CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

RECOVERY

“By the way, Klaus, have I thanked you, yet, for not killing me?” Jason said sardonically as he covered his patient with a blanket.

The officer had withstood the extremely intimate and admittedly humiliating process while all the cuts on his legs were repaired. He had also kept his promise not to fight the procedure, although this did not stop him from expressing his displeasure the entire time. When Jason announced that he was going to bathe him, another stream of expletives was triggered. The Alterran ignored the outburst, ending the fight by threatening to return to his true form and meticulously sponge down every inch of the officer’s body.

Finally, the Major was clean and dry, his wounds dressed. Unlike the Earl, whose vanity demanded that his bruises be concealed, the Major’s injuries had been treated with a clear dressing.

Klaus allowed himself to relax slightly when a second blanket was thrown over him. He gave an indignant snort at Jason’s remark, being inwardly grateful that this was all the Healer would expect of him. He was completely exhausted and incapable of fighting any longer. It was obvious Jason intended to keep him naked in order to monitor his injuries, much to his extreme annoyance. But as long has he was completely covered, the Major decided that he would refrain from objecting. For the time being, anyway.

Jason checked the monitors at the Major’s bedside, making a few entries into the computer. Then he threw a quick glance over at his patient. It was all too obvious the officer was struggling to stay awake and Jason could not help but admire the man’s tenacity. “Klaus, you get some rest,” he said conversationally. “I need to leave you on your own for a bit while I check on Turlough.”

This was enough to gain the Major’s full attention. “How is he?”

“Out of danger and responding well.”

“Good.”

Jason gave the Major a sympathetic look. “You’re not still feeling guilty about what happened to him, are you?”

“What do you think?” the officer said frostily. “A civilian I was responsible for was almost killed because of my incompetence.”

“Bullshit. I don’t believe that for a minute. I might’ve before, but not now.”

The Major gave Jason a questioning look. “Why not now?”

“Because if that thing can get hold of Iron Klaus, it can get hold of anyone.”

Klaus gave a non-committal grunt.

“There’s nothing you could’ve done to prevent that thing from deciding to play Jack the Ripper and carve someone up.”

“I don’t know if I believe…” the Major’s voice trailed off. “Carve someone up?”

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “What?”

Klaus gave him a stunned look. “When they threatened to throw the Earl into the booth, I told them they could carve him up for Christmas dinner for all I cared.”

Jason’s mouth dropped open. “My…God…”

“And Lord Gloria said something about them taking me to an interrogation room for torture.”

Jason’s eyes were wide and staring off into the distance. “It’s using our—your—words against you,” he said quietly. “It must’ve picked up your mental images then.”

The Major did not reply, turning away. This only made matters worse.

Jason sighed heavily but did not go into it further. He had something else on his mind. “Dorian will be insisting on seeing you, you realize.”

The Major turned back, his eyes wide. “No. Don’t you let that pervert anywhere near me.”

“Klaus…”

“Nein!”

“You insisted on seeing him,” Jason pointed out.

“That was different.”

“How?”

“He’s only here because of me. The KGB thought they could use him to get to me, bloody idiots. He’s my responsibility.”

“Because he’s a civilian?”

“Exactly.”

Jason’s eyes flickered. Yeah, right. The man would rather face a firing squad than admit to being concerned about anyone, especially Dorian. “Is that the only reason?”

The Major gave the Alterran a steady look. “If you let that faggot in here alone, he’ll have these blankets off me in two seconds. The bloody pervert’s been trying to see me naked for years.” He gritted his teeth and grudgingly admitted, “And I don’t have the strength to stop him, and you know it.”

“Ah.” A smile started to blossom on Jason’s face. “He’ll have a bit of a problem, then. You’re inside an exclusion field.”

“A what?” This was a new one. More alien technology, no doubt.

“An exclusion field.” Jason indicated the glow surrounding the bed upon which the Major was lying. “The sterile field can filter out all kinds of things. I’ve reset the parameters to only allow specific individuals through, utilizing their DNA.”

“Meaning?”

“Dorian won’t be able to touch you. Only the Doctor and I can get through the field.”

Klaus blinked, giving the Alterran a stunned look. “When did you do that?”

“Reset the parameters, you mean?”

“Yes.”

The grin on Jason’s face continued to widen. “As soon as I turned it on,” he replied. “Klaus, I really like Dorian. But that doesn’t mean I trust him. Even if I do tell him he can’t come in, we both know he’ll try to sneak in anyway.”

The Major closed his eyes and sighed heavily. This was true, damn the man. He’d done it before.* Although he doubted Eroica could do too much sneaking around in the TARDIS.
*Intermission

“Well?” Jason asked.

“If you must let the Earl in,” Klaus said at last, “at least do it while I’m asleep so I won’t have to listen to any of his foppish nonsense.”

* * *

Jason was surprised to find the Doctor in Turlough’s room and Dorian conspicuous by his absence. He soon learned that the Doctor had sent the Earl off to get some rest without telling him what had happened to the Major.

“You didn’t tell him?” Jason said in surprise.

“No. I rather thought he’s had enough shocks to his system,” the Doctor replied calmly.

Jason gave him a sideways look. “And you also rather thought that I should be the one giving him the next shock.”

Turlough gave a small laugh at the guilty expression this produced. “He’s got you there, Doctor.”

“I’m glad someone’s getting back to normal,” Jason said coolly, giving the boy a quick check. He asked a battery of questions, finally giving a nod of approval. “Yes, I can officially say you are out of danger and on the road to recovery.”

“What about the Major?” the Doctor asked.

Jason gave him a steady look, his expression grave. “I’d rather not say.”

The Doctor decided not to press further, his face darkening considerably. He threw a quick glance over at Turlough, recalling Jason’s equally pessimistic outlook following the young man’s surgery.

“From your expression,” Jason observed, “I can only assume the CIA is up to their usual standards.”

The Doctor drew a deep breath. “They’re checking into it,” he replied, a distinct edge to his voice. “Meaning we’ll have this sorted out six ways to Sunday before they decide to contact me again.”

“I am trying very hard not to say I told you so.”

“And I’m afraid I have more bad news…” the Doctor said grimly.

Jason’s eyes narrowed. “What…?”

“Apparently, your tranquilizer doesn’t have the same effect on the alien as it does on humans,” the Doctor began slowly. “It seems it vanished into thin air half an hour after it was locked up.”

Jason put a hand to his head. “Wonderful.”

* * *

Several hours after being sent off to rest, Eroica returned to Turlough’s room to find Jason there. He was sitting beside the boy, who had a laptop computer open on a bed table.

Jason looked up when the Earl entered, all smiles. This is not going to be fun, he thought darkly.

Eroica saw the grave expression on both men’s faces and stopped dead. “What?” he asked suspiciously.

“Dorian, sit down,” Jason said calmly.

“Why? What’s happened?”

Jason got to his feet. “Dorian, please, I have to tell you something…”

Eroica’s eyes were wide as saucers. “Something’s happened to the Major, hasn’t it?” He threw an angry look over to the door. “The bloody KGB—”

“No, not the KGB this time.”

Eroica’s eyes narrowed in bewilderment. Not the KGB? Who else was there? “Oh, hell!” he exclaimed, a hand going to his mouth. “That…thing?”

“Yes.”

“When? How?” By this time, Eroica was on the verge of hysterics. He didn’t know if he wanted to cry or if he wanted to kill someone. He was also trembling badly and only vaguely aware of Jason guiding him to a seat.

“Do you want some water?” the Alterran asked gently.

“I want to see him.”

A small smile came to Jason’s face. “Dorian…”

“Bugger trying to talk me out of it, Jason,” Eroica snapped. “I want to see him. Now!”

“Well, you can’t,” Jason stated flatly.

“I’ll break into the room.”

“I have the Doctor reconfigure the TARDIS interior and move it.”

Eroica blinked. “What?” This reply was so unexpected it cooled his anger instantly.

“The TARDIS interior isn’t fixed. The Doctor can reprogram it whenever he likes.” Jason threw a knowing look in Turlough’s direction. “Although, the old girl has been known to change corridors around of her own volition from time to time.”

Turlough gave a groan upon hearing this. “Yes, she has,” he replied. He had spent the better part of a day trying to find his way back to the console room once when the TARDIS decided to change where one particular door led.

“If you try to sneak into the Major’s room before I’m ready to let you in,” Jason was saying, “I’ll have the Doctor remove the door out there and put it somewhere else.”

Eroica stared at the Alterran for nearly a minute. “You can be very cruel, Jason,” he said at last.

Jason could not help but laugh. “Listen to the pot calling the kettle black!” He received a wounded look in reply. “Don’t give me that injured two year old look again,” he admonished. “I’m not buying it.”

Eroica gave an indignant snort.

“I’m not letting you in to see the Major until he’s out of recovery and that’s final,” Jason stated flatly.

Eroica felt his heart miss a beat. Recovery. Just how badly did that thing hurt him? He gave Jason a searching look, but chose not to ask. In fact, he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know all the details. Not yet, anyway.

Suddenly Jason was getting to his feet. “I’ll be back to get you as soon as Klaus is out of recovery, okay?” So saying, he vanished through the door.

Eroica sat back, his eyes widening. “Klaus…?”

* * *

After waiting impatiently for nearly three hours, Eroica was finally standing in front of the door to the Major’s room. Jason was in front of him, his face more serious than the Earl had ever seen it.

“Dorian, you know the ground rules…” Jason began calmly.

“Of course,” Eroica replied breezily. “Look, but don’t touch. You’re no fun anymore.” In the time since he learned of the creature’s attack on the Major, and he had been able to recover his composure enough not to completely go to pieces when Jason came to get him.

“Dorian, I’m trying to be serious.”

“Well, I’m not,” Eroica replied bluntly. “I don’t know what to expect on the other side of that door. And you won’t bloody tell me!”

Jason lowered his eyes and sighed. He looked up, giving his friend a piercing look. “Klaus is in bad shape. But I’m sure you’ve already figured that out.”

“How bad?”

“Extremely critical.”

“Is he going to die?”

Jason hesitated. “Not if I can help it.”

“Oh, God!”

“Now, this is exactly why I didn’t tell you anything,” Jason said reprovingly. “You’re already panicking.”

“No, no, I’m fine.” Eroica waved a hand in the air.

Jason was less than convinced but did not remark on it. “One more thing. Please, don’t wake him.”

“Jason…”

“I mean it. He’s extremely weak and needs all the rest he can get. You know how worked up he gets when you’re around.”

Eroica opened his mouth to remark on this and checked himself. If he started making off color remarks, Jason might make good on his threat to have the room moved. He had learned from Turlough that he had not been making this up. The Doctor could change the interior of the TARDIS around, and probably would if the Alterran asked him to.

“And,” Jason was saying, “he said that if you insisted on this, I was to bring you when he was asleep.”

“So he wouldn’t have to see me,” Eroica concluded.

“Yes.”

“That is so like the Major.”

“Yes. The last thing he needs is for you to start pushing his buttons.”

Eroica had to stifle a giggle. “Jason, I’m trying very hard not to respond to that.”

“Dorian.”

“I know, not now.”

Jason sighed heavily. The man was impossible. “Do you agree to Klaus’s terms, or do I go in with you?”

“I promise, I’ll be as quiet as a mouse,” Eroica replied, crossing his chest with one hand. “Cross my heart.” The Alterran gave him a disapproving sideways glance. “Jason, if there’s one thing I know, it’s stealth.”

The Alterran nodded, standing aside to allow the Earl to enter. A voice in the back of his head told him that the thief would break his promise the minute he was inside the room. Not that it mattered. Dorian was in for a nasty surprise the moment he tried anything.

* * *