Doctor Who_ Cave Monsters - Malcolm Hulke [51]
'Then why are you driving so fast?' asked the Doctor.
'Because,' said the Brigadier, 'there are times when I trust your judgement. Satisfied?'
'Yes,' said the Doctor. 'Fairly satisfied.'
The Brigadier gave the Doctor a sideways glance. Finally, he knew, you could always settle an argument by appealing to the Doctor's vanity. It was a little human-like quality that the Doctor had, and was one of the reasons why the Brigadier liked him.
'I think that must be it over there,' said the Doctor, pointing to a small building in what seemed to be its own grounds. 'Looks like a small hospital.'
The Brigadier raced the Jeep in the direction of the buildings.
A private drive led off from the main road. At the side of the drive was a big sign reading: 'ST. MARY'S COTTAGE HOSPITAL'. The Brigadier swung the Jeep into the drive. As they approached the main entrance of the hospital, swing doors suddenly flew open and Major Barker tumbled out on to the steps leading up to the entrance.
A young doctor in a white coat and a nurse came through the doors after Major Barker, and the doctor tried to grab him. Major Barker got to his feet, knocked down the doctor, and stumbled down the steps. The nurse came after him.
'You must let us help you,' she called out.
The Brigadier stopped the Jeep and leapt to the ground to intercept Major Barker.
'Don't touch him,' the Doctor called. 'Let him go.'
Major Barker stood facing the Brigadier. Barker's face was now almost as red as the terrible mark on his arm. The young doctor had scrambled to his feet and came down the steps. 'I'll put you in a straitjacket if you carry on like that,' he called out.
'Major Barker,' said the Brigadier very calmly, 'you must go back into the hospital. You are ill. They want to help you.'
Barker swayed slightly, then put his hands to his throat and opened his mouth wide. 'I can't breathe,' he screamed, 'I'm being strangled.' He suddenly dropped in a heap on the gravel driveway as though all the strength had gone out of him. The young doctor and nurse were too startled to do anything. The Brigadier stepped forward and knelt by Major Barker.
Barker swayed slightly... 'I can't breathe,' he screamed, 'I'm being strangled'
'He's dead,' the Brigadier said, then straightened up.
'You can't be sure,' said the young doctor. 'Nurse, get the porters. We'll take him into Casualty immediately.'
'It's no good,' said the Brigadier. 'I may not be a doctor, but I know a dead man when I see one.'
'I still intend to feel for a pulse,' said the young doctor, and stepped forward to kneel by Major Barker.
'Keep back!' said the Brigadier.
The young doctor paused. 'Who are you people?'The Doctor said, 'We came to warn you that that man is, or was, highly infectious.'
'I think that's something for me to decide,' said the young doctor. He took another step forward to inspect Major Barker.
'I told you to keep back!' The Brigadier drew his service revolver from its holster. The nurse and the young doctor looked at the gun in astonishment. 'Get back inside the hospital. If anyone leaves that building, I shall shoot to kill!' To underline his point, he thumbed back the gun's cock.
The young doctor and the nurse slowly went back up the steps to the swing-doors. There were other people in the hallway, looking through the glass panels of the doors. 'We shall telephone the police,'
said the young doctor. 'We shall have you arrested!'
The Brigadier aimed his gun directly at the young doctor. 'Get back or I fire!'
The young doctor looked at the gun, then turned and fled through the swing-doors. The nurse followed.
'This place will have to be quarantined,' said the Doctor. He looked down at Barker's body. 'Poor man. But he's only the first.'
The Brigadier went back to the Jeep and picked up the R/T
telephone. Within a moment he was speaking to Sergeant Hawkins at the research