Doctor Who: Nightshade Part 20

held out her hands before her. The skin was tight and 'Robin! Oh, thank G.o.d!' cried Lawrence, springing to his wrinkled like a chicken's, large liver spots speckling every feet and scooping up the boy in his arms.

finger. She turned to look at Jill, her eyes full of regret and 'What's wrong, Dad?'

what could only be bitterness.

'Thank G.o.d. Thank G.o.d,' Lawrence muttered, burying his face in Robin's coat.

Robin enjoyed the walk into the village, despite the cold.

'Where's Betty?'

This wasn't his favourite time of year by any means. He was Lawrence drew back a little and Robin saw the puffy a summer boy, content to potter around in his T-s.h.i.+rt and redness of his eyes for the first time.

shorts during the dog days of July and August, playing 'What happened up there? Did it get you too?' Lawrence football with the lads from work well into the balmy night.

said in a gabbled shriek.

Sometimes he would put in a few hours behind the bar at 'What?'

the pub and this, in addition to his wage from the 'How come you're all right and she's...'

newspaper office in York, usually meant he could save Robin took him by the shoulders and shook him. 'Where's enough for a holiday. By the summer of 1969 he hoped to Mum?' He looked Lawrence straight in the eyes. 'She was have enough to get to Italy. Or maybe Brazil for the World sleeping when I left her.'

Cup the year after.

Lawrence's face fell. 'You left her?'

But now things had taken an unexpected turn. This girl, Robin licked his dry lips. 'I had to go. The Doctor...'

Ace, whom he'd only known a day or so, had totally floored 'You left her? How could you do that? How could you?'

him. And, wonderfully, she seemed to feel the same way too.

Robin shook him desperately. 'What's wrong? Where is It was early days, of course, and he wasn't getting his hopes she?'

up, but maybe he was on to something good here.

Lawrence turned on him. 'She's dead, you selfish little She had b.a.l.l.s. Not real ones, of course (though he b.a.s.t.a.r.d!'

suspected a few of his previous girlfriends had). No, it was 'What?' Robin's voice was leaden.

176.

177.

'I left you in charge. I thought I could trust you!'

Trevithick shrugged helplessly. 'Listen, George, we have 'I've got to see her...'

to talk...'

Trevithick laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. 'No, son. It'll 'Hang on a minute, Edmund.' Lowc.o.c.k turned to do no good. You'll only upset yourself.' Robin shrugged Medway who was hovering by the door. 'Edmund him off angrily. 'Get off me!'

Trevithick, this is Mr Medway of the BBC. Come to see you.'

Lawrence grabbed Robin by the shoulder, spun him Trevithick frowned, as though annoyed that something so round and cracked him across the face. A ribbon of blood trivial should get in his way now. 'Hmm? Oh, yes, yes.

trickled from his nose. He looked at Lawrence and then Pleased to meet you.'

down at the floor.

Medway sat down, smiling in a baffled sort of way.

'How could you?' hissed Lawrence. 'How could you?'

'Listen, George,' continued Trevithick. 'Robin says that he Robin marched towards the stairs.

and that Doctor fellow found Jack Prudhoe's body out on Trevithick sat Lawrence down and pushed the inevitable the moor.'

gla.s.s of whiskey into his hand. He could hear Robin's 'Good Lord.'

footsteps above. There was a long, pregnant silence Trevithick moved closer to the policeman and whispered.

followed by a dreadful, hollow moan. Moments later, Robin 'Died the same way as Betty, it seems.'

clattered unsteadily down the stairs.

Lowc.o.c.k sat down heavily. 'Whatever next?' He took off 'Hardly anything left of her,' he croaked, running his his hat and laid it on the table before him. 'There have been...

hand over his face.

further developments, Edmund. Your Miss Mason and her Trevithick nodded sadly. 'We don't know what happened, coach party have had an accident.'

son, but the police are doing everything they can.'

Trevithick gasped, his lopsided mouth falling open.

Robin looked dazedly at the old man. 'I've seen it before.'

'It's all right. They're all fine except the driver, poor devil.

'What?'

Isn't that right, Mr Medway?'

'I've seen it before. Out on the moor. Me and the Doctor.

'Yes. They're all up at the monastery.'

We found Jack Prudhoe. He's dead. Same... same thing.'

Lowc.o.c.k puffed out his cheeks. 'It seems they experienced Trevithick felt suddenly scared.

the same symptoms as you and I yesterday, Lol.'

Lawrence looked at Robin. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean...'

Lawrence turned his head and raised raw, exhausted eyes.

Robin looked blank. 'I've got to go,' he stammered and 'Sickness. Nausea,' continued Lowc.o.c.k. 'Driver lost ran from the room.

control.'

Lowc.o.c.k and Medway stepped back as the pub door ' "Like we couldn't get out of the village" ,' said burst open and Robin dashed past them towards the moor Trevithick quietly.

path. Grimacing, Lowc.o.c.k stepped inside.

Lowc.o.c.k started. 'Eh?'

'Everything all right?' he said quietly.

'Isn't that what you said this morning? About last night?'

178.

179.

Lowc.o.c.k sat back, frowning, and then roused himself.

through. Hawthorne was absent, something for which Vijay 'Anyway, this won't get the was.h.i.+ng done!' he said cheerily.

was hugely grateful.

'Lol, I want you to come with me to Mrs Ba.s.s's B and B. No The double doors opened and the Doctor strode into the sense you staying here and upsetting yourself.'

room. He nodded to each of them and put down his pile of Lawrence nodded dumbly and allowed himself to be led books on a bench.

from his chair to the door. Lowc.o.c.k turned to Medway and 'Ah, good,' cried Cooper, joining him.

Trevithick. 'I'll leave you two to get acquainted.' He tipped 'Steady signals,' said the Doctor, casting a glance at the his hat and helped Lawrence outside to the car.

console screens.

Medway looked at Trevithick rather uncomfortably. 'I...

'Yes, but not from the nova. Something else.'

er ... I seem to have come at a rather bad time.'

'A build-up of some kind. As if it were gaining strength.'

Trevithick chuckled. 'You can say that again.'

'As if what were gaining strength?' said Vijay, looking up.

'Of course, I won't detain you any further. We'll arrange 'That's what we have to find out.'

to meet some time in the New Year.'

He sat down in a swivel chair and cleared his throat. 'I Trevithick stood up and pushed the whiskey bottle think it's time we examined a few facts.'

towards the newcomer. 'Nonsense,' he cried, pulling two Holly rose from her chair and sat next to Vijay, allowing gla.s.ses from the bar. 'I won't hear of it.'

his arm to snake around her shoulders.

Medway looked at the bottle gingerly. The old boy was 'Go on,' said Cooper, folding her arms.

probably half cut already. 'Well, I'll help if I can.'

'Firstly, this station is not the only thing to occupy this site.

'That's it exactly,' said Trevithick, a little unsteadily. He There was quarry work here, thousands of years ago, and a felt in his pocket for the old army service revolver which he twelfth-century castle too. The castle was unoccupied for had retrieved from his room. He was rather glad, now, that most of its life because it was reputed to be haunted.'

he had bothered to keep it in good condition. That creature 'Oh come on, Doctor. We have enough problems in the wouldn't catch him napping again.

material world ...' began Cooper.

'First of all,' he said to Medway, 'you can sit there and The Doctor held up his hands. 'Bear with me, bear with listen. I want to tell you what's been going on...'

me. During the English Civil Wars, the castle was occupied Vijay was having trouble concentrating. Every few by a small troop of Cavaliers who saw something that minutes he would cast an anxious glance across the control terrified them. Afterwards, the castle was destroyed by fire.

room to where Holly was sitting, seemingly absorbed in her 'In 1919, an archaeological expedition was launched, work. Vijay suspected that she was just functioning ostensibly to dig up the ancient quarry. But it was automatically in order to blot out her recent experiences.

abandoned after several prominent members disappeared.'

Cooper was running around the room like a thing Cooper harrumphed. 'I still don't see what you're getting possessed, ruffling her hair perplexedly as fresh data came at.'

180.

181.

'I would've dismissed this stuff as superst.i.tion just as 'Well, what is he trying to suggest? That we're being readily as you were it not for some striking parallels. Two plagued by demons?'

people have died, that much we know. A third, Dr 'Look, Tom, we've all been under a lot of stress...'

Shearsmith, is missing. Mrs Yeadon at The Shepherd's Cross Hawthorne stalked across the room, eyes blazing. 'No!

has been confined to bed after claiming to see her brother's I'm sorry, Dr Cooper, but I think I've been quiet too long.