Doctor Who BBC838 - Casualties of War by Casualties Of War (by Steve Emmerson)

Author:Casualties Of War (by Steve Emmerson)
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter Seven

‘It has been a singularly harrowing day,’ Mary said as she dished the boiled potatoes on to the Doctor’s plate beside the portion of roasted chicken.

‘I would agree with you there,’ the Doctor agreed with her.

‘I’m not entirely certain my nerves could stand much more of this sort of assault,’ she admitted candidly.

‘Oh, Miss Minett, you are an extraordinarily resilient woman,’ the Doctor reminded her. ‘And in my experience, people generally have a remarkable capacity for coping with adversity, even of this grotesque nature.’

Distributing cabbage and carrots to both plates, Mary returned the pan to the range and sat opposite the Doctor at the little kitchen table.

‘You have much experience of adversity of this grotesque nature?’ she asked.

‘Some,’ he told her. ‘Do you mind if I get a glass of water?’

‘Oh, I am sorry. Let me –’

She left the table and returned a moment later with two glasses and a large jug of water. She placed these strategically on the already cramped table, and lifted the gravy boat above the Doctor’s steaming plate.

‘Would you like gravy?’

‘Just a dash, please.’

‘You don’t mind if I play mother?’

‘Of course not. It’s a very long time since I was mothered.’

Mary poured, stopped, and the jug hovered while she watched him questioningly.

‘Fine, thank you,’ he assured her with a generous smile.

‘Do you mind me asking what other experience you have had of such strange adventuring?’ she asked conversationally while she poured gravy over her own meal.

‘I was once engaged in a rather curious exploit,’ the Doctor said, dissecting his largest potato and popping a small piece of it into his mouth. He chewed briefly and continued to speak while he ate, which Mary thought was an endearing habit he had. ‘It involved a number of seemingly ordinary people who were able to burn others to death simply by the act of touching them.’

Stopping mid-chew, Mary gazed at him with a mixture of fascination and scepticism.

‘They sound like nice friends to have,’ she said eventually.

‘Very handy at a barbecue.’ The Doctor cut a morsel of chicken and popped it in. ‘But they could get a bit hot under the collar.’

Mary continued to observe him as he chewed heartily. He was apparently quite serious, and going by the way he took in his stride the situation around Hawkswick, she could well believe that he braved such bizarre encounters every day of his life.

‘I don’t remember reading about any such thing in the newspapers,’ she said to test his reaction.

‘It a was some time ago now,’ he said. ‘And besides, things of that nature tend not to get into the newspapers. I very much doubt if you would find any serious reporting of the incidents we are experiencing here.’

Not unless I looked through your pockets, Mary thought. But she said nothing.

‘Of course,’ he continued while he worked busily at the food on his plate, ‘the more frivolous journals might run a story that intimates something strange, but you never get the detail, and the more outrageous aspects never find their way into print.

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