Thorn Bush (Doctor Who Story)

Chapter 37: The Unicorn and the Wasp Part Two

The Doctor begins stumbling on his feet halfway to the kitchen as his limbs have become numb. Kathy keeps him steady and pushes him onward.

"Ginger beer! We need ginger beer!" Kathy shouts as soon as they enter the kitchen. The cooks and servers within the room stare at her and a stumbling Doctor in confusion.

"I need ginger beer!" The Doctor yells as he pushes away from Kathy's hold on him as he rushes over to a shelf. Knocking the other shelf items over, he gulped down the contents of the bottle. Even doses some of the ginger beer on himself for extra measure.

Kathy rushes over to another shelf and cabinet, searching through for the next item the Doctor needs. "Protein, protein, protein." She mutters rapidly as she searches. Agatha and Donna come into the kitchen just then, going to the Doctor's side as he slumps against a counter.

"I'm an expert in poisons, Doctor. There's no cure. It's fatal." Agatha tells the Time Lord.

The Doctor spits up some of the ginger beer. "Not for me! I can stimulate the inhibited enzymes into reversal." The Doctor explains rapidly, panting from the exertion his body is going through. His body convulses again, making him grit his teeth from the pain. "Protein! I need protein!"

"Here, protein!" Kathy calls as she spots a jar of walnuts on a counter one of the cooks at been preparing. Grabbing the walnuts, she sprints over to the Doctor, shoving it into his hands.

"Brilliant." The Doctor fills his mouth with them. As he chews, he begins making frantic movements with his hands, trying to show them what he needs next. Unable to speak at the moment from his full mouth.

"We can't understand you! How many words?" Donna exclaims. The Doctor holds up one finger as he keeps up his actions. "One-one word. Shake! Milk! Shake! Milk! Milk! No, not milk! Um, shake! Shake! Shake! Cocktail shaker!"

"Salt! He needs salt!" Kathy exclaims as she slaps herself on the forehead for forgetting what else he needs. Donna, Agatha, and Kathy go back to the shelves in search of something with salt.

Donna grabs the first item. "What about this?!" She asks the Doctor hurriedly as she rushes back over to him, showing him a brown bag.

"What is it?" The Doctor questions her.

"Salt!"

The Doctor shakes his head hastily. "That's too salty."

"Oh, that's too salty." Donna retorts in exasperation as she rolls her eyes.

Agatha comes up next, handing the Doctor a jar of anchovies. He eats the contents immediately, coughing in trying to chew as fast as he can. He then mimics something else that he needs.

"What is it? What else? It's a song? Mammy? I don't know. Camptown Races?" Donna rambles.

"Camptown Races?" The Doctor cries in disbelief.

"A shock. He needs a shock." Kathy interrupts. As much as this is a funny moment, she would rather stop the Doctor from being poisoned right now.

"Right then. Big shock coming up." Donna grabs the Doctor and kisses him long and hard. When she releases him, smoke comes from his mouth.

The Doctor coughs, clearing his throat. "Detox. Oh my. I must do that more often." He receives an alarmed look from Donna. "I mean, the detox."

"Doctor, you are impossible." Agatha gasps at the Doctor, who simply winks and runs out of the room. "Who are you?"

——

Night has fallen, and thunder and lightning crash overhead. The hosts and guests are on the soup course. There is a vase of Yellow Irises on the table.