Turlough's Tale

by genesssa

Set between "Terminus" and "Enlightenment" (with a hint of "The Sontaran Experiment") this novella is narrated by Turlough, who's still obligated to kill the Doctor (and nearly succeeds) or forfeit his own life to the Black Guardian. The Doctor tries to save both their lives. Can ghosts be involved? Ends on a cliffhanger that leads into TV episode "Enlightenment."

20. Chapter Twenty

TURLOUGH'S TALE

Chapter Twenty

When we awaken, more or less around the same time (early morning, but not the wee hours), the Doctor still has not returned. This is, to put it mildly, alarming.

"Now what do we do?" I am not sure I'm up to another long trek so soon after yesterday's trials, and afraid of what we'll find if we do make it to the TARDIS.

"We do what the Doctor said," says Tegan, firmly, but not looking at all confident; surely she shares my fears.

Alexandra, frail in appearance but not in ability, suggests that we take turns pulling one of the sleds, at the very least so that we don't have to carry (or wear) the long torches that we might need to replace the expired ones as we go along. The supply is lower than it was this time yesterday but still sufficient for our purpose. We combine the small and the long torches onto one sled and take only what we anticipate we'll need on the other, where we (also at Alexandra's insistence) stack lots of blankets. Tegan promises to replace them from the TARDIS' cupboards. Alexandra smiles noncommittally. Bundled up in our warm duds, Tegan now with fur to protect her face from the wind, all of us trying to hide our dread at what we might find at the end of the trail, we head off in what we estimate is the approximate direction of the TARDIS.

"We turned left somewhere along the way," I point out, "so we should go a little to the right."

"What if the Doctor tried to duplicate our path?" objects Tegan. "I don't think splitting up would be a good idea, either."

We're pretty sure we're a little lost, and hopeful that we're not very lost, so we proceed. The snowfall is even lighter than it was yesterday so we do have the Doctor's trenchlike path to follow, and eventually we are thrilled to spot a long torch, extinguished but visible nonetheless, some distance off. We race toward it and replace it with a fresh one, and are then delighted to see another bare stick in the distance. Now we can calculate our direction, at least up to the point where we veered left. The trench should veer to the right, so we are less worried than we were when we started out… less worried about that, anyway.

"I need to rest," declares Tegan by and by, but she is looking pointedly at me and tilting her head toward Alexandra. She knows that the old woman is overextending herself, tough old bird though she might be.

"Me too," I say, going along with this for Alexandra's sake, and the three of us stop and ease ourselves down onto the edge of the sled, where, now that we have planted so many long torches, there is room for us.

"Do you think he's all right?" asks Alexandra, not out of breath at all but still looking grateful for the unplanned rest stop.

"We can hope," replies Tegan.

It takes a good long time and two more pauses to get to where we can see where we changed direction, and then another good long time to spot the TARDIS in the distance. I can't tell you how glad we are to see her! Then our joy vanishes as we see what is lying a few feet in front of the TARDIS. It's the Doctor, face down in the snow.