Chapter 11
The day seemed to pass quickly for Sarah. She had taken the morning and caught up all the Doctor's reports. Spent midday in the wardrobe room selecting the perfect dress and shoes and then the rest of the afternoon in the tub and doing her hair. She took one more look in the mirror, deciding this was it. She looked at the clock. It was six, forty five. The Doctor was knocking on the door. "Come in." Sarah said nervously.
The Doctor opened the door and his jaw almost hit the floor. Sarah stood before him more beautiful than ever. She was wearing a strapless, floor length black dress. It was form fitting almost all the way to the floor. It was split on one side to the middle of her thigh. She had on very high, black, open toe heels. Her hair was in a mass of curls on top of her head. The Doctor wanted to speak, but his mouth was dry. Looking at Sarah, she seemed to be in almost the same shape.
Sarah couldn't believe her eyes either. The Doctor was immaculately dressed himself. He had on a black tux, Doctor style. The formal tux was worn with one of the Doctor's white puffy shirts underneath. He had even tried to tame his hair into a more slightly organized set of curls. His shoes were so shiny, Sarah could see his reflection in them. Sarah's mouth was equally dry.
"Sorry, I couldn't speak. You took my breath Sarah. You're always beautiful, but tonight you're glowing." he said nervously.
"The same thing happened to me." she admitted. "You look wonderful. You're so handsome." Sarah said with a tear in her eye.
"I still can't believe I'll be going with you. You are going to be the most beautiful woman there. I'll be the envy of every man. Ready?" he said, reaching forward to take her hand as he placed it over his arm. They exchanged parts of their day as they passed through the Tardis. The Doctor locked the Tardis door as they walked through the halls of UNIT till they reached the Gymnasium.
As they walked through the doors of the Gymnasium, it was obvious the decorating crew had done an excellent job. The band was playing and couples were dancing. Standing about six yards inside the doors were the Brigadier and Doris, Harry and Brenda, Benton and Stacy, and Sam and Greta. As the group noticed the Doctor and Sarah, everyone stopped talking and several of the men's mouths literally popped open. With the exception of the Brigadier, all of the men's dates in one way or another had to remind the men, some physically, that they weren't alone. It was enough not to see the Doctor in his usual 'costume', but to see Sarah in that dress, looking so beautiful…it was more than the men could take. All three of their dates looked at each other and decided it was time for a bathroom break, but not before giving their perspective dates dirty looks as they walked off. The Brigadier and Doris exchanged loving smiles. They both were very happy for the Doctor as well as Sarah, who they now treated as one of their own.
"Miss. Smith you look absolutely lovely," he exclaimed, knowing how far she had actually come and how much she had survived to get to this point in time, "and Doctor, I don't know what to say!" the Brigadier said at a loss for words.
"If you'd like I can run back and get my scarf." he said, grinning.
"No, that won't be necessary Doctor. I just never thought I would live to see the day when you would dress for one of these things," he said with the wave of his hand, "to say nothing of attend one." the Brigadier stammered.
"Well I think you both look wonderful." Doris said trying to recover from her husband's admission. "Sarah that dress is marvelous and Doctor, I think you look perfect." Doris said, reaching out and embracing each in turn.
"Your dress is beautiful Doris." Sarah remarked.
"Oh, this old thing…" Doris started but was interrupted by the Brigadier clearing his throat. "What's wrong dear?" Doris turned to her husband and asked.
The Brigadier had just been handed a note. "Typical, just typical!" the Brigadier said agitatedly.
"What is it?" Doris tried again.
The Brigadier opened the note and read, "An urgent matter has come up and needs my personal attention. I will not be able to attend your celebration. Please give the UNIT personnel my thanks for another job well done and wish everyone a Happy Holidays! signed, the Prime Minister." the Brigadier finished, wadding the paper up and putting it in his pocket.
"I'm sure everyone will understand Brigadier. Is there anything I can do to help?" Sarah asked trying to make the Brigadier feel better.
"Thank you for your concern Miss. Smith. I'm sure you're right." the Brigadier said smiling at Sarah and then turned to his wife, "Would you care for a dance my dear?".
"Yes, I'd love a dance." she said as he started to lead her away. She turned back to the Doctor and Sarah to tell them about the table arrangements. "Just a second dear." she said as she stopped the Brigadier. "I hope you don't mind. The two of you as well as everyone at Thanksgiving are seated at table number five. See you soon." she said with a smile as she turned to join the Brigadier on the dance floor.
"Well," the Doctor said as he put his arm around Sarah's waist, "what do you think?"
"I think this is the most wonderful party I have ever been to." Sarah exclaimed.
The trio that had been staring at Sarah from the second she had walked into the room came over. "Look out, here they come." the Doctor whispered in Sarah's ear.
"Sarah you are ravishing tonight! You know if you ever get tired of the Doctor," Harry started catching the Doctor's eye with a knowing smile, "feel free to call me. And Doctor, don't you look spiffy?" he finished.
"Thank you Harry, you all look rather spiffy yourselves." the Doctor returned the compliment with a smile.
"What happened to your dates?" Sarah asked.
"They kind of saw you and…" Benton started, only to be nudged in the arm by Harry.
"What he means is they had to go check their makeup. I'm sure they'll be back in a minute." Harry explained, not wanting the Doctor or Sarah to feel anything but happiness on this special night. If Sarah only knew, Harry thought.
"How do you guys feel about sitting down? These are new shoes and they're killing me." Sam complained. He looked over at Sarah's feet and asked, "How do you women stand, much less move around in those things?"
"Years of practice." Sarah answered.
"I think our table is this way." the Doctor said as he placed Sarah's hand in his. He suddenly felt very nervous. Was it too soon? Was this the right place? It seemed like the right time and place. The group reached table number five to find it was close enough to the band to enjoy the music without having to yell at the person next to you to be heard. The Doctor held the chair out for Sarah as she sat down.
"Thank you." she said looking up at him. He suddenly seemed nervous. Sarah leaned forward and placed her hand on his forehead. "Are you okay?" she asked as she pulled her hand back from his cool forehead.
"Yes, I'm fine. Perfectly fine." he said as he bent forward and gave her a light kiss on the lips. As they pulled back, Sarah could see the three women returning to their dates. The men looked back when they saw Sarah looking behind them. The men sat still as the women approached closer and closer, till Sarah cleared her throat and made a standing motion with her hands. The three rose to their feet immediately and helped their dates with their seats. Sarah leaned over and whispered in the Doctor's ear, "Let's not have any more kids, these three wear me out.".
The Doctor whispered back, "I blame it all on the school system, television and video games." the Doctor quoted, as he remembered hearing the blame being cast by someone on everything but the parents. Both the Doctor and Sarah were now laughing with the 'boys', as Sarah called them looking innocent, which caused another laughing fit.
"I'm sorry, he was just telling me a joke. The three of you look beautiful." Sarah said to the women earning her a smile. A smile but no comments. This is uncomfortable, Sarah thought. Oh well, I'm not here with them, she reminded herself. I'm here with the most wonderful Time Lord in the world, or universe, or galaxy or anywhere.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked Sarah.
"I would love to." she said taking his hand as he helped her from her seat and led her to the dance floor. Once on the dance floor, Sarah leaned close to the Doctor as they began their slow dance. Sarah saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. A flash of blonde hair and a white sequin dress. She raised her head to find Nancy Acrims standing perfectly still next to them as they danced.
The Doctor felt Sarah's muscles immediately tense and looked down. "Sarah, what's wrong?" he asked. Sarah had an almost frightened look on her face. She was staring behind him. The Doctor turned around to come face to face with Nancy Acrims.
"Doctor, I was running late, but I'm here now." When the Doctor didn't answer right away she continued, "Would you like to dance now?". She was moving closer to Sarah and that worried the Doctor. "Miss. Acrims…" the Doctor began.
"Nancy, please." Nancy said irritated. First she had gotten stuck in traffic because of the stupid Christmas shoppers and now here 'she' was. She had butted in again, placing herself in the Doctor's arms when it was so obvious that the Doctor wanted her, and only her.
"Miss. Acrims, I don't want to hurt your feelings but I've promised all my dances to Sarah. I'm sure there are quite a few men here that would be honored to dance with you." the Doctor tried being reasonable, trying to defuse a situation before it went horribly wrong. But from the look on her face, she was having none of it.
"But I bought this dress especially for you." Nancy was almost yelling now. People around them had stopped dancing and couples had stopped talking, anxious to hear what all the commotion was about. "It's because of you!" she yelled, reaching out and pointing a finger at Sarah. The Doctor moved Sarah behind him to protect her. This was going very bad, very quickly. "I know what you did! I know all about you! I know all your dirty little secrets!" she yelled at Sarah.
He looked down at Sarah and could see she was embarrassed. The Brigadier, Harry, Benton and Sam were cutting through the crowd trying to reach them. Nancy followed the Doctor's eyes and could see what was happening. She quickly ran from the room, managing to stay far ahead of the men. They ran through the door after her. "Are you all right?" he whispered in Sarah's ear.
Sarah shook her head yes. "Let's sit down." Sarah said quietly as the crowd parted, letting them through. They had almost made it to the table when Doris approached.
"Are you all right my dear?" she asked, rubbing Sarah's back with her hand. "Why don't we go to the powder room?" she asked.
"Okay." Sarah turned and looked up at the Doctor who was looking defeated. "I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm going to check my makeup, throw on a little lipstick and I'll be right back." Then pulling his head down to her level, she added, "I love you! Nothing can ruin that, nothing.". Sarah quickly kissed him before leaving the room with Doris.
A minute had passed, giving the Doctor time to calm down a bit. He looked up to see the Brigadier, Harry, Benton and Sam return. "Any luck?" he asked.
"No," the Brigadier started, "but I've notified security. They'll be on the lookout for her. Is Miss. Smith all right?"
"She's just a bit shook up. She went to the Powder Room with your wife." he said, confusion starting to creep across his face as he saw Doris walking forward to stand behind her husband. She came from the opposite direction she and Sarah had left from. "Where's Sarah?" he asked, as fear took hold of him.
"Sarah?" she asked confused. "I haven't seen Sarah since I called security. What's wrong?"
"He has Sarah!" the Doctor exclaimed.
"Who has Sarah?" the Brigadier asked.
"The Master. They left through there." the Doctor pointed, already moving in the direction that he had last seen Sarah heading. The Brigadier, Harry, Benton and Sam were running behind the Doctor while the Brigadier fired orders to Benton.
"Benton alert everyone. Close the base. No one gets in and no one gets out."
"Sir, yes Sir." Benton replied as he stopped, grabbed one of the in base phones and gave the orders before running to catch up with the others.
The deception in the shape of Doris led Sarah through the UNIT hallways. "This isn't the way to the ladies room." Sarah remarked.
"I thought that maybe you could use a bit of fresh air." the deception explained. "So this is a very special night for you and the Doctor." it said, still walking toward the outside. If it could keep Sarah's mind occupied elsewhere, she would more than likely to go where she was led without a struggle.
"Well, it's our first formal affair as a couple." Sarah said as she looked around. The air had a definite chill to it, making Sarah wish she were still inside. "I appreciate the thought Doris, but it's bitterly cold outside and I don't want to worry the Doctor. We better…" she stopped dead in her tracks when she turned around to look at the person she thought was Doris. But it wasn't Doris, it had to be the Time Lord the Doctor had told her about, the Master. She started to back up, only to be stopped by the Master's voice.
"Now Miss. Smith, how rude. We've only just met and already you want to leave." he said slowly, enjoying dragging this out and watching the fear develop on her face. "Did the Doctor happen to tell you about this?" he asked as he produced a small black cylindrical object.
"No, what is it?" Sarah asked, now shaking so hard it was all she could do to stand.
"I like to call it my best friend. But it is in all honesty a Tissue Compressor. I'll give you a demonstration." he said with a smile as if he were demonstrating a toaster in a department store. He pointed it at a deer, who had wandered to the edge of the tree line. It looked in anticipation of a treat from the pair. Sarah had been told that most of the deer in the area were tame and used to the hustle and bustle of UNIT, many would eat out of your hand. The deer stepped closer, then closer till it was just a few yards away from the Master's outstretched hand. There was a quick flash from the object in the Master's hand, and where the deer had once stood now held a miniature. A freeze dried replica of the once beautiful, healthy, breathing animal whose body would now fit in the palm of her hand.
"Do you need another demonstration Miss. Smith?" he asked laughing at the terror on her face. "You know I've watched you for so long, I feel that we've known each other for ages. I'll call you Sarah, after all that's what all your UNIT friends call you isn't it?"
Sarah couldn't speak. She continued to look at the poor dead deer. Is this what he had planned for her? And the Doctor, what about him? Would he end up as the deer had, small, dead and insignificant? She had to stop him, but how? She cleared her throat and attempted to speak. "What do you want with me?" she had managed to ask.
"Ah Sarah, I've had many plans for you in the past, but for one reason or other they've all fallen through. Now I have a new plan." he said, then looked over her shoulder to see the appearance of Nancy Acrims. "Your timing is perfect my dear. As I promised, here she is, the only person standing between you and the Doctor." he said with a sweep of his arm.
"I can't believe it. You actually did it. For a time tonight, I didn't think I would be able to hurt her, much less kill her. But after the humiliation that she caused me tonight, I can't wait to get started." she said with the great excitement that only someone mentally ill could muster, at the thought of committing murder.
Sarah remained silent through all this not wanting to cause either one to speed up the task of killing her. She was still holding out hope that someone might find her and save her.
"I have a marvelous idea, my dear Nancy. The police already have Sarah at the top of their very short list of murder suspects for the murder of all those poor people. It wouldn't be farfetched to assume that she might be more than likely to attempt to kill you after tonight, would it?" he asked her with a smile.
"No, not at all. Once I tell the police that she tried to kill me, they'll lock her up and then the Doctor will be free to love me. You're a genius Mr. Tase! How shall we do it?" she asked excitedly.
Mr. Tase? That was the name Martin had written in his own blood after he was attacked. If he was behind Martin's death, then he was also behind the others. "His name isn't Mr. Tase." Sarah blurted out, trying to reach Nancy Acrims' diseased mind.
"I don't care what his name is. Did I tell you that you could speak? Did I?" she screamed, as she put her face less than an inch away from Sarah's.
Sarah was too frightened to reply. I just need to stay alive and give the Doctor time enough to find me, she kept telling herself over and over. The Master was approaching Sarah.
"Let's take a little walk, shall we?" When Sarah didn't immediately move he threatened quietly in her ear, "It's entirely up to you. I'll make you a deal. If you stay perfectly still till the Doctor arrives, I will kill him instead of you. You can go back to your little life as if nothing had ever happened. Or you can do as you're told and save your Doctor. What will it be? Shall we wait for the Doctor?" he said, now standing behind her. She shook her head no in response to his question. "If you don't want him hurt…" he said, as he pushed her forward, toward the tree line. Sarah could feel the Tissue Compressor pressed into her ribs. "Move!" he yelled into her ear, making her jump as she started to walk forward, forward to her death.
'Doctor!' She screamed in her mind. 'Help me!'
The Doctor as well as the Brigadier, Harry, Benton and Sam were all grouped together around the Tardis' central console as they searched each security camera for Sarah. "I don't understand. She has to be here somewhere." the Doctor said, anger trying to control his actions. He couldn't let his feelings come out now. He had to focus. Starting again, he scanned each camera's view again before quickly moving on to the next.
"Perhaps they made it outside." the Brigadier tried, grateful that he had taken the time to make sure his wife was safely being guarded inside his office.
"I have cameras mounted outside as well. Wait a minute." the Doctor said as he saw a bit of movement at the edge of one of the outside cameras. He fingers quickly danced over the keys in front of him as he called up the information her needed. On the screen was his answer. Just moments before, Sarah, the Master and Nancy Acrims had been standing in front of that very camera. They were headed toward the ridge line. "The pond!" the Doctor yelled as the group ran from the Tardis and UNIT in an attempt to save Sarah.
Once they had reached the edge of the partially ice covered pond the Master had given a large rock to Nancy. A rock which she used to hit Sarah in the head with, knocking her unconscious as the Master held her still. The Master let Sarah drop to the ground, blood flowing from the open wound on her head. He walked over to a small line of fallen branches he had used earlier to cover a small rowboat. A rowboat that he had especially prepared for tonight.
" Mr. Tase you have thought of everything. You are such a good friend. I've never really had friends that I could trust. Not like you Mr. Tase." Nancy said as she reached forward over Sarah's inert body and hugged him.
"And I think it will be safe to say that you never will again. Come along Nancy we have much to do."
"What's the plan?" she asked, happy with the prospect of being free of Sarah Jane Smith once and for all.
"I want you to get in this boat along with Miss. Smith here," he said as he roughly picked up Sarah's unconscious body and unceremoniously dropped her in the boat, subtly removing the small plug from the hole that he had previously put there, "I have a rope that is attached to the boat, which I will let the current take you out to the center of the water. Once you're there, untie the boat and I'll alert UNIT that I saw Miss. Smith force you into the boat and take you out on the water against your will. When the Doctor and others arrive, I want you to make it look as if you're in the fight of your life. Act as if Miss. Smith is trying to throw you over the edge and drown you. Can you do that?" he asked, as if talking to a favored child.
" Mr. Tase I don't know how to thank you." Nancy said as she climbed into the boat. In the darkness she couldn't see the hole that had been drilled into the bottom of the boat, nor could she see the flow of water that was gathering as they floated away from the shore.
Once they had reached the center of the pond, after the small boat navigated the roughly strewn pieces of ice, some not yet detached from the sides of the pond, Nancy untied the rope. The Master was now pulling it back to the shore. Nancy caught her first glimpse of the boat's bottom thanks to the light spilling from the full Moon. The hole could be clearly seen under the now filling water. It was obvious that the hole had been expertly cut. The edges much too smooth and cylindrical for an accident. Looking back at the shore, she could see Mr. Tase waving and walking away.
"Why would he do this?" Nancy screamed. " Mr. Tase, help me! Come back Mr. Tase, come back!" Nancy saw a flash of light from the shore, then nothing. "Don't panic Nancy, don't panic." she tried to calm herself. Looking back to the shore, the scene had changed. She could make out a small group now. "Help! Help me! Help!" she screamed. The boat was now a third full of water. She reasoned the more weight the boat had to bear, the faster it would sink. The water on her feet and the bottom of her legs was frigid. She could barely feel her own feet. Sarah was dead weight now. She laughed aloud at that thought. "Dead, not needed, not wanted!" she said aloud as she pulled Sarah's motionless form from the boat and threw it in the water.
The Brigadier had ordered several men to bring one of the small motorboats in the hidden boat house to the right of the pond to the Doctor. The Doctor had pulled a small pair of binoculars from his pocket in an attempt to see Sarah. The sight that met him was not as he hoped. He witnessed Nancy Acrims dump for all appearances what looked like a body into the water. It was Sarah. She went straight into the water. No struggling, nothing.
The Doctor could hear the small outboard motor as it approached. He ran to the end of the small dock, meeting the boat that Benton had just piloted. The Doctor was able to convey his ideas as well as the event he had witnessed to Benton in record time after he jumped from the dock to the boat. Neither knew at this point exactly where Sarah was in the water, so piloting the small boat close would be out of the question. The Doctor and Benton were using the flashlights that Benton had the foresight to throw in the boat desperately searching the water's surface for any sign of Sarah.
Sarah had been dreaming of floating, floating away from all her problems and all her troubles. She was weightless, no cares and no worries. Then suddenly things were different. She felt heavy, so heavy she could barely move. She opened her eyes only to realize she was underwater. She was fighting the urge to breath and give in to death. She wouldn't, couldn't die. For once in her life she had something to live for, someone to live for. She could see him in her mind. He was waiting for her, she just had to find the way home.
No matter where she looked she was blind. Wait a minute, she saw a flash of light directly in front of her. She struggled to make her frozen limbs move in the ice cold water. The light again, it was right above her now. She swam up, but something was in her way. Ice, no! She couldn't break through the ice! She hit her hand again and again on the ice. It wouldn't break. It wouldn't break. Her lungs were burning, straining, begging for air. The light! It was shining on the ice. The same ice she was trapped under. She just had to hang on, just a little longer. There he was, the Doctor. But she couldn't hold out any longer. Darkness claimed her, there was no more pain, not now.
Benton had run the boat up against the ice, trying to get as close to the sinking boat as possible. Nancy was still very much alive. She had her coat on and a life jacket and was screaming for help at the top of her lungs. She could stay in the water for a month as far as Benton was concerned. He and the Doctor were shining the flashlights all over the surface of the water and seeing nothing. The Doctor was taking off his tux jacket.
"Doctor what are you doing?" he asked, really worried that his friend was finally being pushed over the edge.
"I'm going into the water. We'll never find her at this rate." he yelled as he took yet another look into the water using the flashlight. The flashlight shined over the top of the ice as the Doctor was preparing to discard it in preparation for jumping in the water. "What was that?" he yelled.
"Where?" the Sergeant yelled back trying to be heard above Nancy's yelling voice.
"There!" the Doctor pointed. It was Sarah. She was trapped underneath the ice. "Help me! Break the ice!" the Doctor yelled. Benton and the Doctor worked side by side in the boat, each hitting the ice as hard as they could with the end of the flashlights. The ice started cracking and breaking. As soon as they had a hole in the ice, the Doctor reached down and grabbed in the water but to no avail. "I can't feel her!" the Doctor yelled. He hung further over the side of the boat this time, submerging his head in the water looking for any sign of her. He could see her, she was directly below them. Her body was laying across a boulder in the water. After several unsuccessful attempts, he was able to grab hold of her arm. He pulled her up and out of the water. As soon as he broke the surface with her, Benton started the outboard motor and headed for the shore. They passed another boat that Benton had called for to bring Nancy Acrims to the shore.
The Doctor was furiously working on Sarah. They reached the end of the dock in record time. Benton knew that in a drowning every second was important.
"Doctor, lay her down here." Harry was trying his best to get through to the Time Lord. With the help of the Brigadier and Sam they were able to get the Doctor to give them access to Sarah as he laid her on the stretcher that was waiting for them. They quickly covered her and secured her to the stretcher before running with her back to UNIT.
Once inside UNIT's Sick Bay, Sarah was quickly transferred to a bed. They were fortunate enough to have Mrs. Troy on duty. Sarah's body temperature was 75°, it was probably the only thing that saved her, the Doctor would later realize. Sarah was paler than he ever thought a living human being could be. Once Harry and his staff were able to get Sarah's body temperature to rise, they were able to get her body to once again respond. With the warming of her body temperature came the increase of her blood flow. She had already lost a great deal of blood due to the massive head wound. Harry knew they had to work quickly. He used the state of the art portable X Ray equipment that UNIT had just received, to quickly check her head. It showed a fracture in her skull. He was able to close the wound with six stitches. After carefully bandaging her head, they examined the rest of Sarah's body to find numerous small cuts and scratches and quite a few bruises.
After two hours of work and prayers Sarah was once again breathing on her own, her heart was beating normally, and all her wounds were cleaned and dressed. Unfortunately, she hadn't regained consciousness. The Doctor realized that even with all the technology he had at his disposal, it was now up to Sarah's body to determine her fate.
The Doctor looked over at the clock hanging on the wall. Two in the morning, a time when they should still be celebrating their engagement not waiting to see 'if' and 'when' Sarah would awaken. He had listened to Harry when he tried to prepare the Doctor for the inevitable, it was more than likely Sarah would have brain damage, when she woke up. He refused to believe or hear that there was an 'if' she woke up. She would, and when she did, he would be there to help her through it, regardless of her condition.
The Doctor heard the door open and looked back to see the Brigadier, Doris and Harry. They looked reluctant, which he realized was his own fault. He had shut down, refusing to accept help from anyone. He knew that this was all about hatred, hatred by one Time Lord, the Master for another Time Lord, him. He realized that he needed his friends. This was too hard to go through without help. He had been alone the majority of his life, but this cut him all the way to the core of his being. He needed their help, their support. The Doctor reached over and took Sarah's hand to his mouth and said, "I'll be right back. I love you Sarah, always.".
"Brigadier you should take your wife home. I know Sarah wouldn't want you to spend the night here worrying." the Doctor said, grateful that they cared enough to make the effort. He would never forget this night or the boundaries that his friends would cross just to lend their support.
"Doctor, we'll be up all night with worry as it is. What difference does it make where we spend it? At least this way, we can help take turns sitting with her and talking to her. It may help just to let her know that we're here." Doris said, reaching forward and hugging the Doctor. The Doctor looked at the Brigadier and Harry over her shoulder to see that both men were nodding in agreement.
The Doctor pulled back from Doris' embrace. "I don't know what to say. I would be honored to have you stay." he said as a tear formed in the corner of his eye.
"Doctor, I want you to go to the Tardis and rest," he started seeing the Doctor preparing a protest, "just for a bit." Harry said.
"I can't leave her. She needs me here." he tried.
"But she needs you on your feet, not in a bed next to her suffering from exhaustion. I will stay with her and talk to her the entire time you're gone. I promise, I won't leave her for a second Doctor. Please, if not for yourself, then for her." Doris pleaded.
The Doctor could see they were determined to do this. "I'll go to the Tardis and take a quick shower and be back. I need to alert Gallifrey to the Master's actions tonight, but it shouldn't take long." he said, as he looked into the observation window that was in the front of Sarah's room.
"Thank you Doctor." Doris said.
"It's me that should thank you." he said feeling extremely emotional, more now than he had ever felt in his life.
"Thank you for trusting me with her. I realize how precious she is to you. We all realize what a wonderful person she is, and we want her back too. Sergeant Benton and Detective Shreeves are finishing up reports, then they'll be here too. We're all here for both of you Doctor. Just let us help where we can." she finished.
"I couldn't have said it better myself my dear." the Brigadier replied, as he put his hands on his wife's shoulders. Just then two armed guards stopped in front of the Brigadier standing at attention. "Oh yes," he began, "you are to guard Miss. Smith. No one with the exception of myself, my wife, Dr. Sullivan, Sergeant Benton, Detective Shreeves, Mrs. Troy and of course the Doctor are allowed entrance to Miss. Smith's room. Is that understood?"
"Sir yes Sir." they replied in unison.
"Come on Doctor," Harry motioned with his arm, "the Brigadier and I will get you caught up on everything we know." The Doctor left Sick Bay with his two good friends as soon as he saw Doris go inside Sarah's room.
"Where would you like us to start Doctor?" the Brigadier asked his troubled friend.
"Any sign of the Master?" he asked, not really expecting any.
"I'm sorry no." the Brigadier answered. "As for his accomplice Nancy Acrims, Detective Shreeves has informed me that she will more than likely be locked in a mental institution for many years to come for her part in this. After a conference call between the Prime Minister, Detective Shreeves and myself tonight, Miss. Smith will no longer have anything to fear from the Police or anyone in association with the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Elliot, her parents or Captain Martin. All parties involved will be sending Miss. Smith a letter of apology. The PM was also told of the horrendous way Miss. Smith was treated, which will lead to an investigation of all officers on duty that evening, as well as result in implementing new rules for interrogation.
By now they had reached the Tardis, and as much as the Doctor appreciated all the work the Brigadier had put into trying to turn things around, all he could think of was that as far as Sarah went, it was too little, too late. But instead of striking out at his friends which would accomplish nothing, he said, "Thank you Brigadier. I know Sarah as well as I, appreciate everything you have done." He looked back at Harry and added, "All of you."
"I'm going to grab a quick shower and a change of clothes and I'll meet you in the Sick Bay." he said as he stepped into the door before stopping and turning around to add, "Thank you Alistair, Harry." and then stepped inside the Tardis.
Both men looked at each other and then turned to the doorway as they heard Sam approaching. "Any change in Sarah's condition?" he asked.
"No I'm afraid not. We better get back there ourselves. You can come with us if you want." Harry said, being careful to give him the option to distance himself from the situation. Especially since he would be going back to his own job after tonight.
"Yes, I'd like that. Do you think the Doctor would mind? The two were so nice to me when they didn't have to be, especially after Martin. I just don't want to cause him any more grief." Sam explained.
"No, he won't mind. He can use the support." Harry replied.
"How did your superiors take it when you told them the case had been turned over to UNIT on authorization of the Prime Minister?" the Brigadier asked.
"Not well. My superior wanted me to leave right now and come to the station tonight. I told him I would take one of my personal days and come in on Monday. He didn't take that too well either. There will be hell to pay when I get back, that much I'm sure of." Sam explained.
"I had a feeling you were in for a rough patch, that's why I asked the PM for a favor." the Brigadier started, pausing to be sure the Detective was listening. "On occasion we need a liaison with the police, I was hoping you might be interested in the position. You will still be listed on file as a Detective, so you will still be in line to receive your pension when you retire. The only difference will be, you will report to me, as well as handle any day to day procedures to smooth any ruffled feathers with the local police groups and of course there will be an adjustment in your pay. Are you interested?" the Brigadier asked, summing it up.
"Will I have to wear a uniform?" Sam asked with a smile.
"No Mr. Shreeves, but you must wear a suit every day if you want to represent UNIT. Is that a problem?"
"No. I feel honored that you would consider me for this position. Thank you Brigadier, I accept." he stopped and shook the Brigadier's hand.
The trio had reached Sarah's room. The Brigadier pecked on the glass to get his wife's attention. She looked up and smiled before saying something to Sarah and passing Harry at the doorway. "Any change?" the Brigadier asked.
"No dear, none." she said as she hugged him. She normally wouldn't have showed such outward affection at her husband's workplace, but she felt so terrible for Sarah as well as the Doctor, that she needed to feel him physically. The couple watched Harry take readings from the monitors surrounding Sarah as he talked to her. "Is the Doctor happy with Mrs. Troy?" Doris asked as she checked her watch.
"Yes, why…" he started, then understood the reasoning behind the question and the action. "Are you thinking of Mrs. Litton?" the Brigadier asked.
"Yes I am. Should I call her and ask if she can come in?" Doris wondered. Mrs. Litton was a member of her Bridge group as well as a kind and caring nurse. She worked at UNIT till a year ago, when she decided to be an office manager, overseeing her husband's antique store. She had mentioned to Doris at their last Bridge game that she was becoming bored and missed the hustle and bustle of UNIT.
"That's an excellent idea dear." the Brigadier replied.
"Excuse me, I'll call her from the nurse's station." she said turning and walking away.
Turning to Sam the Brigadier explained, "Mrs. Litton is a good friend of ours and an excellent nurse. I think you can understand that after recent events, we need to be careful in choosing nurses that will be appropriate." he explained.
Looking up at the sound of approaching footsteps they saw the Doctor walking quickly toward them. He was once again dressed in his usual vest, long coat and incredibly long scarf. "Any change in Sarah's condition?" he asked.
"No Doctor, I'm sorry." the Brigadier answered.
Doris rejoined the group saying, "I was able to contact her. She'll be here at seven." she stated, then seeing the Doctor's confusion explained, "I'm sorry Doctor. I'm talking about Mrs. Litton. She's a good friend of ours and a wonderful, warm and caring nurse. I think you'll be very pleased with her. Now that just leaves, the three to eleven shift." Doris said, mentally searching her address book in her head, looking for just the right person to take care of Sarah.
"Thank you again Doris. I don't know what I would have done without you. You're a blessing." he said, giving her a heartfelt smile. "I should get back. Thank you all again." he added before returning to Sarah's side.
As the Doctor entered the room he quickly scanned the monitor's around Sarah, then turned to Harry and asked, "Anything?".
"No Doctor, I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind," he said gesturing toward the corner, "but I had your old friend brought in." watching as the Doctor spotted the old black leather recliner.
"Thank you Harry. I appreciate all your help, we both do." he said picking up Sarah's limp hand from the bed. He bent down and kissed her fingers and said softly, "It's all right Sarah, I'm here. We're all just waiting for you to wake up."
Outside in the hallway, the Doctor and Harry could hear sounds of struggling and gunshots, but before either could react, everyone in the hallway, the Brigadier, Doris, Sam, as well as the two security guards were being herded into Sarah's room. Last through the door was the Master.
"Well Doctor, I know you'll be surprised to find that Gallifrey in all their magnificent glory managed to locate my Tardis. Trusting fools that they are, they sent it to Gallifrey. It's a shame they didn't verify that I was inside." the Master said without missing a beat.
"Haven't you caused enough trouble here? Once the Time Lords realize you're not inside, where do you think is the first place they'll look?" the Doctor pointed out as he stood between the Master and Sarah's prone form.
"Exactly, that is why you will turn your Tardis over to me." he said with a smile.
"No, I don't think so. You've run out of options as well as time. Turn yourself in to the Time Lords. Don't make things any worse for yourself." the Doctor said.
"Oh Doctor, I thought you didn't care. I'd say we have about four hours before the Time Lords finish methodically searching my Tardis. That's plenty of time to see exactly what you'll do for the good people of Earth. Time and again you've protected them." he said as he looked around the room at the frightened faces staring at him. "Why do you do it? That's what I want to know."
The Brigadier saw his chance and took it. He quickly pulled his pistol from its holster. But unfortunately the Master saw him. The Master raised his hand and with a binding stare took over the Brigadier's body. The Master waved his hand and now the Brigadier was pointing the gun at his wife's heart.
The Brigadier's face was a mask of pain and terror. "Stop it!" the Doctor yelled. "What is the purpose of this? Why torture them?" It had the desired effect, it stopped the Master from killing Doris. "Like difficult pets, you will be on a short leash." he said and with the wave of his hand, all the hostages were frozen in place, unable to move.
With another wave of his hand the Brigadier handed the gun to the Master. "The purpose? Surely you know the answer to that. Entertainment my dear Doctor. And since you ruined my entertainment, 'you' will entertain me. Now move over there." he said pointing with the gun to the far wall where all the other hostages were standing. But the Doctor wasn't moving. "I said move!" the Master yelled. It suddenly occurred to him why the Doctor refused to move. "How stupid of me. You don't want to leave your precious Sarah. Don't concern yourself Doctor. She is of no use to me now. You see it's only fun to hurt those that are aware you're hurting them. Still you don't trust me? I swear to you Doctor. I won't harm her. But if you don't move, I 'will' harm them." he said pointing the gun at his frightened, frozen group of friends. Slowly the Doctor backed away toward the wall with the others.
"Good, now that that's settled Doctor, how would you like to hear a story while I decide the mode of fun we'll have next?" the Master asked. He laid the pistol down on the side of Sarah's bed confident that with the hostages frozen, it would be safe.
"You should be taking this time to escape." the Doctor tried again.
"Oh, I will escape. But it will be in your Tardis. Now back to the story. When I arrived here and witnessed for myself that you had not only taken in this little street urchin but had fallen in love with her, I had to know more. I decided to take her away from you, to make the both of you suffer as much as possible. But instead you were pulled closer. I suspected that she was tougher than she looked, but not till tonight did I know for sure." he gloated.
"What are you talking about?" the Doctor demanded.
"I gave her the option of going with me or staying here, safely with all your little friends. All she had to do was not interfere when I killed you." the Master bragged as he watched the Doctor's face contort in pain and self recrimination. "And then again, right before my dear little Nancy hit her with the heavy rock. She begged me not to hurt you, pleaded with me, that is till the rock crushed her skull." the Master laughed at the fury now covering the Doctor's face.
"You Bastard! If it takes me the rest of my life, you will pay for what you've done to Sarah." the Doctor practically spit it out. He stepped forward, thought better of it for the others' sakes and then stepped back.
"You know Doctor, I don't know how you are able to command such loyalty from them. I've paid top wages in the past and never been able to achieve the loyalty and admiration that you seem to get for free. You must tell me, what is your secret?" he asked as he stepped closer to the Doctor.
Sarah felt as if she were coming through a fog. More and more she could hear voices, arguing or fighting. The voices were getting louder. She felt confused. Her head hurt like never before. Where was she? She could feel the cool sheets underneath her and the smell of cleaning fluids. This must be a hospital, but wait. The voices were getting clearer. It was the Doctor and who? Then it came back to her in a flash. The dance, the cold, the water, the ice. The Master!
Sarah tried to calm herself so that she could figure out what was going on. The voices were somewhere beyond her feet, that much she was sure of. She tried to open her eyes, just a bit only to see all of her friends lined up on the far wall. They weren't moving, they looked like the wax statues at a traveling show that she had seen once as she ran in to get out of the rain. Just like the exhibit, it was as if they couldn't move. It had to be the Master's doing.
She had to help them but how? She tried stretching her fingers and she felt it. Cool, smooth, cylindrical, but with a handle. A gun! She tried to open her eyes more. Yes, it was definitely a gun. But could she lift it? Her limbs felt like lead. She had to try. They were all at the mercy of this madman. She knew she only had one chance. She flexed her hands again, trying to get the blood flowing through them again. Listening to the conversation again, he was torturing the Doctor. She had to stop him, stop him now!
By now the Doctor could see through quick glimpses that the Master didn't know she was waking, that Sarah was regaining consciousness. And better yet, she was aware of everything going on around her. He prayed she had the strength to pick up the gun and shoot him. Even if she missed, it would hopefully give him enough time to overpower the Master and call Gallifrey. "My secret," he started, trying to give Sarah enough time to accomplish her goal, "my secret is to treat them as I would want to be treated. I believe 'they' call it the Golden Rule. I don't make it a habit to threaten them or hold them hostage.". He stole another quick glance at Sarah. She had the pistol in her hand and her finger on the trigger. If he could just get the Master to move over another foot, she would have a clear shot of him and only him. "You never take into consideration," the Doctor started as he began pacing, hoping the Master would see it as a nervous habit and nothing else, "this is their world. In order to be accepted into it, it always works out best," the Doctor said this time walking all the way passed Sarah's bed, "if you don't want to destroy it.". The Doctor turned around and yelled, "Now Sarah, now!".
Sarah squeezed the trigger with all the strength she had, firing the gun. From her point of view the bullet had entered the Master's abdomen. He fell down, clenching his stomach. Before anyone could react, a groaning, wheezing sound was heard. A sound most in the room recognized as a Tardis materializing. Once fully materialized, two members of the Sacred Order Of Guards and Councilor Batin walked from the Tardis.
"We thank you Miss. Smith and we apologize for all of the appalling acts that you have been subject to. We have been monitoring this incident and waiting for the opportunity to act." Batin bowed and explained to Sarah, as the guards dragged the Master into the Tardis.
"Well wasn't it a good thing that a woman in Sarah's condition was able to find a way out of this when you couldn't. Of course I mean that in only the kindest way possible toward you and all your infinite wisdom." the Doctor replied sarcastically, attempting to get his point across.
"Yes, well…Doctor, Miss. Smith," he bowed to Sarah, "goodbye." he said. then stepped into the Tardis. Everyone remained still as it dematerialized, leaving an empty spot on the floor where nothing but the Master's blood was left to alert anyone that he had been there.
The Doctor shot forward and embraced Sarah, something he hadn't been entirely sure he would ever be able to do again. Benton and the guards burst into the room, to find they were unnecessary. The Brigadier was hugging his wife, making eye contact with the Doctor before shuffling her from the room. Benton and Sam were directing all the guards to go back to their posts. Harry and Mrs. Troy were waiting at Sarah's side till the Doctor had convinced himself that she was all right.
"Sarah, I don't know what to say, except maybe thank you. You saved everyone. I can't believe you're awake. How do you feel?" the Doctor said all in a rush.
"I have a huge headache and I'm tired that's all." Sarah said having trouble staying awake.
"Sarah?" the Doctor said panicked.
"Doctor she just went to sleep, that's all. Look at the monitors, she's sleeping. It's what we hoped she would do. Wake up and be able to talk to us, and she did it. That and a little more." Harry smiled to the Doctor.
"You're right." the Doctor returned the smile. "I really appreciate everything you've done for her…"
"But." Harry said.
"But?" the Doctor asked.
"This seems like one of those compliments that starts out good, but then there's a big but." Harry explained.
"Harry there are times I really don't understand you. I was going to simply say that I really appreciate everything you've done for Sarah b…bu…because I need to take her to the Tardis briefly to run a scan on her head." the Doctor said with a smile, glad that he had covered the near blunder of using the b word, that Harry obviously had trouble with.
"So she'll be coming back here?" Harry asked.
"Well yes. It's not that I don't trust your diagnostic tools b…because I just, I need to be sure." the Doctor said rather proud of his second cover up of the b word.
Harry looked at Mrs. Troy and smiled. "All right Doctor. I'm assuming you want to do it now. So I think it would probably be best if she weren't moved more than necessary. So how do you feel about…?"
"My arms? Yes Harry that was exactly what I had in mind." the Doctor replied as he removed the Tardis key and handed it to Harry. "Would you be so kind as to unlock the Tardis door for us?"
"Of course, that's exactly what I went to medical school for Doctor." he said as he took the key from the Doctor's hand. Turning to Mrs. Troy he said, "I know your shift is almost over…"
Sam stuck his head in the door saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt but Mrs. Lethbridge-Stewart wanted me to tell you that a friend of hers would be here at seven to relieve Mrs. Troy. I believe her name is Mrs. Litton. Sorry again about the interruption. Goodnight gentlemen." And with that he was gone.
"Well that settles that. I want to tell you how much we have appreciated your help. I'm hoping we'll see you again." the Doctor explained to her with a smile.
"Of course Doctor, if you and Miss. Smith need me I'll be happy to come back." she said to the Doctor with a smile, then turned to Harry, "Dr. Sullivan was there something you wanted me to attend to while you're away?"
"Yes there was. Sarah's body temperature is back to normal but I know her immune system has been hit hard due to recent events. I think the Doctor will agree with me that Sarah needs peace and quiet. While this observation room served its purpose, I think it would be much quieter to move her back to a private room, room twelve. Would you see that it's ready? Make sure all the monitoring equipment is ready. Also leave word at the nurse's station that Sarah will be staying in room twelve and ask them to send Mrs. Litton there when she arrives. And to echo the Doctor's sentiments, thank you for your help."
"You're more than welcome, both of you. I'll attend to everything Dr. Sullivan." Mrs. Troy said with a smile.
"Ready?" the Doctor asked Harry.
"Anytime you are." he replied.
The Doctor bent over and carefully lifted Sarah from the bed. He noticed her wince in pain. She started to stir. "Shhh it's all right. Go back to sleep." he said, watching as Sarah settled back into sleep. The Doctor slowly carried his precious bundle back to the Tardis and through the open door. Harry followed the Doctor through the Tardis and finally into the Tardis' infirmary.
The Doctor gently laid Sarah on the Bio Scanner, carefully supporting Sarah's injured head before resting her head on a folded towel. He stepped back to the control panel and started the scan. Sarah was sleeping peacefully. On the first scan it showed an actual fracture in her skull. It could have been so much worse the Doctor thought as he handed the scan to Harry to read. The second scan showed that there was still water in her lungs, not a significant amount, yet it was a problem. They would have to be very careful not to overtax her fragile immune system. According to the scan, many of Sarah's organs were having a hard time keeping up with the needs of her body. But the worst was the picture of Sarah's brain. There was a small amount of swelling. Given time, the swelling would likely go down on its own. Worst case scenario, due to a secondary infection her brain would continue to swell. Thus forcing brain surgery, surgery he didn't feel comfortable leaving in twenty first century hands. But one thing at a time, he decided.
"I think we should get her back." the Doctor said as he deftly picked Sarah up. Harry followed the Doctor through the Tardis, making sure to lock the Tardis' door behind them.
"When they arrived at UNIT's Sick Bay, Mrs. Troy was just leaving. Everything is as you requested it Doctors. Mrs. Litton is waiting in room twelve. I'll see you later tonight." she said quietly, not wanting to wake Sarah, as she slipped passed the group.
They entered Sarah's new room to find Mrs. Litton had turned back the bed in anticipation of Sarah's arrival. The Doctor with Harry's help carefully laid Sarah in the bed without waking her. Mrs. Litton immediately went into action attaching the scanners' leads to Sarah. The Doctor turned the displays on and read their screens satisfied that she hadn't been injured further by the trip to the Tardis.
The Doctor put his hand forward saying, "Hello I'm the Doctor, and this is Dr. Sullivan. You must be the Brigadier's friend, Mrs. Litton. I'm so glad you could help us out." he finished as he shook her hand.
Mrs. Litton returned the smile saying, "Yes I am, I'm very please to meet you both. Do you have any new orders?" she asked quietly as she picked up Sarah's chart.
"Right now we're in a wait and see sort of stage." the Doctor explained. "It's very important that we keep her still and quiet. On the occasions that she is awake," the Doctor started, motioning for the nurse to follow him away from the bed, fearful that Sarah would overhear the conversation, "I want you to pay special attention to her speech patterns, any obvious abnormalities in her thought process, possible confusion, dizziness and vision. But be careful that Sarah doesn't realize what you're doing. She's very quick, so be careful not to alert her. The scan she just had, showed some swelling in her brain, so I think you realize how important it is to keep her quiet. If anything at all happens alert either myself or Dr. Sullivan immediately. Do you have any questions?" he asked hoping he had been able to convey the grave nature of Sarah's condition.
"No Sir I don't. Is there anything I can do to help you now?" she asked kindly.
"No, but thank you. Doris did a wonderful job. I don't think we could have found two better nurses for Sarah." the Doctor said. After losing Mrs. Granger, he wished he had told her how much he appreciated her. After tonight, he realized how fast it could all be taken away from him. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
"Doctor, I hope you don't mind but Doris took both myself and Mrs. Troy into her confidence and told us everything. We both realize the trust you have placed in us and we won't let you down. Having said that, you're going to need an evening nurse and Mrs. Troy and I have a candidate in mind. If you don't think we're overstepping." she stopped waiting for the Doctor's approval.
"No, in fact I'm flattered that the two of you have taken the time to come up with someone. Though I must say, to find another nurse like the two of you will be hard." he finished with a smile.
"Thank you for the compliment Doctor. The woman I have in mind is a wonderful nurse that worked here at virtually the same time that Mrs. Troy and I worked here. Her name is Miss. Proctor. I could call her if you like."
"That would be wonderful. But please, don't worry about rushing back. I'm going to be here for quite a while." the Doctor said, looking over his shoulder to check the status of the recliner, surprised to find that it had made the move. It must have been Mrs. Troy. They were indeed lucky to be surrounded by these nurses. Sarah was in good hands.
"Harry, I know you must be exhausted. Why don't you get some rest?" the Doctor asked his friend.
"I think I will grab a quick nap." Harry replied standing still and staring at Sarah.
"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked, quickly checking the monitors to see what Harry was staring at. But all the monitors looked fine. He walked across to Harry and asked, "Are you all right? I know tonight was not one of the best but….".
"I just can't get over it." he started, and then stepped back away from the bed before continuing. "Sarah was in a coma, a coma I wasn't sure she would come out of. And if she did, I didn't think she would be the Sarah we know. And yet, she not only woke up, but saved us all. She was in intense pain, yet she focused on what she had to do and did it. I thought we were all done for, it never even occurred to me that help would come from Sarah." Harry said continuing to look at Sarah.
"Thankfully neither did the Master. Sarah is an amazing woman, I've known it all along." the Doctor said with a smile. His Sarah could do anything she set her mind to, which could be as great as it was tonight, or he hoped one day that it wouldn't be her downfall. She didn't give herself limits. With Sarah it was all or nothing. Still, he was very proud of her.
Sarah was moaning in her sleep. Her face was grimacing as if in pain. "Doctor, I didn't want to say anything till after you had run your tests but I think she should be started on some continuous pain medication. I could recommend several things but with the amount she's going to need, there's the risk of her body becoming addicted to them." Harry described.
"I agree, but I have one that she could be on for years and never have a problem with. It's called Hyllen, it was developed on Gallifrey. I have it in the Tardis. Could you stay with her while I get it?" he asked looking down to see beads of perspiration on Sarah's face as she started to wake up because of the pain.
"Go." was all Harry said as he went to the sink and doused a towel in cold water to wipe Sarah's face. "It's all right Sarah." he said blotting at her face. "The Doctor will be back in just a minute with something for the pain."
"Harry my head hurts." Sarah said as she started to touch her injured head with her hand, causing Harry to pull her hand away.
"I know it does. Don't touch your head Sarah."
After a few minutes, he was still trying to comfort Sarah. "The Doctor will be right back. Can I get you anything?" he asked. "Sarah?" Sarah had a look of confusion on her face. The Doctor came through the door at that moment and saw the look Harry was giving Sarah.
"Sarah, you'll feel better really fast." The Doctor said taking a syringe from the bag he had retrieved from the Tardis. "Just a little pinch." he said as he gave her the injection. But she didn't say anything, when he inserted the needle. "Sarah?" he tried again, she looked as if she were trying to figure something out. "Sarah?" he said leaning over the bed so that he was in her line of sight.
"What?" Sarah asked as if she hadn't heard him before. "When did you get here?" she asked confused.
"I had to run to the Tardis for a minute, but I came right back." he said, watching her absorb the information. A quick look in Harry's direction confirmed that something was wrong. "Sarah, do you know where you are?"
"I'm a…I'm at…I don't know." she answered as tears welled up in her eyes. The Doctor recognized the look of panic coming over her face.
"Sarah," he said taking both her hands, "you're in UNIT's Sick Bay. Harry is here with you and I'm here with you. You're safe. We're going to take good care of you. Is the pain medicine helping yet?" he asked. Sarah's tearful eyes closed as she tried to calm herself, then shook her head yes. "Good, it's going to be all right Sarah. The pain is causing you to be confused, that's all." he explained, purposefully not looking at Harry. He knew there was a possibility that the pressure on her brain could be responsible for the confusion. In any case, Sarah didn't need to know.
Sarah tried to take a deep breath, causing her to cough and from the look on her face it caused her head to hurt worse. "It's all right, try to relax." he said as he moved to the end of her bed and pulled back the covers a bit, revealing her feet. He took one gently in his hand. "Just relax Sarah, close your eyes and relax." He located the point on Sarah's foot in the middle of the sole of her foot, just behind the ball of her foot. He gently yet firmly applied pressure watching Sarah's face relax. He gently massaged the rest of her foot, then turned his attention to her other foot, utilizing the same acupressure points. The result was as he hoped, Sarah was once again relaxed enough to sleep.
The Doctor and Harry exchanged a smile before the Doctor tucked the blankets around Sarah's feet. The pair moved closer to the door before speaking. "How did you learn to do that?"
"It was something I picked up in eleventh century China. A little man named Sochi, I believe."
"Really?" Harry exclaimed.
"Yes, I'm sure that was his name, Sochi. Do you know him?" the Doctor asked in jest.
"No, I…really Doctor, eleventh century?" Harry said in amazement.
"Yes, once Sarah is better, we can all take a little trip. I can introduce you, if you like." the Doctor offered.
"Fine, we'll see. But to get back to the present." Harry said as he looked back to Sarah's sleeping form.
"I know what you're going to say. But we still don't know anything. I don't think we should risk moving her again so soon." the Doctor justified his stand.
"I agree, it would be a mistake to move her. But Doctor, I want you to accept that there might be a problem. I think we should have a contingency plan, if the worst should happen." he explained, seeing the Doctor's expression change. He went from frivolity to devastation in a matter of a few seconds. The Doctor needed sleep. "Doctor, take the opportunity to get some sleep. If not in the Tardis, then here." he said sweeping his hand toward the old recliner. "We'll discuss this later."
"Harry, I'm sorry. I know you want what's best for Sarah. That's why she's here. I guess it wouldn't hurt to find a specialist. Do you know of one? He has to be the very best on the whole of the Earth Harry." he said, finally having the conversation he dreaded.
"Yes and he is the best. I've got his number." Harry said, referring to the paper he had pulled from the back of Sarah's chart. "But I'm hoping we won't need him."
"That makes two of us Harry. I think you're right. I'm going to grab a quick nap. You should do the same." he said looking to the door as Mrs. Litton returned.
"I contacted Miss. Proctor and she'll be here at three. Is there any change in Miss. Smith's condition?"
"She awoke briefly, she was a little confused. But we believe it was because of the amount of pain she was in. I've noted the details on her chart." Harry said handing the chart to Mrs. Litton.
"I'm sorry, I need to add the schedule for her pain medication." the Doctor said taking the chart and the pen offered to update Sarah's chart. He was making mistakes, maybe it was time to get some sleep. "Thank you Mrs. Litton. I'm going to get some sleep." the Doctor said as he went over to the old recliner before flopping down in it and leaning back. He was asleep in seconds.
Harry and Mrs. Litton looked at each other, both smiling. Mrs. Litton set about updating the vitals on Sarah's chart. Harry decided to grab a nap himself in the lounge, as he quietly left the room.