Lets Tegan free

Tegan dashed around a corner, expecting to find a way towards the harbour, but instead the robot was there, the countdown clicking away on its chest.

'Who are you?‘ she yelled out angrily. ‗I‘m fed up with this!‘

She was tired, rather grubby and knew full well that what was happening wasn‘t right. She stopped. ‗All right, you win. I‘m not running any more. You know why? Because this isn‘t real. I know a dreamscape when I see one. My mind has been plucked by experts, you know!‘

The robot began striding towards her, emitting a hydraulic hiss every time it curled a knee joint or an arm joggled.

Taking a deep breath, Tegan closed her eyes and turned her back on it. She opened her eyes again, preparing to march forward.

(...)

'Some trick,‘ she said, her mouth vocalising what she thought as the mandarin‘s spell relaxed.

The mandarin turned to her. 'You are no fun, Tegan Jovanka. You lack what I need. Be gone from my realm.‘

'Now wait a minute,‘ she said. 'You can‘t just chase me around and then -‘

The mandarin was suddenly face to face with her, as if by magic.

'A Toymaker may do exactly what he desires in this universe, child. Remember that. Now. Go.‘

Tegan found herself sitting on the floor outside the TARDIS.

Her companions and the crew members were grouped around her, concerned.

'Are you all right?‘ asked the Doctor.

Tegan nodded, allowing him and Oakwood to ease her up. She took a deep breath and snapped her eyes shut as she tried to regain her balance.

And two faces flashed through her subconscious. Firstly, the silent, mouthing man in purple. Secondly, what seemed to be a very old, frail man standing impossibly atop a pyramid.

Both were saying, 'Tegan Jovanka. Help me!‘

And they were gone.

'What happened, Tegan?‘

'I… I don‘t know...,‘ she said, trying to hold on to a memory, a fragment of whatever had just gone through her mind. But whatever it was had gone. 'I can‘t remember a thing...‘

The Doctor put an arm around her shoulders. ‗I think you‘ve been overdoing it,‘ he said.

'I think you‘re right,‘ she mumbled back.

As the whole group left the cargo bay, Tegan took a last look back.

Standing in front of the TARDIS was the mandarin, a smug smile on his face, his hands enveloped in his sleeves.

So she screwed her eyes tight shut, took a deep breath and wished he would go away. When she looked again he was indeed gone, along with the last fragments of Tegan‘s memory of him.

Tegan took a last look back.

Standing there, serene as ever, was the TARDIS.

Alone.

As it should be, surely?

With a shrug, she followed everyone else back down the corridor.

***

Divided Loyalties, Chapter 5