Doctor rouses with urgent warning about oxygen loss

Romana tends to the Doctor after his sudden collapse in the firing bay. His concussion from oxygen deprivation forces a brief blackout, shattering Romana’s assumption of seconds lost. The callousness of his remark about needing rest underscores the postponement of their perilous mission, escalating the race against Thawn’s deadline to destroy Kroll and the Swampies. The exchange becomes a microcosm of their fractured priorities, where the Doctor’s resilience is measured against the life-or-death stakes now pressing upon them. This revelation punctuates Romana’s earlier unease and reorients the pair toward coordinated action; the interruption, though brief, has imposed a tangible cost on their readiness. Time has slipped through their grasp while consciousness ebbed, and now they must sprint to make up for it.