Domino

5 Recovery

"How are we this fine day?" The Doctor's voice asked as his image resolved next to Sarah's bedside, making her jump a little and dragging her from deep thought into the immediacy of her surroundings.

"I'm... fine?" She offered, regaining her composure a little as she placed the data pad she had been holding onto the bed beside her, casting the digital physician a grin and with a wink added, "You should knock or something first you know, I may not be decent in here."

"My apologies," Horatio replied, his face depicting a genuine representation of surprise. "That is a fact that I had not considered, but from this moment on I shall endeavour to alert you of my impending arrival so you may ensure your decency."

They both shared a brief laugh, with Sarah taking amusement from the fact she was sharing a joke with a digital projection of a dead man.

"So come on Doc, when do I get a chance to stretch my legs now that your efforts have proven so successful?"

A frown formed on Doctor Horatio's face, which settled into an expression of bemusement.

"I would like to take credit for your amazing recovery, my dear, but quite frankly the nano-bots work was the catalyst for something other than my ministrations to take over. Indeed, your own physique and metabolism has cause for praise as it is your own body which has healed itself so quickly. However, even in light of your startling recovery rate, I cannot give you leave to wander about outside just at this moment."

"Oh, I get it. I'm still a suspect in blowing up the ruins out there aren't I?" Sarah mused and slumped down a little in disappointment. "I assume the commander will be along soon with another plethora of questions to see if I remember anything more, which I can't by the way."

"In answer to your question, yes you are still a suspect," Horatio answered straightforwardly, "but that is not the main reason for my retention of you within this room. I have been informed by the commander that there are other considerations to the whole matter, which go beyond the damage caused in the explosion and may actually threaten your safety if we allow people to know that you survived and are wandering about. At present, he is conducting his own investigation into matters and has asked of me to ensure your safety, but also to ensure that you remain secreted away."

"So I get an active news feed but no method of communicating with the outside world?" Sarah asked, raising the data pad up and wiggling it slightly. "In other words, making sure I don't blow the whole thing by restricting access to download only. Smart move. Anyway, I'm watching all the developments with those children they found on the moon around Jupiter. Seems your company bosses are fielding some historic heat over that little issue with some of the details creeping out of the woodwork."

"Indeed, would in interest you to know that, as foremost physician in this protectorate, I am tasked with involvement with their rehabilitation and debriefing? Ah... I see I have gained your attention," he said with a smile. "In fact, in this case that news is rather pertinent as I have had the pleasure of discussing rather innovative technologies with their protective digital entity. Not the one which accompanied them on the outbound journey I hasten to add, as suffice to assume the reports of that one being rogue are running rife at present, but a more recently generated entity which accompanied them of their return journey and has had ample time to study the technologies recorded in their database in order to tend for her charges. In short my dear, I have come to the conclusion, with the assistance of Alyssa, that your case may indeed benefit from the implementation of their innovative technology research."

Sarah was intrigued, but her immediate response was genuine concern as she propped herself up in the bed, closely regarding the image of Doctor Horatio stood to her right.