Doctor Who: BBC Past Doctor Adventures [068] - The Algebra of Ice by Lloyd Rose

Author:Lloyd Rose
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780563486213
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 2004-10-24T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Yet again, Molecross returned to the UNIT hospital ward. His maimed wrist needed attention. The effort involved in rescuing Amberglass had caused split-ting and bleeding. It also turned out, when the nurse undid his bandages, that one of the stitched wounds wasn’t healing properly and had become infected.

Molecross was discovered to have a fever of over 40◦C.

He exhibited signs of emerging feverish hysteria. ‘You must help me,’ he kept saying as they took him to his room and administered medicine and gave him hospital pyjamas. ‘I’ve seen the Doctor.’

‘Not yet,’ said the nurse soothingly.

‘The other Doctor! You must tell the Brigadier. There was a kidnapping. You must tell the Brigadier.’ He repeated this over and over, in spite of the staff’s assurances that the Brigadier wasn’t in. It was nearly four hours before Sergeant Ramsey arrived to hear what Molecross had to say.

‘It sounds as if there might be something to it, sir.’

The Brigadier closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his hand, his elbow propped on the yet-unfinished paperwork spread across his desk. ‘That’s not possible, Sergeant.’

‘Well, sir, you’re always saying nothing is impossible.’

Yes, damn me, I am, thought Lethbridge-Stewart. Never share opinions with your staff. ‘All right. Tell me.’

‘He claims this fellow Amberglass was kidnapped and held prisoner and that he, Molecross that is, and the Doctor’s companion rescued him. She then drove off with Amberglass, presumably to join the Doctor. This can fairly easily be checked by a visit to the house Molecross described.’

‘That doesn’t sound very complicated.’ Lethbridge-Stewart thought for a moment. ‘Go ahead and send some men to check things out. I’d better contact the Doctor.’

Who, of course, wasn’t answering his pager.

Lethbridge-Stewart almost swore. What did the fellow have against telephones? He travelled through time and space in a police call box, yet acted as if phones were some kind of baffling gadget he couldn’t figure out. With a resigned sigh, the Brigadier realised he was going to be making a trip to Allen Road.

Ace answered the door. Her face relaxed and brightened in relief, and the Brigadier was reminded of how young she was. ‘How’d you know?’ she said happily. ‘Did the Doctor reach you?’

‘No,’ said Lethbridge-Stewart, perhaps a bit pointedly. ‘That ass Molecross came babbling to UNIT again, and he actually seemed to make sense. Something about you and Mr Amberglass and a kidnapping.’

‘It’s all true,’ she said grimly. ‘Come in. It’s bloody freezing. I’ll fetch the Doctor – he’s in the TARDIS.’

She dashed out the back door, relieved that a grown-up had arrived. All right, all right, she thought, pushing open the TARDIS door and running in, that wasn’t entirely fair. But the Doctor’s personality whipped back and forth between a sage and a young boy, with very few stops in the middle ground of dull, but sometimes extremely welcome, adulthood. He wasn’t in the console room, and she darted down a corridor, calling for him.

Inside, Lethbridge-Stewart poured himself a Scotch and sat down in one of the club chairs, stretching his feet towards the fire.

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