Forged in Ice (Doctor Who AU Novel)

Chapter 11 Choices

Neil Harris cautiously slid a hand toward the canister until his surgeon's fingers wrapped around the cold metal. He toyed with the idea of throwing it at the blond man on the right. Noble had a gun, a real gun. If he took out the one he didn't know, then in all likelihood, Noble would shoot him. Not the best way to end a brilliant career, but then his career was over anyway. Slowly, his eyes locked on Don, he pulled the canister toward him until a little red dot appeared, mid point of his left pectoralis major. The dot made him smile but didn't stop him from tightening his grip around the canister.

"Neil, don't be stupid," Marcus begged. "They are both expert marksmen. Even if by some miracle you managed to get past them, there are three more Torchwood agents outside. One of them is as about as narked at you as Don is. What did you think you were doing?"

"You've been to the care home Marcus, I know you have. Did you see her? Did you see her on the tapes? She was so beautiful -- inside and out. A damn drunk took her away. Where was your concern for her then, Marc, like you have for the freak now?"

"Neil, you never asked me to see her, but even if I had, there would have been nothing more that I could've done."

"But his blood, Marcus-- his blood will save her. Whatever is in his DNA; it will fix her. "

"It won't work, Neil. Hell, Daniel nearly died when he first came here because of the differences in our natural energies."

"Mr Harris," Rose's voice came from behind them. She holstered her own weapon and pushed past Don, gently pushing his gun down as she stepped in front of him. "Do you know what diesel fuel does in a petrol engine?"

The man grimaced. "What?" 

"If you have a petrol tank full of diesel fuel, the fuel injectors in your engine inject fuel into the engine's cylinders, but because diesel doesn't evaporate very well, the spark plugs would fire, but nothing would happen. There are no fumes to ignite, so the engine would never start. Daniel's blood is like diesel and Elly is a petrol tank. If you put his blood in her or his DNA in her, her own bio energy would spark, flare and then die, potentially taking her as well. Please, Mr Harris, believe me, what you want will not work. Even if you managed to find a cure, Torchwood would never allow its use because of the harm it would cause. If people thought a miracle cure would save their loved ones, there would be riots at hospitals."

"Listen to her, Neil. One way or another, we are getting that canister back," Don promised, "and you are coming back with us. You can talk with Mr Tyler about how to solve this mess you created."

Harris laughed. He turned sideways in the chair but kept his hand on the cylinder. "You people -- you're all idiots. You talk about him as if he were a person. He's not; he's a thing that looks human! My Elly --"

Rose's face softened as she struggled for the words. "Your Elly, Mr Harris, isn't a person. Not anymore, and I am so sorry about what happened to her, but Daniel can't fix her. He isn't a freak; he's a gentle, brilliant man, with a partner and a stepson who loves him as much as you loved your Elly. If he could do something for her, he would, but he can't. We're taking his blood and you back to Torchwood, you don't have a choice."

"There are always choices, Miss Tyler. Choices to live and choices to die," Neil snarled.  

Harris's mouth set in a grim line, his eyes narrowed and the expression in his eyes hardened. He shifted his gaze from one to the other and then flashed a cold smile. at Rose. Without thought, Don yanked Rose back as his gun came back up with the sound of Marcus screaming, "Neil, don't!" A gun went off with a hiss rather than a bang. As the canister sailed through the air towards Rose, Jake fired the tranquilliser dart, hitting Harris squarely in the shoulder. Instinct sent his hand up to pull out the cartridge sticking through his jacket into his muscle. Surprise mixed with bitter disappointment showed in his eyes when he looked at the thing in his hand. The drug, coursing through his body, rendered it impossible for him to stand. "Should've killed me, Marcus, he muttered as his old friend moved to catch him.