Fic: People With Guns (Mace/Price)
Title: People With Guns
Character: New Who UNIT, OA (Original Aliens)
Pairing: Mace/Price (Well it is me)
Rating: PG-15, Violence, Tragic situations.
Spoilers: Set after 'The Sontaran Stratagem', 'The Poison Sky' and 'The Doctor's Daughter' (Martha's back in UNIT)
Disclaimer: Doctor Who/UNIT is not mine it all belong to some higher power. Not me. Alas.
A/N: You didn't think that I'd leave you without any more of my random Mace/Price fics did you? Never. The sequel to this is an impressive size already and I've got a fic that I'm writing as a birthday present which hopefully (but unlikely) will be done soon. Also this isn't BETAed so please forgive any mistakes that you see. My e-mail doesn't seem to like hellenebright very much and keeps eating all my e-mails to and from her. So I thought I might as well post it. Been living on the harddrive for long enough. Title from quote in 'The Sontaran Stratagem', Doctor: Your wearing a gun, I don't like people with guns.
Summary: Doctor Martha Jones has the voice of a nightingale. But what happens when she sings the wrong song?
UNIT didn’t do undercover operations; they were Torchwood’s area, with its dirty underhand tricks and its false identity papers. UNIT preferred to have its business out in the open with strategies and plans rather than sneaking into areas and trying to integrate itself into the suspicious dealings. They did of course have operatives and agents who looked into devious systems and organisations and who gave UNIT headquarters detailed information on them. But the Unified Intelligence Taskforce was a uniformed, military organisation, in ever sense of the word.
‘So’, wondered Colonel Mace, ‘Why was he out of uniform whilst on duty?’
He refused to think of it as undercover, it was almost sacrilege to think of it as so. Even so he didn’t like what they were doing. Creeping around the East End of London in disguise. They were acting like Torchwood and Mace promised himself that he’d have words with Dr Jones. There were only fifty operatives involved in this operation, and only three officer’s, himself, Captain Price and Major Blackman. Jones had accompanied the trip on her own insistence.
She’d changed since the Doctor had visited with the Sontaran Invasion. She’s started to change before he had even arrived, requesting that her gun be handed in for the length of the Doctor’s tenure. She had refused to take it back, saying that the only weapons she needed were her words. Despite being told that this was a military organisation and that under the laws of UNIT all military personal were required to be armed on duty, she refused.
Mace allowed her to remain onsite as UNIT’s medical operative three because of her; close links to the Doctor- who was still registered as on staff- and her almost unique alien knowledge.
However when she heard that there was going to be a storming of the East End because of illegal alien activity and suspected evil intent she flew into a rage. And all but stormed into Colonel Mace’s office. Captain Price intercepted.
“What on earth are you trying to do?”
“Doctor Jones, I take it you have heard about Operation Green Bolt?”
“Certainly I have, and you just can’t do it.”
“I’m afraid that it’s already been planned, it is out of my jurisdiction to alter the plans that have been laid.”
“It’s completely unethical, the area will be full of people, they could get hurt.”
“Civilians will be airlifted out, it has been planned, we’re evacuated the whole of London before now, we’ll soon clear a few streets.”
“But it’s not the best way to address it, it’s not what the Doctor would do.”
Mace entered his office as Martha uttered those words and looked at her. Captain Price turned away from Martha and started entering information into the nearest computer.
“What you are clearly forgetting Dr. Jones is that we are not The Doctor and we have limitations that the Doctor, clearly, does not have. However we do also have things that the Doctor doesn’t, like man power and military planning and these are what we use to our own advantage.”
“But there is so much risk, can’t you see that Colonel? So many people could die if we go in there, all guns blazing, why don’t we just sneak in?”
“That’s not the military way Doctor Jones.”
“It’s how Torchwood would do it.”
“This is not Torchwood, we are often left to clear up Torchwood’s mess. We are also not a tangent of the Doctor, we have to be independent.”
“We can’t risk their lives. We’re meant to be protecting the people of Earth, no endangering them!”
“This is as safe as we can manage, evacuating out known civilians and taking minimal operatives into the danger zone.”
“You’re all but announcing your presence to everyone there, alien and human. If you just go subtly, not in uniform for instance, you’ll save more lives.”
“That’s Torchwood’s way of going about things.”
“I’ll inform Torchwood if you don’t.”
“I don’t know why I keep you around, Doctor Jones.”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“Captain?”
Marian’s capped head appeared over the rim of her computer.
“Yes Colonel?”
“Alert members of Operation Green Bolt, that we’re going non-uniform.”
“Already doing so Colonel.”
Mace shook his head slightly and closed his eyes.
“Doctor Jones, if that is all.”
He left the unasked question hanging in the air.
“I’d like to be part of Operation Green Bolt, you’ll need a medic. And I’m the most experienced with ‘undercover’ aren’t I?”
“Of course Doctor Jones, Marian? Sign Doctor Jones onto the operatives list.”
Captain Price nodded and Doctor Jones left the room.
“You walked into that one didn’t you Gerald?”
He sat down at his desk and took off his cap.
“Well you did recruit her didn’t you?”
“I know that Marian, on the advice of the Doctor. There are times during which I wish I hadn’t.”
“You don’t mean that, she’s a brilliant doctor, if a little passionate about The Doctor’s methods.”
“Of course you’re right. And she is a good doctor, I just wish that she respected UNIT as a separate organisation, not linked to Torchwood or yet to the Doctor.”
Captain Price turned her chair to face the Colonel.
“How many plans are going to have to be edited now in Operation Green Bolt?”
“Most of them I could imagine Gerald.”
“Shall we get to work?”
“I suppose so.”
Marian stood up and for a moment Mace wondered where she was going and then she was in front of him.
He reached a hand up to her cheek.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m about to kiss you. Problem with that?”
“We’re meant to be working”
“Who would you report me to? You’re the man in charge.”
Mace let out a small smile and Priced leant forward and kissed him.
His hands went to the back of her neck and hers rested at the back of his head.
They broke apart and she kissed him again on the forehead.
“Come on, work to do.”
Mace was drawn back into the real world by a crackle in his headpiece.
“Aliens sighted in sector four of the building”
Mace sighed and pulled his jacket closer around him. He just didn’t feel comfortable out of uniform.
“Men,” he whispered to the gathering of men surrounding him, “This way.”
Many of them sighed, obviously hoping for more undercover operations as the ground their cigarettes into the dust under their boots.
‘They’d better not get used to this, it’s a one off thing’ Mace thought.
They arrived at sector four with the style and subtly of several small elephants. You can take the man out of the military but you can’t take the military out of the man. After much hushing Mace’s troops were quiet and Mace stepped forward looking for the other patrols.
He saw Major Blackman almost at once. And their patrol was in trouble. It was clearly them who had found the aliens. Blackman was lying unconscious across the ground, alive but injured. There were several UNIT operatives tending to him.
And Doctor Jones was being held hostage.
Of all the things that could have happened anyone being held hostage was not one of them.
And Marian was still not in sight.
And then he saw it. An opening, at the alien’s neck as it turned to talk to its comrades. A weak spot, along the lines of a gill covered with a thin fleshy membrane.
He removed the safety and aimed his gun.
Martha caught his eye and noticed the gun. She drew a deep breath and shouted.
“Don’t shoot, how will you be any better than them if you do?”
Mace reluctantly put the safety back on his gun and put it back in his holster, glaring at Doctor Jones. They were going to exchange words and no mistake when they got back to headquarters.
And then he saw Marian.
Her patrol was integrating itself with Major Blackman’s without detection from the aliens. Luckily. But Marian herself had seen Doctor Jones’s plight and was creeping up behind her with her own gun drawn. She hadn’t seen Mace and there was no way to alert her without drawing attention to her.
There was a flurry of movement and then Doctor Jones was sprawled out on the floor her jeans torn and her face grazed. She scrabbled to her feet and dashed towards Mace and his men.
Five more of the aliens had raced towards their leader, obviously trying to subdue the assailant.
Doctor Jones had reached Mace by now and was standing next to him looking on apprehensively.
Captain Price had been knocked unconscious, properly by the velocity weapons that were being held threateningly. Her head was rolling to the side and she was being held up by the neck by the leader.
“We want-.”
Mace stepped forward into plain view, drawing his gun again before Doctor Jones could stop him.
“Am I suppose to talk…to you?”
The voice was rough, like chalk snapping a brittle, dry noise.
“Yes, I am Colonel Gerald Mace, of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, defending Earth against alien invasion. There may be peaceful negotiation but that has been breached by your attack on Doctor Jones and Captain Price. You will release her and leave. Or we will declare a hostile situation”
“You have no uniform, no real weapons, why should you be believed?”
The leader brought the butt of the weapon down heavily on Marian’s head. A trickle of blood slid down her face and neck, staining her light blue polo shirt.
Mace bit his lip and removed the safety.
“If you shoot, I will do it again.”
“I should shoot you, but I will give you another chance. Let her go.”
“I am afraid that we cannot do that.”
And he hit her again. Twice.
There was a crack, no one could tell if it was her head or the invaders gun. It looked down at her bitterly and threw her to the floor. There was a rebounding crash and Marian rolled slightly, coming to rest with one arm covering her head.
They then started shooting. UNIT operatives fell like tin soldiers. Mace could only hope that they were putting up a fight as Doctor Jones, himself and his patrol was being slowly advanced on by a large proportion of the alien invaders.
“You are to stop this at once.”
“Who are you to demand this?”
“Colonel Mace. UNIT. Earth Defence.”
“Again, these words mean nothing to us.”
“Then sir, this should not come as a surprise.”
And he shot it the throat.
It fell with a cry and its comrades reached for their weapons.
More shots rang out and Mace turned. His patrol had come to their senses and aimed their loaded guns at the aliens.
“Go on men, fire at will. Aim to injure first and only kill if resistance is offered. Save as many as our men that’s possible.”
Doctor Jones dropped down to the nearest victim of the alien weapon and checked her pulse.
“She’s dead I’m afraid. I think they’ll all be dead.”
Mace bowed his head.
“Check the others. Some might still be alive, and then capture as many as you can, we can interrogate them at headquarters.”
Martha stood up slowly and touched Colonel Mace gently on the arm.
“Sir... what about Captain Price?”
He nodded slowly and jogged briskly towards where Marian had been tossed.
She had obviously been pushed since she had fallen as her arm was no longer covering her face but was cradled around her body. Her free hand was loose hanging by the side of her body. Her hair was covering her face, with only the point of her nose pointing out of the light blonde curtain. There was a small pool of blood around her head staining her shirt even more.
A private approached him before he could kneel down and brush her hair out of her eyes and hold her hand, promising it would all be alright.
“Private?”
“Colonel, all invading aliens are dead, it appears to be some sort of suicide pact, or possibly a linked conscious, they all died shortly after you short the first one.”
“Good work Private. Talk to Major Blackman about incineration, I want all of the evidence destroyed.”
“Very good Colonel”
Mace turned back to Marian and Doctor Jones. Martha was kneeling by her side, checking her pulse.
She smiled slightly.
“She’s alive. And breathing.”
Doctor Jones stroked Marian’s cheek lightly.
There was a whispering noise and Doctor Jones lowered her head towards Price’s mouth. Marian’s fingers flexed.
“Ger-Ger-.”
“Hush now.”
She looked towards Mace.
“She wants you.”
Mace nodded and knelt down next to her and took her hands.
“Don’t try to talk Marian, it’s alright dear. It will always be alright”
Marian smiled tightly and consciousness left her like a sigh.
Mace brought her hands to his lips and kissed them gently.
He stood up briskly and turned to look at Doctor Jones.
“Do what you have to and then help treat any other survivors.”
And he walked away without looking back.
Doctor Jones walked into Colonel Mace’s office three days later.
The first thing that she saw was Captain Price’s empty desk. Her influence on the Colonel made conspicuous by her absence.
“Colonel?”
“It’s funny Jones, isn’t it?”
“Sir?”
“The aliens that we dealt with on Tuesday, a whole army of them could be taken out by a single bullet to the throat.”
Doctor Jones looked down ashamed.
“They also have a large sense of honour and military strategy. They respect formation and hierarchy. They would have been more willing to converse rather than fight. We were civilians to them. Do you know how many lives would have been saved if we had approached Operation Green Bolt as a military procedure? There would be 45 UNIT oper-.”
“46, sir, Major Blackman passed away last night.”
“Exactly Jones. Only four operatives survived last night’s operation. It was a massacre, almost bloodless but still a massacre.”
Doctor Jones stood, looking slightly to the left of Mace.
“But anyway doctor, why did you wish to see me?”
“I would like to requisition a weapon Colonel.”
A humourless smile flashed across Mace’s face.
“Four O’clock. Armoury. You’ll get your original weapon returned to you in pristine condition. Is that clear Doctor Jones?”
She nodded and a real smile graced his features.
“You may go Jones.”
“Thank you sir.”
She’d reached the door before she turned and saw Captain Price’s empty desk.
“I’m so sorry Colonel”
“Doctor Jones?”
“About… Captain Price.”
Mace gulped and removed his cap.
Fiddling with the braiding.
“She…she- I heard from the hospital this morning.”
She fiddled with her engagement ring nervously and hid it under neither her other hand.
“She’s in a coma. They don’t know if she’ll wake up.”
And then she started to cry, it wasn’t noisily or even obviously. There were just hot tears falling down her cheeks.
“Come on now Jones. You don’t have to cry.”
“You are Sir.”
He nodded and wiped his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.
“I’m sorry Colonel.”
“It’s not your fault; you don’t have to feel guilty over it.”
“But it is my fault. I asked-”
“You can’t blame yourself for what’s happened to Marian.”
“But-.”
“No buts. This is a dangerous job that we have, there are always going to be casualties.”
“I’m still sorry Colonel.”
He nodded, his voice a little choked when he finally did speak.
“You may go Doctor Jones.”
He was still fiddling with the braiding on his cap.
She nodded and was just about to close the door when Mace spoke again.
“You’re a fantastic Doctor, and you’ve got a brilliant mind Jones. Don’t feel guilty for sticking up for what you believe in. But make sure it is actually what you believe in and not just what the Doctor would expect you to do. You don’t have to be the Doctor’s companion here. You’re a respected person within UNIT for your work done with us. Be your own person Doctor Jones. The Doctor has been known to be wrong. Occasionally.”
Character: New Who UNIT, OA (Original Aliens)
Pairing: Mace/Price (Well it is me)
Rating: PG-15, Violence, Tragic situations.
Spoilers: Set after 'The Sontaran Stratagem', 'The Poison Sky' and 'The Doctor's Daughter' (Martha's back in UNIT)
Disclaimer: Doctor Who/UNIT is not mine it all belong to some higher power. Not me. Alas.
A/N: You didn't think that I'd leave you without any more of my random Mace/Price fics did you? Never. The sequel to this is an impressive size already and I've got a fic that I'm writing as a birthday present which hopefully (but unlikely) will be done soon. Also this isn't BETAed so please forgive any mistakes that you see. My e-mail doesn't seem to like hellenebright very much and keeps eating all my e-mails to and from her. So I thought I might as well post it. Been living on the harddrive for long enough. Title from quote in 'The Sontaran Stratagem', Doctor: Your wearing a gun, I don't like people with guns.
Summary: Doctor Martha Jones has the voice of a nightingale. But what happens when she sings the wrong song?
UNIT didn’t do undercover operations; they were Torchwood’s area, with its dirty underhand tricks and its false identity papers. UNIT preferred to have its business out in the open with strategies and plans rather than sneaking into areas and trying to integrate itself into the suspicious dealings. They did of course have operatives and agents who looked into devious systems and organisations and who gave UNIT headquarters detailed information on them. But the Unified Intelligence Taskforce was a uniformed, military organisation, in ever sense of the word.
‘So’, wondered Colonel Mace, ‘Why was he out of uniform whilst on duty?’
He refused to think of it as undercover, it was almost sacrilege to think of it as so. Even so he didn’t like what they were doing. Creeping around the East End of London in disguise. They were acting like Torchwood and Mace promised himself that he’d have words with Dr Jones. There were only fifty operatives involved in this operation, and only three officer’s, himself, Captain Price and Major Blackman. Jones had accompanied the trip on her own insistence.
She’d changed since the Doctor had visited with the Sontaran Invasion. She’s started to change before he had even arrived, requesting that her gun be handed in for the length of the Doctor’s tenure. She had refused to take it back, saying that the only weapons she needed were her words. Despite being told that this was a military organisation and that under the laws of UNIT all military personal were required to be armed on duty, she refused.
Mace allowed her to remain onsite as UNIT’s medical operative three because of her; close links to the Doctor- who was still registered as on staff- and her almost unique alien knowledge.
However when she heard that there was going to be a storming of the East End because of illegal alien activity and suspected evil intent she flew into a rage. And all but stormed into Colonel Mace’s office. Captain Price intercepted.
“What on earth are you trying to do?”
“Doctor Jones, I take it you have heard about Operation Green Bolt?”
“Certainly I have, and you just can’t do it.”
“I’m afraid that it’s already been planned, it is out of my jurisdiction to alter the plans that have been laid.”
“It’s completely unethical, the area will be full of people, they could get hurt.”
“Civilians will be airlifted out, it has been planned, we’re evacuated the whole of London before now, we’ll soon clear a few streets.”
“But it’s not the best way to address it, it’s not what the Doctor would do.”
Mace entered his office as Martha uttered those words and looked at her. Captain Price turned away from Martha and started entering information into the nearest computer.
“What you are clearly forgetting Dr. Jones is that we are not The Doctor and we have limitations that the Doctor, clearly, does not have. However we do also have things that the Doctor doesn’t, like man power and military planning and these are what we use to our own advantage.”
“But there is so much risk, can’t you see that Colonel? So many people could die if we go in there, all guns blazing, why don’t we just sneak in?”
“That’s not the military way Doctor Jones.”
“It’s how Torchwood would do it.”
“This is not Torchwood, we are often left to clear up Torchwood’s mess. We are also not a tangent of the Doctor, we have to be independent.”
“We can’t risk their lives. We’re meant to be protecting the people of Earth, no endangering them!”
“This is as safe as we can manage, evacuating out known civilians and taking minimal operatives into the danger zone.”
“You’re all but announcing your presence to everyone there, alien and human. If you just go subtly, not in uniform for instance, you’ll save more lives.”
“That’s Torchwood’s way of going about things.”
“I’ll inform Torchwood if you don’t.”
“I don’t know why I keep you around, Doctor Jones.”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
“Captain?”
Marian’s capped head appeared over the rim of her computer.
“Yes Colonel?”
“Alert members of Operation Green Bolt, that we’re going non-uniform.”
“Already doing so Colonel.”
Mace shook his head slightly and closed his eyes.
“Doctor Jones, if that is all.”
He left the unasked question hanging in the air.
“I’d like to be part of Operation Green Bolt, you’ll need a medic. And I’m the most experienced with ‘undercover’ aren’t I?”
“Of course Doctor Jones, Marian? Sign Doctor Jones onto the operatives list.”
Captain Price nodded and Doctor Jones left the room.
“You walked into that one didn’t you Gerald?”
He sat down at his desk and took off his cap.
“Well you did recruit her didn’t you?”
“I know that Marian, on the advice of the Doctor. There are times during which I wish I hadn’t.”
“You don’t mean that, she’s a brilliant doctor, if a little passionate about The Doctor’s methods.”
“Of course you’re right. And she is a good doctor, I just wish that she respected UNIT as a separate organisation, not linked to Torchwood or yet to the Doctor.”
Captain Price turned her chair to face the Colonel.
“How many plans are going to have to be edited now in Operation Green Bolt?”
“Most of them I could imagine Gerald.”
“Shall we get to work?”
“I suppose so.”
Marian stood up and for a moment Mace wondered where she was going and then she was in front of him.
He reached a hand up to her cheek.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m about to kiss you. Problem with that?”
“We’re meant to be working”
“Who would you report me to? You’re the man in charge.”
Mace let out a small smile and Priced leant forward and kissed him.
His hands went to the back of her neck and hers rested at the back of his head.
They broke apart and she kissed him again on the forehead.
“Come on, work to do.”
Mace was drawn back into the real world by a crackle in his headpiece.
“Aliens sighted in sector four of the building”
Mace sighed and pulled his jacket closer around him. He just didn’t feel comfortable out of uniform.
“Men,” he whispered to the gathering of men surrounding him, “This way.”
Many of them sighed, obviously hoping for more undercover operations as the ground their cigarettes into the dust under their boots.
‘They’d better not get used to this, it’s a one off thing’ Mace thought.
They arrived at sector four with the style and subtly of several small elephants. You can take the man out of the military but you can’t take the military out of the man. After much hushing Mace’s troops were quiet and Mace stepped forward looking for the other patrols.
He saw Major Blackman almost at once. And their patrol was in trouble. It was clearly them who had found the aliens. Blackman was lying unconscious across the ground, alive but injured. There were several UNIT operatives tending to him.
And Doctor Jones was being held hostage.
Of all the things that could have happened anyone being held hostage was not one of them.
And Marian was still not in sight.
And then he saw it. An opening, at the alien’s neck as it turned to talk to its comrades. A weak spot, along the lines of a gill covered with a thin fleshy membrane.
He removed the safety and aimed his gun.
Martha caught his eye and noticed the gun. She drew a deep breath and shouted.
“Don’t shoot, how will you be any better than them if you do?”
Mace reluctantly put the safety back on his gun and put it back in his holster, glaring at Doctor Jones. They were going to exchange words and no mistake when they got back to headquarters.
And then he saw Marian.
Her patrol was integrating itself with Major Blackman’s without detection from the aliens. Luckily. But Marian herself had seen Doctor Jones’s plight and was creeping up behind her with her own gun drawn. She hadn’t seen Mace and there was no way to alert her without drawing attention to her.
There was a flurry of movement and then Doctor Jones was sprawled out on the floor her jeans torn and her face grazed. She scrabbled to her feet and dashed towards Mace and his men.
Five more of the aliens had raced towards their leader, obviously trying to subdue the assailant.
Doctor Jones had reached Mace by now and was standing next to him looking on apprehensively.
Captain Price had been knocked unconscious, properly by the velocity weapons that were being held threateningly. Her head was rolling to the side and she was being held up by the neck by the leader.
“We want-.”
Mace stepped forward into plain view, drawing his gun again before Doctor Jones could stop him.
“Am I suppose to talk…to you?”
The voice was rough, like chalk snapping a brittle, dry noise.
“Yes, I am Colonel Gerald Mace, of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce, defending Earth against alien invasion. There may be peaceful negotiation but that has been breached by your attack on Doctor Jones and Captain Price. You will release her and leave. Or we will declare a hostile situation”
“You have no uniform, no real weapons, why should you be believed?”
The leader brought the butt of the weapon down heavily on Marian’s head. A trickle of blood slid down her face and neck, staining her light blue polo shirt.
Mace bit his lip and removed the safety.
“If you shoot, I will do it again.”
“I should shoot you, but I will give you another chance. Let her go.”
“I am afraid that we cannot do that.”
And he hit her again. Twice.
There was a crack, no one could tell if it was her head or the invaders gun. It looked down at her bitterly and threw her to the floor. There was a rebounding crash and Marian rolled slightly, coming to rest with one arm covering her head.
They then started shooting. UNIT operatives fell like tin soldiers. Mace could only hope that they were putting up a fight as Doctor Jones, himself and his patrol was being slowly advanced on by a large proportion of the alien invaders.
“You are to stop this at once.”
“Who are you to demand this?”
“Colonel Mace. UNIT. Earth Defence.”
“Again, these words mean nothing to us.”
“Then sir, this should not come as a surprise.”
And he shot it the throat.
It fell with a cry and its comrades reached for their weapons.
More shots rang out and Mace turned. His patrol had come to their senses and aimed their loaded guns at the aliens.
“Go on men, fire at will. Aim to injure first and only kill if resistance is offered. Save as many as our men that’s possible.”
Doctor Jones dropped down to the nearest victim of the alien weapon and checked her pulse.
“She’s dead I’m afraid. I think they’ll all be dead.”
Mace bowed his head.
“Check the others. Some might still be alive, and then capture as many as you can, we can interrogate them at headquarters.”
Martha stood up slowly and touched Colonel Mace gently on the arm.
“Sir... what about Captain Price?”
He nodded slowly and jogged briskly towards where Marian had been tossed.
She had obviously been pushed since she had fallen as her arm was no longer covering her face but was cradled around her body. Her free hand was loose hanging by the side of her body. Her hair was covering her face, with only the point of her nose pointing out of the light blonde curtain. There was a small pool of blood around her head staining her shirt even more.
A private approached him before he could kneel down and brush her hair out of her eyes and hold her hand, promising it would all be alright.
“Private?”
“Colonel, all invading aliens are dead, it appears to be some sort of suicide pact, or possibly a linked conscious, they all died shortly after you short the first one.”
“Good work Private. Talk to Major Blackman about incineration, I want all of the evidence destroyed.”
“Very good Colonel”
Mace turned back to Marian and Doctor Jones. Martha was kneeling by her side, checking her pulse.
She smiled slightly.
“She’s alive. And breathing.”
Doctor Jones stroked Marian’s cheek lightly.
There was a whispering noise and Doctor Jones lowered her head towards Price’s mouth. Marian’s fingers flexed.
“Ger-Ger-.”
“Hush now.”
She looked towards Mace.
“She wants you.”
Mace nodded and knelt down next to her and took her hands.
“Don’t try to talk Marian, it’s alright dear. It will always be alright”
Marian smiled tightly and consciousness left her like a sigh.
Mace brought her hands to his lips and kissed them gently.
He stood up briskly and turned to look at Doctor Jones.
“Do what you have to and then help treat any other survivors.”
And he walked away without looking back.
Doctor Jones walked into Colonel Mace’s office three days later.
The first thing that she saw was Captain Price’s empty desk. Her influence on the Colonel made conspicuous by her absence.
“Colonel?”
“It’s funny Jones, isn’t it?”
“Sir?”
“The aliens that we dealt with on Tuesday, a whole army of them could be taken out by a single bullet to the throat.”
Doctor Jones looked down ashamed.
“They also have a large sense of honour and military strategy. They respect formation and hierarchy. They would have been more willing to converse rather than fight. We were civilians to them. Do you know how many lives would have been saved if we had approached Operation Green Bolt as a military procedure? There would be 45 UNIT oper-.”
“46, sir, Major Blackman passed away last night.”
“Exactly Jones. Only four operatives survived last night’s operation. It was a massacre, almost bloodless but still a massacre.”
Doctor Jones stood, looking slightly to the left of Mace.
“But anyway doctor, why did you wish to see me?”
“I would like to requisition a weapon Colonel.”
A humourless smile flashed across Mace’s face.
“Four O’clock. Armoury. You’ll get your original weapon returned to you in pristine condition. Is that clear Doctor Jones?”
She nodded and a real smile graced his features.
“You may go Jones.”
“Thank you sir.”
She’d reached the door before she turned and saw Captain Price’s empty desk.
“I’m so sorry Colonel”
“Doctor Jones?”
“About… Captain Price.”
Mace gulped and removed his cap.
Fiddling with the braiding.
“She…she- I heard from the hospital this morning.”
She fiddled with her engagement ring nervously and hid it under neither her other hand.
“She’s in a coma. They don’t know if she’ll wake up.”
And then she started to cry, it wasn’t noisily or even obviously. There were just hot tears falling down her cheeks.
“Come on now Jones. You don’t have to cry.”
“You are Sir.”
He nodded and wiped his eyes with his thumb and forefinger.
“I’m sorry Colonel.”
“It’s not your fault; you don’t have to feel guilty over it.”
“But it is my fault. I asked-”
“You can’t blame yourself for what’s happened to Marian.”
“But-.”
“No buts. This is a dangerous job that we have, there are always going to be casualties.”
“I’m still sorry Colonel.”
He nodded, his voice a little choked when he finally did speak.
“You may go Doctor Jones.”
He was still fiddling with the braiding on his cap.
She nodded and was just about to close the door when Mace spoke again.
“You’re a fantastic Doctor, and you’ve got a brilliant mind Jones. Don’t feel guilty for sticking up for what you believe in. But make sure it is actually what you believe in and not just what the Doctor would expect you to do. You don’t have to be the Doctor’s companion here. You’re a respected person within UNIT for your work done with us. Be your own person Doctor Jones. The Doctor has been known to be wrong. Occasionally.”