Doctor Who_ Winner Takes All - Jacqueline Rayner [34]
The Doctor stood up. ‘Good. I’ll come with you.’
Her hand was actually on the door handle when the phone rang. She hesitated.
‘Leave it,’ said the Doctor.
She might have done, if he hadn’t said that. But she was feeling contrary now, and anyway, it might be the hospital – which was important.
She weaved past the Doctor, back to the kitchen, and picked up the phone. Behind her, she heard the door slam, and knew he’d gone without her. Let him, she thought, while at the same time being just a bit terrified that she’d never see him again. But a few moments later she was haring down the steps after him, yelling at the top of her voice.
‘Doctor! Doctor!’ she cried, and before she’d gone two floors down he’d heard her and raced back up. All his disapproval had gone in the face of her distress, and he was the comforting best friend again, ready to take charge.
‘What is it?’ he asked, gripping her shoulders.
She shook her head, not sure, but as they raced back up to the flat she attempted to explain. ‘Thought it was a dirty phone call. Heavy breathing and stuff. ’S not. I… I don’t know. See what you think.’
They were back in the kitchen, and she jammed the handset into its holder and pressed the button for speakerphone.
It sounded like a man, a young man. There was heavy breathing, but it was the deep, ragged breaths of terror. There were gasps and what sounded like sobs catching in the throat. Just those few sounds, but so much fear.
‘What is it?’ asked Rose, sure she knew the answer now, but unwilling to suggest it.
‘Your phone got nicked,’ said the Doctor. ‘So did a holiday ticket. Stands to reason the same person’s got both of ’em still. So they get carried off to this alien planet, forced to play this –’ his face hardened and he spat out the word – ‘game.’
‘But phoning here – no, don’t tell me,’ said Rose, ‘this was the last place I called, and somehow he’s knocked the redial, or the speed dial or something. That’s what’s happened.’
‘Shh,’ said the Doctor, pointing at the phone, and Rose hurriedly shut up and listened. Another sound could be heard, a loud chattering, clicking noise. The strangled sobs were getting faster, and there were choked grunts from deep in the throat, as if someone was desperately trying to form words but couldn’t. The chattering sound got louder, closer to the phone.
Then there was a schnick noise, like a giant pair of scissors slamming shut. And then there was a soft, heavy thud.
Then the line went dead.
Rose pulled up a kitchen chair, sat down. ‘I wanted that to happen,’ she said. ‘When I heard what he’d done to my mum, I wanted that to happen. I wanted him to be made to play that stupid alien game, I wanted him to be scared, so scared, like my mum was when he was hitting her. I wanted him to be killed like that, have his head chopped off by an alien. I wanted all of that.’
The Doctor sat down beside her. ‘It’s all right,’ he said. ‘Wanting it to happen didn’t cause it. It was the Quevvils who killed Darren Pye, not you. You don’t have to feel guilty.’
She turned to him, anguished. ‘You don’t understand. I don’t feel guilty. I don’t know what I feel. You know how you say, “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy”? Well, I’m still not sure that I wouldn’t. Cos I feel sick inside, but part of me’s still glad he suffered.’
‘There you go, being human again,’ said the Doctor. He put an arm around Rose, and hugged her to him. ‘It’s not fair, is it, when we’re forced into pitying someone we hate. Feels like the world’s turned topsy‐turvy. But it’s all right. You’re still allowed to hate them. As long as you don’t gloat at their downfall, that’s all.’
Her mouth twitched into a lopsided smile. ‘If you say so.’
He nodded. ‘I do.’
The Doctor sat back, and Rose fished out a hankie and blew her nose hard. She suddenly realised she hadn’t told him everything that had happened. ‘Mickey got hurt,’ she said. ‘I should check he’s OK.’
‘I know, I’ve seen him,’ said the Doctor. ‘He’ll be fine. Might’ve been a different story if the beam had hit him full on, but it