FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND
Earth in the 21st century at UNIT headquarters where it is a very grim day to be sure. One of UNIT's top soldiers who retired years ago has passed on and today is his funeral and many, many people are attending. His name and rank is Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. His last days he had hoped that the Doctor would share a glass of whiskey with him, but it did not happen. The Brigadier passed happily and peacefully though in his sleep and there is a very large crowd gathering here today. Many of the Brigadier's old colleagues from UNIT have arrived here for instance including: Jo Grant-Jones and her husband Professor Clifford Jones, Lt. and Doctor Harry Sullivan, Captain Mike Yates, Sergeant Benton, and even the journalist Sarah Jane Smith, her son Luke and his friends Clyde and Rani. They were all invited to pay a special tribute to a great man and an even greater friend.
There is one person though that UNIT has been trying to get a hold of, but he cannot ever be found. They are referring to the Doctor who was and technically still is UNIT's Scientific Adviser. Although the Doctor is a bit difficult to track down and is even more difficult to understand. Although Sarah Jane defends the Doctor by saying, "I'm sure the Doctor would come if he could, but I'm afraid his pride may not allow him to." Even if so the funeral will go on and soon more and more guests are coming forth. More of the Brigadier's family and some more of the Brigadier's friends are coming forth as well. Doctor Liz Shaw who was once UNIT's Scientific Adviser has arrived as well to pay her respects to the Brigadier this day, but she is not alone. Liz got married it seems to a tall, but fair black man who is a doctor like her, but he practices medicine. She wanted to come to pay tribute to a man she once saw as mad because he believed in things such as aliens.
However in time she and he became friends as well and could not miss this even if she wanted too. Liz also goes to meet with Jo Grant and Sarah Jane who all begin talking about their adventures with the Doctor, but particularly when the Doctor was a tall thin fellow with a flamboyant taste in clothes, but also known as the one with the nose. Liz remembers the Silurians and the of course her first time meeting the Doctor. Sarah Jane and Jo both remember Daleks and Ice Warriors, but there is something they all have in common and that's the Doctor's little yellow car Bessie. The three get along quite well but also Sarah Jane and Jo did meet each other before. The Doctor was said to have died and an alien race called the Shansheeth staged a bogus funeral. The Doctor was alive however, but he changed his appearance and had a mop top of brunette hair, a tweed jacket, and a bow tie. Liz does not quite understand why Jo and Sarah Jane means by that he has changed his appearance.
Jo and Sarah Jane tell her that they can explain that later because right now this day is about honoring an old friend not the Doctor. Liz agrees and so they escort their own companions to the outside grounds where the funeral is going to take place. It's a bright day today, but the tone is still filled with grim and sadness. At the reception though there is a young man at a desk who is going over the list of people that were invited. The Doctor's name is on there, but like so many, he does not even think the Doctor will come. However a voice soon speaks, "Never say never." This young man looks up to see a young man with a brunette mop of hair, purple frock coat, and a grey waste coat. He give his name as the Doctor and is here to honor his old friend. The man at the desk has a hard time believing that his young person is the Doctor because he points out that the so called Doctor looks no older than him. The Doctor explains that he shall explain later when he has the time and has to apologize for being late.
He had to drop of a friend at her house, but also that he should have come to the funeral the first time he was asked. The Doctor then shows his invitation on the psychic paper and to the man at the desk it seems legitimate. So then the Doctor goes inside to see some familiar faces including Sarah Jane and Jo. The two ladies instantly recognize him as the Doctor and they go to hug him. Sarah Jane is a bit surprised that he came to the event, but the Doctor tells them he wouldn't miss it for the world. Liz walks over to them and she thinks that Jo and Sarah Jane are mad because this youth could not possibly be the Doctor. Although the Doctor explains that he is the Doctor by saying, "Of course I am Liz Shaw. I was he and he'll be me. It's also been too long since we last saw each other and I remember it being a bit awkward. Tell me are you still at Cambridge and is that your husband? Tall fellow I must say and a bit scary. Scary is good. It keeps the Silurians away aye Liz?" For some reason Liz does fully believe that his man is the Doctor. His face might be different, but there is still something alien about him.
Sarah Jane escorts the Doctor to Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, who is the daughter of the Brigadier and the Doctor knows that already. The Doctor greets Kate with a hand shake and tells her that they haven't met yet, but he is the Doctor. Kate actually has a look on her face to show that she kind of already figured. Kate tells the Doctor that there are four men outside in the courtyard who are all the Doctor. The Doctor wishes to be shown these other Doctors because he has a bad feeling about this. There are four of them outside with two of them playing cricket and the two others are observing the game. The two playing cricket is a tall, thin, and young man in a brown suit with blue pin stripes and a pair of cream colored Converse trainers. The other is a shorter man with blonde hair, striped trousers, and a piece of celery on his lapel. The other two is a shorter man who is speaking in a Scottish accent with a question mark jumper, hat, and finally a question mark hilted umbrella. The other one is a man in a black leather jacket, very short hair, and a large nose.
The Doctor tells Kate that those four are four of his other selves and with them here, the Doctor soon wonders if more of his selves might turn up. Soon a very familiar wheezing sound is heard and right in front of everyone's eyes the TARDIS materializes. Out comes a man with teeth and curls and possibly the longest scarf ever knitted. He speaks, "Hello there my dears. Would you all care for a jelly baby? Pardon me for being late, but the old girl was being a bit tetchy." All the Doctors rush to one of their other selves to snack on their favorite treat which are indeed jelly babies and soon all six Doctors begin to speak with one another. They are also speaking of the ramifications of the seven of them being here, but the Doctor with the scarf tells them, "We are all here to honor a great man my selves. I think we can all over look this internal affair shall we?" It is all agreed to do so and sooner or later they will be expecting more of their selves to show up and it seems one more has arrived.
In the parlor Sarah Jane, Jo, and Liz recognize one more Doctor and it's the Doctor that they all were associated with. He explains to them, "Hello girls, I managed to get a wift of this while I was lost in the Time Vortex. I hope I came in time to say goodbye to Lethbridge-Stewart." The Doctor seems to be groaning and also in pain by the looks of it and Sarah Jane believes that she knows where the Doctor is in his lifespan. The Doctor had just saved the universe from the Eight Legs of Metebellis 3. The Metebellis Crystals are slowly killing him and he shall soon regenerate into his next incarnation. Sarah Jane decides not to say anything to Jo and Liz about the Doctor dying, however she does offer him a chair and a glass of water. This Doctor is truly happy to see his three assistants in one room together, but wishes it was under more happier circumstances. Jo and Liz are escorted off, but Sarah Jane talks to the Doctor for a brief moment. She wants to tell the Doctor about all her adventures before he dies and regenerates to his next self.
Soon though the Doctor strait after this one and the one with the pin stripe suit walk in to see Sarah Jane. The Doctor in the chair sees that these must be two of his future selves, but can see that Sarah Jane knows them too. The Doctor deduces that Sarah Jane must have had a very large influence on many of the Doctor's lives. The Doctor with the scarf and the one in the suit can confirm that, so then the three Doctors and Sarah Jane begin speaking with one another. The crowd is gathering even larger now, but it seems that there are a few of the Doctor's other selves are missing. The Doctor in the leather jacket and the Doctor with the umbrella have to comment that they hope their incarnation that was the little one in the checkered trousers and the black frock coat show up. He was the Doctor to first meet the Brigadier, but soon wonder if their first incarnation shall arrive. The Doctor in the purple coat comment that, "I doubt it, gentlemen. I know he met the Brig a couple of times, but I doubt that it stick well enough to get him to come."
Another voice tells them, "Oh I don't know about that exactly. Oh and thank you for waiting for me and me." The three Doctors look to see the little one that they were talking about and can see their first incarnation as well. He states that while he does not know the Brigadier quite yet, it is quite clear that he will be a huge influence on the Doctor's life and was obligated to come. Plus his direct successor made him come to the funeral. So then there are at least two Doctors unaccounted for, but soon the funeral is to begin and all are soon escorted to the parlor where the Brigadier's casket is open for the public to see. However as the Doctors and other guests look to see that there are two men already there. One is wearing the most colorful and grotesque coat ever with green shoes, red spats, and yellow with black striped trousers. The other is a younger looking handsome man with long brown hair, and wearing Edwardian dress. The Doctors soon realize that their two final selves have arrived here.
The service is soon to begin and Kate Stewart is the first to speak about her father, "Hello my name is Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart was my father. He was a great man and a wonderful father, who fought for the Earth and defended it from Daleks, Cybermen, Silurians, the Master, and so on. He'd give his life for the Earth and at times I'd believe it in a heart beat. His retirement was sudden, but he'd come strait back into battle when the situation called for it. Here today are his friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Whoever wishes to speak may do so." The Doctors do not get up to say anything even though it looks like they have something on their mind. However Sarah Jane does decide to get up and speak about the Brigadier. She mentions how great a friend he was and that even after Lethbridge-Stewart retired, they both remained close and called each other a lot and even met for coffee some times. Their friendship was great and she wished that she was there with the Brigadier when he died.
However Sarah Jane goes on to say that the Brigadier would be proud of everyone here and proud of now much UNIT has evolved being just a military organization. Science has become the way of their future and all the Doctors there are happy to hear that statement. Sarah Jane steps down and Kate asks if anyone would like to speak, but no one has the courage to go up and say anything. So then the casket is escorted outside to the grave and six of the Doctors act as pallbearers and they carry the casket to the grave. There is a group of UNIT soldiers with bagpipes and they begin to play Amazing Grace. There are many tears shed and even some of the Doctors begin to cry. However the First Doctor says, "Well then young people we all have come and I suggest we all leave before a rupture in our time zones manage to obliterate most of the universe." They all then decide that is best, but before they leave though there is another person who shows up.
He is a tall and older man in a navy blue frock coat, blue waste coat, black trousers and he claims to be another Doctor. The Doctor in the purple coat have to say that, that is impossible, but the other Doctor does say he is the Doctor. He tells his previous self that all shall be explained in due time. However he does indeed have something to say to the Brigadier, "Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart I want to say how sorry I am that I could not gather the courage to say anything to you in there. The truth is I, I mean we have nothing but admiration for you. At times we treated each other like we were bitter enemies, but in truth you were my friend. You are like a brother to me and I am sorry that you never knew. Rest well my friend and know that your legacy can and never will die. In fact you were and still are a better man and person than I could have hoped to be." The Doctor sheds a tear and that Doctor's direct previous self puts his hand on his future self's shoulder. He remarks that was a beautiful sentiment and all the Doctors are unanimous.
The casket is lowered into the grave and soon the Doctors begin to leave one by one, but before the most recent Doctor leaves he catches a glimpse of someone. He is standing next to a tree and it's a face that at one time never liked to talk about. Although the Doctor gives a friendly wink to his past self. That other Doctor bows his head briefly and he leaves the funeral. Kate on the one hand has to ask the Doctors not to leave so soon. She wishes for them to stay and wants to get to know the men that her father knew. The two Doctors can't really see a good reason to leave now, so then the Doctor takes Kate by her arm and they go back inside. While they do the Doctors tell Kate about their adventures with her father and the legacy he left on Earth, but also the friendship between him and the Doctor.
NEVER EVER THE END