Out of Time

Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 The Doctor was hurriedly adding the finishing touches to his dimensional stabilizer, Ivana pacing like a caged tiger beside him, wanting to be doing something useful, convinced that Adam had been gone too long.

 “I knew I should have rescued the girl myself…”

 “Adam and Anna will be here shortly…Stop fretting, you’ll start me off.”  The Doctor uttered to himself and then jumped as he gave himself another electric shock, he really was all fingers and thumbs today, he put it down to nerves, for Ivana was right Adam had been gone too long…

 “You’ve redecorated… Hmm I like it.”

 The Doctor spun on his heel and there was Anna Bailey standing in the luminescent shadows of the TARDIS doorway, her wide eyes took in the extraordinary scene as her gaze drifted up to the upper platforms. It was a second homecoming of sorts…Anna smiled.

 “It’s even bigger on the inside than before…”

 “See I told you.” Adam smiled back, simply happy to see her smiling again.  

 “Oh I’ve missed all this so much.” Anna wiped away a tear as she ran up the steps and flew into the awaiting arms of the Doctor.

 The Doctor didn’t hold back this time as he gave his friend a great big hug and whispered into her ear.

 “Are you alright?”

 “Yeah…” Anna smiled, shrugging off her ordeal in the prison, something you had to learn to do when you travelled with the Doctor. “Just been exorcizing a few demons, mainly from the last three years. You know…”

 Anna loosened her hold and looked up expectantly at the Doctor; with an old and easy intimacy he finished her sentence, a private in joke between the pair of them.

 “The usual stuff…Bailey…” The Doctor’s face crinkled into a glowing smile that encapsulated all the good times the duo had spent together. “How was Professor Raynor by the way?” 

 “Hmm…Let me see…” Anna tapped her chin and pondered. “Borderline psychopath and very rude. He’s lost control though he knows he needs your help Doctor.”

 The Doctor nodded at Anna’s astute assessment and then broke away, clapping his hands together; he swivelled on the spot with a combination of delight and frantic energy.

 “You’re never going to believe what you’ve missed and what we are about to do Anna…” The Doctor was breathless with boyish excitement as he picked up the Dimensional stabilizer, knowing that Anna would recognise it straight away and declared with a look of relief. “And finally we have a plan.”   

 Of course Anna was well aware that time was running out and it was impossible not to get caught up in the Doctor’s urgency but as she glanced over at Adam she saw the same questioning look in his eyes.

 “Hang on a minute Doctor…I know the Universe is ending and this is going to come across as very selfish but…”

 Anna beckoned for Adam to move beside her, ignoring Ivana’s heavy sigh and exclamation of “What now!” Anna simply glared back at this hostile woman that had taken over the TARDIS and seemed to have her feet firmly under the “console”. With Adam now standing beside her, Anna’s resolve strengthened as she straightened back her shoulders and folded her arms.

 “But I’m not moving another step until you tell us what’s going on Doctor.”

 “Oh must we do this now?” The Doctor murmured reluctantly, this wasn’t quite how he pictured the moment of truth but then he gave a knowing smile and shrugged his shoulders, when did anything ever go exactly to plan.