Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [55]
his fingers.
His voice was tinged with panic. He put his shoulder to Lowcock and Trevithick pulled him off the bed and stared the door and the frame cracked, sending paint flakes to the in revulsion as the sheets stirred before them. There was a floor.
brief, shocking crack and then the body disappeared in a Lowcock leant his shoulder against the panels and the two cloud of noxious vapour.
men slammed against the woodwork with all their strength.
Lowcock took charge. ‘Get him out! Edmund! Out!
The door split from the hinges outwards and they almost Quick!’
fell into the room.
Trevithick dragged Lawrence from the room whilst the Trevithick hovered in the doorway and stumbled as policeman managed to pull shut the remains of the Lowcock backed into him, pressing his sleeve to his mouth.
shattered door. Kicking open the door of Robin’s room, The room smelled rank. Furniture and clothes lay scattered Trevithick laid the sobbing man on the unmade bed.
and the window was missing entirely, as if punched out Lowcock scrambled across the landing, picked up the cleanly by an unseen hand.
phone, dropped it and then clapped the receiver to his ear.
In the centre of the devastation stood the double bed, There was complete silence. He swore loudly and threw the tilted slightly towards the wall. The thick eiderdown was phone aside.
pulled up to the pillows, completely covering the shape
‘I’m going to the station. Look after him. I won’t be five underneath. A wide green stain like fruit mould was minutes.’
spreading across the embroidery.
Trevithick nodded quickly. ‘Righto.’ He put a comforting Trevithick held his breath and crossed the threshold. He arm around the weeping man beneath him. Posters of noticed at once that the door had not been locked; rather the unfamiliar footballers and pop stars grinned in innocence at woodwork seemed to have expanded, sealing the door like him from the walls. Trevithick felt his breath coming in the entrance to a tomb.
painful gasps.
154
155
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
What the hell was going on? And what should he do now?
The Doctor glanced across at Holly and then walked over Events seemed to slipping out of everyone’s control. He to her. He sat down on his hands and smiled. ‘How are you looked down at Lawrence and suddenly decided he should feeling now?’
pay a little visit to the Dalesview Home. If he could find the Holly nodded as though shaking a loose thought. ‘OK.
fella with the arthritic hands and leave Lawrence in his care I’m OK, thanks.’
for a while...
The Doctor chose his next words carefully. ‘Vijay said...
There was something in the top drawer of his dressing Vijay said you’d seen something in your room. What, table which just might prove useful...
exactly?’
Holly looked down and sighed. ‘I know it sounds silly, The tracking station control room was silent save for the impossible...’
occasional oath of exasperation as the Doctor attempted to
‘Never mind how it sounds.’ The Doctor put his hand on repair the radio.
hers. Holly took a deep breath.
Beside him sat Holly, now dressed in ski pants and one of
‘I saw my fiancé. He died six years ago. I saw his ghost.’
Vijay’s crewneck sweaters. Her eyes were wide and red The Doctor considered this. ‘How did he appear?’
with crying.
‘What do you mean?’
Vijay had tried to persuade her to return to her bed but
‘Was he as you remembered him?’
she wouldn’t hear of it, preferring to sit awake and aware
‘Oh yes! Very much. He was so alive. I could feel it. It was through the long night.
like he was drawing me into him. It would’ve been so
‘Blast!’ cried the Doctor, throwing aside a delicate easy...’
arrangement of wires.
The Doctor looked straight at her. ‘But you didn’t?’
Cooper was blearily contemplating her first coffee of the
‘There was something wrong. I felt him beginning to morning. ‘What d’you reckon then, Doctor?’
change. I went all sleepy. I could see Vijay coming into the The Doctor sighed and sat down on the end of the bench.
room and I knew