Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space - Book One

V1 E1 - 'Absolute Zero' (II)

Diana finally arrived at the hospital. She was allowed to finally exit the car, after a short journey to her destination. And yet, the Taskforce had still managed to identify the location of the code 'Blue Box' and managed to return before she did. Remarkable, she thought. It couldn't have been that hard, they must've known what they were looking for. Shivering, from the returning cold, she walks towards the hospital she had left merely moments before. Just around the back corner, she spots the outline of a blue coloured police telephone box, causing great confusion, as she thought that box was the stuff of myth. Yet, for her, it provided closure as to why the code was nicknamed 'Blue Box'.

"Greetings, Miss Walker," the receptionist chimed. "Room 876 is requiring your immediate services, regarding the Doctor himself. At least, I am told the Doctor is a he."
The Doctor? As in, the Doctor that was regarded as the entire basecode for U.N.I.T. operations, Doctor? She had heard some lingering rumours about this renegade before, but the idea of a person flying around in a time machine and having many faces seemed too fiction to be reality. Yet, here she was, recalled to help with something to do with the Doctor.
After contemplating all the rumours she had heard about him, she finally arrives at Room 876, exactly where the receptionist had indicated she was required at. The moment was now, did the Doctor really exist?

"It is too cold, Jago! Did you feel that outside? I had this perfectly under control until not only you showed up, but the Sun went away," the muffled voice of the Doctor said.
"Doctor, you must calm down. You are showing signs of dazedness from concussion. Our scanners say you were knocked unconscious soon after the completion of the regenerative process," Eliza stated back.
"How many times have I told you, human scanners do not work on a man with double the amount of hearts that you have!" he shouts, before storming through the door. "It is too, cold!"
Diana decides now is the time to jump into the conversation. "Excuse me, Sir?"
"It's the Doctor, ma'am. Or at least I think it is. There's too much going on anyway without it being so cold that even I feel it," the Doctor responds, storming down the corridor in nothing but the simplest of hospital gowns.
"Could it be something to do with what you're wearing?" Diana responds, following the Doctor past the corridor.

"Probably," he said. "I'll get changed later."
Jago-Stewart decides to allow the Doctor to investigate, much to the confusion of the rest of the Taskforce. "He can barely even form coherent sentences, how is he meant to find out something so insignificant as the cold?"
"It's not insignificant. And it's because he's the Doctor." Eliza responds.
"Maybe the cold is because we live in Britain," Diana responds, now following the Doctor to the possessions of people who are currently in the hospital.
"Even for Britain, this is too much," the Doctor states, as he begins to search for at least temporary clothes. "Where even is this?"
"Portsmouth," she answers. Diana watches as the Doctor fishes through for some clothing to temporary provide some exterior skin shelter from the cold whilst the TARDIS isn't able to be accessed. "You can't just go and steal people's stuff here to wear."

"Why not? I've done it before. Once in San Francisco and another time in... Leadworth was it? I can't remember," the Doctor says. "I might remember it soon."
"That doesn't excuse it this time," she says. The Doctor cuts her out before she can start her second sentence.
"Red or blue?" Diana is questioned. She rolls her eyes. "Come on, miss. Red or blue?"
"Blue," is the answer. "But don't think it's what you're wearing forever.
"Haha," the Doctor answers. "I completely forgot to ask, whilst I was busy picking, what's your name?"

"Diana. Diana Walker," she calmly responds, to the character she thought only to be of myth.
"Well Diana Walker, maybe you can help me pick red or blue later when it matters a bit more," the Doctor smiles at her broadly, reciprocated by Diana, unable to fathom that this man of myth truly does exist. "I need to find a blue box. It's got everything I need, I promise."
"Operation Blue Box..." Diana said, faintly.
"Sorry?" the Doctor asked, without being able to hear Diana. His ears were still ever so slightly ringing. Not anything long term that would stick with him, but just a reminder that this painful regeneration was still in progress.
"I saw the outline of one outside!" she cheers. "But I don't see how that's going to be any help?"
The Doctor grabs her hand, and runs with her out of the room. "Show me! And you'll see!"