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she said. 'He could bite off his tongue.'

'She's right,' said the Doctor, sitting back up, his face pensive.

'Five mo's - five and a half mo's - I'll be right with you,' muttered Roley as he prepared a syringe. He leaned over Austen, narrowly avoiding a flailing arm in the face. 'Here, let me.'

'Sam, hold his arm down,' snapped the Doctor. Gingerly, Sam complied, grabbing Austen's clenched fist and using all her weight to keep it down on the grass. While the Doctor cooed soothingly, Roley administered the drug.

Austen jerked spasmodically a few more times, then finally lay silent, his head lolling loosely.

The Doctor gently manoeuvred Austen into a semi-prone position on the grass. 'Now,' he said, rising to his feet and taking off his velvet coat, bunching it up, and placing it under Austen's head. 'We need some kind of dopamine inhibitor, haloperidol or -'

Nurse Maria bustled up. 'This patient is in our care, Doctor whoever-you-are,' she said. 'I'd thank you to let us look after him as we see fit: The Doctor advanced on her angrily. 'And does that include allowing the poor devil to run amok in the grounds of this building, terrifying the public and risking injury both to them and to himself?'

'He's one of my case studies,' said Roley, nervously positioning himself between the Doctor and Maria. 'Diagnosed schizophrenic. And, for your information, he's officially cured.'

'Cured?' echoed Sam, incredulous.

'Oh yes.' Roley scowled. 'It's really inexcusable of the man not to take his tricyclics. I'm researching him, him and some others.'

'Researching? How?' asked the Doctor.

'Psychotherapy, deep hypnosis. I'm exploring his illness.' The Doctor looked impassively at him, and Roley went pink. 'Really, I'm just putting him up in my house while he helps my studies, that's all. I can't keep him locked up like a prisoner, can I? I mean -'

'You don't need to justify yourself to them, Charles,' said Maria.

'No, indeed you don't,' said the Doctor, affably. 'After all, we were just two more innocent bystanders at risk from your carelessness.'

While Roley looked quite pathetically crestfallen, Maria ignored him. 'Help me carry him back to the house,' she instructed, and Roley moved to obey.

'Just a minute,' said Sam, blocking their way. "There's an ambulance coming for him.'

The Doctor moved behind her, placing a hand on each of her shoulders.

'And, unless you want us to point it in your direction rather than simply allow it to take away the poor old lady over there, I suggest you tell me more."

'Doctor!' cried Sam, disbelievingly. 'You can't just -'

The Doctor nodded furiously and shut his eyes, anticipating her arguments.

'Yes. Yes, I can. I have to, Sam. There's... Well, you heard what he said...'

'Oh, what? '

He looked at her innocently. 'I said, "You heard what he -"'

Sam turned her back on him in disappointment. Again she felt the Doctor's hands pressing on her shoulders.

'Sam here will help clear things up with the emergency services,' he announced to no one in particular.

Will I? she thought. Fine. Thanks for asking.

'Oh... I'd better help... Samantha, is it?' said Roley.

'I prefer Sam.'

'Oh, but Samantha's so much prettier!' he protested, ignoring her pained face. 'I own these nurseries and the grounds. I'll calm down Mrs Simms, assure her it's nothing to worry about. She'll listen to me.'

'Splendid,' said the Doctor. 'Then I'll help Maria -'

'Nurse Bulwell,' she intoned, the words sounding as heavy as she was.

'I'll help Nurse Bulwell take Mr Austen back to your delightful Gothic folly.'

He rubbed his hands together and asked politely, 'Would you like to take feet or arms?'

Sam watched the Doctor and Bulwell carry off the sleeping man, and sighed. Never a moment's peace. Not even at a garden centre.

Roley wandered off to placate Mrs Simms as she reappeared from behind the conifers, and Sam wandered over to where Fitz and the old lady sat on the paving, calmly and contentedly smoking their cigarettes. She made