Five Card Draw (short story)
Five Card Draw was the ninth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Zodiac. It was written by Todd Green. It featured the Fifth Doctor and Peri.
Summary
The Fifth Doctor receives a summons, and he and Peri land in a castle in medieval England. He tells Peri to wait in TARDIS. He meets three of his predecessors and a future incarnation of himself. The five Doctors talk and decide to play poker. The First Doctor, who has an injured arm, deals. The other Doctors will play for a gold bow. As they play, the First Doctor explains what happened to him.
He landed here alone to do some archery practise. On the scanner he saw a girl being held by bandits. He rescued her and brought her into the TARDIS. When the bandits ran away, he tried to let the girl out, but was surrounded by men in armour. He closed the door on them. The knights were angry with him for interfering with their bandit pursuit. When he attempted to let the girl, Lady Mary, out of the TARDIS, one of the men claimed he had seen the TARDIS materialise out of thin air. The others were afraid of the Doctor's magical powers. They grabbed him, and were about to kill him, but he was able to escape. He found this castle and closed the drawbridge. The knights followed, then got extra men and surrounded the castle. The Doctor was trapped here, away from his TARDIS.
The Fifth Doctor realises that the First Doctor summoned his later incarnations here to help him. The bow was given to him by an emperor, but it wasn't supposed to be used as a weapon. The First Doctor needs one of the others to help him, as his arm was injured by the knights. The loser of the poker hand will have to face the knights and explain what happened.
The Fifth Doctor loses the hand, and the First Doctor gives the bow to him. He uses his TARDIS to dematerialise near the First Doctor's TARDIS, then sends his, with Peri in it, back to the castle. The knights appear, greeting him with swords drawn. One of the knights, Henry, threatens to kill him, but he petitions to talk to their leader, Sir Edward.
Edward arrives, interrupted in his plans to rescue his sister Mary. The Doctor suggests they send one knight with him to the TARDIS so he can retrieve Mary. Edward decides to kill him, but the Doctor then offers him the gold bow. Edward allows Henry to accompany the Doctor to the TARDIS.
In the TARDIS, Henry sees that Mary is safe. He brings Mary outside and lets the Doctor go. The Doctor dematerialises while the knights are distracted by Mary's safe return.
The other Doctors congratulate him on his success. The Fifth Doctor can no longer remember what it was he gave to Edward. Suddenly, the TARDIS materialises in the room, and Peri comes out, scolding her Doctor. The Sixth Doctor tells her to get back in the TARDIS. This Peri and the Fifth Doctor are shocked to see each other. The Sixth Doctor leaves with her before she can say anything else.
Characters
References
- Of the incarnations not present, the "taller chap with the teeth and the scarf" refused the summons and the "younger, handsome one, with hair dangling to his shoulders", didn't respond. The First Doctor didn't bother to summon the "short Scottish fellow" because he would "turn things to his own ends".
- The First Doctor decides to get in some archery practise while Ben and Polly are visiting an old friend.
Notes
- The stories in Short Trips: Zodiac are inspired by the signs of the zodiac. This story's theme is Sagittarius.
Continuity
- The First Doctor feels he will regenerate soon. (TV: The Tenth Planet)
- The Third Doctor mentions a time he and Sarah Jane Smith encountered medieval humans. (TV: The Time Warrior)
