Chapter Four

The Doctor thought about Adric, remembering how the boy had come to join him. He'd stowed away then, when the Doctor had tried to take him home, just sat down on the floor of the console room and insisted that if the Doctor wanted him to leave, he'd have to carry him out the door. The Doctor, of course, had tried to convince him of the seriousness of the decision, that there would be no way home for Adric if the TARDIS returned to n-space. Adric had behaved like a sulking child and refused to shift.

The Doctor remembered Romana laughing. She'd said that if they tried to have a battle of stubbornness, they'd still be glaring at each other when the universe ended.

The Doctor had still thought that the boy should go home. He was so very young to be put in the sort of danger that the Doctor's travels inevitably led to. On top of that, he would have no way back if he decided that the adventures weren't quite what he'd been expecting.

So the Doctor gave Adric provisional agreement to stay on the TARDIS while they plotted a course back to their own universe. He wasn't going to force him to leave, but he could try to persuade him. He'd insisted that Adric would have to earn his keep and he'd set him some of the most gruelling tasks available.

--

The Doctor was in the console room, working on adapting the temporal thrusters. Adric burst through the door. He was dressed in a set of overalls from the wardrobe room that were a little too large for him and he was utterly filthy, as well as looking fairly exhausted. He shoved a piece of paper in front of the Doctor's face.

The Doctor glanced at the first line, recognising the equations Romana had been working with to devise a course back through the CVE.

"Romana's finished these already?" the Doctor said. "That was quick."

"They're my calculations."

"Yours?"

"Yes. I told you I was good. Look, I understand that I've got to do my fair share, but it's stupid to have me maintaining the air processors when my skills are elsewhere."

"You're complaining about the work I've set you?" That was the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"No, Doctor. It's just inefficient to have Romana and K9 doing these calculations when I can do them much quicker. If you need any mathematical work doing, you just have to ask me." There was a distinct trace of smugness in Adric's voice but, the Doctor considered as he looked over the calculations, he appeared to have earned it.

Adric's stomach interrupted the conversation by growling loudly.

"It sounds like we ought to get you some food." The Doctor stood, leaving the piece of paper on the console. He eyed Adric's appearance. His hands were coated in dirt from the air processors, which tended to accumulate grime as they purified the atmosphere inside the TARDIS. "You should get a bit cleaned up first."

"What's the point?" Adric asked. "I've still got two of the processors to see to."

"Oh, never mind about those. They've been in that state for over a century now; I'm sure they'll be fine a good while longer."

"I thought you said that the maintenance was important."

"And it was," the Doctor replied. "It's given you plenty of time to think about your decision to come with us."

"You mean it was some sort of test to see how serious I was?"

"Precisely. I'm all in favour of doing things simply because they seem like a good idea at the time, but some choices can have rather permanent results. I wanted you to be sure."

"I am sure, Doctor," Adric said, a grin wiping all trace of tiredness from his face.

"Then welcome on board, Adric."

--

It was all such a long time ago now.

It was hard to believe that the frightened figure in the lab was the same person. No doubt, that was what the Master intended. Adric had suffered here for centuries; it was enough to drive anyone mad.

The Doctor returned to the TARDIS, almost wishing he could forget again all the things he'd just learned. It was beyond sickening, what the Master had done to Adric simply to get back at him. But such needless cruelty was entirely his style.

The Doctor headed through to the bedroom, finding Adric awake and looking just as terrified as he'd been in the lab. He was standing near the bed, his eyes darting between the Doctor and Donna. He looked about ready to bolt.

"Adric," the Doctor said, speaking softly and calmly, "you're in the TARDIS. I know I don't look like I did when we last met, but I'm the Doctor. No one's going to hurt you now. It's over."

"No," Adric shook his head. He was crying and backing away. "It'll never be over."

He wasn't looking at his feet. In his desire to get away from the Doctor, Adric tripped on a box of items that had belonged to a former occupant of the room. There was a smashing sound as he fell on top of the box.

The Doctor hurried over, intending to help.

Donna yelled a warning, but not in time. Adric pulled a shard of broken vase of the box and thrust it into the Doctor's chest. He gave a cry of pain as the jagged edge tore through his clothes and broke through his skin.