Katie in Manhattan: Chapter 13

Katie in Manhattan
Chapter 13
"Jast's Breakdown"

After two hours, Sec was starting to get concerned about Jast for taking so long.

"Where is he? He's been over two hours now," Sec asked Thay, now deeply concerned.

"Maybe he's on a patrol?"

"He would have said Thay. Even if Caan put him on a patrol he would have finished by now"

"Noise detected from the tunnels" Thay said, as he looked at the tunnel opening.

"Is it Jast?" Sec queried.

"Affirmative" When Sec saw Jast enter the lab, he knew something wasn't right, when he noticed Jast's steering was incredibly poor.

"Jast where have you been?" When Sec spoke, Jast's casing trembled as he looked at Sec.

"I...have been...on...pat...patrol"

"Without telling anyone?"

"I...meant to...tell...tell you...but I...I...for...forgot. I...am sorry...Sec" Sec frowned at Jast. He didn't like this one bit. Jast has never called called him plain Sec before. It has always been Commander Sec. Even when Sec ordered him to call him Sec, he still couldn't do it and Sec eventually gave up trying to get him to change after all the time in the void ship.

"It's Ok Jast. Don't worry about it. We're going to need a lot more chromatin solution for the next step. You're the quickest and the best at making it. Can you start on it?" Jast nodded, then trembled again, when he noticed Caan was watching his like a hawk. Sec then glanced at Caan when he too, noticed than he was watching Jast's every move.

"Caan!" Sec ordered.

"Yeah?"

"Now we know that the Doctor is here We might be needing some pig slaves trained to fight. I want you to train them"

"I OBEY!!!" Caan shouted in glee and rushed off in seconds.

"Sec? We don't need pig slaves to fight do we?"

"Not really but I needed Caan out of the way. The easiest way to do that was to give him a job I know he likes"

"Why do you need him out of the way?"

"I need a private word with Jast"


Jast was shakily mixing two of the chemicals needed to make the solution when Sec walked up to him.

"Jast can I talk to you?" Sec asked gently. Jast gasped suddenly as Sec spoke to him, dropping the mixture he had just made.

"I'm sorry Sec! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to drop it," Jast panicked.

"Jast calm down. Calm down. It's Ok. Now tell me what's wrong. I know Caan did something. He's been watching you the whole time. Tell me what he did"

"He...he didn't...do anything," Jast gulped, as he looked around the lab nervously

"Don't worry. He isn't here Jast. You can tell me"

"He didn't do anything," Jast shuddered, as he looked at the floor.

"Don't lie to me Jast"

"Leave me alone!" Jast shouted, as he glided away from Sec. Jast didn't go to far, when his casing suddenly ceased and his eye-piece dimmed and drooped to the floor.

"Jast? Jast are you Ok?" Sec asked as he saw Jast stop suddenly. "Come on Jast, speak to me!"

"Sec what's wrong?" Thay queried, as he looked up.

"It's Jast, Thay. Something's wrong with him. I'm checking" Sec answered, as he began to open Jast's casing. Sec gasped in shock when he opened the casing and saw the poor state Jast was in.

"Jast," Sec gasped. What has Caan done to you?!"

"What's Caan done to him?" Thay asked as he glided up to Sec.

"Don't look Thay" Sec ordered as he pushed Thay back. "It isn't pretty"

"I'm not a Hatchling anymore Sec," Thay sighed, as he pushed past Sec. Then Thay's eye-piece widened as he saw the unconscious Jast.

"What did Caan do to him!? I'LL KILL HIM FOR THIS!"

"No you will not!" Sec barked. "You will stay away from him from now on"

Do you have any idea what Caan did to him?" Katie asked as she joined Sec and Thay.

"No, but I know it's more than just breaking  his arm" Sec commented, as he knelt by Jast's casing and checked the break.

"He's very pale," Katie said quietly, as she stroked the top of Jast's head gently.

"If he goes any paler he'll be turning pink"

"Pink?"

"When a Dalek is dying, very ill or very injured they turn pink. Jast's Ok for now but we need to treat his arm" Sec was just about to start treating Jast's arm, when Katie removed Jast's gun.

"Just in case Jast wakes up"

"Good thinking Katie," Sec said as he moved the broken bone back into the correct place, then waited until the swelling went down. so they could bandage it. Just when Sec had finished the bandaging, Jast started to come around.

"ARGH! KEEP BACK! keep away from me Caan!" Jast screamed in terror, as he tried to fire his gun, which just clicked harmlessly. "Sec!" Jast gasped as he realized Caan wasn't there. "I'm sorry Sec! I didn't mean to shoot.......you? Huh? Where's my gun!" Jast asked as he noticed the empty socket.

"I have it Jast," Katie said as she held it up.

"Now Jast," Sec said, as he looked at him. "Tell me what Caan did to you. I know he did much more than just break your arm and I want to know what he did and why"

"He didn't do anything!" Jast snapped. "Just leave me alone!"

"Jast" Sec sighed "Don't do this. What's Caan trying to do?"

"I...I can't tell you. It's against Dalek instincts! You know that!"

"Katie? Can you talk to him?" Sec asked Katie, as Jast glided away from them. "He's scared out of his mind. He need someone to talk to"

"Sure. I'll try my best"


Jast huddled in a corner of the lab, trembling as he cradled his bandaged arm. Jast then looked up at Katie, as she approached.

"You're not getting me to talk"

"You're talking now and I didn't even have to say a word"

"Very funny," Jast said dryly.

"Why don't you want to talk about it?" Katie asked as she sat on a box, opposite Jast.

"Caan broke my arm because I answered him back. What do you think he'll do if I told you the rest of what he did?"

"Ah I see. That's a good point"

"He said he'll kill me if I disobeyed him. And that's was one of his orders. That's why I can't tell you or anything else"

"Well you can't keep all that distress Caan must have caused you bottled up. It's not going to do you any good"

"And what would you suggest?"

"I suggest you tell everything you want to tell to this"

"But that thing isn't even real!" Jast moaned as he saw the cuddly rabbit Katie was holding.

"That's why I suggest using it Jast. It doesn't do anything. It doesn't talk back. And can't tell Caan anything that you say to it"  Jast frowned as he considered Katie's logic, then very gingerly took it from her.

"I'll be over with Sec and Thay if you need me Jast, " Katie smiled, as she got up. Jast looked at the rabbit he was holding, then up to Katie, trembling slightly.

"Katie wait!!" Katie turned and ran back to Jast.

"Are you Ok Jast? You're not in any pain are you?"

"I can't do this. I just can't" Jast sighed as he put the toy rabbit down.

"Don't worry Jast. You tried you best" Jast looked up to Katie, his eye watering.

"Jast?" Katie asked concerned as she knelt in front of him. "What is it?" Jast then clung to Katie's arm tightly.

"He...he....tortured me!" Jast choked as he started to cry. "I...I...couldn't stop him! I wanted him to stop! I begged him to stop but he didn't! He just...kept on...hurting me!" Jast said as he started crying hysterically.

"It's Ok Jast. It's Ok," Katie comforted as she took him out of his casing and sat beside it, while she held him protectively in her arms. "It's Ok. I got you sweetie. You're safe with me. I'll protect you" Jast smiled slightly and cuddle up to Katie.

"I can see...why Sec likes you. He's lucky to have someone like you. Oh and Caan...threatened...to kill me by...injecting me with the...chromatin...solution...If I... didn't follow him as the...new Commander"

"Shh Jast," Katie spoke softly, as she stroked the top of head gently. "That's enough out of you until you let yourself calm down a bit Ok?"


Thay's eye-piece shook side to side with disgust as he heard the last bit Jast had said about Caan's threat.

"Caan! You J vicious, sick, little bastard of a J Jerk!"

"Thay!" Sec shouted. "Watch your language! I swear your language is getting more worse  every day!"

"You would be saying that too! Maybe even more if your just heard what Jast said"

"What did he say?"

"He said that Caan threatened to inject him with the chromatin solution if he didn't follow him as the new Commander.

"Ergh. That is disgusting and sick! That's it! He's out of the Cult!"

"About time  you got rid of him Sec"

"Don't start Thay! Just don't. And that is your first and last warning"

"SEC!!" Katie yelled.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Jast. He's not answering me. He's looking straight through me like I'm a ghost"

"Jast?" Sec asked, as he approached. "Jast can you hear me?" Sec asked again, as he waved a hand across his eye. "He's in shock. Don't stop what your doing. Keep talking to him and keep him warm" Sec grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Jast. "How can Caan treat you like this old friend" Sec sighed as he held one of Jast's arms in his hand.

"Old......friend?" Jast blinked slowly as he looked up weakly at Sec. "I...do not...de...deserve...you as a...fr...iend. I am a...trai...trait...traitor"

"Shh," Sec whispered gently, as he supported the back of Jast's head. "You don't know what you're saying my friend. Get some sleep. It'll help you recover, then you'll be able to think more clearly"

"I...obey," Jast yawned as he snuggled in Katie's arm. Sec then smiled deeply as he noticed Jast was cuddling Katie's toy rabbit. Then his smile fell when he saw Jast move and saw the pinkish burn on Jast's neck.

"THAY!! Get a medikit in here now!! Jast jerked awake and saw Sec looking at his neck.

"Don't touch it!"

"So this is what Caan did to you?" Jast nodded and shed a few tears at the memory. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It doesn't need treatment does it?"

"Yes it does and you need it immediately"

"Is it...going to hurt?"

"Sec! Here's the medikit," Thay shouted as he stopped by Sec's side. When Thay saw Jast's burn he thought of all kinds of offensive insults he wished to shout at Caan.

"Thay! I told to watch your language!"

"What? How did....."

"I'm psychic remember?" Thay. We're running out of time now. Make as much chromatin solution as you possibly can. And get some pigslaves to make some too. And lock it up from Caan when you're done"

"I obey," Thay answered as he went to follow his orders. Jast then tugged on Sec's sleeve with an arm.

"Yes Jast?"

"Is this treatment going to hurt?"

"It will, but only for a little while. I promise" Jast whimpered when he saw Sec take out a syringe from the medikit and held on to Katie's arm tightly.

"This is the only bit that will hurt Jast" Jast turned away and winced as he felt the prick of the needle on one of his arms and fell asleep moments later. "There. Now we can treat the poor guy without causing him any more pain"

"Do you need my help Sec?" Katie offered.

"You're already helping my love," Sec smiled. "Jast trusts you completely. Just keep holding him. I can do the rest"

After Sec had treated Jast's neck and carefully bandaged it, Katie placed Jast on her lap.

"You did great Jast," Katie whispered as she covered him in the blanket. "Sleep well sweetie" Katie then carefully placed the toy rabbit in Jast's arms, where Jast smiled deeply as he cuddled tightly against it.