Doctor Who_ Match of the Day - Chris Boucher [80]
„How exactly?‟ she said. „Are you planning to chew it off?‟
„No. I have a...‟ he waved the sonic screwdriver vaguely.
There didn‟t seem much point in trying to explain what it was and what he was going to do with it. For one thing he wasn‟t sure that he could explain it and for another it struck him that he had no idea whether reversing the polarity would open the band or tighten it still further. „...a device,‟ he finished rather lamely.
„A device,‟ she sneered. „That‟s impressive. Why was I so worried? The agent saves the day‟ She made no attempt to do as he suggested. „You might as well stop and change the blade,‟ she said to Ronick, who was making very little progress with the cutter. Without speaking he stopped and began to dismantle the blade holder. „Where‟s the medical kit?‟ she asked.
„Left-hand locker,‟ he grunted.
„What a lucky coincidence,‟ she said, reaching for it. „That‟s the side with the hand that stays attached.‟ She opened the kit and took out three bands, not unlike the wrist and ankle bands except that these had manual adjusters, and laid them out on the seat beside her. „I assume you both know how to apply a tourniquet,‟ she said. „Only my hands, sorry my hand will be a bit full, metaphorically speaking.‟
„Do stop moaning, woman,‟ the Doctor said, feigning anger.
„There‟ll be plenty of time for that when you‟re bleeding to death. You‟re supposed to be a major in state security. Start acting like one. Now put your foot between the seats so that I can work on that band.‟
Sita thrust her foot through the gap. „For the record I‟m an ex-major in state security,‟ she said.
The Doctor examined the band closely. The ones he had been fitted with had lines of tiny circular spots raised slightly, almost imperceptibly, higher than the rest of the surface. He ran his finger over the band feeling for one of these.
„If you‟re looking for the off switch,‟ she said. „There isn‟t one.‟
„If there‟s an on switch there must by definition be an off switch,‟ the Doctor said. „They are the same thing after all.
It‟s simply a question of finding it.‟
„By all means let‟s have a philosophical discussion about switches,‟ Sita said witheringly. „This is the ideal time for it.‟
The Doctor said absently, „Logic rather than philosophy I think, don‟t you?‟
„Are you insane?‟ Sita demanded. „Are you insane or are you simply trying to drive me insane?‟
She tensed her leg and twitched her foot in anger and the Doctor lost his place on the ankle band. „Keep still,‟ he said.
„We‟re running out of time here.‟ As he said it he found one of the spots he was looking for and lightly pressed the head of the sonic screwdriver over it. „Try not to move now,‟ he instructed and turned the sonic screwdriver on. Almost immediately the runner hit an uneven patch of road. He felt for the spot again. It was easier to find this time because it was hot to the touch now. Was that a good sign or a bad sign, he wondered. He put the sonic screwdriver back on the spot and reactivated it. If he had got this the wrong way round would there be time to reverse the reversal before there was irreparable damage to the tissue and bones of the ankle?
„How much longer are you going to be with that blade?‟ Sita said to Ronick.
„Nearly there.‟
„Nearly out of time,‟ she said quietly.
„I scuffling know that,‟ he muttered.
She sighed softly. „I don‟t want to be an amputee,‟ she almost whispered. „I really don‟t want to be a multiple amputee. I can‟t think of anything worse.‟
Ronick said, „Not being able to think, that‟s worse. Not much point in having all your fingers and toes if you don‟t know what twenty means.‟
The Doctor had been surprised to hear the fat detective say something like that, since it was more