Lost In Time: A Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter 79 - A Deal With a Conman

Lyssa struggled to keep her face calm as she left the hospital property and entered the army camp outside with the other nurses behind the soldiers. The nurses quickly scattered to various parts of the camp, one pairing up with a soldier and slipping off into one of the tents. 

Trying to assume an air of confidence and purpose, Lyssa held her head high and strode towards the gates, various excuses she could use if questioned flying through her head. She was almost there when she spotted one of the guards glance at her, then furrow his brow. Her heart sunk, but she kept going, silently praying he wouldn't stop her. 

"You there, where do you think you're going?" he demanded angrily. "Everyone's supposed to report for medical to be checked for signs of infection after visiting the hospital!"

She hadn't even considered that they might quarantine those who visited the hospital. She opened her mouth, stuttering as she tried to come up with an excuse that wouldn't fall apart right away. A heavy arm fell around her shoulders, tugging her close into the side of a warm body.

She froze, glancing up in terror and shock at the face of her - attacker? Friend? Absolute stranger?

Apparently none of them, as Jack Harkness glanced down at her with a wink and a smile before turning back to the sergeant, still keeping her tucked into him as she was too frozen to resist. "Ah, sorry about that," he chuckled sheepishly in an American accent that sounded almost strange now after so long surrounded by English accents, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. "She wasn't actually with the others in the hospital. She didn't come into contact with anything in there."

"And how would you know this, Sir?" the sergeant asked hesitantly, a lot more respectful once he saw the rank bars on Jack's shoulders. "Begging your pardon, Sir, but I saw her coming out with the others."

Jack made a show of glancing about for listening ears before leaning in as if to impart a great secret, the guard doing likewise. "Well, you caught me. Or, us, I should say." He heaved a sigh, hanging his head slightly. "We were in the hospital. But not with the others." He rubbed the back of his neck again, shuffling his feet slightly. 

"I mean, nothing too scandalous, of course," he hastened to assure the wide-eyed man. "But there is a certain thrill to making out in public -" He cleared his throat. "Anyways, rest assured, my good man." He clapped the soldier on the shoulder. "She is fine," he said with emphasis, glancing down at her with an approving look.

Her cheeks flared. Was he - flirting with her?

The poor sergeant cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well. Be that as it may, it's still protocol for everyone who comes out of that hospital to be checked out by medical. I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist, Sir."

"Oh, don't worry. I've checked her out," Jack assured him. "But if you insist, I'll check her out again." He winked at him. "I'm very good at checking people out, as a matter of fact. I might as well have a degree."

Lyssa bit her tongue to keep from responding, torn between punching the conman or digging a hole in the dirt and burying her head in it, as if that would help. 

"Well..." The man looked uncertain.

"I actually do have a medical degree, I just don't like to brag," Jack told him in a whisper, pulling a small leather wallet out of his pocket and flipping it open to reveal a slip of paper, holding it up to the sergeant, who looked appropriately surprised. "I do know what I'm doing. But I actually had an important message I needed to deliver to her, which is why I pulled her aside. Top secret, you understand. Don't tell anyone."

Looking much more confident now that they  were discussing matters he felt comfortable with, the sergeant nodded. "Won't breathe a word of it, Sir," he assured him.