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Alf cautiously opened the kitchen door and looked around with interest. She wrinkled up her nose and moved to the table, where some plates had been laid out among other assorted artefacts. She picked up a blackened circuit board and fingered it gingerly. What would a batty old woman, working in a casino, want with complex electronic circuitry? She remembered Humba’s warning and squeezed her lips together in determination. It was time she rescued the Doctor. If he were being kept here against his will, where would he be? If you were a mad old woman, she thought to herself, where would you hide a portly Time Lord… the attic! That was usual in these circumstances. She pulled open the door, which obviously led deeper into the house and slipped through. On the other side of the door was a narrow corridor, at the bottom of which was another door, also closed. Little did Alf know, it was all that lay between her and the Doctor. She stopped halfway down, where a flight of carpeted stairs led upwards. Treading carefully, and wincing as each successive step creaked seemingly to spite her, she slowly ascended. Nick flexed his fingers. They were shaking. He felt like he had had an electric shock. What had happened to him? He had dressed quickly and been about to try and find a way out of this wretched house, when something had knocked him senseless like a well-aimed frying pan. It had not been an actual blow, this he felt sure. It was almost like being wired up to a generator and suddenly realising someone had just thrown the switch. Last night had been amazing. Yet despite it all Nick still wanted to find Cy, but he knew he had to get back to the TARDIS and run himself through the medi-scanner first. He could not face Cy like this. He needed to be himself again. Then… well, who knows? The bedroom door flew open and Alf burst in. Nick could not remember being so pleased to see anyone in his life before. ‘Nick!’ Alf yelled, running forward to hug him. She froze before she got to him, realising that he was slumped against the headboard of the bed with his arms limp and lifeless, his eyes bloodshot and half-closed. ‘Nick! What have they done to you?’ Nick smiled weakly and pulled himself forwards. ‘I’m okay,’ he said hoarsely. ‘Just… just get me out of here…’ Alf moved to his side, and began to help him up. ‘Have you seen the Doctor?’ she asked, helping him to sit up. Nick raised a hand to his head and rubbed it without answering. He shook his head. ‘Never mind. Come on, you have to try and walk.’ Nick swung his legs over the side of the bed. The room fell heavily around him when he tried to put any weight on his feet. Alf slipped her arm round his waist. It felt good. It felt SO good to be close to her again. He had not realised how much. This did not take anything away from what had happened yesterday with Cy, but he did love Alf. He had been sure of this for some time. Maybe if he told her… maybe if she felt the same… then he would not keep thinking about Cy. He was sure he could forget him, if only he was allowed to. Alf slumped back on the bed next to Nick in resigned defeat. ‘This is not going to work,’ she whispered to him. ‘I don’t know what they’ve given you, but I’m not going to be able to get you out of here, Nick.’ ‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured, feeling his eyes closing once more. She patted him on the leg, stroking her cheek in thought. ‘I’m going to have to get help.’ She turned to Nick. ‘Listen, I’m going back to the village. I know someone that can help get you out of here. But it’s quite a way. You’re going to have to cope on your own until I get back.’ ‘Please don’t go,’ Nick begged. He felt sick to his stomach. ‘I’ll be back soon.’ Alf promised. She thought for a moment. ‘Listen, Nick. Be careful. We found a body in the village. A man. We think that a woman called Vera has something to do with it. So watch out.’ Giving him one final glance, she slipped out the room and closed the bedroom door behind her. Nick closed his eyes and fell back to sleep. Vera sobbed into a big spotty hanky. ‘Oh, Doctor. I just can’t keep anything from you. I’m such a stupid old woman. A stupid, stupid, stupid, silly, stupid…’ ‘Oh come now, Vera. Blow your nose and wipe those tears away. It can’t be as bad as all of that.’ The Doctor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she made a snorting, burbling sound into her handkerchief. ‘Oh thank you, Doctor,’ she sobbed. ‘You’re such a comfort in my time of need. If only my Barry had been more like you.’ ‘Yes, well let’s not go over all that again,’ the Doctor said. ‘Now then, what’s this about Professor Endlemann? He was here at some point I take it?’ ‘Oh yes, he lives in the cellar, Doctor,’ Vera explained. ‘In the cellar? How very odd.’ ‘Well not exactly lives, just… works really. On the project. Oh Doctor, it’s so nice to have someone to talk to. You’ve no idea what a burden it’s been.’ ‘I’m sure. And what is the project concerned with?’ ‘Conservation.’ Vera told him. ‘I’m a conservationist!’ ‘Hmmm,’ the Doctor pondered. ‘I’d like to see what it is you’ve been conserving.’ ‘Oh no Doctor,’ she replied, suddenly scared. ‘You can’t interrupt the work. And Cy would be really cross if he knew I’d told you. You can’t tell him you know! You just can’t! Promise me you won’t Doctor!’ ‘Yes, yes all right.’ The Doctor tried to calm her down again. ‘We’ll talk about this later. Right now I’d better be making contact with Nick and Alf. I wonder where they’ve got to.’ ‘Nick?’ echoed Vera. ‘My Cy brought a Nick home last night.’ ‘Did he indeed.’ ‘Yes…’ Vera trailed off, before her eyes suddenly opened wider than saucers. ‘Bugger it - the eggs!’ She tottered into the kitchen and the Doctor rolled his eyes.
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