Doctor Who_ The King of Terror - Keith Topping [45]
Lewis scuttled from the room.
‘My God,’ said Milligan. ‘Aliens in the boardroom, whatever next?’
‘They’ve been doing it for years,’ said the Doctor, ‘though this is the worst case I’ve come across.’
‘So what are they up to?’ asked Tegan.
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‘Haven’t got a clue yet,’ admitted the Doctor, brightly. ‘But we don’t want them to know that.’
Seconds later Joyce returned with a grave look on his face. ‘Doctor, I’m terribly sorry but we must cut short your visit. Whilst we’ve been talking a terrorist incident has taken place in another part of this complex. More than thirty members of the public are dead and many more are injured. As you can imagine, there is the possibility of more acts of sabotage . . . ’
‘That’s all right,’ said the Doctor. ‘I’ve seen all I need to.’
Tegan wasn’t sure which she found more shocking. Joyce’s revelation of the fatalities – though she rationalised that he was obviously desperate to see the back of the Doctor – or the Doctor himself and his casual reaction to such a human tragedy.
She began to say something but the Doctor shot her back a cold look that mirrored her earlier one.
‘Later,’ he said, between gritted teeth. ‘We deal with that later.’
More details of the tragedy emerged while the Doctor and his party were making their way to the surface and by the time InterCom staff ushered them into their car and out of the complex, the figure of those dead had risen to forty-five.
‘Does this have anything to do with UNIT?’ Tegan asked angrily as the car sped away from the gates.
Milligan began to answer but the Doctor got there first. ‘Of course it doesn’t.
What we’ve got here is a conundrum and we are merely one part of it. And so, as a matter of disinterest, are InterCom.’
‘You said they were aliens,’ said Milligan.
‘Yes. I’m not sure what kind yet, though I do have some very nasty suspicions.’
‘And meanwhile people are getting killed,’ said Tegan.
‘You’re right of course,’ said the Doctor, deep in thought. ‘One of the guards mentioned that MacArthur Park was being used as a temporary hospital.
That’s nearby, yes?’
‘Five minutes’ drive,’ answered Milligan.
‘Good,’ said the Doctor. ‘Then perhaps we can be of some help there.’
The park was a mess. Everywhere you looked there were bloodied bodies lying on stretchers surrounded by paramedic teams. And, strangely, there was an eerie silence as though the city itself had come to a stop in sympathy. A police officer had barred the Doctor’s way as he attempted to enter the park, but a combination of Milligan’s UNIT pass and the Doctor’s claims to some medical knowledge had seen them through the cordons and barricades.
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The Doctor found the main emergency medical tent, which had been set up as a temporary surgery. He removed his coat and dumped it into the arms of a passing nurse as he strode confidently towards the first terribly wounded victim. A small woman wearing a green surgical mask barred his way.
‘Who the hell are you?’ she asked with an accent the Doctor recognised.
‘Hello again,’ he said with a quick smile.
‘Oh, Dr Smith!’ said the woman, removing her mask. It was Julia Franklin from the hotel. ‘What a mess we’ve got here!’
‘Are you all right?’ asked the Doctor.
Julia smiled and waved away a concerned-looking orderly. ‘He’s another medic,’ she announced. ‘Yes, I’m fine. We’d just arrived at the InterCom site when the bomb went off. I thought I might he some help here. Robert’s driving one of the ambulances. Bit of a busman’s holiday for both of us, it seems. They’ll never believe this at Beardsley’s.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘Our village pub in Redborough.’ Julia turned back towards the critically wounded victim. ‘Give this man 20 ccs of morphine and ship him out,’ she barked to anyone that was listening. ‘Let’s have the next one!’ She turned back to the Doctor. ‘It’s been a madhouse