Doctor Who_ Deep Blue - Mark Morris [52]
Imogen’s eyes flickered as if with fear. ‘I can’t,’ she whispered.
Mike was considering how to respond when Charlotte murmured, ‘I’ll do it.’
Mike looked at her. She hadn’t moved, but her eyes were open. ‘Charlotte, you’ve done enough,’ he said gently.
‘I’ll do it,’ she said more fiercely. ‘I’ll do it now.’
Mike was naturally mild-mannered, but he couldn’t help feeling a flash of irritation towards Imogen Maybury. He understood how utterly devastated she must feel, but all the same surely she should not continue to allow the full burden of responsibility to fall on the shoulders of her teenage daughter. He glanced again at Imogen in the rear-view mirror, but she failed or refused to meet his eye.
‘Look, Charlotte, are you sure you want to go through with this?’ he asked after a moment.
She nodded, her face set, giving nothing away. ‘I’m sure.’
‘All right,’ Mike said. ‘I’ll come with you then - that’s if you want me to, of course.’
The smile she gave him was stiff, but full of gratitude. ‘I would,’ she said. ‘Thanks.’
‘Right,’ he said. ‘If you don’t mind, I’d better just tell the Brigadier what’s going on first or he’ll be wondering where I am. Is that OK?’
Charlotte did her utmost to look brave, grown-up, mature.
‘Of course,’ she said.
* * *
It was only when the Brigadier switched off the RT that he realised he had hardly taken in a word that Mike Yates had said. He had conducted the conversation on autopilot, had presumably made all the correct responses - but to what information he had no idea. His mind felt like a landscape wreathed in fog, grey and vague and difficult to negotiate. He forced himself to concentrate hard, pressed his fingertips into his forehead and closed his eyes until eventually a phrase swam up through the murk. Just before putting the phone down, he remembered himself saying, ‘All right, Yates, I’ll get the Doctor on to it straight away.’
But on to what exactly? What was it Yates had told him?
Something about... about... No, it was no good. He could recall the sound of Yates’s voice, but his Captain might as well have been talking in double Dutch for all the sense it had made.
The Brigadier was appalled. He prided himself on his decisiveness, on being able to think quickly in tough situations. Healthy body, healthy mind and all that. Perhaps he was simply tired. Overwork. But he had never allowed it to affect him like this before. No, this one went on till he dropped. Hundred per cent commitment. Always been the case, always would be. There was something... something at the back of his mind. Oh, damn it! What was it now? Think, man, think!
Something. Something the Doctor had said. Something about fish?
Absently the Brigadier rubbed at his shoulder, which had begun to itch and prickle.
‘Are you all right?’ Tegan asked.
Andy blinked and puffed out a deep breath, shook his head quickly like a character in an old black and white comedy who has been bopped with a frying pan. ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ he said.
‘Just feeling a bit woozy all of a sudden.’
‘Too much sun,’ Tegan said decisively. ‘Do you want to sit down?’
‘No, honestly, I’ll be all right in a minute.’
They were by the meat counter in Asda, shopping for the picnic they planned to eat up in the hills behind the town Just as Tegan had been asking him what he wanted in his sandwiches, Andy had staggered as if he’d had one too many, and had put his hand out to the glass counter to steady himself.
‘You don’t look too well,’ said Tegan. ‘You look a bit peaky.’
Suddenly he frowned and abruptly snapped, I said I’m fine, all right? Stop fussing.’
Tegan was too taken aback to get angry herself, besides which as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Andy was apologising for them.
‘Sorry, that was uncalled for. I don’t know what came over me.’
‘That’s all right,’ Tegan said guardedly. Then, not wishing to sour the lovely morning they had had, her voice became