• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

'No. Only shouting at you.'

'Can I sit here a sec?'

'Yeah,' said Sam. 'Yeah, I think you'd better.'

***

Roley was having a job taking in what the Doctor was telling him.

'How can you know all this?' he protested. 'I mean, we've only just begun to understand about DNA and yet you're telling me -'

'I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me.'

'Why should we?' said Maria. 'You're probably nuttier than all that lot put together.'

'Be quiet , Maria!' Roley snapped. He watched her flush bright red, saw her eyes become watery, and immediately blushed himself. 'I'm sorry, Maria, but... well, really, please ...'

Maria stalked from the room without another word.

Roley sighed again for what felt like the hundredth time. 'What are you going to do now, Doctor?'

'I'm going to put the leech in some of this blood and connect it to a reasonably accurate computer model of the human brain.'

Roley stared at him in further bewilderment. 'How on Earth would you attain such a thing?'

The Doctor smiled. 'From you, Dr Roley. This device has been scanning the chemical make-up of your hard-working head for the last half-hour.

Mapping out your neurons, dendrites, axons... you know, that sort of thing.'

'But... in half an hour? I mean... how does it -?'

'There simply isn't time to explain.' He turned back to his work. 'You can run along now, if you like.'

Roley stared, agape. 'You mean you've tolerated my presence here while it's been of use to you?' His voice hardened. He even stopped it from squeaking. "That's awfully big of you, Doctor.'

The Doctor looked up. 'Oh, no!' he said, hastily. 'No, no, no, no... Ordinarily, I love answering questions. It's quite a hobby.' He punched Roley jovially on the arm. 'I simply thought you might want to run off and comfort Nurse Bulwell. She seems upset. Oh, and you know what would be terribly useful?'

Roley folded his arms. 'Please, do tell.'

'You practise more conventional relaxation techniques than your hypnotherapy, don't you?'

'I've trained with the best. I studied under -'

'Gather Watson and the others together.'

'Maria said they're resting.'

'Good; said the Doctor. 'Let's make sure they stay resting together where we can keep an eye on them.'

Roley's mood dissolved in a tizzy of panic. 'You don't think there's any further danger, do you?'

'I think it's always best to be prepared,' was the Doctor's comforting reply.

***

Fitz stared at Sam as if she had two heads as she came to the end of her story. 'And now there's been some kind of group murder? With my mum involved?' He laughed in disbelief. 'You know, if this is your way of getting me back for this morning -'

'Oh, of course it isn't,' she said. 'I'm sorry, I don't know what else I can say.

It's just... well, it's all going pear-shaped in there.'

'What?' Fitz seemed puzzled.

'You know... going wrong. Out of hand.'

'You know, it's weird,' he said. 'I'd think you were having me on with all that, but...' He shook his head. 'I remember my old granddad babbling on about a cave like that when he was on his last legs. We thought he was just going mental again.'

'Again?' asked Sam.

'Runs in the family. Yeah, I know. Like noses do.' He sniffed, as if to emphasise the point. 'I'd better go and see Mum. Check she's OK.' His eyes narrowed. 'Better have a few words with our Dr Roley, an' all.'

'She's fine, Fitz. She went to sleep as if nothing had happened. Let her rest.'

'She's my mum, OK?' said Fitz, getting up.

Sam scrambled up too. 'Look, better than having a go at Roley, why don't you go to the police?'

By the way Fitz looked at her, Sam felt she'd just asked him to cut off his own goolies.

'No, don't think so. Better not.'

'What?' She threw up her arms. 'What's wrong with everyone round here?

You can't just pretend you're not involved. Why am I the only person who seems to think this is a big deal?'

'Well, why don't you go, then?'

'I...' She trailed off. 'Well,