Through a burning haze, Ashleigh realised she was being lifted away from the cold floor that had been her bed for the last God knows how long. Her throat burned, and she coughed, feeling as if she was fighting through a fog, her lungs on fire. The coughing fit worsened and she slipped from the grasp of whoever was holding her, one knee scraping painfully on concrete before she was once more hoisted into the air, and forced to stand upright
'Walk,' a voice ordered, 'Walk.'
Walking, that was easy enough, she could do that, one foot in front of the other, she did it every day, why couldn't she do it properly now? Her body was refusing to cooperate, and confusion swamped her. One arm had been grabbed and twisted painfully behind her back, and was now being twisted further still as she struggled to obey. Blinking, she fought to clear her vision, peering into the darkened corridor, trying to focus her tired eyes.
Ahead of her there was a figure, being marched along at gun point but remaining stonily calm, despite the barrel of the gun being pressed hard into his cheekbone. With a rush of relief she realised it was Bond. She didn't dare say anything, but she was suddenly very glad for his presence.
How long had they walked through the harsh red lit corridors? Time had lost sense of meaning to her, she was shaking, half with cold, half with fear as she realised this was probably one of the most dangerous situations she had ever been in. And she realised she had no idea how to deal with it. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, she couldn't tell if they were from the remnants of the chloroform, or the fear that filled her. She was desperate to reach out for James, for comfort, for support, for something, but she couldn't.
After an eternity they stopped, and Bond and Kain were forced into a small clinical room, one wall completely mirrored, and Ashleigh tried not to look directly at it, refusing to acknowledge how hopeless it all looked. Still woozy from the chloroform she was propelled forward fully into the room by the gorilla holding her. She growled low in her throat, if he twisted it any further he would snap her arm. James wasn't much better, the pistol still pressed hard into the side of his face, he, unlike her, was wary and aware of everything, quietly observing everything that happened. Finally his eyes met hers, and they flickered, but nothing could be said, no words to console or to reassure, they were at the mercy of these goons and the Doctor.
The man had been standing in the shadows of the room, seemingly gazing at his own reflection. But now he stepped forward, and Ashleigh found herself staring at him half with fascination, half with repulsion. He was short and balding, what hair he did have left was dark and cut close to his head, and Ashleigh decided that there was something almost fishlike in his small glassy black eyes, and rubbery lips. He wore small glasses, perched precariously on the end of his nose, he was staring at Bond and her with contempt.
Silence reigned in the room, so much so that Ashleigh thought she could hear her heart pounding. The Doctor had removed his glasses and was slowly polishing them. Perhaps it was the after effects of the chloroform making her giddy, but Ash was suddenly taken over with an almost hysterical urge to burst out laughing, anything to fill the room with something other than the eerie nothingness.
Finally, with a little cough that could easily become irritating, the Doctor finally spoke.
'Deronda is far from happy that his compound has been breached.'
A small hysterical giggle escaped from Ashleigh, causing Bond and the Doctor to glare at her. He's hardly going to be pleased, is he? Ashleigh found the thought strangely amusing. She had to. There was nothing else but fear and despair.
The Doctor continued. 'As you are so interested in what we are doing here, Deronda has allowed me to give you both a demonstration.'
'A chance to see the good scientist working on the cures that could potentially save millions of children's lives? How heartwarming.'
