Chapter 25
Al had left the two time travelers to their armor, deciding instead to prepare for battle in his own way. When he reached his project apartment he went straight to his closet. "Beth? Where are my khakis?" he called out to his wife. "Sam and that Doctor character he's with are going into battle. I want to be in battle ready form."
"Battle?" Beth questioned with a frown. Al often dressed the part and this time was obviously no different. However, she didn't like the idea of either her husband or his best friend going into battle.
"Yeah. It's a pretty tense situation," he said, pulling the clothes off the hanger and putting them on quickly. Although he was worried that the eight foot reptile could get the upper hand, he felt certain that Sam and the strange alien would find a way to deal with the threat. If they didn't... well, the end of civilization as they knew it wasn't something he wanted to contemplate. He didn't need to upset his wife though. "Don't worry. Things will work out. They always do."
The ex-Naval nurse saw that her husband of many years was trying to assure her calm. While that didn't bode well, she didn't want to let on that she could see through him. Instead, she put her arms around him tightly. "I love you, Al. You know that?"
He squeezed back. "Yeah. Only thing that keeps me going sometimes." Considering the situation, Al was concerned about what he'd face when he left the Imaging Chamber next time... if there was a next time; he might not even exist. Knowing this could be his last embrace, he pulled Beth to him and gave her a kiss she'd never forget. "I love you. I always have," he said as he pulled away.
Beth returned the kiss with all the emotion she had. When they pulled away, she gave him a smile. "Now, go help Sam."
With that, Al gave her a final squeeze and walked out, not knowing if he'd ever see her again. He went quickly into the Control Room, passing Jack who seemed ready to speak. Al wasn't ready to listen at that moment though. He had to keep his focus. "Fire her up, Gooshie." He grabbed the handlink and started to enter the Imaging Chamber.
Jack, watched as Al walked past, basically ignoring him. He also had notice him wearing his Naval uniform. "Al... you know I love a man in uniform... but I'd like to know why you're wearing one."
"Not now, Jack. Sam and your friend need me."
Noting that Al was holding himself totally differently than he had when he was decked out in the pseudo-Halloween get up, he responded, "Okay. We'll talk later." As soon as the man entered the Imaging Chamber he asked aloud, "Ziggy, do you know what's going on?"
"Dr. Beckett is currently in a battle with a rather large reptilian beast."
"Oh," Jack answered. "It's started then."
DWQLTWDWQLTW
After Al had left them, the Doctor and Sam started towards the back door of the inn when a thunderous and terrifying sound reverberated through the door. Freezing in place, the Time Lord took a slow breath. "Out of time," he murmured. He turned abruptly once they reached the house, giving Sam a hard look that easily convinced the leaper that the Doctor was no longer in his presence. There was something dark and dangerous in those eyes that gave him the shivers.
"Stay back and out of the way," he instructed.
"I thought we discussed this already. I'm not going to let you face Krazan alone. Period."
The Time Lord continued to aim his intense look at Sam, telling him without words that this was not something he wished considered.
"Listen, I'll stay back but I'm going to help where I can. Is that acceptable?" Sam pressed.
"I really wish you'd stay back in the TARDIS."
"That's not acceptable to me."
The Gallifreyan gritted his teeth and teetered his head from side to side before groaning against his resignation. "All right," he sighed. "It's obviously I can't talk you out of it. Just... be careful."
"Well, I'm not going to do anything blatantly stupid."
"Other than insisting on possibly getting yourself eaten by a dragon."
"Didn't we already go over this?"
Just as the Doctor was about respond in turn, another thunderous roar pierced their ears. Entering the house, the Doctor carefully approached the cellar door only to stop when it shattered in front of him. A moment later, a massive bi-pedal form stepped onto the landing, turning as a slight movement entered his visual range.
"Krazan the Terrible," the Doctor called out, gaining the creature's attention.
Krazan turned his head towards the sound. "Doctor!" he growled loudly. "You Time Lords never learn."
The Gallifreyan took a step towards the Dragon. "I really don't want to fight you but I will, if I have to. Surrender yourself."
A loud reptilian laugh with no humor greeted his words. "Never. This is the time for my conquest. I will create a new army and empire and no puny Time Lord will stop me. It took an army of them last time to delay my destiny."
"It won't take an army. Only me."
The Dragon's fury caused him to ooze more of the blue poison from his skin. "I think Time Lord will serve as a wonderful appetizer."
"Oh, but I am far more than just another Time Lord," the Doctor replied. "Do you know what your allies, the Daleks, called me? Ka Faraq Gatri - Bringer of Darkness, Destroyer of Worlds."
"And do you know what the Time Lords called me towards the end?" the large reptile asked with a menacing voice. "After I'd tortured a dozen or so young ones through their lives, I was known as the Butcher of Rassilon's Innocents," the Dragon returned haughtily.
Giving the Dragon a hard glare, he retorted, "Well, well... we both have a resumé."
Krazan looked over to Sam, standing next to the Doctor. "What is that puny huumaaan here for? He certainly won't be able to help you! They are a weak and useless race. I will enjoy devouring them."
"I stand as the Doctor's squire," Sam answered bravely.
The Doctor blinked at Sam's words, looking at him with a slight grin. "I get knighted and already I have my own squire. At this rate, I'll have my own castle in no time."
Krazan, seeing that the Doctor was slightly distracted, chose that moment to make his move, advancing on the Time Lord with a speed that belied his great bulk.
"Get back!" the Doctor exclaimed, taking a defensive step away from the lunging Dragon. "Jakteto po Rassilon'it Basarii... you don't look like much of a threat to me." He changed his mind quickly about his choice of words as he was forced into the living room. The sight of the Dragon's massive wingspan suddenly filling area and the earsplitting roar of his war cry were enough to make even the Oncoming Storm a little worried.
The Dragon used all of his cunning, feinting and then attacking using claws and teeth to put the Doctor on the defensive. As he moved, beads of ooze slung off of him, hitting anything in their path. While both the Gallifreyan and Human had protection with their armor and undergarment, it wasn't enough to prevent some parts of their skin from being affected. Blue ooze found its way to all corners of the room and antiques were crushed as the Dragon's strong wings hit them at velocity.
Sam knew that, without a Vorpal sword of his own, he was at a distinct disadvantage. The electrified staff he held in his hands was unlikely to provide much other than surprise and he didn't want to use it too quickly. He did his best to avoid the Dragon and the blue caustic goo. When some did hit him he quickly scraped it off keeping his focus on the fight. All parties knocked furniture to the side as they parried around each other. With each passing moment, the Doctor's attempts to get to the Dragon's heart were becoming more difficult and less effective. For one, Krazan's natural defense - the poisonous secretion - was covering the Gallifreyan's hands and face, causing him great pain, which he forced himself to endure. For another, each thrust that pierced through the War General's thick hide caused only minor bleeding and far too little damage to stop the eight-foot tall, muscular tyrant.
As the Doctor fought, he grew weaker, his own alien lungs fighting against the increasingly toxic environment he was now in. He quickly wiped a splotch of ooze from his vision, barely noticing the damage the ooze had caused to his skin, wobbling slightly before regaining his composure. He needed to find an opening in Krazan's defenses and quickly.
Suddenly, the Dragon positioned itself to use its mighty tail with the sharp spear-like end. He knew the Doctor was tiring and, if he could remove the sword from his hand, it would be short work to end this and begin his feast. The tail swooped out and caught the sword, sending it flying to the back of the room.
The Doctor's eyes widened as the sword left his hands. Crying out slightly, he watched as it flew away from him, suddenly feeling extremely vulnerable. A wall of wing immediately blocked his run towards the weapon. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't get passed the Dragon's barrier. Suddenly he heard Sam cry out, "Doctor, catch!" A moment later, the drevglotam staff flew into his hands. He swirled the staff in his hands skillfully as he turned towards Krazan. Determination reflecting in his eyes, he took up a fighting stance.
Krazan laughed. "Oh, Time Lord. You of all should know that such a sad weapon cannot hurt me." He moved towards the Gallifreyan determined to make short work of the man.
The Doctor dodged the Dragon's attacks, pushing the electrified end of the staff into his underbelly, causing his opponent to stagger back slightly with a pained growl.
As the Doctor distracted Krazan, Sam went to where the sword landed. He'd seen it fall a short distance from him and ran to it, picking it up, unable to avoid the blue ooze covering it. He quickly moved towards the Doctor, holding the hilt of the sword.
Krazan turned suddenly as he saw the movement of the human. "I doubt you know how to use that," he taunted, swinging his tail at him.
As the tail came flying, Sam swung the sword, cutting the tail deeply and bringing forth an agonized bellow from the reptilian General. He continued moving toward the Time Lord, knowing the Gallifreyan would need a better weapon to continue. Reaching the Doctor, they exchanged weapons again. Sam backed away quickly, avoiding the claws of the enraged Krazan. As much as he wanted to help the Doctor, he felt certain that the time had not come for him to engage in the battle any deeper.
As the Doctor re-engaged the Dragon, the Imaging Chamber Door opened and Al Calavicci made his holographic presence known. Seeing what was happening, his face blanched. "Ah, hell, Sam. This doesn't look good."
"Ya think?" Sam stated as he pulled one of Sally's doilies from the floor and wiped off some of the blue poison. He was sure it was this goo, seeping into him through his pores, that was causing the nausea he was feeling more and more with each passing moment.
The Dragon, hearing another sound, turned towards the voice. "You! I thought you had run away. I'll get you now and, this time, I think I'll have you for dessert."
"Personally, I'd preferred tiramisu to a salty dog but I guess it's a matter of taste," Al responded back.
The Doctor shook his head slightly, trying to ignore the effect the poison was having on him. "I'm afraid neither of these humans is on the menu today," he taunted back. He was finding it harder to focus and stay on his feet.
The Dragon roared. "I tire of you, Time Lord. The Daleks were weak, as I always suspected. You are not compatible with your title."
"Oh, I'm not done with you yet," the Doctor told him menacingly. With strength that seemed to come from nowhere, the Oncoming Storm attacked, placing blow after blow on the Dragon. Then, with a growl, he lunged the sword into the General's torso before dropping to his knees. Looking up, he watched with trepidation as Krazan pulled the sword from his chest, tossing it to the side. "It appears I've miscalculated where the heart is according to Dragon anatomy," he commented weakly.
Krazan, seeing his moment of triumph so close at hand, gloated. "Ah, the mighty Time Lords. The universe will be a better place without you. Better place for my empire, that is. How many lives do you have left, Time Lord? While it matters not, in the end, I will enjoy taking them all from you."
Sam saw an opening during that moment when the Doctor and Krazan spoke and ran up to the sword again, hefting it and moving back towards the Dragon.
"What are you doing, Sam? You can't fight Godzilla? Didn't you ever watch any of those old 'B' movies?" Al questioned.
At that same moment, the Doctor saw what Sam was doing as well. He straightened himself slightly, focusing again on the Dragon. "You can take all of my lives. All of them. Just leave this planet alone."
Al, hearing the Doctor's surrender to the creature, was instantly torn. While he cared deeply for his best friend, it was also obvious that the fight for Earth was down to Sam and the sword in his hand. There was no help coming from the Doctor this time, despite the faith both Sam and Jack had in the alien.
Krazan turned to the Time Lord, derision in his voice. "Leave the planet alone? Why? The humaaaans are of no concern to me other than as food."
Al glared at the Dragon, his mind made up about the situation in that instant. He wasn't going to let an oversized iguana turn the people he loved into dinner. "Sam, turn Godzilla here into chop suey!"
"Right," Sam stated, seeking to find a stance that would provide the best support to allow him to wield the sword effectively. To the Dragon, he called out, "I'm not going to let the Earth become your meat market." He swung the sword and clipped a wing, causing the Dragon to scream in pain.
The angry reptile moved quickly at Sam, towering over him and pulled his claw back to swipe at him.
"Stop!" the Doctor pleaded, reaching out a hand. "I'll take you away from here," he told the General, desperation tinting his voice. "To the other side of the galaxy where you can do whatever you want to me for the rest of eternity, if that's what you want. Just leave them alone!"
The Dragon turned away from the human and his pathetic last stand. He laughed at the Doctor's words, shaking his massive head from side to side. "Why would I surrender to you in my finest hour? You will soon be dead." He swung his tail and caught the Doctor with the spike on the end, injecting him with a massive amount of poison.
The Doctor's agonized scream filled the room as the spike dug into his shoulder, despite the protection of the armour. He knew that if he'd been wearing his own armor, this wouldn't have happened but the armor they took from the museum was not strong enough to block a direct blow from the Dragon's spike.
Krazan, with a maliciously gleeful laugh, lifted his tail - and the Doctor - letting the Time Lord shake for a moment before he pushed the Doctor off, sending his limp form across the room. With a sarcastic snarl, Krazan said as the Time Lord struck the far wall, causing the alien to drop unconscious. "So sorry to bring this to such an abrupt end, but I fear my stomach is telling me that dinner is long overdue."
Torn between going to the Doctor's aid and fighting the Dragon, the human physicist knew the time had come for him to do battle with the terrible lizard. As Sam turned to Al, his voiced stressed, he only wanted to know one thing. "His heart. Where's his heart?"
Al's eyes were opened wide as he exclaimed, "How the hell should I know?!" Then realizing he had an ace in the hole, he called back to the ever-present programmer. "Gooshie! Find out if Jack knows where a Dragon's heart is! Don't ask me what the hell I'm talking about! Just do it!" he yelled when the handlink beeped in protest. Getting an answer quickly, he turned to Sam. "Get close! I'll distract him and, when I give the word, aim for my hand!"
The Dragon roared and shook in triumph, believing there was no way that the humans could win against his superior strategies. As he moved, the blue secretions flew about, hitting Sam's armor staining it blue.
Hurrying to get right in front of the Dragon, Al waved his hands over his head. "Hey! Fish breath! Over here!"
The Dragon turned his gaze to Al. "You are an annoying little speck." As he swung his tail to brush the irritation away, he was again surprised to find his tail go right through. "A hologram!" he stated with realization. "You are no threat, humaaaaan!"
"Oh, really?" Al countered before quickly raising the handlink and re-centering himself so that he was literally right in his face. "How about now?"
Sam watched warily as Al manipulated the angry reptile with his manic actions. He awaited his friend's signal, knowing that the retired Admiral wouldn't have him move into position too soon.
The Dragon's claws swiped through the hologram, naturally reacting to the irritation and trying to remove the tenacious man from his field of vision.
Al re-centered himself again and again, giving the impression of a pesky bug that refused to be swatted away. "How about now? And now? And now?" he taunted before centering himself just behind the Dragon and putting his hand through at the point where the wing attached so that it could be seen on the other side. "NOW!" he shouted to Sam.
Finally seeing his cue, the human thrust the blade deep into the heart of the evil reptile. He was about to twist the switch that would activate the sword when the pain filled Krazan pushed Sam away with his massive sharp claws. The armor dented but did not fail as the powerful push caused Sam to fall back, landing on a desk, blue ooze from contact with the claw in copious quantity on the armor.
Al hit the buttons on the handlink, moving to his friend. He could see that the brush with Krazan had dazed the physicist. "Sam!" He looked at his friend, grimacing as he noted that the blue ooze clinging to whatever skin was uncovered was creating a chemical burn. "You need to get that stuff off of you." The human, though was too dazed to hear.
The Doctor awoke to find the humans engaged in terrible conflict with Krazan. Seeing that Sam had succeeded in getting the Vorpal sword to its mark, he reached down towards his waist. With great care, he pushed a small area of his armour aside and reached into his lower jacket pocket, each little movement a reminder of the pain that coursed through him. Through bleary eyes, he pulled out the sonic screwdriver and made adjustments to its settings. Hoping that he'd set it correctly, he raised his arm shakily. "What happens next... is your own doing," he told the Dragon, his voice quaking. A moment later, a bright blue glow kissed the hilt of the sword for a few seconds before the Gallifreyan dropped his arm, exhausted.
Krazan had been trying to remove the sword from his leathery chest, when he heard the Doctor's weak voice. Thinking there was nothing the Time Lord could do, he simply ignored him, working on removing the weapon. As he started to pull, a surge of energy ripped through him. He screamed in agony, before dropping like a stone to the floor.
Al continued to try to reach the physicist. "Sam, buddy, come out of it." He'd heard the sound of something big hitting the floor and turned slightly to see the massive beast in its death throes. "You got him, kid. Krazan's had it."
Sam blinked at Al's words, his eyes finally refocusing. "How? I never activated the sword. I don't think skewering his heart would kill him." He pulled himself up to find the Time Lord. "Would it, Doctor?"
Al looked over to the Time Lord. The alien scientist was clearly in bad shape, covered with even more of the poisonous gel than his human companion and struggling to remain conscious. The secretion had obviously caused severe blistering on the alien's face and hands as well, which only made his condition appear that much worse. There was no way in his current state that he was going to be able to get into a technical discussion with Sam. Knowing this was not the time to withhold such information from his friend, Al answered, "I think he's dying."
"No! He can't die!" came the emphatic cry. Sam struggled to get up, needing to help the man who he'd just literally been through hell with. Finding himself teetering, but determined to reach the Doctor's side, he limped to the dying Time Lord. Once there, he bent down to examine the man as best he could.
The Doctor could feel the poison burning his veins, his hearts, and his lungs. Even his respiratory bypass system was burning. He groaned in pain as he tried to get up. He knew getting to the TARDIS was his only chance but with his weakness he didn't think that he'd make it. A movement caught his attention, causing him to slowly shift his eyes to the source. He smiled slightly. "Sam..." he whispered to the man above him. His eyes shifted to the Naval Admiral who stood beside his friend. "Well... what do you know? You were right. It was his animal-like brain... that allowed him to see you."
Sam weakly smiled at the Doctor's words. He hadn't been with the alien long but knew that such an admission was not common for him. "I need to take your armor off to see the damage the spike did to you," Sam warned before pulling off the metal breastplate.
The Doctor screamed as Sam removed the armour, instinctively struggling to avoid further pain by trying to push the physician away with his free hand while his grip on the sonic screwdriver tightened.
The scream cut the human to the heart, at once torn by the desire to prevent any more pain and yet knowing he had to examine the wound. As he put the breastplate aside, he realized that if the Doctor had worn the set that Sam was wearing, the spike would have been deflected. The dent in his own armour proved that. Now, though, where the spike had punctured the Time Lord, the tissue was raw, blistered, and ugly. He grimaced. "We need to get that treated."
"It'll heal itself when I... regenerate. You need... treatment worse."
"I'll live," Sam provided in a flippant answer. His voice was full of emotion as he continued to work to prepare the gallant Gallifreyan for movement. "And so will you," Sam stated stubbornly.
"Bloody thick-headed human," the Doctor berated him, his voice barely audible. "I have thirteen lives..." he stated before being gripped by a wave of pain, causing him to groan. "Oh, Rassilon, it hurts!" He wouldn't admit that he wasn't sure he would regenerate. As such, just as he had done during all previous transitions, he clung tightly to the life he was in. This one especially had shown the promise of being an exciting one for years to come. Besides, he'd never died from Dragon poisoning before. There was no way he was going slip quietly into his tenth death.
"Fine... and you're not losing this one. You need to have at least one that's typical for a Time Lord." Remembering how, on Rextar Seven, the Doctor had pulled amazing things out of his pockets, Sam reached into one, fished around, and pulled out a roll of gauze, his eyebrows lifting at the fact that he'd retrieved the exact thing he needed at the moment. "Glad you carry first aid supplies," he commented as he put a temporary bandage on the injured man.
"Don't you get it?" the Gallifreyan continued to protest, albeit weakly. "The poison will kill you." He noticed the damaged skin on Sam's face. "You have to... tend to yourself. There's an antidote... in the TARDIS. I won't make it... but you can."
"Yeah, Sam. Go and get the antidote. You can come back and take care of him after that."
Sam turned sharply on the hologram, ignoring his own pain. "He's talking about regenerating, Al. This version of him is going to die. He just saved this world. I'm not going to let that damn reptile take one of his lives."
Knowing the physicist could be stubborn even if it wasn't in his best interests, the Observer continued to argue. "But, Sam..."
"No! There is no way I could've killed Krazan if the Doctor hadn't brought him to that point." Turning his attention to the Time Lord, he begged him, "Please let me help you. I can get us both to the infirmary."
The Gallifreyan hesitated for a moment before nodding, knowing that there was no way he was going to convince the stubborn human otherwise. He attempted to sit up but found that he no longer had the strength to do so.
Al looked chastised and didn't say anymore as he watched Sam try to pick up the Doctor unsuccessfully. The Doctor also attempted once more to convince Sam that he should just go back to the TARDIS and get help for himself. Sam insisted that he wouldn't leave the Doctor.
Trying to pull him, the physicist realized that he didn't have the strength to get them back to the Doctor's ship. "Al," he called out. "Recenter in the TARDIS and have her come here."
Al looked at Sam as if he'd lost his mind. "What? You want me to tell a ship to come to you? That doesn't make any sense, Sam. I think..."
Before he could finish, Sam stopped him. "Al, we're running out of time. The Doctor's right about one thing. "If we don't get treatment soon, neither of us will make it."
Hearing Sam's dire prediction, Al stopped talking and hit the buttons on the handlink. Seconds later, the TARDIS materialized around the two injured men.
Sam, seeing the console in the middle of the room, was heartened enough to rally once more and pulled the Doctor up. He was surprised to hear what he thought was a church bell and wondered if the Dragon's goo was a hallucinogen as well. He put the thought aside as he called out, "Infirmary, now." While the main room of the TARDIS stayed the same, a door appeared off of it, leading in. Sam headed towards it, pulling the Doctor behind him. He almost stumbled twice but kept moving, knowing this was their only chance. Finally reaching the room, he pulled the Gallifreyan in only to have the door shut behind him. It was at that moment that he realized they were in a very small area and not where he expected to be. "This isn't the infirmary!" Sam exclaimed before copious amounts of water started to pour down on them. "What the hell!" he cried out.
"Whoa!" Al exclaimed as he walked through the closed door into the small room where Sam and the Doctor were being drenched. He looked over at his best friend and the alien, noting that the latter was no longer conscious and that Sam wasn't doing well himself despite having been startled.
Looking over to the Hologram, Sam started complaining. "I asked for the infirmary. The Doctor said that's where the antidote is. Instead I get this shower."
Al's eyes widened with realization as he watched the blue poison slowly melting off of the two men. "Sam, the TARDIS is trying to save your lives!"
"What?" Sam questioned. It was obvious that his thought processes were slowing.
By the physicist's reply, the Observer knew that his friend wasn't thinking clearly, most likely due to the poison in his system. "It's a chemical shower, Sam," he informed him. "The ship's cleaning you up."
As the explanation filtered in to Sam's befuddled mind, he smiled. "Chemical shower? Yes! That's just what we need! TARDIS, you are brilliant!" Stripping off the armour and clothing from both of them he did his best to make sure all visable traces of poison were gone, dismayed by the blisters and irritation at the sites affected by it. He left the temporary bandage on the Doctor's wound.
Once the water drained away, another door opened, this time into a room with towels. He grabbed a few and proceeded to dry the Doctor and himself off quickly. Now that they had the external poison off, all they needed to worry about was what had already entered their bodies. Sam shook his head ruefully. That was an understatement. He called out. "Thank you, TARDIS. Now the infirmary."
Before he could get all the words out, the door to the requested room opened. Pulling the Doctor in, Sam looked at the exam table with trepidation. He sighed with exhaustion, tears in his eyes. "I can't," he breathed. "I just can't do it. I can't get him up on the table." Almost as an answer to his prayers, the table lowered into the floor, allowing Sam to roll the Time Lord onto it. The table then rose slowly up to a level that would allow Sam to help himself to his feet. He knew he could succumb to the poison at any moment but he had to try and stabilize the Doctor first.
Al watched helplessly while Sam worked. He looked carefully at the Leaper. "Sam, you don't look too good. Hurry up and get him taken care of so you can take care of yourself." He looked somewhat dismayed. "How the hell are you going to help him? He's an alien!"
Before he could respond to Al's words, Sam felt another wave of nausea. Wavering a bit on his feet, the leaper shook his head, trying to clear his vision. He moved quickly over to a trash receptacle - or at least that's what it looked like to him - and retched as his body reacted to the internal poison. Once he was finished, he wiped his mouth off with a towel and then went back to his patient. "Dammit! I don't know anything about his physiology! Anything I do might hurt him worse!"
The ship hummed mournfully, plainly concerned about her pilot and dearest friend while the cloister bell continued to toll. Sam swayed again as the poison continued to assail him. He was losing it quickly. He figured he only had a few minutes of lucidity left. "Where's the antidote!" he cried out, remembering the Gallifreyan's statement that there was one in the TARDIS.
The TARDIS opened another cabinet, one that was obviously kept locked. In it were multicolored vials.
Sam groaned. "Which one? Which one do I use?"
A screen print came up on a monitor above the counter. There was a picture of the way the vials were arranged. The cursor ran over them, ending on a greenish blue colored one. There was also a hypodermic in the drawer.
Sam grabbed them wondering how much he should give the Doctor when the thought came to him. All of it. Give the Doctor all of it in the IV.'
"Sam, what are you doing?" Al questioned. "Are you sure this is right?"
Sam almost fell going back to the Doctor. He'd injected the contents into the IV line before sliding to the floor. Sam gave Al a last, sad look. "Doesn't look like I'll be coming home." He mumbled in a low voice as unconsciousness claimed him. "Been a good friend, Al. Thanks for..." And then he trailed off, dead to the world, soon to make that permanent.