Laura leap out from her hiding space in the darkness. "Nal! No! He's going to kill you!"
The Doctor turned to see the white creatures moving in on himself and Nal. He quickly drew his sonic and pointed it toward the equipment that lined the room. "Everyone stop where they are, otherwise our bodies are gonna be scattered into pieces throughout the entire history of this planet!"
Talas signaled for his creatures to stop, while Nal still held him at spear point. The room was filled with palpable stillness and silence.
"Now..." The Doctor began. "Looks like we have a Mexican Stand off...you know, this might have been Mexico about four billion years ago..."
Laura shook as she just watched the Doctor ready to rip apart everyone in that room. The Doctor caught the fear in her eyes. "Laura, dear, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? We're going to die..."
"Is that so bad?"
Laura just stared at him.
The Doctor's voice was clear and sure. "Laura, would you die to save the Earth? How about you Nal?"
"Yes, I would thief." Nal said, her focus still set squarely on Talas' neck.
"Good girl. Laura?"
Laura paused for a moment. "Yes."
"Good. Me too. I've made that choice before and I'd do it a million more times." The Doctor slowly made his way to Talas. "Now, Talas, are you willing to die for your science?"
Talas's eyes narrowed with obvious anger.
"I didn't think so. Now...I want you out of here. Off this planet, out of history and out of my face." The Doctor leaned in close. "Take your beasts and go."
Talas slowly reached to a device on his wrist and pushed a button and the white beasts disappeared. The Doctor scanned the device with his sonic. He quickly tinkered with it and sent Talas away.
"Where'd he go?" Laura asked.
"Oh, it's not a matter of where, Laura, my dear. It's a matter of when...and where I suppose...I think I might've sent him into the birth of a sun...who knows..." He slid his sonic screwdriver gently into his breast pocket.
Laura just stared at The Doctor in shock.
Nal turned to The Doctor. "Thief, what about my people?"
The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Right! Let's go get them, shall we?"
"Get them?" Nal asked.
"That's right. We need to get them healed up."
A smile spread across Nal's face.
Laura and The Doctor stood in a white and sterile waiting room. Nal was sitting next to them with her head down in her arms, hoping and praying.
"You sure this will work, Doctor?" Laura asked.
"Oh, of course. She's the greatest surgeon in all of recorded time. Well, and unrecorded time too I suppose...in any case she owed me a big favor."
"What for?"
"Oh, I saved her from living shadows or some such thing...It's hard to remember...'
The surgeon came into the waiting room and waved the three over.
She smiled. "It went well, they're both resting comfortably. Once they rest for a few hours they should be ready to go home, just make sure they take it easy for a week or two."
Nal's face lit up with joy and relief. "Can I see her?"
The Surgeon sweetly shook her head yes and lead her to San's room.
Nal slowly opened the door. She looked and saw San sleeping peacefully, and to Nal, looking like something divine. She gently sat down on San's bed and began running her fingers through her hair. Nal then left a kiss on San's forehead. Feeling Nal's lips, San's eyes flickered open. "Hello"
Nal ran her fingers along San's cheek. "Hello, precious one."
"You're safe."
"Yes. And so are you. Now rest." Nal said, as she kissed San gently. San wrapped her finger around Nal's and closed her eyes.
Back in the waiting room, The Doctor was tired of waiting. "I don't like waiting. It's maddening. It's a waste of time."
"You can't just wait a few hours for them to get ready to go home?"
"I'm a time traveler, I'm not used to waiting. At least not when I'm not also being clever."
"Take a nap or something. Do you have any money, I want to see if this place has any vending machines...assuming a future hospital still has vending machines...do they have vending machines in the future?..."
"Of course they do! The universe would cease to be relevant without sweet and salty snacks!...unfortunately I have no money..."
"Oh...all I have is twenty first century American money...I don't know why I took money time traveling...It's ridiculous if you think about it."
"It is ridiculous! What were you thinking young lady?!"
They both broke out giggling.
"See. Waiting isn't so hard."
" I suppose so. But if it's any longer than a few hours, I'll go mad!" The Doctor said, bursting out with more laughter, Laura joining in.
The TARDIS grinded to a stop back on the plains of Africa. "Well, you're home."
The Doctor said, looking at Nal, San and Daar's father. "Be careful."
They nodded. Nal turned to Laura. "Thank you. Remember, Laura. Make your art. Never stop." Laura smiled and hugged Nal tightly. Nal turned to The Doctor. "Thank you thief. I and my people are grateful."
"It's what I do, Nal."
Nal nodded, held San's hand and gently helped her out of the TARDIS, while Daar's father gingerly makes his way out behind them.
The Doctor slapped his hands together and twirled toward the TARDIS console in his Doctor-y way. "So! Where to now, hmm" he said, flipping switches and pulling knobs.
"Well, aren't we going to help the other people?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you said that millions of people were in trouble because of Talas' organ thefts. Aren't we going to go make sure those people are okay?'
The Doctor's head hung as his demeanor changed. "We can't."
"Why not? Can't you just track down some time disturbances or something. I know that scanner does cool stuff. I once read a comic where-"
"No!"
Laura was taken back by The Doctor's attitude.
"Sorry...but no. We don't have time..."
"Don't have time? We're in a time machine..."
The Doctor placed his hand on Laura's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to...I can't. Too much waiting. I didn't steal a time machine to sit around waiting."
"Oh..." Laura said. She had no idea how to feel.
"Let's get off this planet." The Doctor said, flipping the switch on the console. The lights flickered throughout the TARDIS, casting shadows across the Doctor's face.