Doctor Who_ Return of the Living Dad - Kate Orman [31]
‘Hang on,’ sighed Benny. ‘I’ll pull on some clothes and come with you.’
‘No,’ he said. ‘I want you to stay here, with your father.’
He put the machine away in his pocket and stood up.
‘They’re having breakfast downstairs,’ he said. ‘I’ve been talking to Myn Jareshth. He screamed when he saw me, Benny.’
Screamed! ‘Why?’
‘I want you to talk to your father, Benny.’ He took her hand, suddenly, squeezed it tightly, standing beside the bed.
‘You know me,’ he said. ‘Tell him what I’m like.’
Realization dawned. ‘You think Dad took the TARDIS,’
she breathed. ‘Why would he do something like that?’
‘I’m going to go into Newbury,’ he said. ‘Just for a day or so. Ia Jareshth was terrified of me. I want to give her a chance to come back.’
Benny pulled his hand until he leant down, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. He blinked. ‘Trying to keep all these egos intact is wearing me out,’ she said. ‘I’ll bet Jason is off somewhere having a good sulk.’
‘I’ll leave you to talk to Isaac, then...’
‘I wish the two of you would talk to one another,’ she said. ‘At least come downstairs and have breakfast first.’
Joel was grinding his teeth on a chunk of gum which had long since lost its flavour. He was making mountains of toast and fried eggs (free-range, on Ms Randrianasolo’s insistence).
The Admiral, of course, was making coffee.
The Doctor’s other companions were talking quietly over their breakfast. The big blond guy, Chris, caught Joel’s eye and smiled. He abandoned his third helping of eggs and wandered over to the counter.
‘Do you guys want a hand or anything?’ he said, reading Joel’s CAFFEIND T-shirt.
Joel scraped the accumulated burnt gunk off the griddle.
‘No, that’s okay,’ he said, around the gum. ‘This is my job, this and the gas station. What’re you guys going to do today?’
Chris waved his hand. ‘That depends,’ he said. Joel matched his glum look.
‘Joel,’ said the Admiral, ‘could you give me a hand with this?’
‘Sure.’ Joel picked up a dishcloth and went to the sink.
‘Um,’ said Chris.
Joel looked up. The tall man was pointing behind him, at the cooker, his mouth slightly open. Joel turned around, expecting to see the stove in flames.
The white plastic spatula was moving by itself, continuing to lift the fried eggs off the cooker and pile them onto a plate.
As Cwej watched, the spatula flipped an egg out of the carton with its handle. It flicked the broken halves of the shell aside and hopped back to the counter, away from the heat.
‘Oh,’ said Joel, relieved, ‘that’s just Graeme.’
Chris looked at him. ‘Graeme the spatula?’
The spatula gave a little bow.
‘Right,’ said Chris. He sat back down again.
Ms R and Albinex came in. They both looked like death warmed up. No one, thought Joel, had had a good night.
This morning Joel had been woken by a crash of thunder. He’d pulled the covers over his head and waited for his heartbeat to slow back down. At last he’d reached a hand out from under the covers, found the clock radio. He breathed out a sigh as a voice announced ‘Synchronicity II.’ Saved by DLT again.
When he’d emerged from his bedroom, he’d found the Admiral in crisis mode, making phone calls in the dim light of the coffee shop.
Isaac’s daughter was coming down the stairs, followed by a grumpy-looking Doctor.
He didn’t look like much, really. A short man of indeterminate age wearing slightly odd clothes. It must be camouflage, Joel decided. The clothes looked ordinary until you got close enough to take a look. The man looked ordinary until your invasion fleet unexpectedly dropped into the sun.
He gave Bernice a smile. ‘Eggs?’
‘Yes,’ said the Doctor, ‘they are.’
Bernice smiled back at Joel. He handed her a plate.
‘Have you seen Jason?’ she asked. Joel shook his head.
The Doctor stood at the counter, one hand tapping out a preoccupied rhythm, looking up and down the café as though he was missing something. Joel glanced between