Health and Safety: Chapter 8 – Getting What You Asked For
The Doctor looks almost betrayed, staring at Ria like he is seeing her for the first time again, a darkness and then a sadness coming to his eyes. The room has fallen completely silent; people stop pounding on one another and instead are staring right at us. Well mostly they stare at Ria really, but she is standing in between us, so some of the stray glances end up falling our way.
"This is set to stun, but if anyone else thinks that carrying this on is a good plan, you are welcome to find that out for yourselves." She tries to sound self assured, cocking the gun again and pointing it as menacingly as she can manage, I can't help but notice her hands are quivering slightly. The Doctor's head quirks quickly at her statement and his eyes begin to soften as I watch them trace her arms, finding the same trembling as I had.
She isn't comfortable holding the gun and she isn't used to using it, that much is obvious. Unfortunately the crowd seems to be coming to the same conclusion, going on how they are starting to eye each other up again and crack their knuckles at one another.
Abandoning the cover of the table, I straighten up next to her, crossing my arms and trying to level the mob with an intimidating stare, it's time to be the boss; I am a Joint Marshal as far as this lot knows after all, Joint Marshal Safety reporting for duty...
"You'd best listen to her. Assaulting a Joint Marshal is a punishable offence under the law, and so far four of us have been threatened by this scuffle. That doesn't even begin to cover the property damage caused here." I add, trying to back her up as best I can. I really hope that attacking us is illegal… Him indoors is back to being pretty useless right now. Wait I am not allowed to call him that… Oh dear…
Daniel regains his poise first, smoothing a hand through his auburn curls after dropping the man he had a choke hold on.
"This establishment is closed until further notice. I suggest that you all contemplate your conduct here tonight, and consider yourselves fortunate that we will not be pressing further charges."
"You two, stay." Walt snarls threateningly at Strax and Vladimir, even though the big Russian looks like he isn't going to be ready to move anytime soon. Whatever that gun was firing wasn't lethal, but it sure was powerful.
The entire room begins crying out protests to Daniel's declaration, but everyone stagger out, leaving us, Daniel and the shell shocked bartender standing in the disaster area.
"Sorry Larry, we'll talk to Betman later." Daniel tells the trembling man apologetically.
Walt gives Strax a shove towards the door, before trying to tuck his slightly ripped shirt back into his vest properly. He gives up after a moment's fusing however, and instead stoops down to grab Vladimir by the back of the shirt, hauling him up and dragging him towards the exit.
"Doctor Smith, Ms. Clara, you had best come down to the station with us so we can deal with your associate. You too Ria." Daniel says, holding a hand out for the gun she is still clasping.
She passes it to him handle first, looking worried.
We all follow the two roughed up marshals down the street to the building I had noticed earlier with some barred windows. It turns out to be both their office and the town jailhouse.
Walt heaves Vladimir into a chair in front of a tidy desk, which I am assuming is Daniel's. Strax settles into another chair, leaving the rest of us standing, except for Daniel who eases himself into the armchair behind the desk, all the while examining Ria's gun.
"This is broken; there is no way to set it to anything but stun." He finally says, shaking his head.
"Not broken, I had it made that way on purpose." She replies.
"You had it made it to be useless?" Walt barks.
I raise my eyebrow at that comment.
"I wouldn't call it useless, that man is huge and it dropped him pretty quick." I say to him.
Daniel shoots me a reproachful glance but looks at the still mostly out of it Russian before continuing.
"Ms. London, as an Outrider licensed by the Joint Marshals of Bordure on behalf of the Government of Canada in the name of her majesty the Queen, you are legally required to carry an operational firearm." Daniel says very slowly, almost patronizing actually.
"And I am carrying an operational firearm. Open the legislation yourself Dan, Protection of Energy Assets Act, half way through the terms of reference, bottom paragraph, third line. Nowhere in the definition of what an operational firearm is will you find anything about said firearm needing to have a lethal capacity. On page eleven of the act you will also find an exception for people whose religious beliefs do not condone the use of firearms, but I couldn't qualify for that so I had to fall back on the technicality."
He looks at her in disbelief before going to what looks like a tablet on his desk, a few flicks and touches on the screen later, his eyes are flashing over words and he begins to read under his breath. The more he reads, the more his face goes a beet red. When the blush reaches his ears, Walt starts laughing at him, pouring himself a cup of what smells like coffee.
"Beat at your own game Sir. Lawsalot, and she didn't even finish at the academy! Good thing for you, I'd take her as a partner instead any day." He barks.
"Miss London I…" Daniel doesn't seem to know how to finish that statement.
"Please, stop calling me that."
"Well what do I call you then? Ria is ridiculous, and you get even more upset when I call you Victoria."
"Hang on." The Doctor interrupts, finally finding his tongue again and looking at her like he is seeing her for the first time once more, third time today that's happened.
"Your full name is Victoria London?"
"Yes…" She confirms somewhat reluctantly.
He suddenly starts grinning and prodding me with his elbow for some reason, which I am sure I'll find out later.
Daniel still looks upset but he hands the gun back to Ria, to Victoria?
"She used it to keep one of us from getting hurt Daniel, that's not something to haul her in here for." Walt informs his partner.
"No, now it's just a matter of what to do with these two…" They turn to Strax and a now mildly conscious Vladimir.
"Sorry sir…" Strax says to the Doctor.
"I would advise you get yourselves out of here first thing in the morning, Betman isn't a man who takes kindly to being crossed, and we can't handle him as well as we would like to, he is too well connected." Daniel tells the Doctor sternly.
"We need to stay at least another day." The Doctor argues.
A device that looks like a cross between a radio and a computer starts to ring on a table near the back of the room, and Daniel moves to answer it.
"A nice night with us ought to sort you out and keep Betman happy-ish." Walt tells Vladimir before frog marching him back to the cells.
"Walt, there is more trouble in Estevan. It's not just random assaults, people are being kidnapped, and a small wagon train was hit just north of here, two people were taken. Ms. London already reported another attack this afternoon, something is not right." Daniel says when he comes back from the machine.
"Estevan isn't out concern; I'll go and look for whatever is out on our turf in the morning."
"Sir, the Madam, Ms. Jenny and I could investigate the happenings in the city, and you could rendezvous with us in a day's time if Ms. Clara needs more rest!" Strax offers excitedly.
"Under whose authority would you be investigating?" Daniel scoffs. This guy is getting on my nerves.
"Under ours, Joint Marshals Health and Safety. They are all highly trained investigators, and we were going to be assigned to a post in Estevan anyways." I tell him, crossing my arms.
"I can take them into the city in the morning if I can borrow a coach; do another run for Doctor Smith and Clara the day after if needed." Ria offers.
"Keeps them out of trouble, gets Betman off our back and might make those pricks down in Estevan Enforcement happy with us. I like it." Walt shrugs.
Daniel scowls, but eventually agrees.
"You, Health,Doctor Smith, make sure she's okay." Walt snarls at the Doctor, pointing to the now dried blood below Ria's nose.
We walk out of the office with Strax marching ahead of us, the Doctor watching him like a hawk until he sees him right into the door of his room.
Ria's room is on the top floor, so she keeps climbing the stairs with us. She goes to say goodbye but I reach out to put a hand on her shoulder.
"I don't want Walt bearing down on me and we said we would make sure you were okay."
"Just some dried blood, I can clean it up myself." She mutters.
"I wouldn't be living up to my name very well if I let you do that." The Doctor tells her kindly.
That little statement means a lot more after today, possibly yesterday… whenever we went to Trenzalore. Before I might have thought he was trying to have a joke about himself, but he really isn't. It was the name he chose, the Doctor. His promise… He could have been anything, the Traveler, the Commander, the Scholar, the anything, but he chose the Doctor, the person who makes people better, the person who helps others.
The boy from the stable appears on the landing behind us, hovering and trying to stare at Ria.
"Misses was worried about yous all. She heard there was some commotion at Betman's." Ria turns so he can't see her face and the Doctor puts himself between them.
"Can you please get us some clean water and a cloth?" I ask him.
"Si misses, right away misses." He darts back down the stairs.
Ria opens the door to her room, things are squished into the place, it's much smaller than the one we have which isn't all that large either. There isn't much by way of personal possessions in the room, some clothing hanging in the closet, a few books on a dresser, what looks like a broken saddle leaning against a wall.
"Take a seat Victoria." The Doctor tells her, gesturing for her to sit down in the only uncomfortable looking chair crammed into the room.
"Please don't call me that." She tells him as he kneels in front of her, putting his hand under her chin so he could see her nose better. He doesn't even acknowledge the request; it was less adamant than with Daniel, more a plea than a demand.
"Nothing broken, just a little battered." He pulls out the sonic screwdriver and guides it just above her nose.
"That ought to stop most of the bruising." He says cheerily, before his face sets into a more cautious look.
"Walt said that you were going to an academy of some sort, but that you didn't finish school. Why is that?" The Doctor asks her carefully.
"Because she don't know how to keep her mouth shut." Carlos mocks as he comes in the room with a bowl and cloth as asked. I shoot him a glare, and he turns on his heels and flees the room without saying another word.
"What actually happened?" I ask her, trying to be gentle.
She seems like she wants to try to get away from us, but with the Doctor right in her face she doesn't really have that option right now.
"Well saying I don't know how to keep my mouth shut is one way to put it." She says after a while.
"But there has to be a better way to put it." I say, sitting on the end of her bed.
"I was on a scholarship, and I lost it." She says shortly.
"Lost it, or had it taken?" I nudge on.
"Bit of both…"
We wait for her to elaborate.
"I had a full scholarship to the Yorkton Academy of Law. In my third year there, I had a bit of a difference of opinion with one of my professors. I don't take things at face value, I ask questions. 'Question everything' was what a teacher once told me, and I took it to heart. I questioned the wrong thing with him though, not knowing it was his own research that I kind of… disproved... He failed me in his class... My scholarship was reliant on my grades, so I lost it after that happened."
"What brought you out here?" The Doctor asks her.
"My uncle and his husband lived just outside of town; I spent tons of time here as a kid after my parents split up. Dad hated having me around because I reminded him of Mom; Mom was too busy pursuing her career. I loved it out here, I learned to rope and ride, and to navigate the trails around here for miles and miles. Mrs. Shun, Hikaru, she was a good friend of my uncles, she's known me forever. I got myself licensed as an Outrider and asked to work for her. It's a lot better than sitting around feeling sorry for myself." She finishes stubbornly.
The Doctor chuckles.
"Better than moping indeed, question everything, brilliant, just fantastic." He says, beaming at her as he rings the blood soaked cloth.
"Are you going to want to go with Vastra and company tomorrow or will you wait?" She asks as she stands up, running a finger gingerly over her nose.
The Doctor turns, examining me closely. A bit too closely, I feel a heat come to my cheeks and turn my attention on the broken saddle in the corner instead of his eyes.
"See how you make out tonight, I'll poke my head in tomorrow morning and you can decide then." Ria says, still focusing on her nose.
I bid her a goodnight before taking my leave of her room with the Doctor in tow.
He tries to close Ria's door softly behind us, but ends slamming it by accident. Several voices call out about 'what in 'tarnation is going on' and to 'keep the racket down for crying out loud because folks be tryin' to sleep.'
The Doctor's chipper mood from when Ria, Victoria? Not sure what to call her now, he has switched to her full name it seems, but I think I'll stick with Ria. It was the name she chose after all. Anyways, the Doctor's chipper mood isn't dimmed by the irritable comments about his clumsiness one bit. It's good to see him like this after his earlier fatigue and concern. He throws an arm around my shoulders, grinning broadly.
"Well, one good thing that comes out of this whole mess is that we know the TARDIS vocal override protocol works a lot better than we first thought when we got here."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, all I had said was 'Victorian London' when she took off. So this whole thing is actually my mistake, I should have given the TARDIS a proper address or at least city name and then an actual date instead of a time period. I was a bit preoccupied at the time. Anyways, she did bring us to Victoria London so not a total failure of the system after all."
"So we can blame this mess on you then?" I ask playfully, swatting his arm.
"Well, if it helps…" He mumbles.
"There must be hundreds, thousands of people on at least a dozen planets with that name though, why this one?"
"Why not? "
I just shrug my shoulders.
"Guess we should mention to Vastra that she and Jenny have been volunteered for an investigation shouldn't we?"
"Probably a good plan yeah, might come as a bit of a shock otherwise. I don't like shocking Vastra; she is scary when she gets mad. Lots of teeth, knows how to use them, and not in the biting that is like kissing but with a winner kind of way either. Well not in my experience at least…"
"Sorry what?"
"Um, nothing…" He says quickly before straightening his bowtie.
We troop down the stairs quietly, trying to not disturb anyone else's rest. Someone else isn't being so considerate though; there is the sudden sound of shattered glass from somewhere downstairs, followed by shouts and a few desperate screams.
"They're playing our song again dear." The Doctor says to me, offering his hand as we run right towards the sounds of trouble brewing below us.
A/N: Sorry this took so long (by my usual standards) hopefully the fact that it is about 800 more words than a normal chapter has been makes up for it a bit. This includes all that I could salvage out of the original chapter 9 as well as what was going to be chapter 8. I think I've kind of sort of hopefully got the issues sorted with the later chapters, it's still a work in progress to reconcile the now two alternate story lines I have branching from here but I'm giving it my best. Thanks for the reviews and whatnot, I really appreciate every one of them! I'm interested to know how I am managing the OC's in this story, because holy cow there seems to be a lot of them… Hopefully not all of them are just walking plot devices…