The Gift (ST short story)

Summary
General Lethbridge-Stewart (retired) has waited until his wife Doris has gone out of the house on some last minute shopping before he takes his boat out on the lake. It is his Christmas present from Doris, bought against her wishes, and he is using it without her knowledge one day early. Suddenly he sees a young woman in the water and pulls her out. When he takes her home and puts her to bed Doris is keen to call the emergency services. Lethbridge-Stewart refuses, wanting to deal with it himself, but before their argument is concluded they are interrupted by the arrival of the Doctor looking for his granddaughter.

Lethbridge-Stewart recognises him immediately, even though he has not met this incarnation before, but does not let on because the Doctors he did meet warned him about inadvertently telling someone about their own future. Initially the Doctor is very concerned about Susan, particularly when he finds she was in the middle of the lake and was rescued by a boat. Doris complains about the boat, saying she wishes that she had not bought it. She says that her husband is seventy years old and has led a life of adventure, he does not need to create artificial excitement with a speedboat. Lethbridge-Stewart is surprised and shocked by his wife's fear. The Doctor quickly forgets about Susan and tells Lethbridge-Stewart to sell the boat if it frightens his wife that much. Lethbridge-Stewart refuses and storms off.

Left alone, Doris tells the Doctor that she knows he recognised Lethbridge-Stewart. The Doctor agrees, saying that Lethbridge-Stewart is his oldest friend and it doesn't matter that he has yet to meet him for him to know this. In a flash of insight Doris realises that part of the Doctor's business is with the boat. She asks how Lethbridge-Stewart will die but the Doctor merely replies that all of his incarnations will be present at the funeral and will behave themselves (though some will argue at the wake). Doris asks him to take the boat when he leaves but the Doctor tells her he cannot make her choices for her; his gift is telling her that there are choices, which is more than he should really do. By the time Lethbridge-Stewart returns the Doctor and Susan have gone and he sits long into the night holding Doris's hand.

Characters

 * First Doctor
 * Susan
 * The Brigadier
 * Doris

Continuity

 * It's possible that the Brigadier recognized the First Doctor from seeing him on the scanner during the events of DW: The Three Doctors (TV story), or from their very brief meeting during DW: The Five Doctors. It is, however, not clear where this falls in the First Doctor's timeline; as his only companion shown is Susan, it could even be set before the events of DW: An Unearthly Child (TV story).

Timeline

 * This story occurs after ST: The Juror's Story
 * This story occurs before ST: Childhood Living