Doctor Who: One by One

Scene 10 - My old friend

The massive red lever has been switched, locking the doors. The scanner is opened. The TARDIS begins dematerializing off with the groaning, wheezing noise. Whilst the Doctor is busy at work at the control console, Tegan and Nyssa join him around the hexagon-shaped panel with the centre column rising and lowering, looping repeatedly with the lights brightening up.

Doctor:

Well, everyone.

Nyssa:

Doctor, you sure your nose is fine?

Doctor:

It will heal fast in due course. Oh, I didn't really ask you, you sure you didn't want to stay back there. Help mankind explore the deepest corners of the universe?

Nyssa:

(Smiling) Nope. And besides, here we can go see anything at any time we wish.

Tegan:

And the Voord?

Doctor:

Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure the Voord Chief will live up to his reputation much longer when he gets back to the rest of his people.

Nyssa:

Why?

Doctor:

For a Voord, Nyssa, the flesh exposed is the most dishonourable thing it can do. Especially a Voord Chief.

Nyssa:

Hmm. Strange creatures. And all those people it killed. Just to protect its own race it would go to such great lengths.

Doctor:

And incredibly dangerous.

Tegan:

Doctor?

Doctor:

Hmmm?

Tegan:

Are we... all good, now?

There is a long silence from the Doctor. He is thinking deeply to himself.

Doctor:

You know when I was rushing down the corridors...

Nyssa:

What?

Doctor:

Oh it was probably nothing. Just my imagination. I hope.

Tegan:

You were going to say something about earlier.

Doctor

Yes. I did seem to be rather tetchy earlier and I'm sorry. It was this thought that I've had for a long time. About my past.

Nyssa and Tegan turn to each other.

Nyssa:

Go on.

Doctor:

I've been with this ship for over 750 years now. And now I'm starting to think about my past. About the things I've done, to my old friends. And they've all gone now. That's why I don't want to lose you two. I'm not losing anyone else again. And I don't want that to happen again. You two, and Adric... Were the first faces this face ever saw.

Tegan:

Of course, we're here for you. We always will be.

Nyssa:

We always make it out in the end.

Doctor:

Yes. I know. But that's why I don't want you to leave. But, if you do then that's fine. It's up to you Nyssa. But Adric...

Tegan:

We all know how you feel, Doctor. And we want to forget about what happened to him too.

Nyssa:

And he was so young too. We could have jumped back in and got him.

Tegan:

Or for all we know he could have got into an escape pod.

Nyssa:

But we aren't sure. That's what is still on our minds even at this stage.

Tegan:

And the worst bit is that none of us even liked him.

Nyssa:

But, he saved the Earth from the Cybermen.

Doctor:

And that is why I can't forget it. I have just such a terrible guilt about it.

Tegan:

So do we.

Nyssa:

So do we all.

The Doctor is thinking about an old friend of his. A very old friend.

Doctor:

You know, something else that has been on my mind for a while is a very old friend of mine, Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart.

Tegan:

Someone from the army?

Doctor:

From UNIT. United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. When the Time Lords exiled me to Earth in the late 20th century I worked for an organization that investigated new and unusual threats to mankind, including alien invasions. Trouble is that I never really said farewell to old Alistair.

Nyssa:

Should we pay him a visit?

Doctor:

Perhaps. I shall plot a course.

Tegan:

Well, in the meantime Nyssa and I are going for a swim in the pool.

Doctor:

Ok. Enjoy.

Both depart from the console room, shutting the door behind them. The Doctor has left on his own in the console room once again, marvelling at the stars in the universe the scanner displays whilst delicately cleaning the console with his orange cloth, whilst stroking parts of the ship.

You defiantly need a new paint job old girl.

He then wanders over to the computer scanner for the TARDIS Index File, programing the information about the Black Guardian. After reading the information we do not see, he turns to us and stares into us, deeply.

Perhaps one day it will return. One day.

End.

(End credits)