4. Don't Panic!

Alyssa's hands touch each other, and she momentarily feels better. Then she clasps her hands and takes a deep breath. She recalls that the Ring of Confidence is activated by touch. She grasps the ring on her finger with her other hand, desperately trying to maximise contact with the ring. She notices the effect diminish - it must be designed to be at its peak just with clasped hands! .

She looks up and faces the creatures. "Look, I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention. I didn't mean to hurt..."
The creatures pause in their advance towards her. "One of us was uncomfortable. It was the way you picked it up."
The voice seems to just appear in her head.
"Apology accepted," another creature appears to say. The redness goes out of their eyes.
Then a third creature sighs and says, "It saves having to go to war!" .
"Would you have gone to war over discomfort?" Alyssa asks. It seems ludicrous to do so.
"Certainly, but we don't feel like war now." .
Alyssa feels this must be due to the Ring of Confidence affecting them. Then she recalls her current mission.
She ensures her bag portal is switched on again.
"Are you all up for being cradled?" She reaches slowly and carefully for the nearest one, carefully picks it up, cradles it and drops it into her bag, repeating this for each creature.

As she approaches the last of them, it seems to ask, "Where have they all gone?"
"There's a theme park with slides and rides," she says, "they'll be enjoying them now," Alyssa answers, smiling nervously, desperately hoping she can complete the mission.

"Oi! You!"
She turns to see a policeman running across the cricket pitch in the rain towards her. But her focus has been broken and the invading giant woodlouse becomes red-eyed and angry again. .
It also starts to rain even more heavily. She feels as if the end of her life is approaching on this wet afternoon as everything's going wrong! . Purple spots appear before her eyes, and she can't focus.

She hears the grinding of the Tardis above the heavier rain. The Tardis landing may have been only temporarily blocked, or locationally blocked. The Tardis door is only a few feet away, but the invading giant woodlouse is between her and the safety of the Tardis. .
The Tardis door opens, and the Doctor deftly reaches out, picks up the giant woodlouse and deposits it in a properly made safe containment in the Tardis Console room.

The policeman arrives nearby. "What have you been doing? I need to know whether to have you sectioned or arrested! I've had so many varying reports about your behaviour!" .
The Doctor steps out of the Tardis. "What did the reports say?" He signs for Alyssa to go into the Tardis as he steps towards the policeman, blocking his view of Alyssa escaping. .
"Every report was different; it would take a while to tell you ... Just a moment - Who are you?"
The Doctor turns to his Police Box Tardis and knocks on a wooden panel and smiles. "Police box?" Knowing this approach is unlikely to go far, he retreats inside and closes the door.
The policeman can do nothing as the Tardis disappears before him in the heavy rain. What can he report about this incident? .

Suspect escaped in the rain?

Afterwards.

"Did it work?" Alyssa asks.
"Yes, up to a point."
"What didn't work?"
"One of them was injured - lost a claw. Now it's suing for harm." .
"What? An invading insect, suing?" Alyssa can't believe her ears. .
"Yes, it won't get anywhere! There's no legal clause ... claws to invoke, get it?" .
Alyssa's suddenly relieved that the Doctor's just joking! "It's got one less leg to stand on," she says. .
Had she really fallen for his joke? She groans! .

THE END

The previous episode in this series is called "The Gallifreyan Shop" (ref. 63).

The next episode in this series is called "The Doctor's Companion Is... ."

Who might that be? Why would it matter?

I hope to add further episodes soon.

Sparse References.

Reference 1 Episode Maintenance Mission in this series,
where the Doctor's new companion fixed the Voice Control, previously broken and deliberately never fixed,
where the Doctor's companion had enjoyed cooking.

Reference 58 Episode Krillitane Interview in this series,
where Alyssa recently encountered the Krillitane perception filter.

Reference 63 Episode The Gallifreyan Shop in this series,
where the Doctor bought a Ring of Confidence for Alyssa.

At points in the story where there is humour, an additional full stop is added. .

ANOTHER END