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“Evening, Katie!”
I turned back from the mirror and grinned as I saw her come in. “Evening, Alyssa.”
“How’s it going?”
“Eh,” I wiggled my hand slightly. “So-so. Hanging in there. Any idea on the count?”
“Joe said about 150. Maybe a couple of walk-ins if the weather stays nice.”
“Not bad,” I said, carefully rolling up my shirt sleeves. “I’m just hoping tonight isn’t insane. Monday night nearly killed me.”
“That was nuts. But last night wasn’t bad. What was your takeaway after check out?”
“$180 in credit, plus some cash.” I put on my vest, straightened my tie, and tied my hair back. “It was pretty good, but I didn’t stop moving ‘till ten-thirty. That party I had at table 50 was worth it. They were super nice. I’ll take ‘demanding but polite’ tables any day.”
“Same,” Alyssa agreed and put her stuff in an empty locker. “I’m gonna grab a bite before the shift starts. See you on the floor!”
“See you on the floor,” I responded, watching her go. I turned back to the mirror. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening again. “Please, let this be a good shift.”
XXXXXXX
“Where are my fries!? This is supposed to come with fries!”
“I’m sorry, sir, I’ll check with the-” I started.
“Waitress, refill!”
“Yes, Ma’am-” I turned to another table, my head pounding. I tried to stamp down the tightness in my chest. No. No! My anxiety would not get the better of me!
“Is the tip included?” A man asked.
I shook my head. “No, sir.”
He nodded, preceding to write a big “0” on the tip line before signing the bill and leaving with his date.
“Waitress! More Ice!”
I stared at the blank check, I could feel my cheeks starting to burn and the tears building.
“I need to take my break… I‘m going to take my break… I’M GOING TO BREAK!” I screamed in my head, nearly pounding on the walls of my mind as though trapped behind a heavy metal door. “Please, somebody, save me from this!”
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to see Alyssa, concern written across her face. She glanced at the check and frowned.
“I’ll handle your tables. Go take a breather.”
I nodded and headed to the back, fighting every instinct in me not to cry. I knew I included fries in that gentleman’s order. I had treated that table as well as I possibly could. Would it kill people to say “Please” or “Thank You” or understand that I can’t be in five places at once? Better yet, could people understand that wait staff doesn’t even make minimum wage?
Some days were better… in this restaurant and for me. Screw anxiety to heaven and back.
I wish I could be like Alyssa. No matter how much pressure or stress, it never seemed to affect her. I was grateful when I had those days… especially when it was a packed house.
I pushed open the back door and stepped into the alley behind the restaurant, taking a couple more deep breaths. A few tears escaped and I wiped them away, staring up at the early evening sky. I watched the oranges and purples and blues mix together. The quiet was such a relief from the chaos of the restaurant and I wanted to drink in as much of it as could.
“I’d have to go back in,” I thought. “I can do this…”
Whoosh… Whoosh…
The sound was coming from my left. Like some strange combination of a wind sound effect and a car starting. I turned to look, but there was nothing there.
At least, not right away.
While my heart didn’t actually stop, it probably came pretty close, as a strange outline of light appeared and I witnessed a large blue box materialize out of nowhere! In the fading light, it looked to be made of wood, painted blue with two small windows and a “police box” sign across the top.
I was too scared to move, but I couldn’t bring myself to scream. I wasn’t even sure what had just happened. Maybe the pressure had gotten to me? No, I absolutely just saw that but...
“What… What is-”
I jumped as the doors open, a figure popping so fast, it made jack-in-the-boxes look slow.
“Yes! Right place and time. I can smell it!”
She was a woman, maybe mid to late thirties, shoulder-length blonde hair, dressed in one of the most unique outfits I’d ever seen. A dark blue shirt with a rainbow across it, yellow suspenders, blue pants, and a long coat that seemed a blueish silver.
I was absolutely terrified, but I had to admit it was a good look.
She took a deep breath and exhaled gratefully. “Oh, you beauty of a planet! How I’ve missed you!”
A moment later, she looked over her shoulder. That was when she saw me. I think my heart actually did stop then.
“Ah, you!” She called, making a beeline for me with a speed most commonly found in Olympic sprinters.
I forced myself to find my voice as she approached, though it didn’t come out as more than a squeak. “Me?”
“You! You’re the one who called out! Well, among other things. Stress can amplify human brain waves, but you were like an air horn. I hear you all the way from Peladon! Anyway, I’m the Doctor! Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand.
It was rude of me not to take it, but I was still trying to push past the fear and utter confusion of everything that had just happened. I managed to speak. “You… you just...” I glanced around her and nodded at the blue box.
“Oh, right! Sorry,” She quickly apologized. This was the first time I really noticed her English accent. “It takes a while to get used to, I know. Trust me, you’re not the first to be thrown by her.”
“Her?” I was slowly coming back to myself, my gut instinct suggesting I wasn’t in any danger and that this woman probably wasn’t a threat to me.
In a weird way, she gave off the aura of being a friend. Like someone you never knew but when you met them, you’d wished you’d known them all along. That was weird enough on its own without the ‘appearing from nowhere in a blue box’ part.
“The TARDIS,” The woman replied. “Anyway, I’m here, what’s the trouble?”
“Trouble?” I could feel myself internally smacking my brain in an attempt to stop repeating myself.
“You said you needed saving,” she said. “I heard you.”
“I need to take my break… I’m going to take my break… I’M GOING TO BREAK! Please, somebody, save me from this!”
The wave of fear and embarrassment hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn’t sure what was more unsettling. That she had heard my thoughts or that I’d called someone I didn’t know from… wherever she was from because she thought I needed saving!
“I… I’m sorry,” I blurted out, unable to stop myself. “I didn’t mean-”
“Katie?” The back door to the restaurant opened and I turned to see Alyssa standing there. “You doing all-”
“Hello!” The woman said brightly, approaching Alyssa. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out something and presented it to Alyssa. “Sorry about all this. Credentials, right here.”
Given Alyssa’s reaction and the “Police Box” sign, I half expected it to be a badge of some kind. But as far as I could tell, Alyssa clearly didn’t (or maybe couldn’t) see the huge blue box. Furthermore, Alyssa’s expression changed so rapidly from concerned to surprised and then confused, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what she saw. Even so, she quickly composed herself and motioned for her to go inside.
“Come on in,” She said, politely, holding the door open. “I’ll get the manager. I’m sorry, the staff wasn’t told anything about-”
“Well, you know how it is,” The woman said. “Dropping in unannounced and all that.” She stopped before entering and looked back at me. “Katie, was it?”
I nodded.
“Come on then!” She said and headed right inside. I made my legs follow her. Alyssa caught my arm as we started back to the dining room, whispering in my ear.
“Did I miss something?” She asked. “Joe said nothing about a health inspector coming in.”
Health inspector? Where had that come from? My mind was still trying to wrap around the fact that I’d just seen this woman materialize from nothing. I didn’t know who… or possibly what she was. She said she’d heard me from a place called Peladon? Unless Peladon was some secret place in my mind I didn’t know about, there’s no way she could have heard me.
But this was real. This was happening. Alyssa was standing right here and everything felt real. Was it possible? Had that woman… I think she’d called herself ‘the Doctor’… had she actually heard my thoughts?
We both paused as the woman approached our manager, presenting him with the same thing she had shown Alyssa. Far away, it looked like some sort of black cardholder. Maybe it was an ID. At any rate, the absolute shock in Joe’s eyes screamed volumes.
“Miss Smith, we weren’t told-”
“Perfectly fine,” She said. “Quick inspection, see how you all are holding up!” She ran over to and poked her head into the main dining hall. “Oh! Came on a busy night, I see. What’s the special tonight?”
Joe swallowed, trying to regain his composure. Honestly, it was weird to see him so shaken up. Normally, he was the most grounded of the managers and I enjoyed working with him. Had David been here, on the other hand, I might have witnessed a heart attack.
“Rib eye steak served with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus sautéed in garlic.”
“Ooo! Sounds yummy! Mind if I have a look around?”
“Please! Go right ahead!” Joe gestured to the dining room.
“Right!” She turned around and then, for absolutely no reason at all, came over and grabbed my hand. Her grip was tight, but I was amazed at how warm and gentle it was. It was strangely comforting. “Come on then!”
“Katie, wait!” Alyssa stopped us before she could pull me back out to the floor. “Table 32 closed out and I got 42 to get the chocolate cake. They’ll probably want coffee too.” She handed me the check presenter from 32.
I looked inside at the receipt and noticed they’d tipped pretty well, even going so far as to leave me a positive review. I felt the pressure in my chest lift a little, allowing me to come back to the moment. I took a deep breath in, let it out, and looked at Alyssa.
“Thank you,” I said, smiling, “I owe you big time.”
“Well, if I get stuck closing, you’re taking over for me.” She said.
“Done!” I said. That was all I got before the woman pulled me out onto the dining room floor. Like myself, she didn’t seem to have much patience.
“Alright,” She said, turning to me, “Where’s the trouble?”
It was the first time I really saw her clearly. Saw her large hazel eyes and endless, genuine smile. I tried to think of something to compare it to, but the only word that came to mind was… bright. She was the brightest person I’d ever seen. Like the sun or a star, like she was a ball of energy about to spread light across the world.
It almost made me feel worse. Like I’d wronged her in some way. How could I have? I barely knew her. But she’d heard my thoughts for help. I had to tell her the truth.
“There’s... no trouble,” I said, hating myself the whole time. “I think what you heard was my stress and anger about everything that’s gone on tonight and….” I sighed and lifted my head to look her in the eye. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to make you think that I-”
“Well, stress is never a good thing! Eats away at your heart and it’s not good for blood pressure either.” She said, still beaming. “Still, I’m here now and I can help!”
I blinked. I didn’t understand. Was… had she just told me everything was okay despite not being in trouble? She genuinely wasn’t mad at me at all? What was-
“Oo!” She walked over to a tray that had been set up. “Is this what you’re serving tonight?”
I looked over. The tray had been set up for the large party at table 60. With a party of 15, they’d gone all out. Appetizers, side dishes, it looked like everyone got their own entree too. I winced. I wasn’t one to ignore a large tab, but I hoped they wouldn’t let anything go to waste. These weren’t exactly small plates.
“It’s most of the menu, yeah,” I said.
“Looks delish,” she said, eyeing the steak and a cheese pizza topped with sausage and onions.
“Katie! Hey!”
I turned around. Charlie was waving at me from the bar. He was starting to get backed up with orders and needed runners immediately.
“Can you give me a second?” I asked her.
“I can give you ten,” She said, still staring at the food. I nodded, pausing before I left.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
She lifted her head and her eyes met mine. I felt a spark of warmth within my heart. “I told you. I’m the Doctor.”
“Doctor wh-”
“Katie!”
I turned and looked at Josh who was pointing at a tray of after-dinner drinks that were quickly going past their ticket time.
“Sorry, be right back,” I told her and headed over to the bar.
“New friend?” Charlie asked, pouring a few glasses of wine for his guest at the bar. I picked up my tray and looked at the ticket for the table number.
“No,” I said, “She’s…” I looked back at her, still staring closely at the food. “A Health Inspector.” Charlie groaned and rolled his eyes.
“God damn it. They never tell us anything around here.”
“Not the restaurant’s fault this time,” I said, lowering my voice. “No one knew. Not even Joe.”
Charlie blinked. “Nobody? They’re normally on top of these things, it just doesn’t get to us.”
I shrugged. “I guess… We’re all in the dark about this, too.”
“About what?”
I gripped the tray so tight to keep it from falling it wasn’t funny. She’d just popped back over beside me. She stared at the glasses, sniffing them slightly and wrinkling her nose.
“People drink that?” She asked Charlie. He blinked but collected himself.
“It’s our version of a White Russian with Bailey’s-“
“Ah, no, too much for me,” she said. “Got anything fruity with a little umbrella?”
I could see Charlie was having a hard time understanding the situation. I didn’t blame him. “Well,” he said. “We’ve actually got a pretty popular take on a tequila sunrise but with-”
“Great! I’ll have one of those without the Tequila and extra cherries.”
I tried to hold back my smile and failed miserably. I know I saw her materialize out of thin air, but I was starting to wonder if this was some kind of practical joke put on by some kind of celestial being.
Strange as it was, I could honestly say it was making me like her. A lot.
I carried my drinks over to the respective table and asked if they needed anything else. She stayed right with me step for step.
“This is good,” she whispered in my ear. “Keep playing along. Don’t want them to get suspicious.”
I didn’t have time to process that as I reached another table. Two gentlemen were examining the menu when we approached. I couldn’t help but be very much aware that she was shoulder to shoulder with me. I tried not to blush.
“Good evening,” I said. “My name is Katie…” I looked over at… at the Doctor. “And this is-”
“Smith! Jane Smith!” She said brightly. “Welcome, welcome! Don’t mind me. Health inspector, just observing. Seeing how the day-to-day business goes. Bright one, this one! Knows all about the menu!”
Now I was blushing. “Our specials today are-”
“Between you and me,” She leaned over, lowering her voice as if it were a secret. “I’d get the salad. Nice green salad with lots of bright colors. Saw the steak in the kitchen. Tried it. Not good.”
I did a double-take. When had she had time to try-
“Or the veggie burger!” She said with the exact same excitement. “Good for the heart! Sorry, I can’t help it. I get super excited over a good veggie burger.”
To be honest, having tried everything on the menu when I started, she was actually one hundred percent right. I looked at the couple. “I… actually do recommend the veggie burger. It’s almost identical to the real thing.”
“See!” The Doctor patted me on the shoulder. “I told you! Super smart, this one!”
The two gentlemen looked at each other. One of them shrugged and nodded. The other gentleman looked back at me.
“We’ll take two,” he said. “Can I get fruit instead of fries on mine?”
“Absolutely. Anything to drink?”
“Got a good wine to go with it?” He asked.
“With the veggie burger?” I thought about it for a minute. “Probably the sparkling rosé. We just got some in from California. I like it. More on the crispy side, but there’s a bit of sweetness that I enjoy and a hint of apple to balance it out.”
“What she said,” The Doctor concurred.
“We’ll take a bottle and two glasses,” he said and handed me the menus. I gave them a courteous smile.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” I said and started toward the POS system to put their orders in.
“Well done,” The Doctor said, right beside me.
“Thanks,” I said. “That wine training is finally settling in.” I turned to her. “How’d you know the veggie burger was good?”
“I tried it.”
I blinked. “When did you-”
Halfway across the restaurant, I heard a gentleman scream, “WHY IS THERE A BITE IN MY BURGER?!”
“I got a couple of chips too. Want one?” I watched as she pulled a handful of french fries from her coat pocket, popping one into her mouth before offering them out to me.
For a moment, I just stared at her. At this strange woman, a bright light… I could feel my heart beating fast again, but not from the stress. Making sure Joe and no customers were watching, I took a fry and ate it.
“You said something before about someone getting suspicious,” I said quietly. “What did you-”
“Not now!” The Doctor hissed. “Keep working, get your friend to let you close…” she lowered her voice. “And steer customers away from the meat.”
There was something in her tone that caused goosebumps to pop up on my arms. I nodded and she took off without another word, clearly on some sort of mission to search the restaurant.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
I spent the rest of my shift trying to focus on my customers, but at least several times, I kept thinking back to The Doctor’s arrival. I wondered if anyone else had seen the bright blue police box outside or if it had just been me.
Aside from quick flashes here and there, I barely saw her for the rest of my shift. It was almost as though she was on some kind of scavenger hunt. Towards the end of the night, I approached Alyssa. She had a strange look on her face as she was clearing dishes off a table.
“Hey,” I waved. “Did Joe announce who’s closing?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Me. So that means you.”
“No problem,” I told her. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah… You saw that party at 60, yeah? The one Tracy had?”
I nodded. “The loud one?” I thought back to the guy who shouted earlier that night about a bite in his veggie burger.
Alyssa nodded. “Joe’s still pissed, but apparently it was none of us. David said he had a couple of ‘overly happy’ customers tonight, might have been one of them.”
“Yeah, I don’t think it was one of us,” I said, thinking back to the Doctor standing over the tray.
“Anyway, that guy walked out.”
My eyes went wide. “He dined and ditched?”
Alyssa shook her head. “Tracy said the party paid and tipped well… but the guy went missing.”
I wrinkled my brows. “What?”
“Joe and Tracy wanted to apologize, but apparently, they couldn’t find him. Couldn’t even get him on his cell.”
“That’s weird,” I said, picking up a tray and going over to get a couple of cups of coffee for a table of four.
“That’s not the weird thing,” Alyssa said, following me over. “Remember last week?”
I nodded.
“Michael said something similar happened to someone on his breakfast shift. Apparently, Kelli said the same thing when she came in for lunch.”
I paused. “They all just randomly vanished? Why did no one mention it?” If there was one constant in every restaurant, it was the wait staff talking about their tables.
Alyssa shrugged. “I think they were solo guests so it was just dismissed as strange… but they were extremely quick and no one saw them leave.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. Normally guests come and go as they pleased after paying, but after seeing what I saw tonight, something felt off. I placed cream and sugar on the tray.
“The party said they’d call us when they locate him. Joe’s gonna give him a free meal.”
“Okay,” I replied, my mind elsewhere. “How many tables have you got?”
“I’m on my last one. Want me to polish silverware for side work?”
I nodded. “Sure. I’ll have Tracy clean the coffee station. Let me know when you’re done and head home.”
“Sure,” she looked at me closely. “Are YOU okay?”
I shook myself back to the present. “Yeah. Sorry.”
“Okay… did you see where that Health Inspector went?”
“Not since she arrived,” I said, picking up the tray.
“Hell of a night for her to show up,” Alyssa remarked.
“Yeah. Hey,” I looked back at her. “If you see her before you leave, let her know what happened.”
Alyssa blinked. “Why? What happened tonight isn’t exactly a point in our favor.”
“I’d just feel better about it,” I said honestly.
Alyssa looked at me for a while before sighing in defeat. “Fine. If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll tell her if I see her.”
“Thank you,” I called to her as I headed back over to the table.
“So, vanishing humans, never good!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin; it was a miracle I didn’t drop anything. I turned to see her standing beside me. I wasn’t sure what was crazier: that she’d just popped out of nowhere, that I hadn’t had a heart attack, that I hadn’t dropped the tray or that I’d managed not to scream. I had to take several deep breaths.
“Don‘t scare me like that!” I said.
“So, disappearing humans started last week,” she continued, walking beside me. “No sign, no reports.”
“I guess not,” I said, delivering the coffee, cream, and sugar before heading back to put the tray away.
“Glad I came when I did. You were right.”
I stopped, looking at her. “I was?”
“You might not need actual saving, but this place does.”
I knew I was staring again, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from hers. There was an intensity in her gaze that stamped down any chance of objection in me. A part of me still didn’t believe that this place needed saving, but what Alyssa had said was completely out of the ordinary. She motioned for me to follow her to one of the side stations. I went over to the POS and pretended to enter something.
“Has anything out of the ordinary happened lately?” She asked, her voice low but completely serious. “People showing up you don’t know? Weird smells?”
I shook my head. “Not that I can think of. Everything has-” I stopped mid-sentence. Something crossed my mind, but it seemed so small, it might not even have been worth mentioning.
“What?” She asked, moving closer.
I licked my lips, mulling it over. “I started working here last summer. It’s our busiest time of the year. The private dining room-”
“Off the side of the lobby? Dark wooden double doors? Gold plating around the edges?” The Doctor asked.
I nodded. Guess she had spent her time exploring. “During the summer, that room is packed. Weddings, parties, company dinners, birthdays, it’s rarely empty.”
“But nobody’s been using it, right?” She pressed.
“Yes!” I nodded. “It’s been locked up since May. We figured it was for refurbishment, but all the managers keep talking about the money the restaurant would lose if they don’t open it up for reservations.”
The Doctor glanced around. Aside from that party of four, a couple at table 25 and a few people at the bar, the restaurant was getting pretty quiet. “What time do you officially close?”
“On weekdays, they start kicking people out around 10:30,” I told her.
“Is there somewhere you can hide?”
“Hide?” Again, broken record, but the look on her face suggested something serious was going on… maybe even deadly. Despite my anxiety rising up again, I nodded.
“There’s a spare closet in the back where we keep the banquet supplies. It’s normally unlocked in case we need extra glasses.”
“Right,” She nodded, that brightness coming back again. “After your shift, you stay in there. I’ll come get you when the coast is clear.”
I swallowed. “I’ll need to finish up with my tables and run my check out before-”
“Right! Okay, let’s do it!”
I didn’t even have time to finish before she ran off again. I could feel the warmth in my heart quickly moving up to my cheeks and made myself stamp it down. Now wasn’t the time.
“Still,” I thought, printing my last table’s check. “It’s nice to feel this way again…”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I jolted as the door to the closet swung open. I’d completely drifted off. The Doctor entered the room, holding something in her hand that glowed with a strange yellow light. I rubbed my eyes.
“Come on!” She said, motioning me to follow her. I shook off the urge to return to sleep and followed her from the closet and back into the main dining hall. I’d never seen it like this. Lights completely out, the only visible light coming from the streetlights that crept in through the windows. It had to be past midnight at least.
We made our way into the lobby and towards the double doors. Instinctively, I reached out and pulled at them. Locked tight. I tried to think.
“The managers keep a spare set of keys in their office. If the door isn’t locked, I can try to...”
I trailed off. The Doctor was examining the gold plated metal lock on the door.
“Not wood. Good,” She mumbled.
I watched as she held out the glowing object towards the lock. A sound that made me think of the watch gears and something electronic came from it and an instant later, I heard the sound of something unlocking. She grinned and put the object back inside her coat pocket.
“How’d-”
She didn’t wait for me to ask. She simply pulled the doors open and we both instantly shivered.
I gripped my arms as the blast of cool air hit me. The Doctor pulled her coat around herself as we stepped into the room. She quickly closed the door behind us, though I kinda wished she hadn’t. At first, I thought we would be completely enclosed in the darkness, but as my eyes adjusted, I found I could see pretty clearly. Someone had adjusted the lights to give the room an eerie blue glow. I couldn’t help but stare. The normally gorgeous room was barely recognizable. A layer of frost seemed to cover everything. Tablecloths were completely stiff. Some of the glassware had cracked from the cold. Reminded me of something out of a Sci-Fi movie. To be fair, I was wondering if I’d actually stepped into one.
“Take it this place isn’t supposed to have a ‘Winter Wonderland’ theme going?” She asked, tightening her grip on her coat.
“No,” I shook my head, rolling down my sleeves for what little warmth they could provide. This was far beyond air conditioning. I could even see my breath! “What is this?”
“With these temperatures,” The Doctor began. “It’s either some kind of containment unit or-”
She turned her head swiftly to the left as something caught her eye. There was something laying on one of the tables. Without hesitation, she picked it up and began examining it. Coming up beside her, I saw that resembled some sort of electronic tablet. The Doctor tapped the screen a few times before pulling out that same strange object from before. Getting a better look at it, it was a curved piece of bright metal with a crystal embedded at the end. She pressed a button on it and the crystal glowed and began spinning. There was an electronic tone and the tablet sprung to life.
The Doctor stared at the tablet, eyes running over the contents on the screen. The brightness in her face faded instantly, replaced with that serious gaze from before. This time, however, there was anger there. Her whole form seemed to be blazing. She put it down instantly before starting to look around the room as quickly as she could. I watched her move away before picking up the tablet.
There was nothing on it I could read. The letters - I mean, I assumed they were letters - didn’t remotely resemble anything that could be legible.
“Unless,” I thought. “It’s not legible to anyone on Earth.”
I scrolled through the contents. While it was completely unreadable, something about it seemed familiar. The formatting reminded me of something. It was on the tip of my tongue. Something I’d seen around the restaurant.
“An inventory?” I whispered.
“A delivery slip,” The Doctor said, staring at a table in the corner of the room. By this point, I knew I had to stop questioning how she was doing the unimaginable, but it still caught me off guard. “For an upcoming delivery.”
I set the tablet down and ran up beside her. She turned, arms reaching out in an attempt to stop me from seeing what she was looking at. But I saw it.
The table was lined with glass jars. Each one looked as though it was made of crystal and lined with gold like they were the world’s most lavish display cases. That might have been enough as it was, but then I saw what they were containing.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice quick, but concerned.
“That’s…” My heart was pounding. I could feel the urge to vomit building inside me. “Those…”
“Human,” she said, erasing any doubt. “Probably your missing guests.”
Hearts. Brains. Kidneys. Two sets of lungs.
Every part of me was screaming that this was an illusion. This was some sort of terrible dream and I was going to wake up and hate myself for looking at horror movies so late at night. But I knew I was awake. I looked back at the tablet and back at the Doctor. I didn’t even have to ask.
“Harvesters,” She said. “Outer universe bounty hunters. They’ll take anything they’re offered. Murder, spying... “
“Organ stealing?” I whispered.
“Replacements,” The Doctor nearly spat out. “Someone threw a lot of money at them to find exact genetic matches.”
I shook my head. “This… This doesn’t make any sense. Why come to a restaurant? Why not go to a hospital? A place with a lot of…”
“Organs?” The Doctor finished my thought. “People come and go all the time. Find someone in a big enough crowd, steal them away, no one notices. Restaurant’s nearly empty, find that right match, no one sees them go. They’re fast, tactical. These blokes knew what they were doing and how to do it, but they got sloppy tonight. If they were willing to pick someone from a party like that, they must have known someone was going to notice. But if they were willing to take that risk, this probably wasn’t a cheap mission,” She continued to examine the jars.
I watched her back, a strange feeling creeping into my gut. Even as a kid, my mom told me I had a good gut instinct. This time, I seriously hoped she was wrong.
“Doctor… if these are the organs... where are the bodies?”
The Doctor didn’t turn around right away. When she did, there was a look on her face that made my stomach churn.
She bit her lip, clearly unsure about how to proceed with this conversation. “Remember how I told you to steer everyone away from the meat?”
My brain didn’t process it. This wasn’t happening. This was some twisted dream I was going to wake up from. It had to be. Another thought hit me.
“There’s always a pre-shift meal for the staff.”
The Doctor moved slowly toward me. “What did you have today?”
“Hamburger sliders-” I wasn’t able to finish as the full weight of it hit me and my stomach lurched violently. A second later, I was on my hands and knees, puking on the floor again and again. The Doctor was beside me immediately, holding my shoulders until there was nothing left. I dry heaved until the tears came.
“I’m here,” she said. “I’m here. Deep breaths. Slowly now...”
I was trembling now. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be! I was making this up! I had to be! What was wrong with me?
“Hey,” I heard the Doctor somewhere far away. “Hey!”
Strong hands cupped my face, lifting my head until her eyes were boring into mine.
“Listen to me. Right now. Are you listening?”
I nodded, forcing myself to listen.
“This isn’t going to happen to anyone else. Do you understand me? This ends tonight. And so long as you are with me, I am not going to let anything happen to you. Do you understand that?”
I didn’t know what to think. I was so confused and scared, my mind was swirling. But as she spoke to me, something in her tone, in her eyes, made me calm down. At least a little bit.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a handkerchief and gently dabbed the tears away from my cheeks before wiping the corners of my mouth. It was so comforting, I almost wanted to start crying again, but I wouldn’t let myself.
“That’s nice,” I managed. It was nice. Feeling her strength and comfort at that moment gave me the strength to focus on calming down. After a few deep breaths, I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes. I exhaled and looked at the Doctor, nodding that I was okay.
“There we go,” The Doctor grinned back at me. She helped me up, moving me around the puddle of vomit.
“Like I said, I’m going to stop this. We just-”
There was a distinct clicking noise and we both froze, our heads turning towards the door at the same time as we saw the latch turn. I didn’t have time to think as the Doctor pulled me under a table. I threw my hands over my mouth, hoping to muffle any sound, as the heavy doors creaked open and the click-clack of heavy talons on the floor filled the room.
XXXXXXXXX
Had we been in a kitchen, it would have been identical to that scene in Jurassic Park. What would have been the clicks and chirps of the velociraptors was replaced with what sounded like two Darth Vader-like voices snarling at each other in a language I couldn’t even begin to comprehend. The Doctor made the slightest move forward, intent on listening and, if the expression on her face was any indication, actually understanding them! Her brows furrowed and she leaned forward. Half of me desperately wanted to know what they were saying, but I kept my hands over my mouth to keep from making a single sound.
The footsteps got closer to us, followed by a tapping sound. They’d probably gotten a hold of the tablet. One voice rose in tone, something almost accusatory. The other’s voice grew uncertain before returning the challenge. Clearly something was wrong with their delivery slip.
Something pounded down on the top of the table we were under and I gripped myself tightly to keep from screaming. The voices were nearly roaring at each other with additional sounds indicating some sort of fight. The Doctor kept her focus on the conversation, processing what I could not. She was mumbling something to herself, trying to figure out the situation. Her voice was so low no one could hear it over the argument, but I managed to catch two words.
‘Deadline’ and ‘quota.’
There was no way to be one hundred percent certain, but my mind was already forming a scenario. They hadn’t gotten enough… inventory to meet their proprietor’s requirements and the deadline was quickly approaching. From the sounds of their arguing, whoever was paying them probably wasn’t going to be happy.
Suddenly, there was a “squelching” sound and the fighting stopped, turning the room silent. My eyes flew to the bottom of the tablecloth, catching the slightest hint of something that most people would consider a nightmare, but right now actually was.
One of them had stepped in my puddle of vomit.
At that moment, my mind was a mix between screaming violent obscenities and trying to find some way to escape. Every bone in my body was screaming to run. My eyes darted back to the Doctor. Her eyes were still trained on the alien foot in the puddle of vomit. We had to find a way out of here. The tables weren’t located close enough together to slip under the tablecloths without notice. We could just try to run for the door, but those creatures were way too close. We’d be caught instantly! My mind was racing. We didn’t have any other options. We were going to die here! I looked up at the underside of the heavy table-
Heavy.
Not extremely heavy. Alyssa and I could move one pretty well if we worked together, but it might be a little heavier with everything on it….
It was the dumbest- and quite possibly, the last- thing I had ever done, but I turned my head and made eye contact with the Doctor. Gesturing towards the edge of the table, I motioned as quickly and quietly as I could.
Up and push.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the smile that lit up on her face. Taking every movement with care, we moved back towards the edge of the table. Carefully positioning ourselves to get the most force out of the act, we both put our hands on the underside of the table. I looked at her, awaiting her orders.
She didn't need to give them. There was a violent roar and we both threw ourselves into it, pushing with all the strength we could muster. The table went flying, crashing on top of figures, pinning them under wood and fine china. Roars mixed with the sounds of glass shattering and we found ourselves struggling to pin them down.
A seven-clawed hand burst through the wood, narrowly missing us. It clawed around violently, trying to reach for something it could rip apart. My eyes darted around, desperate to keep it from us. Finding a rogue steak knife, I grabbed it and jabbed it into the hand, pinning it to the wood. There was another roar of pain and the creature under the table started flailing.
“Come on!” The Doctor yelled, pushing back from the table and running towards the doors, pausing only long enough to snatch the tablet up off the table. I followed, pushing myself to run faster than I ever had before. We flung the doors open and entered the lobby just as a bright light came flying from the private room, exploding the host’s station.
“Upgraded their blasters, I see!” The Doctor noted, her hand suddenly grasping mine and yanking me away from another blast. “Come on!”
By this point, the noise and smoke from the blast had triggered the emergency lighting in the building. While I was grateful to not have to worry about running into tables now, we’d just lost any additional covering we had.
“The kitchen!” The Doctor yelled back.
“What about-“
There was an additional blast and another table went flying. It was a miracle we weren’t struck by knives or broken glass! I took the chance to look back.
I wasn’t too off on the Darth Vader motif. If Vader and the xenomorph from Alien had a baby, the Harvesters would be that. The only major difference was the seven-clawed hands and the large blaster at the end of their tails. One of them pointed their tail up at the ceiling and snarled a command. I followed his gaze, only understanding at the last minute as I saw where the Doctor was heading.
“Doctor!” I screamed. She looked up, seeing the crystal chandelier beginning to fall. Her feet nearly planted themselves in an attempt to prevent us from getting hit, but we’d gotten too far into its path. Holding her hand as tightly as I could, I yanked us both forwards. An extra boost of adrenaline kicked in as I nearly threw us both into the kitchen, hitting the ground before that gigantic mass of brass and crystal came crashing down. I glanced back, happy to see it had blocked them from following us, buying us some time.
“Are you okay?” We both asked at once. There was a moment of silence before we found ourselves sharing a nervous giggle.
“Come on,” I said, getting on my feet. “We can get out through the emergency exit-“
She’d already sprinted for the kitchen.
“Wait!” I called. “What are you doing? We’ve gotta-”
She pulled out the tablet and pointed that same shiny metal device at it. “Turn on everything that generates a significant amount of heat!”
“What?” Broken record, yet again.
“Ovens! Stoves! Heating systems! Go!”
I didn’t wait for an explanation. I ran around the kitchen, turning on every stovetop, oven, broiler and fryer I could.
“How’s this going to help?” I yelled back.
“They’re gonna get past that chandelier soon, we’ll need a barrier to hold them off before they leave.”
I stopped. “They’re not just going to leave!”
“Oh, yes they are!” She smiled at me, holding up the tablet and the shiny piece of metal. “We’ve got back-up coming.”
“What about the victims? They’ve got to-”
There was a massive blast just outside of the kitchen!
“Get behind me!” The Doctor commanded.
Once again, I didn’t need to be told twice. I ran right on over to the Doctor and stood at her side. She gave me a look.
“What?” I asked, bracing myself for whatever she was about to say.
“Behind me,” she said.
Again, it took a minute to register exactly what she was saying and while part of me wanted to point out that now wasn’t the time to get technical, she looked in no mood to argue. I took a step back and around to position myself clearly behind her.
“That’s better,” she said. “Traveling with me, you gotta take direction.”
What? That made no sense. “What do you mean by travel-”
There was another roar and the two Harvesters were suddenly at the entrance to the kitchen. Instinct kicked in once again and I grabbed the Doctor’s arm, trying to pull her to get out of here, but she didn’t move. In fact, despite the increasing heat and smell from the fryer, she seemed comfortably fine staying right where she was.
I looked back at the Harvesters and was amazed to find they hadn’t moved either! They were holding themselves at the entrance to the kitchen, snarling at each other, their bodies somewhat curled in on themselves.
Were they… afraid?
“Little too hot to enter, eh, boys?” The Doctor asked. “Take it it's not as cozy as the negative ninety celsius back home? Been enjoying the air conditioning here, yeah? Still a little too toasty? Remind me, not really certain, how much heat can you stand before you start physically evaporating?”
The Harvesters snarled at her. I didn’t move.
She waved the tablet teasingly at them. “And, er, you better hit the road unless you wanna have a little chat with the squad of Judoon headed over to talk to you about the…” she scrunched her face in thought. “Two-hundred warrants out for your arrest? How many of those were murder related again? Think you’ll have to add a couple more.”
One of the Harvesters grabbed the other, motioning that they needed to leave now, lest a… Judoon, I think she called then, come for them. The other shouted at their companion, visibly frustrated, almost debating whether to stay or go. The Doctor seemed taken aback.
“Can’t really be worth getting arrested for all that... is it?”
That wasn’t a prod to get them to leave. She was fascinated. She really wanted to know. The creature screamed at her and there was something in its tone that actually hit my heart.
Fear.
The Doctor took a step forward. “Who said he would kill you?”
There wasn’t any time to answer. Two massive blasts sounded from outside the kitchen, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps marching in unison. Within five seconds, the kitchen was swarmed by massive figures dressed in heavy black armor. Every entrance was covered. One even burst through the kitchen’s ventilation system! Each wore a huge black helmet that completely covered their heads and at the sight of the Harvesters, they drew their weapons, gigantic guns that looked like someone had fitted a Nerf gun with red LED lights. Though, if I had to guess, these guns probably didn’t shoot tiny foam darts. The Doctor backed away and moved out her arm, pushing me behind her for additional protection.
This time I was glad I was behind her. She couldn’t see me blush.
The two Harvesters were looking around frantically for a way out, but as the giant figures quickly surrounded them, the muzzle of their guns pressing into their bodies, their fate dawned on them. Frantic movements turned into stillness as they lifted their hands. Two of the armed figures lowered their weapons and approached them, placing heavy metal cuffs around their wrists and ankles.
There was a muffled command from under one of the helmets. Those who were not arresting or aiming their weapons at the Harvesters positioned themselves in what I could only assume was their version of ‘at attention.’ There was another set of heavy footsteps and I looked to see another figure enter, flanked by two at his side. While they all wore the same black armor and helmets, this one was a little bigger and clearly in command. Only a moment later, he lifted his hands and unclasped his helmet, removing it at once.
I had braced myself to see any number of things under that helmet. A rhinoceros had not been on that list.
“Judoon?” I whispered to the Doctor. She nodded.
The leader turned to the Harvesters and began speaking in a powerful, gravely voice. It was a language I couldn’t begin to understand, but then again, I’d never even been good at languages found on Earth. I glanced back at the Doctor.
I spoke as softly as I could. “What’s going on?”
The Doctor turned her head back to me slightly, her tone matching mine. “Reciting the charges. Looks like our friends are in for more than I thought.”
When the head Judoon stopped talking, he motioned towards the Judoon surrounding the Harvesters. One of them gave another command and they forced the Harvesters to move. I could only assume they were taking them to some sort of spaceship or interstellar police car, but I didn’t ask.
As soon as the Harvesters were removed from the scene, the commanding Judoon turned back towards the Doctor. Again, the leader spoke in that same language and while it shouldn’t have surprised me, the Doctor responded in the exact same tongue! She must have told him something important because then he motioned at the two figures flanking him. They left the room immediately. The commander spoke to the Doctor again and she looked back at me.
“Is there a freezer in here?” She asked.
It came to me a lot quicker this time and I knew what they were asking for. I motioned if I could step out from behind the Doctor.
“Go ahead,” she replied.
I moved forward and the Judoon lifted their weapons. I froze. The Doctor barked something at the commander. He gave her a sharp look before turning to me. He lifted his hand and the platoon of Judoon lowered their guns.
Once I knew it was safe to move, I headed towards the walk-in freezer at the other end of the kitchen where the chefs kept the raw meat. I pulled the door open and instantly, two Judoon walked inside. I stepped back and watched as they began rummaging around. Eventually one of them found what I feared they were looking for and emerged holding what looked like a cut of beef. I had a sickening feeling that it wasn’t.
The commander nodded and gestured to the two Judoon who instantly started collecting everything in the freezer that resembled red meat, putting each piece into small bags. He made some sort of signal to four other members of his platoon and they walked away.
In a flash, the freezer was all but picked clean of red meat, leaving only the chicken and the fish.
“Well, at least they’re not taking what they don’t need,” I thought. Though it probably didn’t matter. I doubted anyone was going to be served for a while given the state the dining room had to be in.
The sound of heavy footsteps entered the room once again and I saw the four Judoon the leader had sent away previously. They saluted their commander and held out something for him to inspect. My stomach churned again at the sight of those crystal containers and what they held inside. The commander nodded at them and they began to walk away.
“Wait,” I said. “Wait, where are you taking those?”
The Judoon carrying them didn’t even acknowledge me. I have no idea what possessed me to do so, but I turned to the commanding Judoon.
“What are you going to do with those?”
The commander just stared at me, as though he had no idea why I was addressing him. For all I knew, he might not have understood me. But something nagged me to ask again.
“You should leave those here,” I said.
The Judoon commander barked something and the two Judoon carrying the cases stopped. He just stared at me. I couldn’t read anything in his expression. I wasn’t even sure if he was taking me seriously. The rest of his platoon regarded us, fascinated by this moment. That a small human would speak up against him. Even the Doctor said nothing.
I stood my ground as he came toward me. He was easily three times my size and it was clear he could crush me like a bug in an instant. But despite the fear in my chest, I lifted my head and met him in the eye.
This was not the most terrifying thing that had ever happened to me. Not even close.
“The families of the victims deserve to know what happened. They should have what….” I nearly choked on the words. “They deserve to have the remains of their loved ones returned to them.”
You could honestly hear a pin drop. No one dared to say anything. I desperately wanted to look away, but I made myself keep eye contact as long as I could. After what felt like forever, he spoke in a deep, gravely voice.
“Once their trial is concluded, we will return the remains to the appropriate organizations on Earth. They will deliver them to the families of the victims.”
The tension in my chest fled instantly and I was flooded with relief. “Thank you,” I said softly, but grateful all the same.
He gave a curt nod and shouted a command to his platoon. They all turned and marched from the kitchen. As quickly as the Judoon came, they were gone, leaving nothing but an overheated and extremely messy kitchen in their wake. The Doctor ran to my side.
“You alright?” She asked.
“Yeah…” I nodded, putting my hands on my knees to stabilize myself. “I just need a second for my heart to get back in my chest.”
“That was brilliant!” She smiled. “You were scared witless!”
“Was it that obvious?” I asked as my heart gradually began to low down.
“Yes!” She laughed. “And you still did it! Not everyone can address the leader of a platoon of Judoon and get a response! Well done you!”
Her smile was infectious. I couldn’t help but grin back. “He said the organs would be delivered to the appropriate organizations. What did he mean?”
“Ah,” The Doctor said. “That’s right, they probably don’t know about UNIT yet…” She scratched her head. “Well, I have a few favors I can call in, get it done in a jiffy.”
I must have been looking at her with the blankest look on my face because she quickly rephrased her response. “I’ve got friends who can assure everything will be returned to their families.”
“I’m glad,” I said. I tried to think about what it would be like if someone I loved didn’t come home. No signs, no hints, no closure. Nothing but emptiness and hope that died each day that passed. “They deserve to know.”
The Doctor gave me a sad smile before looking around the kitchen. She ran out of the room and I followed her, stopping as we stared at the dining room.
Trashed. Completely. I couldn’t even estimate the cost to replace all this. A herd of stampeding elephants couldn’t have done as much damage. Already, my impulses as a waiter wanted me to reach for a broom, but I held back.
“I’m out of the job,” I said. No point in denying the inevitable.
“Ah,” the Doctor shrugged, patting me on the shoulder. “Could have been worse.”
Another chandelier halfway across the room crashed down into the floor, smashing the only remaining untouched tables.
“I’ve gotta stop saying that.”
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sitting on the steps outside the restaurant, I looked up as the Doctor exited through the back door.
“Surveillance footage erased, no blood anywhere, clean-up crew called, pretty good night overall,” she said brightly.
“Clean-up crew?” I asked.
“I told them to pop by in the morning,” she said.
“Whoever’s opening is not gonna believe this,” I said, getting up from my steps and hoisting my backpack on my shoulder. “I’m still trying to understand it myself.”
“Took it pretty well if I do say so myself,” The Doctor said. “And I’m usually a pretty good judge of these things.”
I grinned at her. “Thanks.” Looking at her now, I could feel the worry coming back to my chest. This night was over. She’d probably be on her way soon.
“So,” I felt my hands fiddling with my backpack strap, looking for something to say. “What are you gonna do now?”
“Oh,” She said, somewhat taken aback by my question. It was like she expected me to say something else. She looked back over at her…. what had she called it? A TARDIS? A TARDIS that, by every grace known to man, had not been noticed. “Figured…” she pointed her thumb back at the box. “You know. Head back. Lots to do and see.”
“Yeah,” I said. Damn it, why couldn’t I think of anything better to say right now. This woman just saved my life! More than saved my life, she… I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Well,” I started. “If you ever come back, give me a call. We can catch up.”
“Don’t go.” I thought. “Please don’t go!”
“Right,” she nodded, taking several small steps back towards the box.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to even take a step away. Somewhere in my mind, some tiny, rational part of me that was still trying to deny everything that just happened said I should turn around and head home. I knew it was what I should do, but I didn’t want to.
The Doctor watched me carefully. All of a sudden, her face lit up again and she ran back over to me.
“Want a cuppa before you go?”
It snapped me from my thoughts. “What?”
“Tea?” She asked. “Wanna have a cup of tea before you go?”
I felt that flutter in my heart again and that wonderful warmth, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I couldn’t think about that right now. Besides, I could really use something to take my mind off what had just happened.
And if it meant more time with her, I’d take it in a heartbeat.
“Yeah,” I said happily. “That would be great.”
“Brilliant!” The Doctor said and started for her blue box.
“There’s a 24-hour Starbucks a block away, we can-”
I stopped as she took something out of her pocket and fiddled with the door of the blue box. Must have been a key to unlock it or something. She turned and motioned toward me.
“Go on,” She said, her eyes seemed to be sparkling with excitement.
“I…”
She pointed at the door. “Go on.”
“Uh…” I don’t think I had any words left. Who knew? After everything I’d seen tonight, maybe having Tea in a tiny blue box The Doctor called the ‘TARDIS’ would feel perfectly ordinary. “Okay.” I moved towards the box. The Doctor seemed giddy with excitement. I took hold of the door handle and pulled it open.
I realized very early on that there were moments in life when all you could think to do was cry. Not because something was sad or something was hurting you, but because something was so powerful or so beautiful, there were no words that could describe it. For a long time, I just gawked until my feet started moving on their own. I felt the tears dripping down my cheeks, and for once, I didn’t care. It was all I could do.
And all I could feel was happy. Genuinely happy.
The walls seemed to be crafted from metal and glass, forming what I could only process as what you might see if you were trapped inside an extremely fancy watch. The floor was dark metal, but it was combined with crystals that glowed the same color yellow as that device the Doctor had shown me earlier.
In the middle of it, six giant pillars grew from the ground, like trees, but they looked like they were made of crystal and metal. They were all pointed towards a giant yellow crystal in the middle, around which set a huge array of gadgets that were set together in the perfect definition of “organized chaos.” I had to assume that it was the console.
I just stared. I had nothing to say. Things were flying through my mind and heart but I didn’t want them to come out because they meant nothing. The words meant nothing compared to what I wanted to say. ‘Beautiful’ and ‘incredible’ meant nothing here. This was far beyond the limits of any word.
I didn’t even notice the Doctor enter and close the door behind her. I guess she was watching me the whole time. I could only guess she was still happy. I was happy, so happy I just kept crying. Eventually, I looked back at her.
“Is… am I on an actual…”
“Yep!” The Doctor nodded. “And she’s a time machine too!”
My knees nearly gave out. I had to sit down on one of the steps.
“Tea?” She asked happily.
I nodded, wiping my eyes on my shirt sleeve. “Please…”
“Be right back,” she said in a loud whisper and ran off.
I was left alone in the room, every part of me taking in the majesty of what I saw. The room echoed with metallic sounds and beeping. Half of me wanted to run around the room and start examining everything. The other half wanted to just sit here and observe. I chose the latter. I took off my backpack and gazed around the room.
“Right!” The Doctor called, running back into the room, balancing a tray and sitting down beside me “Here we are. Tea and biscuits!” She set the tray down between us. On it sat a strange metal teapot, a plate overflowing with cookies, a container of sugar, a little thing of cream and two mugs, one that read ‘Universe’s #1 Dad’ and one that had a drawn picture of a large cat sitting in a tiny box with the caption ‘If it fits, I sits,’ under it.
She poured the tea into both cups and added a generous amount of sugar to hers. I looked down at my mug and carefully picked it up. After blowing on it, I took a cautious sip, not wanting to burn my tongue as was more often the case. It was like nothing I’d ever tried before. Like chocolate and pomegranate mixed together with a tart taste on the tip of your tongue and finishing with a hint of cinnamon.
“It’s wonderful!” I said, taking another sip. “What is this?
“Can’t remember,” she said. “Picked this up last time I was on Hyspero. Two-for-one bargain, Really just wanted the one that tasted like bananas, but the salesman said it was supposed to be good for your eyesight and gets rid of interstellar tapeworms so I figured it was worth a try. Don’t wanna have to deal with those buggers. Very cute though.”
Why had I not expected something like that? Still, I took another sip. “I can only imagine they are,” I said. Wow, I was stupid. I looked around me. “I’m still trying to process this. This is an actual spaceship.”
“And a time machine.” The Doctor reminded me, helping herself to another cookie.
“And a time machine,” I said. I picked up a cookie and bit into it. “This might be the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”
There was the sound of a “thrum” that caught me off guard and I gasped, gripping my mug tighter and nearly choking on my bite of cookie.
“Thanks,” the Doctor said politely. “But she prefers ‘she,’ not ‘thing.’
Again, it took me a minute for my brain to catch up. I swallowed, caught my breath, and looked around the room.
“Hold on,” I said, looking back at the Doctor. “You mean it- she, I’m sorry- she can understand what I’m saying?”
“Of course she can!” The Doctor said. “Understands almost every language in the universe. We’re still working on a few together. The ones where you can’t use your tongue are the hardest.”
I felt flustered and just stared down at my teacup. “I should say something to her,” I asked. Maybe that wasn’t a good idea. “I mean, what do I say to her?” I asked.
“Anything you want,” she replied.
“Okay,” I thought. “Just go slowly.”
“Hello,” I said aloud. There was silence, followed by a low hum that sounded half mechanical, half musical. I looked back at the Doctor. She smiled and motioned for me to continue.
“Thank you… for… letting me come in.”
There was another mechanical, musical hum, followed by some beeping. I looked back at the Doctor.
“I know!” The Doctor addressed the TARDIS. “First time I haven’t heard it either!”
“Haven’t heard what?” I asked.
She took another sip of tea before wolfing down another cookie. “We normally have this moment every time someone comes in. They usually make this comment about her being...” She paused, clearly waiting for me to finish the sentence. I tried to think of the correct answer because clearly there was one.
“About her being… gorgeous?” I offered, hoping I came close. More hums, this time far more melodic.
“Oh, now, you know others have called you gorgeous!” The Doctor addressed the TARDIS.
More beeping.
“What do you mean? Of course, I count!” The Doctor countered. “And Clara never said that about you, you got rid of her bedroom for no reason!”
I knew couples who bickered like this. It reminded me of something Neil Gaiman wrote in Coraline. ‘An argument that was as old and comfortable as an armchair.’ The only kind of argument you could have with someone you loved. I watched the Doctor as she talked with the TARDIS and once again, became wrapped up in that incredible brightness. I took another sip of tea and felt the warmth flood me.
Though, I don’t think that was the tea. Again, I put it in the back of my mind. I wouldn’t let anything spoil this.
“And no, she’s not thanking you for the tea. I made the tea!” The Doctor said. Another series of beeping sounds. “Yes, I know you’re technically the kettle, but I got the biscuits down!”
The laughter came out at once. The Doctor looked at me and I couldn’t help it. She was so bright, I let my smile show. She must have been okay with this because the smile she gave me could have illuminated a room.
It’s one thing to call a person a “star,” but at that moment, I felt she was a literal star in human form. Still smiling, I looked down at my mug.
“I can tell you something?” I asked softly.
“Anything,” The Doctor replied.
I blinked away a few more tears. I always hated how much I cried. It wasn’t something I could really control, but I didn’t want to bother her with that story. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“This is the first time in a while I’ve felt… I mean… I got chased around by beings from another world tonight and nearly had a chandelier dropped on my head and I feel… like me. I don’t even know if I can explain it, I just-”
“You’re happy,” The Doctor smiled. I looked at her and nodded.
“Genuinely,” I said.
“It’s not a smile or a laugh, it’s just you. And something inside you finds a piece of you that you thought had been lost long ago. And when you touch it again, you remember what it’s like to be you.”
I didn’t feel the need to respond. What could I say? She was right.
“Yeah,” I said. “And until tonight, I’d kinda forgotten what that felt like. Thank you.”
I wanted to reach out and take her hand. Give her a hug. Tell her that she’d given me something back that I’d been hoping I’d find for a while. But I knew that would be too much. I just smiled at her.
“With all my heart, thank you.”
She smiled back at me but said nothing. We both knew she didn’t have to. This moment said more than any word possibly could.
Almost instantly, that incredible light in her eyes was back
“How about a trip?” She asked.
“What?”
“A trip!” She repeated.
“Where?” I asked. The Doctor scarfed down two more cookies and swallowed her tea.
“Anywhere! Anywhere you want to go. All of space and time.” She stood up and headed towards the console. “What would you like to see?”
I set my tea mug down and got up. “You want me to go with you?”
“Yeah!” The Doctor nodded. “What do you say? Travel around the bit, see the universe, witness history, and be home in time for dinner!”
My heart was pounding so fast I was certain it would burst out. “Please tell me you’re not joking.”
“I’m not!” The Doctor said, fiddling with some of the devices on the control panel.
“Cause I’m really, really close to saying yes and fighting every logical reason to say no,” I said to her. She sprinted over to me, a challenging look in her eyes and a mischievous smile on her lips.
“I bet you five pounds I can counter every reason,” The Doctor replied.
I wasn’t sure if this had become a game or not, but I really wanted to play it. “I have a family that likes to check in on me. A lot!” I said.
“Phone!” She said, almost a command. Almost. I yanked my phone out of my pocket and handed it over. Reaching into her coat yet again, she pulled out that silver device with the crystal at the end. I suddenly realized it looked like one of the crystal pillars in the TARDIS.
“Okay, I have to know, what is that?” I asked.
“Sonic screwdriver!” She said, pointing to my phone. There was that same buzzing noise and I heard my phone chime. “Ah! There we are! Access to every wireless plan in the galaxy. You can even Facetime them in here.” She handed the phone back to me.
“My friends might worry if I don’t check-in,” I continued.
“I’ve got wifi and we can pop back to Earth to say hello anytime you like! Oh! You could have them over! Have a slumber party! I’ve never had a proper slumber party before.”
“I have anti-anxiety medication I’ll need to refill,” I admitted.
“Like I said, quick pop back, you get what you need and we’re good to go! Besides, you think the universe doesn’t have drug stores?”
Another reason off the list. Of course, there was a big one.
“I have bills to pay and I kinda don’t have a job anymore.”
She grinned. “Credit card,” she held out her hand and gestured for me to hand it over. I raised my eyebrows.
“Okay, this took a really odd turn-”
“Come on, come on!” The Doctor was overwhelmed with happiness and I was not going to argue. Fishing my wallet out of my backpack, I handed her my credit card. Once again, she held the sonic screwdriver to the chip and handed it back. “There, taken care of.”
I started at the card. “For how long?”
“Seventy to eighty.”
“Days?!” I said, staring at the card. “Doctor, I can’t accept this!”
“No need to be huffy,” The Doctor said. “It’s years, not days.”
I was certain my jaw was on the floor. This was happening. There was no way this wasn’t happening because even my good dreams were never THIS good, I was one hundred percent certain my anti-anxiety meds didn’t cause hallucinations and the only other explanation for this was that I was dead and I was very doubtful of that.
I was nearly out of reasons. I had just one more. And I hated it.
“If I stay, I might not ever want to leave.”
It was short, but it was honest. And fearful. If I said yes to this, Earth might never feel like home again. There was a chance that nothing would ever feel right again. Everything would change and that even the Harvesters weren’t as scary as that.
The Doctor watched me, the excitement in her seemed to fade. We both knew she didn’t have anything to counter that. When she spoke, her tone was definitive. Like she knew every secret in the universe and it was the burden of a lifetime.
“Nothing lasts forever,” she said.
Our eyes stayed locked on one another. I felt I’d gone too far. I’d reminded her of some horrible truth she wanted to forget. I waited for her to gesture towards the door and ask me to leave. Instead, she smiled again and held out her hand to me.
“So we have to enjoy every moment we can.”
Again, I couldn’t help it. I was crying and smiling and laughing all at once. I had to look like a mess. “I’m sorry I cry too much!” I blurted.
“Shows you’re human,” The Doctor replied. “And I’ve got tons of handkerchiefs! Now, what’s something you’d love to see?”
My mind was a jumble of happiness and excitement and I just said the first thing that came to mind. “Animals! I love animals!”
“How about the galaxy’s largest nature reserve?” She asked, hands on the console. I nodded.
“Sounds fantastic!”
“Oh!” The Doctor jumped. “And it’s hatching season! We might be able to see some babies. How are you with fifty-foot-tall birds?”
I was still laughing. “I have no clue, but I love birds!”
“Let's go then!”
The Doctor pulled a lever on the TARDIS’ control panel and that same Whoosh noise sounded all around all. Suddenly, we were jolted back and forth and I moved forward to hold onto the console.
“Sorry!” The Doctor yelled. “She can be a bit finicky at times!”
I just held on for dear life, only wincing as I heard the tea trey clatter to the floor.
“Aww! I loved those biscuits!” The Doctor said, racing around to pull another lever. “See that hourglass?” She called out. Trying to focus, I caught sight of it off to my left.
“Yeah!”
“When I say turn it, turn it!” She yelled.
I basically had to pull myself along the side of the console to reach it, gripping it as tightly as I could. And I thought Mission Space at EPCOT was insane!
“Turn it!” The Doctor called.
I reached up and turned the hourglass upside down. There was a powerful jolt and suddenly the whole of the TARDIS was still.
“Eh?” The Doctor brushed her hands off and came over. “Not bad for your first flight.”
“Wow…” I managed to squeak out.
“Come on!” She said and headed for the door.
It took me a minute to regain my footing. It was probably a good thing I hadn’t eaten as many cookies as the Doctor had. As I got to the door, the Doctor offered me her hand.
“Ready?” She asked.
“I have no idea,” I smiled. “But I can’t wait to find out.”
“Brilliant answer!” She said.
And as if I couldn’t get any more surprises tonight, my hand fit perfectly in hers as she pushed the door open and we stepped out into the unknown.
XXXXXXXXXXX
End.