Doctor Who_ Just War - Lance Parkin [99]
‘You’ve got a rosy glow!’ Benny declared finally. ‘In fact, you’re looking positively radiant. I do believe that the frowning Adjudicator is actually happy.’
Roz’s expression didn’t change. ‘I’m just pleased to see you,’ she said flatly. Benny and Wolsey looked at each other conspiratorially.
‘Are Buster Keaton and Buster Crabbe around?’
‘Not to my knowledge,’ Roz said uncomprehendingly.
‘The Doctor and Chris,’ Benny explained.
‘They’re not here either.’
Benny moved to sit up, but found it hard to work up the energy. Instead, she glanced over to the readouts of the medical unit, barely managing to focus. A number of vividly coloured lines ran along the bottom of the viewplate.
‘Roz, are you sure that you’ve got this thing monitoring me and not the cat?’
Roz read from a printout. ‘You’re suffering from malnutrition, protein deficiency and what little blood you have left has a low iron content. I gave you a top-up — flooded your system with as many nutrients, vitamins and minerals as the machine would let me. That’s after I pumped all the weird hallucinogens, amphetamines and relaxants out. I pumped your stomach. Benny, you were covered in bruises and welts, even a couple of minor burns — I’ve done what I can.’ Roz glanced down to jog her memory. ‘That dizziness you’re feeling and that metallic taste at the back of your throat, well, you’ve got twice the recommended dose of painkillers and antibiotics in your bloodstream. I’ve reset your hand, and regrown your fingernails.’ Benny looked down, waving the fingers of her right hand experimentally. They weren’t even stiff. Ironic really, because every other part of her body ached.
‘Anything permanent?’
Roz shook her head. ‘It’s too early to say. Some of the scars on your back and shoulder-blades are going to be there for a while. Are you ready to make a sitrep?’
Benny pretended that she was trying to remember.
‘Space In Time Relative... no, I give up.’
‘You know damn well what a sitrep is.’
Benny swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her bruises had gone a strange grey colour, presumably some side-effect of the medicine. She could feel a draught coming from somewhere. ‘No, sorry, I seem to have forgotten all my inelegant cop jargon. Perhaps if you spoke English? A simple
“What’s happening, Professor?” would suffice. “Please”
would be even better.’
‘Bernice, I don’t have time, I really do have other things to be doing. Who did this to you?’
‘Nazis,’ Benny said distractedly. She had just realized that the hospital gown she was wearing was backless. She didn’t particularly want Cwej to see her like this. Luckily, he wasn’t here. Hadn’t Forrester said that? Roz was tapping her foot impatiently.
‘Care to be more specific?’
‘Standartenführer Joachim Wolff, Luftwaffe zbV. I forget his serial number.’ Standing up and speaking at the same time required more concentration than Benny could muster.
‘We’ve got him.’ Roz clenched her fist. ‘I’ll kill him this time.’
‘What? Here in London? We are still in London? Where’s Chris? What do you mean you’ve got Wolff? What do you mean this time? Have you seen the Doctor? Why haven’t you got time? Hang on. Er... sitrep?’
‘The Germans have launched their invasion. We’ve been warned that they are about to attack a city. Hartung’s invisible bomber is in the air, it’s sweeping aside everything in its path and I need to know anything you —’
‘What do you mean the Germans are invading? How long was I out? No, cancel those questions. The Germans didn’t invade. Off the top of my head — and I’ll admit I’m still a bit spaced out — the Germans never, ever invaded Britain.
Ever.’
‘That’s an interesting theoretical standpoint to hold. It is rather undermined by the fact that they are about to wipe out a whole city with an exotic new weapon and we can’t do anything