To Be Forgotten

Chapter 6 - The Hungry Earth

The Hungry Earth, part 2 -

They caught up with the group as the man tried to open the church door.

"Where's Mo? Is he with you?", Ambrose asked him.

"This flaming door", he dodged the question, "Always sticking. I thought you were having it fixed."

"Dad!"

"Something's happened to him, hasn't it?", Elliot asked.

The inside of the church seemed to be used as a storage room where the Time Lords and the Doctor's new friends were setting up the equipment.

"So we can't get out, we can't contact anyone, and something, the something that took my husband, is coming up through the Earth", Ambrose summed up.

"Yes. If we move quickly enough, we can be ready", the Doctor told her.

"And if we're ready we can face the something and have a good chance of getting your husband back", the Oracle added.

"No, stop. This has gone far enough. What is this?", she asked in frustration.

"He's telling the truth, love", her father said.

"Come on. It's not the first time we've had no mobile or phone signals. Reception's always rubbish", she tried.

"Look, Ambrose. We saw the Doctor's friend get taken, okay? You saw the lightning in the sky. I have seen the impossible today and the only person who's made any sense of it for me, is the Doctor", the woman told her.

"Oh, you've made sense, darling? You must be having a good day", the Oracle smiled at her husband and ran a hand through his hair.

He smiled like a proud child, making her remember the face he'd had just a few months ago.

"Him?", Ambrose asked, pointing at him and making them snap out of the moment.

"Me", the Doctor turned the same smile to her.

"Can you get my dad back?", Elliot asked, dropping the mood.

Everyone looked at the Doctor and he turned to look at Elliot, then at Ambrose, "Yes. But I need you to trust me and do exactly as I say from this second onwards, because we're running out of time."

He walked right up to Ambrose and she gave in, "So tell us what to do."

"Thank you", he stepped back, "We have eight minutes to set up a line of defence. Bring me every phone, every camera, every piece of recording or transmitting equipment you can find", as people got a move-on he kept talking, "Every burglar alarm, every movement sensor, every security light. I want the whole area covered with sensors."

Back inside the equipment was all set up, lights blinking to show them where the 'something' was heading to the surface.

"Right, guys, we need to be ready for whatever's coming up. I need a map of the village marking where the cameras are going", the Doctor gave the task to Elliot.

"I can't do the words. I'm dyslexic", he told him, a bit ashamed.

"Oh, that's alright, I can't make a decent meringue", the Doctor smiled at the boy, making him smile as well, "Draw like your life depends on it, Elliot."

"Six minutes forty", Ambrose's dad, Mack, announced.

Elliot ran outside with a smile to do as he was told. The Doctor patted the equipment and Mack's shoulders. Then they kept moving about to set up the sensors with the help of their sonics.