phone, trying not to use the high pitched voice that he had been using two minutes ago. "You're sure. No, I haven't. No records, nothing. I won't be coming back today. Right, tomorrow." he ended the call and turned to the others.
"This goes against everything I know. But after learning everything I have today…I'm going to tell you everything I know. Maybe between all of us, we can find out who's behind this. As long as you keep me up to date with everything you know, I'll return the favor. Agreed?" he asked looking from one man to the other.
"Agreed. From the phone call I assume you've acquired a bit more knowledge. Care to share?" asked the Doctor, as he leaned further against the central console while resting his arms across his chest.
"You're right. At the Martin murder scene, several drops of blood were taken for analysis outside the door to Martin's apartment. They've run the sample results through every database on file, without finding a match. All they can tell from the sample is, it's DNA marker shows it came from a female. Apparently before Martin died, he tried to leave a message he wrote with his own blood. We think it's a name. He wrote M, R, T, A, S, E.. Does that mean anything to any of you?"
"No. Was there nothing else?" the Doctor asked.
"No, nothing. So what we know is, you believe there's some renegade Time Lord coming and going. A farmer disappears and his wife is killed with the bizarre finger incident. Martin is murdered and Miss. Smith's parents overdose? Do I have it all correct?" Sam asked the Doctor.
"I still believe someone tried to take control of Sarah at the police station. If Martin hadn't hit her, the hypnotist would have succeeded. Whoever this is thinks he can control all of our actions. Mostly he has, thanks to Martin's involvement." the Doctor said, as he paced around the central console.
"So you think Martin and this person were working together?" Sam asked.
"Working together may not be the right choice of words. Whoever this is, he probably looked for someone who was easy to manipulate. He did a little investigating and found out that Martin, A: Had a grudge to bear, revenge for his father. B: Had some lofty ideals for his future, he planned on running for office. And C: Was someone always looking for the easy way out. Martin failed him when he hit Sarah, he must have been furious. Did the coroner say when Martin died?" asked the Doctor.
"The reports are inconclusive, but he thinks around nine on Saturday morning. From what you said, Miss. Smith was seriously ill by then and couldn't have killed him. 'I' know that and 'you' know that. But unfortunately because of all this," Sam said waving his arms all around him, "we can't convince anyone else of the truth. If this Time Lord is manipulating the facts, what do you want to bet the blood that was found outside Martin's door belongs to Miss. Smith?"
"Of course it is. So Sam, what are you going to do?" Harry asked.
"I'll start by not telling my superiors. But I can guarantee someone will get an order from the court to force Miss. Smith to give a blood sample. While I appreciate all the information you've given me…." Sam started.
"In the end we've only succeeded in convincing you of the truth. And we have no way of convincing the others. So now what do we do?" asked Benton.
"Find the real killer. If we can prove it's a Time Lord behind everything, then the justice process will fall back under UNIT's authority. Which will take Sarah completely out of the loop. How much time do you think we have Detective?" asked the Doctor.
"It all depends. If I can stay on the case, I'll give you as much time as I can. If they remove me from the case. Who's to say? I hate to say this but, you may end up with another Martin." he said throwing his hands up in the air.
"You said the next thing will be getting a sample of blood from Sarah, right?" asked Sergeant Benton with a small smile on his face. "Exactly how will that work?"
"They would normally have the person come to a hospital where a nurse, witnessed by the detective on the case, me, would then take the blood. In the case of an individual who was already in a hospital, the detective on the case would witness a physician or nurse withdraw the blood. The blood would then be taken to the Police Lab for analysis. What do you have in mind? No, I don't want to know. What I don't know, I can't tell." the Detective replied.
"You know Sam, I think we're going to get along famously." the Doctor said with a smile. "I have one question."
"What's that Doctor?" Sam asked.
"As I said before, this is Sarah's home. Do you think it's safe to bring her back? When she's better, which could be as soon as tomorrow, you could talk to her." the Doctor asked, anxious to bring Sarah home. Home, where he had a little more control over the outcome of their life.
"I don't see why not. And I would like to talk to her soon. But if they take me off the case, you may have to go through everything again. I need to go home and think all of this through. But most of this is up to you Doctor. You are the only one here that even has a chance of finding, to say nothing of stopping, this Time Lord. I'll check in with you tomorrow. Good luck Doctor." Sam said, as the Doctor flipped the switch on the console that opened the door. The group filed out one by one.
Shreeves was walking quickly toward the parking lot anxious to get back to his normal world. "Do you think he can be trusted Doctor?" Benton asked.
"I hope so Sergeant, I hope so." said the Doctor. He turned to Harry and said, "I really need to go check on Sarah. I'll see you gentlemen later." The Doctor left his lab and disappeared around the corner.
"What do you think Harry?" Benton asked.
"I think this is far from over. But there's nothing we can do for now. Want to get something to eat?"
"Yea, how about The Boar's Head? They have this one waitress, her name's Tammy. I think I'm in love." Benton said grabbing at his heart.
"Don't mail out the invitations yet. I think she's cheating on you, if the way she flirts with all the customers are any indication. I thought you were in love with one of my nurses." said Harry as he and Benton walked the halls of UNIT.
"Love yes, devoted no." he said eliciting a laugh from both men.
The Doctor arrived at UNIT's Sick Bay to run, literally into Miss. Acrims. "Oh excuse me Miss.…I'm sorry, I don't remember your name." And then it came back to him in a flash. Oh no! Not her! He had been so intent on getting to Sarah and going over the information that Sam had just given him, that his mind had simply sidestepped this annoying woman.
"That's quite all right Doctor. And the name is Nancy." she said as she pulled at her nursing uniform, attempting to lower her collar and further expose her very full cleavage. "So what are you doing tonight? I'm off duty and free to do just about…anything." she said moving closer to the Doctor.
You won't be doing 'just about anything' with me, he thought. "I'm sorry but I have to go.", he said attempting to step around her. But she matched him step for step. He was just short of physically moving her himself when he heard the door open behind him. It was Harry and Sergeant Benton. The Doctor looked over his shoulder at the two and gave them a look that could be mistaken for nothing short of 'help'.
"Oh Doctor, there you are." Harry said as he approached the two. "Miss. Acrims is there something I can help you with? Isn't your shift over?" he asked the nurse.
"Yes I am off duty. I was just having the most delightful conversation with the Doctor. Was there anything you wanted to ask me Doctor?" she said as she tilted her head slightly and licked her lips.
"No, I just want to get to Sarah's room. If you'll please excuse me." he said finally able to step away from her. He called back to Harry and Benton, "Harry could I see you and the Sergeant for a minute?".
"Of course Doctor. Goodnight Miss. Acrims." Harry said as he and Benton passed the now obviously mad nurse.
Once they were close, the Doctor said, "How did you know? How did you know she was still here? Not that I'm not grateful mind you, she has a one track mind."
"We were in the parking garage and Benton spotted her car and pointed it out. I knew she should have left long ago so I figured she was after you. Mystery solved, that one anyway."
The Doctor quickly moved forward awkwardly hugging first Benton and then Harry. "I can't thank you enough."
Benton said, "Do you think I could see our little card shark? If I can't, I can always go and get Nurse Acrims…".
"Right this way Sergeant." the Doctor said as he held the door open for both men. Sarah was awake and her bed was adjusted so that she was sitting up. She looked in the Doctor's opinion, a hundred percent better than this morning.
"Did she find you?" Sarah asked with a smile.
"Yes she did. How did you know? Was she here?" he asked.
Sarah looked to Mrs. Troy for the answer. "Doctor, I realize I shouldn't…"
"No please Mrs. Troy." he said urging her to speak.
"She flew in here about ten minutes ago. Miss. Smith…" she stopped when Sarah cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. Sarah," she corrected herself, making Sarah smile, "was sound asleep and she bounded in here demanding to know where you were. I asked her to please leave and she raised her voice even louder. She started walking across the floor towards Sarah, asking her where you were and, please forgive me Sir, if the two of you were sleeping together. There was something about her that frightened me. I told her if she didn't leave that I would call security. She turned to leave and shouted that you could never love someone common, like Sarah. It was really bizarre." Mrs. Troy finished, looking as if the wind had been knocked out of her.
"Thank you Mrs. Troy. Are you all right?" he asked Sarah putting his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. She looked a bit pale but her temperature was nearly perfect. Mrs. Troy handed him her chart.
"I'm fine. But she's right, something is wrong with that woman, seriously wrong." Sarah said, a shadow of concern coming over her face.
"Mrs. Troy", Harry started, "I'm terribly sorry you had to deal with that. I'm going to give her a written warning tomorrow. If she causes one more problem, I'll let her go. I'm sorry Doctor, but under UNIT's rules and regulations, that's the best I can do for now." Harry explained.
"I understand Harry." Turning to Sarah again he said, "The good news for you is, you'll be moving back into the Tardis tonight. Happy?" he said with a big smile.
"Very, but what about the Detective?" she asked, hoping there was a good answer.
"Oh you mean Sam?" he asked.
"Sam is it? So I guess you boys bonded." she said smiling. He must be a good person for the Doctor to trust him, Sarah thought.
"I received special permission to explain everything from the Brigadier. I took him in the Tardis and everything." the Doctor explained.
"So he knows everything? Do you think we can trust him?" Sarah asked, frowning.
"I'm counting on it. Now what do you say we get you home and in your own bed? How is your nausea?"
My home and my own bed, Sarah thought. How wonderful that sounded. "The nausea is gone and I'm ready to go too." she said as she tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed.
"Oh no you don't." the Doctor said, putting the blanket back over her legs. "Mrs. Troy do you know where Sarah's robe is?" he asked turning to see that Mrs. Troy had already brought it to him. "Thank you so much Mrs. Troy, for everything. You don't know how much I appreciate you and the care and kindness you've shown Sarah." he said as he helped Sarah into her robe.
"She's easy to be kind to, you both are." she said watching the Doctor carefully putting slippers on Sarah's feet. It was easy to see he loved and cherished Sarah. As he lifted her in his arms, she said, "Be well Sarah."
"Thank you Mrs. Troy. You are a wonderful person and I hope I see you again. Goodbye." Sarah said as they left the room.
"So Doctor, do you think the two of you will be making it to the Brigadier's house for Thanksgiving?" Benton asked as they walked.
"I'm not sure. I hope so." he said looking down at Sarah and smiling. "Hungry?" he asked looking into her bright green eyes.
"Starved. What's for dinner?" Sarah replied returning the smile.
"Something light tonight, then we'll talk about real food tomorrow depending on how tonight goes." he said unable to wipe the smile off his face. Sarah was on the mend and things at this very moment were near perfect.
Harry and Benton had been watching the two from behind as they walked through the hallways. As they reached the Doctor's lab Harry said, "Goodnight Sarah, Doctor."
"Hope you feel better Sarah. Goodnight." Benton added.
"I can honestly say you two saved me tonight with that nurse. Thanks again." the Doctor said with a serious face.
"Goodnight Harry. Goodnight Sergeant." added Sarah.
The two entered the Tardis leaving the pair looking after them. "He's got it bad." Harry commented.
"They both have it bad, real bad." Benton added. "Why can't we find someone like that?" he said shaking his head as the pair left the base.
"It's so nice to be home." Sarah said as the Doctor settled her in her bed. Home, who would have thought a time ship in the shape of an old blue Police Box would become home. Sarah decided it was best not to think too much about it. Still, it had everything she would ever need, and at that she smiled.
The Doctor himself was doing some reminiscing. He knew the Tardis had always been his home, but hearing Sarah say it made it a real home. He decided to leave the fantasizing for later. For now he would be happy that she was home and take care of her. Looking down, he saw her trying to stifle a yawn. "If you will promise me you'll stay in this bed and take a little nap, I'll bring you something to eat. Promise?" he asked bending down so that they were eye to eye.
"I promise. What are you going to bring me?" she asked happily content to be back in their home.
"How about some baked chicken with mashed potatoes and some steamed green beans? And for dessert, banana pudding. Would that make you happy?" he asked, their faces now only a few inches apart.
"Happier, I'm already happy just to have you all to myself." she said moving yet closer to his face.
The Doctor was he realized a weak man. She had him just where she wanted him. He closed the distance and gave her a soft, yet loving, passionate kiss. "I've got to go now, or you'll never get your dinner. Maybe one more for the road." he said with a smile and another equally passionate kiss.
"Maybe we could just live on love." Sarah replied.
"If we only could, we would live forever." He moved in and gave Sarah one more sweet and gentle kiss. "Be back in a few minutes, go to sleep." he said, rising and walking to the door, looking back and smiling at Sarah before closing the door.
As he walked down the halls of the Tardis he said aloud, "I am in deep, very, very, very deep. And I wouldn't have it any other way." He continued on his way to the kitchen laughing aloud.
Detective Sam Shreeves drove home in a proverbial fog. Every belief he thought he knew and lived by, was a fiction created by the government. The very same government that he was so proud to work for. He had begun to question every truth he had ever held dear. He pulled into his building's parking garage and parked in his space before he realized he had arrived home. He was on automatic now, wanting nothing more than a drink and a hot shower. Sleep would be eluding him tonight, he thought as he pulled out his keys. He was just about to stick his key in the lock when he noticed movement in the light coming through the bottom of his door.
He quietly lowered himself to the ground and on hands and knees looked through the small opening under his door. Sitting in the back of the room was as near as he could determine a very large black box. A box much too large to have come through either the front or the back door of his apartment. Pacing in front of that box, Sam could make out a pair of shiny black men's shoes and a pair of black pants.
The first thing he was taught at the Academy was know when to call for backup. This was no ordinary prowler and quite probably no ordinary human. Sam quickly but quietly lifted himself from the floor, went to the emergency stairwell door and started climbing down the steps. When he reached the bottom, he decided to call for the only backup he knew that could possibly help him, the Doctor. Pulling both his cell phone and the bit of paper he had written the Doctor's number on from his pocket, he called the Doctor. The number was given to him to use in the event of an emergency. If this wasn't an emergency, he didn't know what was.
The Doctor was pushing the cart of dirty dinner dishes back to the kitchen. He was pleased that Sarah had eaten a bit and had given her another dose of the new antibiotic. He hoped she would sleep for a bit. She was fighting sleep as he had left her room. He was just turning around to leave the kitchen when the cell phone rang. "Hello?" he answered.
"Doctor, this is Sam. There's a very large black box and a man pacing in my apartment. I was able to slip away before he saw me. I have a nasty feeling he's not there collecting for the poor. Do you think this is the Time Lord you're looking for?"
"Where are you at?" the Doctor said as he quickly walked to the console room.
"My address is 506 Dracker Lane, apartment 5D, Merton. How fast can you get here?" he said into the phone. When her received no reply, he said with a little more panic in his voice, "Doctor, how long will it take?"
"I'm here. Don't panic Detective. Have a little patience, I did have to set the coordinates you know." he said with a smile as he lightly slapped him on the back. "Fifth floor, right?" he said as he started to ascend the stairs and then stopped and turned asking, "Are you coming?".
"Yea." Sam's voice was almost a squeak. He cleared his voice and tried again. "Yes, right behind you." he replied as both men headed up the stairs.
Inside Sam's apartment, the Master was alerted by a devise of his own. A small early warning system, a Doctor detector, as he liked to think of it. A device that he had programmed to give off an alarm if a 'Type Forty Tardis' was detected materializing nearby. "So, you're not like your counterpart Captain Martin. You're an honest police officer. How novel. And it seems the Doctor has let you into his little inner circle. You will put a kink in my plans, just a small one. Time to leave this speck of dirt, but just temporarily." he commented aloud as he stepped into his Tardis and dematerialized.
As the Doctor and Sam reached the fifth floor the Doctor could hear the Tardis carrying the mystery Time Lord away. He ran into the door with all his strength only to find it was too late. There was no sign of the Tardis or its owner. The Doctor bent over with both hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "You know, two hundred years ago I would have made it here in time." he remarked to Sam.
"Just how old are you?" Sam asked as he leaned back against the wall, out of breath himself.
"Middle age really, only four hundred fifty. I don't think I look a day over four hundred. Still, sorry about your door." he said as he followed the Detective's eyes as he looked at his now broken door.
"Never mind. I'm not as worried about the criminals that need to use a door as I was an hour ago. Do you think he'll be back?" Sam asked hoping he didn't sound as rattled as he was.
"I'm not sure. I can take you back to UNIT to stay the night if you want. Harry stayed there a week when he first arrived."
"What about the Brigadier?" he asked.
"I'm sure that once I explain things to him, he'll understand. Grab enough clothes for a few days. Do you think your superior will let you work on the case from UNIT?" he asked. He didn't want to bring unwanted attention to UNIT. The Brigadier was constantly reminding him of that.
"Sure, I've done it before. Well, out of town anyway. I'll be right back." Sam said as he left the room. The Doctor looked around the room. Pictures of his family and certificates of accomplishment dotted the walls. No apparent pictures of a girlfriend. He realized how little he knew about this man and was glad that he had gone with his intuition about not letting him stay in the Tardis. Even if he was as he seemed, he doubted Sarah would feel comfortable with him in the Tardis. When the Brigadier, Harry and Benton stayed over it was like family. But it wasn't fair to forcibly expose her to someone new without warning.
Speaking of Sarah, he needed to get back. He had secured the Tardis door so she couldn't get out and no one other than he could get in. But he hadn't told her they were going anyplace either. Then it hit him again. How very nice it was to have someone that cared about your comings and goings. He was just about to tell the Detective to get a move on when he appeared with a duffle bag. "Let's go."
Sam shut his door as best he could. He decided to call the manager and beg for another door later. "How did you get here so fast? I never even heard your car pull up, were you in the area?" he stammered as he followed the Doctor to a line of trees and saw him stop at an old blue Police Box. But not just any old blue Police Box. The same one he had entered so unbelievably at UNIT earlier.
The Doctor removed a key from his pocket and asked, "Do you want to come back with me or are you driving your car?". The Doctor couldn't help but smile. The look of shock on the Detective's face was priceless.
"I, I'll take my car." he said as he walked past the Tardis and narrowly avoided walking into the back of his car. "Do I need a pass or anything to get into UNIT?" he asked, looking for something to say to take the attention away from the clumsiness of his actions.
"No, I'll alert the Guard Shack in a few minutes. I'll meet you at the main door." the Doctor said as he stepped inside.
Sam stood, glued to the spot as he watched and heard the small burst of wind and the groaning noise as the Tardis disappeared, a sound similar to the sound he had just heard coming from his own apartment. He took a quick look around him before throwing his bag into the car and speeding out of the lot.
The Doctor set the controls to return to his lab at UNIT and decided to check on Sarah. He peeked inside the bedroom to find Sarah asleep, just as he had hoped she would be. He noticed Sarah's cell phone laying on the floor in the middle of the room and frowned. He wondered how it had ended up there. He was glad he had turned it off, hoping to give Sarah a few more days to recuperate before dealing with the reality of her parent's death. He was surprised when he picked it up from the floor to find it was turned on. He took it into the hallway and checked the incoming calls. As he did, he wondered if Sarah would think it was an invasion of her privacy. He had to hit just one more key, when the decision was taken away from him. He heard Sarah screaming at the top of her lungs. He quickly dropped the phone in his pocket and threw the door to Sarah's room wide open.
From the light streaming in from the hallway, he could just make out Sarah's crouching form in the far corner of the room. She was facing the corner and had compressed her body as small as possible. She had her hands and arms covering her head and seemed to be attempting to deflect someone giving her a beating. She was continuing to scream.
The Doctor ran to her side and flipped on the light located on the night stand. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah wake up." he said as he placed his hands on her arms. Instead of waking up, she was screaming louder. "Sarah, it's okay, you're safe! Sarah you're in the Tardis. Sarah listen to me, it's just a dream! It's me, it's the Doctor, I won't let anyone hurt you!" When she heard his name, she stopped struggling and slowly turned around to peer over her shoulder. When she saw the Doctor, Sarah who had been balanced on the balls of her feet, collapsed backwards. The Doctor reached her in time before her head hit the floor.
He picked her up, placed her on his lap and held her tightly. He whispered what he hoped were calming words into her ear as he rubbed her back. "It was just a bad dream, you're safe now." he repeated again and again till he thought it had reached her and calmed her. He could feel her heart pounding. "Sarah, what happened? Can you tell me?" he asked wondering if the call he was about to check, had anything to do with the returning demons she had fought.
"I dreamed we were walking in the woods. I turned away for just a second and you were gone. I was calling your name and I heard something in the hedge next to me. I thought it was you, but when I reached for you it was…it was…" Sarah stopped and buried her face in the Doctor's shoulder.
The Doctor gently rubbed her back and whispered in her ear as he tried to lend his strength to help her go on. "It was my parents. But they were dead, really dead!" she said as the image jumped to the front of her mind, terrifying her again. "They said because of me, because of me," she said as she fought to take a breath, "their life was ruined. I ruined everything. They kept screaming over and over that they hated me! They were grabbing me and pulling me into the dark with them. I couldn't breathe! I couldn't breathe!". Sarah was now gasping for breath that refused to come.
"Sarah, take a deep breath. In and out. Come on Sarah, I know you can do it, in and out." Sarah was on the verge of hyperventilating. She tried to focus on his voice and do as he asked. He kept rubbing her back and rubbing her arms so that her whole body knew he was there for her, and that she was safe. Her breathing slowly calmed and her heart rate slowed, as her body went back to normal.
The Doctor decided to push his luck. "Sarah." he started, as she leaned against his chest finally relaxing. "Sarah, I found your cell phone in the middle of the floor." He could feel her muscles immediately tense up. "Did you get a call? Maybe that was the cause of your bad dream."
"I need to go somewhere tomorrow. Will you take me?" she asked.
"Sarah, you're still very weak. Do you think you're up to going out?" he asked as he pulled her back to look into her tear filled green eyes.
"I need to go to the funeral home. They have my parents' bodies and they said they couldn't hold them past tomorrow. It shouldn't take long. Because of…everything. I'm going to have them cremated. I don't think any of their friends would show up and I don't have the money for a funeral or anything. I, I just…" Sarah stopped herself. She couldn't say anymore. It was all too much. She knew that this day would come, but that didn't make it any easier.
Sarah looked up into the Doctor's kind blue eyes and added, "I know what they did to me was horrible. But in the back of my head somewhere, I thought maybe with me gone they might straighten up. Maybe they were right. Maybe they would have been more normal. Maybe…".
The Doctor took her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she could clearly see and hear what he was saying. "Sarah Jane Smith, there was nothing, do you hear me, nothing, not one tiny thing that you could have done to make them responsible and functioning adults. This was a choice that they made. It had nothing, I repeat nothing to do with you. They ruined your childhood because they knew there was nothing else they could do to ruin their own lives. It's nothing short of a miracle that you survived childhood. You did survive, and not because of anything they did for you. You survived because you didn't allow yourself to turn into them."
"I know you feel that you have a responsibility to do this one final thing for them. And I feel flattered that you want me to help you. But not because they deserve attending, but because I believe that once this is over, you won't have to continually be looking over your shoulder in fear that they will pop up and ruin your life anymore than they already have. I love you Sarah Jane Smith. You are a wonderful person with a heart bigger than anyone else I know." he said as he pulled her close.
"Thank you, I don't think I could get through it without you." she replied as she forced a small smile.
"Do you know where to go?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.
"Yes, Brannis Funeral Home." Sarah replied with a sigh.
The Doctor could feel Sarah's muscles starting to relax. "Sarah how about some hot chocolate? It will help warm you up and relax you." he asked as he realized her arms and legs were cold.
"Thank you, it sounds great." she answered as she leaned her head against the Doctor's chest again.
The Doctor climbed to his feet, holding Sarah in his arms. He noticed the reflection in the mirror. Sarah was already asleep. He laid her back on her bed and straightened the covers around her. He kissed the top of her head one final time before leaving the room. It was then he remembered Sam's imminent arrival.
He ran through the console room and out the door of the Tardis, stopping only to lock the door. He sprinted through UNIT in time to see the Detective had just arrived. The Doctor ushered him inside the door saying, "This way Detective, there's a private office with a bed in the back. It's mostly used for emergencies when a visiting dignitary gets caught up in the action so to speak.". The Doctor lead him into a nicely furnished outer office with a small room in the back, just big enough to house a twin bed and a closet.
"Thank you Doctor, this will be great." Sam said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "How is Miss. Smith?" he asked wondering if he would have the opportunity to talk to her tomorrow.
"She had a call while I was away. Apparently the funeral home needs to do something with Sarah's parent's bodies. She feels she has to take care of this herself. I'm going to take her to the funeral home tomorrow. She's still weak, but she has it in her head that she can do this. I guess tomorrow will tell. And yes if she can, I'll make sure you get to see her." he said anticipating the Detective's question. "I better get back to the Tardis. I'll see you tomorrow Detective." he said as he closed the door and returned to the Tardis.
Sam looked around and decided he was too wound up to go to sleep. There was a small refrigerator that was fully loaded. He set his laptop up and decided to surf the internet and have a little snack at the same time before going to sleep and settling in for the night.
Wednesday morning arrived and the Doctor was dreading the day. Sarah had eaten very little that morning and he had been unable to convince her to put off attending to her parents' remains. He stood in the console room waiting for Sarah.
"Hi." Sarah said quietly as she slowly walked into the console room. She was still not quite as strong as she wanted the Doctor to believe. She was dressed in a black pantsuit with a white blouse. She wasn't sure how she was expected to dress. The only funeral she had ever observed hadn't even been real, it was in the movies. But she decided it couldn't be all that different. "I called and asked for directions." she said as she handed him a piece of paper. "Do you want to drive or really, I can go on my own." she said, trying to give him a way out.
"I know you can." he said as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her and gently hugged her. "I'll drive you wherever you want to go. Ready?" he asked as he kissed the top of her head.
"As I'll ever be." she said looking into the Doctor's blue eyes.
"I hate to bring this up, but Detective Shreeves is probably lurking somewhere outside that door." the Doctor said, pointing to the Tardis door as he looked in Sarah's face at arm's length.
"I know. I'll do whatever I need to do. If he needs to interview me them I'll handle it. Let's get this started." Sarah said as she and the Doctor walked hand in hand outside the Tardis door.
Once outside, Sarah realized the Doctor was true to his word. Leaning against the Doctor's workbench was Detective Shreeves. The Doctor decided to ease Sarah into her next police experience. "Detective Shreeves may I introduce Miss. Sarah Jane Smith." the Doctor said as the Detective stepped forward.
"Hello Miss. Smith," the Detective said as he extended his hand, "but please call me Sam." Sam smiled at Sarah in what he hoped was a disarming way. He could still see the outline of his predecessor's hand on her face. "I assume the Doctor has told you that he filled me in on things."
"Yes he did Det…I'm sorry Sam. Please call me Sarah. What do you need to know?" she asked trying to get her muscles to relax from their now locked position.
The Doctor was noticing the same thing as he stood behind her with a hand on each shoulder. He decided that whatever Sam had to ask could wait. He knew Sarah would rather talk to the young, friendly detective any day rather than do what she needed to do today. "Detective, I know you would like to talk to Sarah but we have to go take care of a few things. We'll be back soon. I promise that when we return, you can talk to her." the Doctor tried to explain.
"Maybe I could go with you and we could talk on the way." Sam suggested, attempting to come up with a solution.
"Sam, we have to go to the funeral home and handle…things. I'm sure there will be papers to sign and I have no idea what else. Could we please do it when we return?" Sarah asked.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Sure, I'll just wait till you get back. That's fine." Sam told her. He noticed the longer she stood there, the more she seemed to be leaning against the workbench. He was sure she shouldn't be out of bed. He asked as the pair passed him, "Are you sure you're all right Sarah?" meeting the Doctor's eye.
"I'll be fine. I just want to get this over with. But thanks, I'm fine." she said. The Doctor met Sam's eyes with an understanding nod. He knew. He put his arm around her waist as they left the lab.
Sam couldn't believe that Sarah was a killer. He had investigated and arrested too many killer's and he knew how they looked. He knew how they acted. Sarah was not a killer. He wondered how he was going to give a report to his superiors, without mentioning the aliens. He decided he would do everything in his power to make sure this fell under UNIT's heading, that way his superiors could remain blissfully ignorant. Just like he used to be, how he wished he were now. He decided to go back into the office the Doctor had given him and wait for their return.
Brannis Funeral Home was a stately looking building with Greek influenced architecture. They awaited the Director's arrival in his office. His secretary had told them he was with another client and would be in soon. It was obvious from the surroundings that this funeral home was accustomed to clients with greater than average wealth. The secretary was dressed in designer clothes and seemed to look both Sarah and the Doctor over with a fine tooth comb.
The office housed some of the most expensive and ornate antiques Sarah had ever seen outside of a museum. The curtains were made from what appeared to be the finest of silk. The carpet had the deepest and most dense pile Sarah had ever seen. It was like walking on a cloud. She and the Doctor were sitting in two antique chairs side by side. Sarah was taking in the ornate stained glass windows when the Doctor reached over to take her hand. She nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Sarah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." he said apologetically.
"No, it's all right. I was just lost in thought." she said then gave him a small smile. They both turned when they heard the heavy, ornate wood door open to reveal the Director. He was a man in his fifties with obviously dyed black hair and like his secretary, wore expensive designer clothes.
"I believe we spoke on the phone Miss.…", he opened the file he was carrying, "Smith. I am Gareth Pinsio, I am the Director here. I hope you understand we don't usually handle people that are so…" he started as he looked to the ceiling as if trying to find the correct word. "I mean really, they obviously lived their lives in such a way…" he said as he paced behind his desk. Our usual type of cliental is more…"
"Dead." the Doctor said, finishing his sentence. He looked to Sarah who appeared shocked at this man's arrogance. "So are your usual client less dead in nature?"
"And you are who?" Pinsio asked indignantly.
"Oh, just your run of the mill…." he wanted to finish with Time Lord, but because of Sarah he held back. This was hard enough for her without him adding to it. He looked over to her and could see she was getting ready to explode. He decided it might be good for her to let off some steam, so he just sat back in the chair and smiled at the Director.
"Mr.…" Sarah started, looking to Pinsio.
"Pinsio, Gareth Pinsio." he said as if it were the most amazing thing they would ever hear.
"Whatever. I know all about my parents. So pick up your little file and pull out the paperwork that you and your little staff need to perform two cremations." Sarah told him. She hated snobby people.
Pinsio dropped down in his chair as if in shock. "Cremations? We have handled those on occasion, a very few occasions. How many will be at the service and how long will you need the viewing to be before the cremation?" he asked. He would still be able to clear at least thirty five hundred pounds.
"No. No service, no visitation, just the cremation." Sarah said, getting angrier by the minute.
"I don't understand. We have a standard to uphold here at Brannis Funeral Home. I'm sure," he started looking Sarah up and down, "that you are obviously not aware of the expectations that less common people such as myself and others have regarding the dead. This is something you obviously need to be guided through. You see society as a whole expects…" he said leaning over in Sarah's direction.
Sarah could feel the Doctor's hand trying to disengage hers. She quickly looked over at him, giving him a look saying she would handle it. "Listen, I'm not just any person fresh off the street that you can intimidate. I'm a journalist, a journalist that loves to dig deep in the back of the closet till I find what I need."
"Since you seem so eager to look down your nose at me, I think it's only fair that I share with you, the view from this side of the desk. You are a man in his late fifties desperately trying to hold on to his youth. That's why you use that unnatural color of black dye on your hair. And as far as all of your designer clothes, I wonder what that's hiding. Maybe a desperate need to feel as if you're above everyone else. Or maybe to make yourself forget your ex wife. What happened there? Did you spend a little too much time with the dead? Or just maybe, you spent a little too much time with a younger woman, still trying to convince yourself you aren't getting older. As far as the usual for this little establishment, burying the rich doesn't give you some kind of elitist status. You're an undertaker, plain and simple. Nothing more and nothing less. You witness people at one of the worst times in their life. Instead of trying to help them, you do everything in your power to make them feel insignificant. Insignificant enough to get them to pay top dollar, in an attempt to prove to you that they are worthy of your services. Unfortunately for you, I don't need your approval. Now, I'm going to give you ten seconds to put the paperwork that I need to sign in front of me or I'll write an exposé that will make you sorry that you ever met me!" Sarah lifted her left wrist and looked at the watch on her arm to prove her point.
The Doctor was ecstatic. Sarah had truly rattled him. He was flipping through folders so fast that some were dropped on the floor. But Pinsio kept looking for the form without skipping a beat. As Sarah looked up, Pinsio quickly put the forms and a pen in front of Sarah. Sarah quickly looked over the form and filled in the information necessary. As soon as she was finished she asked Pinsio, "Do you want a check now or will you bill me?" as she laid the papers and pen on the desk.
Pinsio picked up both papers looking them over and said, "We will bill you.". Pinsio looked up to see Sarah and the Doctor leaving the room.
The Doctor stopped and with a huge smile on his face, turned to say, "Have a nice day!". The Doctor closed the door and wrapped his arm around Sarah's waist.
After they descended the steps of the Funeral Home the Doctor noticed Sarah was walking a little unsteady. He tightened his arm around her waist. "Are you okay?" he asked looking down into her eyes. He could see that she was near tears. She shook her head yes. He was about to comment further when he realized that they had reached the car. He opened Sarah's door and helped her in. As he rounded the car, he never took his eyes off Sarah. As he turned the key to start the motor he said, "Sarah, I'm very proud of you. You gave him just what he deserved 'and' scared him in the process. You were wonderful." he ended with a smile. "I just want to know how you knew about the ex wife, the girlfriend and the midlife crisis."
"I knew there was an ex wife because of the paleness that was left around his ring finger, where his wedding band would have been. There was a picture on his desk showing his arms around, as well as kissing, a young woman in a very small bikini. There was another picture of two different women and Pinsio squeezed into a tiny convertible sports car with the top down, as were both of the women's tops. That along with the hair dye, it just screamed midlife crisis." Sarah explained, glad her training had come in handy for her today.
The Doctor reached over and kissed her on the cheek. "Let's get back to UNIT." The Doctor pulled his car out and as he started the drive back to UNIT. He thought, one down and one to go. He hoped things would go easier for Sarah with Detective Shreeves. He looked over to ask Sarah if she needed to get anything in town, to see that she had fallen asleep. He knew she would be exhausted especially after her argument with Pinsio. He smiled at the thought of the look on Pinsio's face several times before reaching UNIT.
As the Doctor pulled into UNIT's Parking Garage and then into his assigned space, he noticed Harry, Benton and Sam walking towards them. Each were walking side by side, laughing and slapping each other on the back. The Doctor smiled. They had become very chummy, very quickly. They smiled and waved as he parked the car. The Doctor looked over at Sarah who was still soundly sleeping. He decided to test the waters with the Detective before waking her up. He quietly slipped from the car and signaling to the others to stay put.
"So gentlemen, I take it you're having a good day." the Doctor said smiling.
"Yea we are. I'm trying to talk Sam here into signing up with UNIT." Harry said as he gave a firm pat to Sam's shoulder.
"Granted it would be different and possibly fun, but I don't think military life is right for me." he replied smiling at Benton.
"Doctor," Harry said as he moved forward, "Sam told us where you and Sarah were going. How did it go? And why is Sarah still in the car?" he asked looking at Bessie.
"First, Sarah is asleep, exhausted after our funeral home experience." the Doctor started.
"What do you mean 'funeral home experience'?" asked Harry concerned.
"I don't think Sarah will mind me repeating it." the Doctor started looking back at Bessie. "Apparently this funeral home has a reputation for burying the rich and famous, and somehow Sarah's parents ended up there. This guy was really awful. He used his best snobbery routine. But it backfired on him." the Doctor smiled, still hearing Sarah's words echoing in his head.
"So did you put him in his place Doctor?" Benton said, wondering how long it would take him to get there and kick his butt for upsetting Sarah. As far as Benton was concerned, Sarah was now one of them. And UNIT always protects its own.
"I started to." the Doctor stopped again thinking of the look on Pinsio's face as Sarah went off. "But Sarah lost it. With everything that has happened to her recently and so many things that were out of her control, I think this gave her the opportunity to take back some control over her life. It was beautiful," he was telling the now mesmerized group of men, "she really went off. She put him in his place. By the time we left the man was shaking, physically shaking. And I swear to you, I could have sworn I saw a tear in his eye. I don't think he'll try to take advantage of the next person quite so easily." the Doctor finished, looking like he might burst with pride.
"Doctor, I think Sarah's awake." Harry said pointing over his shoulder.
The Doctor quickly went back to the car and opened Sarah's door. Taking her hand, to help her out and said, "Do you feel better?". She had a bit more color than earlier and smiled at him.
"Yes, I do. Were you filling in the troops?" she said with a smile, eluding to the group of men who were now lined up as if awaiting inspection, all with a smile on their face.
The Doctor gave her a guilty look. "Yes, I hope you don't mind. I was just so proud." he said as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"You boys and your stories." Sarah smiled.
"How about we talk the troops into having lunch with us. I think today's meatloaf day in the Mess Hall." the Doctor said as they walked, the Doctor helping to support her with his hand wrapped around her waist.
"What is it with you and this obsession with meatloaf?" Sarah joked with the Doctor. She was so grateful the funeral home nightmare was over with. She smiled at the group as they approached. "So have you had lunch yet?"
A chorus of no was heard from the group, so she said, "The Doctor is in love with the Mess Hall's meatloaf. So meatloaf it is, any takers?" she asked.
"I think that sounds great." Sam said to her with a smile. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but the Doctor was walking slowly with her, in what he could only image was his desire to catch her if she fell. It was obvious to him she was still weak. To be so ill, for so long, there was no way she could have murdered those people. Now, he just had to convince the rest of the world.