"I remember when I lost my mind, there was something so pleasant"
-Gnarls Barkley, Crazy
"Can you hear me, honey?"
Annie's eyes came into focus as a soft female voice entered her ears. She blinked once, twice, trying to adjust to the bright lights around her.
Wait, bright lights? That wasn't right, she was by the canal. There were no bright lights by the canal. She sat up suddenly, her head rushing from the sudden movement. All around her were neon lights, women staggering around in short skirts and high heels, and men swigging from bottles. Where was she? How had she got here?
"Whe-where am I?" Annie asked the woman. "Who are you? Where's the canal? I was by the canal. I was chasing a thief."
"The canal?" the woman asked. "I think you've hit your head harder than you realise, babe. You're in central Manchester. I'm Sarah, what's your name?" She had a strong smell of alcohol on her breath, but Annie didn't really care right at that moment.
"A-Annie. Annie Cartwright."
"Ok, Annie. I'm going to call you an ambulance. What club were you in? Where are your friends?"
"I wasn't in a club." Annie staggered to her feet as the woman opened her bag and pulled out a small object which she tapped a couple of times before holding to her ear. "I have to get back. They're expecting me back by now."
"Wait!" Sarah called after her. "Please, let me get you an ambulance."
But Annie had already made up her mind. She began to run, thankful she wasn't wearing high heels like the rest of the women seemed to be. She didn't know where she was, but the police station couldn't be that far away. Everything seemed so different though, so strange. It wasn't like Manchester at all. Maybe she had hit her head harder than she'd thought.
She kept on running, in the opposite direction to the crowds of people that were filing towards the street where she had found herself. She barged past people, not caring where she was going. She just needed to get out of this...this nightmare.
"Hey." A man grabbed her arms as she ran into him. "Are you alright?"
Annie shook her head. "I- I don't know where I am."
The man put an arm around her. "How about I take you inside and get you something warm? I'm Sam, I'm a policeman. You don't need to be scared."
Annie trembled, but agreed. A policeman was what she needed right now. He could contact her station. "I-I'm Annie. WPC Annie Cartwright."
"Do you mean DC Annie Cartwright? Transfer from Manning Road?"
"But I'm not a DC."
"That's a shame. If you were, you'd be on my team next week."
Annie stared at him. She couldn't be joining his team, she hadn't even applied for a transfer. Nobody had said anything about a transfer. But then again, nobody had said anything about moving to a different area, either, yet here she was.
She walked with Sam, uncertain about what to say or do. He seemed unlike any police officers she knew; he wasn't in uniform, and he was dressed in jeans and an open-necked shirt, with a black v-neck sweatshirt pulled over the top. He had to be CID, though he didn't dress like the CID members she knew back at her station.
"This is the police station," Sam explained. "I'll get you something to eat and find you some warm clothes. You must be freezing."
Annie looked down at her outfit. She hadn't even realised she was no longer in uniform. She had a short black skirt on that didn't even reach her knees, coupled with a red strappy top. Feeling self-conscious, she tugged at the top, trying to cover up her cleavage. Why was she dressed like this? She didn't even own a skirt that short.
"I am," she said quietly, not sure what else to say.
Sam opened the door to the station and held it for Annie to enter. She was hit by warmth, and she couldn't help but stare. It was like the station she remembered, but it...wasn't. There was a strange box-like thing on the desk that a man was looking at, only glancing up when she and Sam walked past.
"Who's this, then?"
Sam spoke before Annie could. "This is Annie; she's new in CID. I'm just showing her round the place before she starts on Monday."
The man winked. "That's what they all say. I won't tell Maya you've got a chick upstairs. Your secret's safe with me."
"She's not my chick," Sam insisted before he went through another door. He went up a set of stairs, Annie silently following until he emerged in a glassy room.
There were boxes similar to the one on the desk everywhere, with pictures on. People were typing at some of them. Annie couldn't take her eyes off of what was going on.
"What are they doing?" Annie asked.
"Just reports. Boring stuff, really. Come on, you can warm up in my office. I've got a change of clothes in there you can wear."
"But what are the boxes?"
"Boxes?" Sam echoed. "Do you mean the computers? Have you hit your head or something?"
"I guess I must have," Annie replied, before mouthing 'computers' to herself. She followed Sam into his office, where there was yet another computer on his desk. They seemed to be everywhere.
Sam opened a cupboard while Annie sat down, and he tossed her a pair of trousers and a hooded jumper. "They might be a little bit big on you, but they should be alright. What do you want to drink, tea or coffee?"
"Tea, please."
Sam left the room, and Annie pulled on the clothes before taking off her own skirt. She looked around, taking it all in. The sign on the door said he was DCI, but this was a lot different to Gene Hunt's office. A newspaper was in the bin, and Annie reached to pull it out. She needed to know where – and when – she was.
Saturday January 28th, 2006.
2006? She blinked, but the date didn't change. She sat and read the paper, trying to understand this new time she appeared to be in. It certainly seemed like the future, with all the computers and the way people were dressed and everything else that was just so different.
But why was she there? How had she got there? It didn't add up. She was Annie Cartwright, WPC and nobody special. She didn't deserve to be a time traveller. She belonged in 1973, not 2006.
"One tea and a plate of biscuits," Sam declared, entering the room with a tray. There were two paper cups on it with plastic lids, as well as a plate with more varieties of biscuits than Annie knew was possible.
"Thanks," Annie told him, putting the paper down. "Are you the DCI?"
"I'm supposed to be." Sam laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll meet Gary Hunt later. He's my DI, and he wants the DCI job desperately. It's no secret. He's basically divided my department."
"Gary Hunt?"
Sam nodded. "His old man was a copper back in the seventies and eighties. Hunt's pretty bitter he's not a DCI yet, as that was his dad's role. He wants to better him."
"Gene Hunt?" Annie couldn't stop herself from asking.
"You've heard of him?"
Heard of him? Annie knew him personally, but she wasn't about to let Sam think she was insane. "Yeah, I've heard of him."
"Well, Gary's basically a chip off the old block. He's just like his old man, or so they say. I never knew the bloke myself. Anyway, there's a few people here that are on my side. Maya and Kate hate Hunt, but there's a few of the blokes that practically lick his shoes."
Annie nodded. "I-is he here now?"
Sam shook his head. "He's gone home for the evening. Which is where I was heading before I bumped into you."
"I'm sorry."
Sam put a gentle hand on Annie's arm. "Hey, there's nothing to apologise for."
They were interrupted by a knock on the door, and before Sam could invite them in, the door opened. A ginger-haired man strode in and grabbed Sam into an armlock. "Sammy boy, I'm arresting you for not being ready to go to the pub with the lads. You do not have to drink anything but anything you do refuse to drink will be forced down you."
Sam threw his head back, headbutting the newcomer in the stomach. "Dave, can't you see I'm busy?"
"Busy, aye? What's Maya going to say?"
"Nothing, because nothing's happening. Not like that, anyway."
Dave let go of the grip on Sam's arm. "Oh, man up. I was only messing with you. Are you coming out or what?"
"No."
Dave's jaw dropped. "Sammy, what happened to bros before hoes and all that? You always come out. It's our Saturday night routine."
"Yeah, well, today's different. And shut the door on your way out, you're letting the cold air in."
"Whatever. See you tomorrow, Tyler. Have a good night with her." Dave turned and left the room, slamming the door shut. Annie jumped in her seat at the noise.
"Ignore him, he's being a pig."
"Who is he?"
"Dave O'Connell, Uniform Inspector. He's a decent bloke most of the time, but a bit too fond of his drink. We've been mates since training. Anyway, the question now is what are you going to do? I'll drop you back to yours on the way home if you like. Where do you live?"
Annie gulped. She had no idea where she was supposed to live; did her old address even exist any more? "I- I don't know."
"Ok, well I'm sure we've got an address on the system somewhere. What's your date of birth?" Sam reached for the computer and began to type.
"March 14th, 1946."
"1946? That would make you nearly 60. Seriously, date of birth."
Annie stared at him. What a stupid slip of the tongue. But it wasn't, though. She was living in a time when she should be 60, yet she was only 26.
"I...I am being serious." Annie decided she had to come clean. She trusted Sam, and she needed to tell someone. "My name's Annie Cartwright, I was born in 1946. I'm a WPC at this station back in 1973, and I was chasing a robber down by the canal. I fell and hit my head, and the next thing I knew I was in the street in some strange place. I don't know where I am or why I'm here, but I'm really scared. I don't belong here."
Sam looked at her, his eyes unblinking. "I see," he said finally. "If that's the case, I'm going to try my best to get you back to your time. But I don't think it can happen overnight, so you're just going to have to bear with me until I can do it."
"You believe me?"
"Why wouldn't I? You don't seem like you fit in this time. The whole computers thing made that much obvious. Plus, you don't know the city, but you've got a local accent. That would suggest you've lived here a long time, but your knowledge of the area contradicts that."
"You're a right proper detective, aren't you?"
Sam smiled. "You better believe it. Look, how about you stay with me tonight, seeing as you've got nowhere else? I've got a spare room, and I can drive you in tomorrow morning as well. We're not working, but I can show you round and teach you everything. It would put my mind at ease, if nothing else."
"Alright," Annie agreed. It wasn't as if she had anything else in the way of alternative arrangements. Sam seemed to understand her; he was the only friend she had in this time. He'd promised to help her get home, too. She knew she had to stay with him, at least for tonight.