"Ex Memoria"

25. The Loot

Chicago, Illinois - in the year 2021

There had been that urge in them, as they kept huddled behind the door and heard the muffled sounds of the guards having surrounded some or all of the others, to spring out to their assistance, but then here they were with the painting, the one true evidence of their intentions here that day. If they went out and the painting was taken away, they might never get another shot at stopping the infection. So, as difficult as it was, especially for Tina, left wondering if her husband was safe, both Tina and Gillian stayed put and kept quiet.

When the noises outside had ceased entirely, the room felt suddenly massive, a giant's land for how small the two women felt.

"What do we do now?" Tina asked, looking to Gillian. The curator blinked, distracted, then sat up, looking down at the frame propped up against the wall.

"We need to stop it from doing whatever it is it does, right?" she moved to reach for it, but Tina stopped her hand.

"Wait," she said. "Maybe you shouldn't touch it," she pointed out, showing her gloved hands; it was another of the Doctor's precautions. "I can give them to you, you'll know better, being a curator and all," she started to pull one off.

"No, you're right. Besides, I can appraise it as well as anyone, but we're not trying to preserve it, are we? As far as I'm concerned , I never want to see that thing anymore, much less touch it, so... you do it."

"Are you sure?" Tina asked, and Gillian nodded. "Well, whatever it is, if it's something we can see, it's not on the front," she scooter forward toward the frame. When they'd set it down, they had placed the front against the wall so they wouldn't have to look at it and run the risk - especially in Gillian's case - of being infected again.

"But it is the canvas, has to be. It wasn't the frame that drew our eyes, although… it is a frame, it… contains."

"Right," Tina spoke, though she wasn't sure what Gillian was getting at.

"So maybe it is the frame. The painting itself is so unremarkable, it's a wonder I ever agreed to display it. It's possible then that the image itself is of no concern. They could have inserted a blank canvas and it would have worked all the same."

"Oh… Right," Tina said again, though this time for understanding's sake. "Then we need to get the painting out first?" she guessed, and Gillian nodded. Tina looked at the frame, touching it cautiously with her gloved fingers. "Then it's in your capacities after all." Gillian held out her hand, and Tina peeled off the gloves to hand them over.

After putting them on, Gillian had come closer. Had she been more concerned with protecting any part of the 'art work' she might have been more careful. And if she had been more careful, she wouldn't have torn one of the gloves. But she wasn't, so she did, unbeknownst to either of them.

It did become clear though, when just as she was prying the canvas from the frame, Gillian suddenly stopped, her gaze becoming unfocused, before her hand trembled… and she fell aside, unconscious.

"Gillian?" Tina gasped, leaning over her. "Gillian?" she called again, as loud as she could allow in their current situation. She tried tapping the woman's cheek, to rouse her, but she didn't stir. She was still breathing, as Tina had made sure to check, but she was out cold.

Tina had picked up the curator's hands, guessing correctly that she would find a tear in the thin latex. Taking it off the slender hand, Tina saw, just where the glove had torn, a red welt, as though Gillian had been burned. It wasn't a regular burn though, and without the Doctor she didn't know that she had any hope of helping her.

Now it was coming down to her, to deal with this frame. She hoped Gillian had been right; she didn't have her expertise.

Taking the one still intact glove off the unconscious Miss Moran Fiorentino's hand, Tina slipped it back on her hand. She was shaking. It was one thing to try and do this with two hands, but now she only had the one glove. She knew what a direct touch could do now, and she wasn't about to risk that either. She was going to have to disable the frame one-handed.

For a minute, she sat back on the ground, breathing nervously. If she hadn't known the Doctor and what he could do from her previous encounter with him almost a decade prior, she would have had more reasons to be scared. But she knew of the Time Lord. She didn't know Amy or Rory very well, but if they were anything like other Doctor's companions she'd met, then she did feel she could trust in their coming to her aid in time, too. And she knew her husband. Of all of them, she knew Mike wouldn't abandon her if it was in him to come and help her. She wasn't nearly as alone as she might have seemed.

A few more breaths taken, she pulled herself back on to her knees. Before anything, she checked back on Gillian. She still hadn't moved, but then a she looked at her, Tina had an idea.

"Sorry, not feeling you up," she promised as she fished for her pockets until she got hold of her phone. She only had to scroll briefly before she had the right number.

"Miss Moran F…"

"Chris, it's me," Tina cut him off.

"Where's…" he started to ask.

"She's unconscious," Tina revealed, quickly filling him in to the whole situation. "Listen, I know you're her assistant, so you might be able to help me here."

"Help…"

"It doesn't look like anything to me, but you might know. So if I send you pictures, can you help me stop this thing?"

"I'll do what I can."

TO BE CONTINUED (TODAY)