When All Q Breaks Loose

Chapter Forty Eight: Last Chance

"Just how long do you think he'll sleep," Q complained. But before the robot could answer his question, their attention was diverted by the telltale sound of the TARDIS materializing in the other room.

At that exact moment, Hiro opened his eyes and sat up. "Doctow?" he called out, almost as if he could sense the presence of the two Time Lords. "You thewe?"

Baymax immediately returned his attention to Hiro while Data went to investigate. "Shh," he urged the young boy. "It will be all right." He then produced the projection of the pain scale on his belly. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain?"

Hiro blinked at his robotic companion in confusion. "Pain? No pain," he objected. "Hungwy though. Give juice?"

The robot scanned the boy, just to be sure, realizing all of his usual functions had returned to normal parameters. "You appear to have recovered," he admitted. "Feeling hungry is a good sign. I will remove your feeding tube now."

Q pretended to gag as the robot first removed the tape stuck to Hiro's face, then carefully pulled the tube out from the boy's nasal passages. "That is absolutely repulsive!" he complained at the sight.

Hiro didn't seem too keen on the sensation either, resisting the urge to cough and gag as the tube slid past his trachea opening. But once the tube was removed, he sneezed heavily. "Tat gwoss, Max," he confessed as he looked around for something to wipe his nose with.

Baymax supplied some tissue for that purpose. "I apologize for any discomfort removing the tube may have caused," he said as he disposed of the article in question. "I will now remove your IV catheter." He proceeded to remove the gauze from Hiro's arm while the boy was distracted, and then gently slid the medical device out from under Hiro's skin. He applied a bandage once the small tube was removed. Thankfully, only a small amount of blood presented, though a bruise had formed under the skin.

"Would you look at that!" the blue-clad Doctor exclaimed as he entered the room, his companion and Mr. Data right behind him. "Looks like you're getting back on your feet, young man. It's about time." He gave Hiro a teasing smile. "We've been throwing around a few theories on how to return you completely back to normal," he added when Hiro just stared at him.

Hiro reached for the Doctor. "I figuwed it out," he announced. "How make me big," he tried to clarify. "I dweamed bout it."

The other Doctor moved forward. "Oh, you did, did you?" he inquired. "Because I think we may have figured it out as well."

Data blinked in confusion. "Am I correct in believing you both have come up with a way to return Hiro to his normal form?"

The tot nodded. "Tawdis," he said knowingly. "Tawdis can do it."

Both Doctors also nodded as one. "Exactly," the bow-tied Doctor confirmed. "The idea came to the both of us just now. What if we were able to expose Hiro to the energy that powers the TARDIS. We've seen it work before, albeit in reverse." Thoughts of the Sletheen who'd tried to destroy the Earth to get home filled his mind, and how the TARDIS and reverted the alien to an egg form after she'd looked into its Heart. "If it can work in reverse, surely it can restore Hiro to his normal age."

Baymax moved to stand between the two Doctors and Hiro. "I do not understand," he confessed. "Are you suggesting we expose Hiro to high concentrations of energy to return him to his normal state? If so, I cannot recommend this procedure until I understand the potential complications this might impose."

Data found he tended to agree. "Hiro has already been subjected to a great amount of energy. Do you really think it wise to subject him to more, even if of a different variety? I thought you said that, in his current form, it would not be wise."