Doctor Who PDA69 - The Indestructible Man (2nd) by Simon Messingham

Author:Simon Messingham
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-07-13T02:42:25+00:00

* * *

„Wake up!‟ he bellowed. „Verdana!‟

The Doctor scrambled after Storm. „Colonel! Wait!‟

Storm ripped aside the mosquito nets. The Doctor saw him wince at the sight of the body in the bed, then raise his gun.

The impassive face of the assassin was lit a ghastly green in the electronic light. „Verdana! I‟ve come to pay my last respects.‟

The Doctor tried to grab the gun arm, but got thrown to the cold floor for his pains.

A light came on behind him. Doctor Piper was scrambling out of bed. There was a faint „What is it? Who‟s shouting?‟

and a curse as he bumped into something.

„Colonel Storm. You can‟t kill him,‟ said the Doctor. „He doesn‟t know anything. Death‟s all over him. Look.‟

The Doctor looked.

There was a wizened child in the bed. Stick-thin, nut-brown limbs were splayed out, stitched with drips. Yellowing teeth grinned under a wispy, lipless mouth. A large domed head was creased with wrinkles and sores.

The Doctor‟s first thought was how could such pain be endured? How could it live?

Storm lowered the gun to the figure‟s skull. Verdana didn‟t move.

„Get away from him!‟ screamed Doctor Piper, rushing in.

Storm swivelled to fire, almost instinctively. Almost. Piper screamed and slipped over. He sat up, hands raised in a pathetic attempt to stave off a bullet.

The Doctor stepped in the way. „Wait!‟ He glared at Storm.

Storm stared back, mouth set, finger poised to fire.

„Colonel,‟ the Doctor spoke quickly, „I won‟t let you!‟ He stamped his feet and folded his arms.

Finally, Storm turned to look at him. „You? You‟re nothing.‟

„I‟ve had enough killing,‟ the Doctor continued. „And I‟m not going to allow any more. Not tonight.‟

A sound. A low, horrible sound from the bed. The creature‟s chest was vibrating. Verdana was chuckling. Beady eyes stared up at them. „Kill me?‟ it hissed. „Never.‟

The Doctor seized the initiative. Ignoring the gun, he knelt heavily down by the bed. He looked right into those eyes.

„You hate him. Why?‟

Verdana chuckled once more, which dissolved into heartfelt coughs.

„Why stay alive this long? Why endure so much? What did he do?‟

The hands stirred feebly, trying to wave the Doctor away.

He swatted them down. „No, Lieutenant. I must know, and you must tell me. You want to tell me. You have to.‟

The Doctor felt Storm‟s gun in his right ear. „Please,‟ he whispered. „Take that thing away.‟

He held Verdana‟s hand. It was as thin and brittle as a dried twig.

Suddenly, Verdana began to sob. The sound was horrendous, a squalling, wretched series of cries. The doll-face twisted and writhed. The Doctor could feel the pulse under the paper skin.

The eyes, Verdana‟s tiny eyes, closed. He seemed to will forth the energy to marshal his thoughts. „Who was he?’ he whispered, the burning hate all too clear. „To get all that.

Who was he to get everything?‟

Storm lifted the gun from the Doctor‟s head.

Verdana seemed to be talking to himself. „A jumped-up clerk... a chauffeur. A nothing. He got it all, and I got... It shouldn‟t have been this way.‟

A bony hand clutched his sleeve.

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