Saving the Doctor

Chapter 5

I end up deciding to grab the medical tape (better safe than sorry) and search the same hallway as before. I mean, I might as well. I'm more familiar with it and already kind of know what are in the rooms.

While looking for a faucet of some kind, I also realize that I'll need a way to transport the water to him. So now I'm looking for water and a cup. I hope there's nothing else I need to add to the list.

After searching the entire hallway, I come up with nothing. I sigh irritatedly, lifting my arms and let them fall, my hands slapping against my legs. None of the rooms had a faucet or even a cabinet, so there was nothing of any help.

I hate when I end up wasting time.

I give up and start heading back to the console room. Halfway down the hall, though, the air around me feels...agitated. Not like when the heater or AC in your house comes on 'agitated'. More like...the air has feelings 'agitated'.

You know how sometimes when you're really mad or really excited, the air around you seems to change to fit your mood? Well, it's like that. Just...the other way around.

I somehow instantly know that something is wrong and start to walk faster. As I get closer to the console room, I can hear someone moving around. So instead of going up the stairs, I crouch down and creep up to the edge of the platform. Carefully, I straighten my knees until I can see what's going on up there.

As it turns out, he's awake and is now trying to sit up, failing painfully. I can tell because he grimaces with each movement he attempts. He also lets out a pained sound each time he gives up.

I crouch back down out of sight, silently panicking: I haven't planned on what to do or say when he wakes up yet. I haven't even really thought about it.

If I say the wrong thing...I could ruin his time stream. Rewrite time.

He could even die before he should.

That would create a paradox and we can't have that. I'll just have to pretend to know nothing about him. That I have no idea who or what he is and I'm just trying to help.

On the bright side, I can ask him where to get some water. Even if he doesn't want any, I'm kind of thirsty now.

I hear him curse and then hear a metallic clang. I fidget silently, wondering what I should do... Well...he might appreciate a shirt...

I nod and head quietly back down the hall to the closet. I had promised to get one for him. Even if he couldn't hear me at the time, a promise is a promise.

I look through the clothes and soon find a comfortable-looking reddish T-shirt. I look it over. He may not like it, but it'll have to do on short notice.

I go down the hall again and don't bother trying to hide this time. Instead, I head up the steps and over to the nurse's uniform. I drop the medical tape into a pocket and pull out the first-aid kit, pretending not to realize that he's conscious, trying to act as though I have the situation under control and that there's nothing to worry about.

I calmly walk over and kneel beside him, feigning pleasant surprise while setting the shirt beside me. "Oh, good, you're awake." I smile as I open the kit, "I was starting to get worried."

I look through the kit and find some disinfecting wipes. I use them on his scrapes before bandaging them one by one. "How are you feeling?"

He grimaces slightly each time I make contact with one of his wounds. "Who are you?" he asks through gritted teeth. No question about it: he definitely sounds British.

I sigh. "I'm Bethany. Bethany Rogers. I'm only trying to help you out, so don't blow a gasket. We need to keep your heart rate down; any higher and you'll risk a heart attack." He doesn't seem worried as I finish with his scrapes and put the remaining disinfectant wipe back into the kit.