Doctor Who_ The Nightmare of Black Island - Mike Tucker [41]
At the end of the corridor she could see one of them fumbling with a key in the lock of a big wooden door; the other one had Rose in his arms, keeping her upright. Ali scampered up the last few stairs, tucking herself behind a large wooden chest that stood on the landing. The nurse swung the door open and helped his colleague carry Rose inside, then they both emerged, locking the door and heading back towards the stairs.
Ali crouched down behind the chest, making herself as small as possible. She screwed her eyes up, listening as the footsteps came closer and closer. With a sigh of relief she heard them carryon past her, clunking down the stairs and echoing across the empty hallway. She peered out from behind the chest. The hallway seemed deserted. Rain was streaming down the panes of a tall window at the end of the landing, sending flickering, writhing patterns over the walls and floor. Ali scampered across to the room where they had put Rose, keeping as close to the wall as possible. The big heavy key was still in the lock.
Ali reached out and turned it. The lock opened with a loud clunk. Terrified of being locked in once she was inside, she pulled the key out of the keyhole and slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. Checking that no one was coming down the corridor behind her, she then turned 98
the big brass knob and heaved against the door.
It creaked alarmingly. Ali opened it just enough for her to slip through, then carefully closed it again. The room was dark and smelt musty. Heavy curtains covered the windows and huge ancient-looking wardrobes loomed over her. On the far side of the room she could see a bed with an unconscious figure draped across it awkwardly. It looked as though the nurses had just dumped Rose and left her. Ali scurried over to her side.
Rose looked dreadful. Her skin was pale and waxy and her hair tangled and matted. Her eyes were flickering left and right under her lids.
Ali grasped hold of her arm and shook it gently. ‘Rose!’ she hissed.
‘Wake up!’
Rose’s eyes cracked open, rolling unpleasantly as she made a great effort to focus. She tried to speak, but managed only a croaking gasp. Ali glanced around the room. There was a sink against one wall, one of those tiny old-fashioned types like her gran used to have in her upstairs bedroom. Ali crossed to it. A cracked glass sat on a little shelf below a grimy mirror. She stretched up and lifted it down, then grimaced. It was a bit grubby, full of dust and a dead spider. She reached in her pocket for a tissue. That was a bit grubby too, but it was all she had.
She shook the spider from the glass, wiped off as much of the dust as she could and turned on the cold tap. Pipes squealed and banged in protest at years of disuse, sounding impossibly loud in the dark room. Ali jumped. Then, with a coughing splutter, a trickle of cold water splashed into the basin. She rinsed the glass, filled it to the brim and soaked the tissue, then hurried back to Rose.
Hauling her upright, Ali pressed the cold tissue to Rose’s forehead, brushing her hair back and wiping some of the sweat away.
‘Here, I brought you some water.’
With unsteady hands, Rose took the glass and began swallowing down greedy gulps. Water splashed over her chin and on to the bed and she started to cough.
Ali snatched the glass from her. ‘Slowly, or you’re going to choke, 99
stupid!’
Rose nodded weakly. ‘Thanks,’ she croaked. ‘Great bedside manner.’
Ali gave her the glass back and Rose sipped at it more slowly.
‘What are you doing here, Ali? I thought I told you to wait for me.’
‘I was scared.’ Ali looked at her feet guiltily. ‘It started to get dark and they come out when it gets dark. The monsters.