amberfocus | Repercussions (4/55)

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Chapter Four: Answering the Phone

My mum stares at the phone as if it is something she’s never seen before, something that makes her draw in upon herself and cringe with fear. I know that look, I’ve seen it before often enough when she is worried about my dad. Dad has a reckless streak a mile wide. Sometimes I wonder how he’s survived the last twenty-two years.

Mum is frozen so I move forward and pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Rose?”

“Dad!”

“Rose, help me!” Dad’s voice is desperate. I have never heard my dad afraid like that. Never heard so much pain in his voice. “I’m trapped!”

“Where are you, Dad?” I ask.

“I don’t know. They took me. I don’t--.” The connection goes dead and I hold the phone away from my head, staring at it as if it has turned into a poisonous snake.

“I lost him,” I say looking first to my mother and then to the Doctor. “He’s alive, but he’s trapped and he doesn’t know where he is.”

The Doctor grabs the phone from my hand and pulls out his sonic screwdriver. “I’ll back trace the call and see if I can’t get a location.” The screwdriver hums and whirs and then the Doctor runs to my room and into the TARDIS. He is back within moments.

“I’ve got a fix on him. Let’s go, Rose.”

“I’m coming with you,” says my mother, standing up and steeling herself.

“Jackie, we don’t know what we’re getting into,” the Doctor protests.

“He's my husband. I’m coming!” She has a look in her eye that warns if she doesn’t get her way someone might be getting a slap. The Doctor backs away.

“After you,” he says gesturing in a sweeping motion.

I follow Mum into the TARDIS. I guess she is getting her first trip in it today after all.

"Hang on!" the Doctor shouts when the TARDIS takes off with a horrible grinding noise. "It's going to be a bumpy ride!"