"Salvage"
2. Millenium
Cardiff, Wales – in the year 2033
Sam Evans had gotten into a cab outside the airport, and for a while it was hard not to play tourist. He would be forty within a couple of years, but this was his first time in Europe, and it wasn't even a vacation, not in the conventional sense of the word. All he had to go on was a time and a place, but he was too busy looking out the windows, seeing what was around him. Maybe it wasn't about where he was, or where he was going… it was what he was hoping to find there.
X
Inside the TARDIS
There was little to do while they waited for the fuel up to be done, and after a few close calls on their last trip, the Doctor decided the best use of that time would be to show Rose a few tricks of the trade.
"No, that's wrong," he told her, standing across the controls from her.
"You can tell from all the way over there?" she frowned, looking down at the sonic screwdriver in her hands. From the moment he had placed it there, she'd had this smile on her face like she'd been handed something so precious and strange.
"Yes, now fix the setting," he pointed with a nod.
"I did. I fix the setting, and you tell me I've got it wrong, so I fix it again, and it's all the same," she listed off, trying not to sound too frustrated. "What would happen if I pointed this at you now?" she asked, squinting at him.
"Well, we are indoors," he looked around. Rose stared at him, then back down to the screwdriver. She had barely done anything when she heard him clear his throat; she'd gotten it right.
"Do you mind if I pop out for a minute?" she handed the screwdriver back to him and he stood straighter.
"To do what?"
"I'm hungry, thought I'd get some chips," she moved toward the doors.
"Oh, chips," he replied. She smirked to herself.
"Do you want some?" she asked, pulling the door open.
She had barely had the time to register the presence of the man standing just outside the police box. The shock had caused her to react, and the next thing she knew her fist had flown out and hit him square in the face. The pain it caused her was followed with the surprise of seeing him fall back, unconscious.
"Rose?" the Doctor came running, peering down. "What have you done?"
"He was just there, I had no idea, I…" she swallowed back the feeling in her hand, holding it in the other.
There was the sound of a tone, back at the controls, and the Doctor looked back at once. "What?" he dashed back.
"What are you doing?" Rose asked, jumping past the man's legs to go look after him. He was still out, which surprised her most of all, staring at her hand.
She could see the Doctor, doing some thing or another, she couldn't figure out what it was. Whatever it was, he had completely forgotten about her and the man, from what she could tell. So she focused on the man, crouching next to him, tapping his cheek, giving his shoulder a shake.
"Sir? Are you alright?" she tried to wake him, looking around. It was a miracle no one had seen them and come running. It could have become an even bigger problem than it already was. "Please wake up," she begged. When he began to stir, she gasped, then got back on task. "Yes, that's it, you're alright."
When his eyes began to open, he blinked for a moment, but his eyes fixed on something… Was he looking at the TARDIS?
"D… Doctor?" he asked, and she sat up.
"What did you say?" Rose breathed, looking back inside; the Doctor was still too busy.
"Doctor…" the man repeated, more confident this time.
"We have to go, there's a distress call," the Doctor had finally appeared just inside the doors, and she looked to him. "And you won't believe from where."
"Doctor, the man…" she started.
"Is he alright?" the Doctor asked, noticing he was waking up.
"Do you know him?" Rose pointed down, and he looked, frowning.
"No," he shook his head.
"Are you sure?"
"When you get to be as old as I am, remembering a face can still save your life. Trust me, I've never seen him."
"But I think he has. He saw the… the TARDIS," she whispered, just in case, "And he called for you." That got his attention.
"He did?"
"He said 'Doctor.' Twice." The Doctor stared closer. He still could not recall seeing him ever. Even if the man had aged, he would have still recognized him… Of course when it came to him, there were certain factors that could have explained it. But then there were other issues at hand.
"Fine then, help me carry him in," he reached for the man's feet.
"Carry him in?" Rose repeated, nevertheless taking up his shoulders.
"That's it, set him down and shut the doors," the Doctor instructed her. As soon as the doors had shut, he went to the controls and they were taking off.
"But you don't know who he is…"
"There is a distress call, and for some reason, he was right there, at that specific time… He's coming, and we'll sort it out when we get to Mesphoria." She stopped, and he turned a smile to her.
"Mesphoria, you told me about it, that's… the Child Queen," she recalled the anecdote he had told her, when they'd had young Padra on the TARDIS with them.
"It is, and she needs help. Told you I'd take you there some day, now see how things have a way of happening?"
TO BE CONTINUED (TUESDAY)
