Doctor Who - The 8th Doctor - 44 - Vanishing Point by Stephen Cole

Author:Stephen Cole
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: English, General, Science Fiction, Adventure, Doctor Who (Fictitious Character), Fiction
ISBN: 9780563538295
Publisher: BBC Pubns
Published: 2001-05-14T07:00:00+00:00

‘Oh, Doctor. . . ’

‘Again. Come on, Anji.’

Etty’s wailing went on. A slab of concrete pounded into the floor beside the Doctor’s head.

‘Doctor –’

‘I’m all right, Anji, try again. One – two –’

‘ Three! ’ Anji bawled.

And the joist shifted just enough for the Doctor to pull free.

In a second he was beside her, helping her up and out of the room, and in another second the ceiling was smashing down behind them.

They ran headlong through the shaking building, eyes fixed on the faint glow of the sodium lights outside. But as they reached the doorway, more masonry crashed down beside them. Anji was knocked sideways and cracked her head on the door frame. The Doctor lifted her up and swung her over his shoulder, sprinting forward as the entire building came crashing down behind them.

The din was incredible, the ground shook, but the Doctor barely noticed as he fell to his knees and held his friend close to him.

‘Anji!’ the Doctor whispered urgently. ‘Anji, wake up.’

She ignored him. From behind her ear came a trickle of blood, berry dark in the torchlight.

He laid her carefully down on the muddy ground and shrugged off his black coat to use as a blanket.

‘I’ll be back soon,’ the Doctor promised, and ran off to find Etty. Her wailing cry was like a siren, warning the world away from here.

127

∗ ∗ ∗

Etty clutched the wet, sticky bear to her breast and slumped to the ground outside the building, her voice given out, her throat stinging and strained.

She wanted to cry, but such a simple expression seemed beyond her. She just stared down at the note in her hands.

A shadow lurched forward at the periphery of her vision. A dark shape detaching itself from the night, coming towards her.

‘Give me my son,’ Etty hissed. ‘Give him to me.’

‘I can’t,’ the familiar voice said. ‘Not yet.’

The Doctor came closer. He was in his shirtsleeves, looking powdery and pale in the sickly light of the lamp.

‘This is your fault,’ she said softly. ‘I was meant to come alone. It’s the end of everything, now.’

She passed him the note, saw his eyes scan over it.

TOMORROW WE DO THINGS PROPERLY. GO TO CORNER OF BADI AND DOWNS. WAIT MIDNIGHT TOMORROW. ALONE.

I WILL SHOW YOU VANISHING POINT.

WEAR THIS.

‘This?’ the Doctor queried.

Etty showed him a white plastic bag into which had been stuffed a sea-green shawl. ‘So they can recognise me.’

‘Not quite a white carnation or a bunch of flowers under the clock at the station, is it?’ the Doctor murmured as he folded the note and put it into his trouser pocket. ‘I’m so sorry, Etty.’

She eyed him coldly. ‘For risking my son’s life?’

‘No.’ The Doctor squatted down beside her. ‘Because there are things I must tell you. About your sister. About. . . ’

He trailed off as twin lights pooled briefly across Etty’s face, looking at her curiously as if it were some kind of trick she’d performed herself.

‘Headlights,’ Etty said dully. ‘Someone’s coming.’

‘Police?’ muttered the Doctor ‘Of course, the explosion.

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