Receiving Another Chance (Book Ten of The Bad Wolf Chronicles)

Flatline

After a long day in Bavaria, I managed to finish this! Interlude probably won't be up until tomorrow, but that's all right. I'm sure you don't mind having more suspense until "Civil War" starts, right? ;)

In all seriousness, it is quarter to eleven, and I need sleep, so here's this, and I'll get the interlude up when I can!

Here's "Flatline!"

***

"OK," the Doctor lifted the lever. "Same time you left, same place . . . ish."

"Ish?" Clara repeated as Jessie made a face at the scanner. "Don't give me an ish."

"These readings are very ishy," Jessie scratched the back of her head. "I don't even know – "

"Uh . . . Doctor?" Wanda stared towards the door.

"Uh huh?" he turned, only to do a double take.

The door was about a meter high, nowhere near as tall as it should have been. "What the hell?" Pietro stared.

***

The Doctor struggled to get out first, then bent down to help Jessie. She stumbled slightly on the gravel, the Doctor helping her straighten. "Well," he held a hand over his eyes to see, looking around as the others emerged. "Well, I wonder what caused this?"

"Well, I don't think we're bigger," Jessie pointed to the train tracks, comparing them to the smaller TARDIS.

"Bristol?" Clara asked in disbelief when she saw the sign. "Doctor, we're in Bristol!"

"And a hundred and twenty miles from where we should be," the Doctor nodded. "Impressive."

"I think we have different definitions of impressive, Doctor," Pietro frowned. "This would be what we call annoying."

"No, this is impressive," he waved around Bristol. "This is annoying," he pointed at the TARDIS. "The TARDIS never does this. This is huge!"

"Actually, slightly smaller than usual," Jessie tilted her head. "Though that is huge."

"Yes, I get it, you're excited," Clara sighed. "When can I go home?"

"Your house isn't going anywhere," the Doctor pointed out. "And neither is ours until we get this figured out. Could you not just let me enjoy this moment of not knowing something? I mean, it happens so rarely!" Jessie shook her head fondly as Clara sighed. "Look, I don't think this is dangerous, but I wouldn't like you to get squished accidentally. Anyway, I need you to help me find out what's caused this."

"Fine," Clara rolled her eyes. "I'll go take a look around."

"Let's go," Jessie gestured, walking off with her.

The Doctor squeezed back in through the TARDIS as the Maximoffs looked at each other. Finally, Wanda nodded and headed after the other girls, Pietro squeezing back in after the Doctor. "I'd've thought you'd go with Clara," the Doctor looked up at him.

"Thought you'd have gone with the Bad Wolf," Pietro countered. The Doctor conceded the point, nodding as he examined a circuit nearby. "So what did cause this?"

The TARDIS suddenly jolted, and an alarm went off as Pietro slammed into the console. "Now, that wasn't me, was it?" the Doctor blinked.

Pietro, however, was staring back at where the door was. "Doctor."

He turned again, and he blanched. "Oh, that can't be good."

***

"Look," Wanda pointed to masses of pictures and flowers by the steps leading to an underpass.