The Girl Behind The Watch (A Doctor Who Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Two: Annoying

We made our way down the ladder and into the sewer. I was about halfway down, when the Doctor grabbed my waist, helping me to the ground.

"Thank you." I said, straightening my jacket. 

"Anytime." He smiled a mesmerizing smile.

"Turn left, go about half a mile, follow tunnel 273, the fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it." Mr. Diagores instructed.

"And when do we get out dollar?" Frank asked. 

"When you come back up."

"And if we don't come back up?" The Doctor asked.

"Then I got no one to pay."

"Accidents happen, right?" I asked. 

"Don't worry. We'll be back." Solomon assured us.

"Let's hope so." Martha muttered. The others started forward, and I lingered with the Doctor, staring awkwardly at Mr. Diagoras before following after them too. Solomon lead the way, Frank and Martha walked together, talking, and the Doctor and I rounded the back.

"You knew my name. I'm not from around here, we've never met before, but you knew my name. How?" he asked.

" You wouldn't beleive me if I told you."

"You don't know that. I'm very open minded." I shook my head.

"Nobody is that open minded." He sighed.

"So...these posessions you were talking about...what are yours, if you don't mind me asking." I shrugged.

"Only got two. My jacket."  I tugged at my sleeve. 

"And?"

"My pocket watch." I pulled it out of my pocket. "Had for as long as I can remember."

"Where did you get that." His tone changed now, to a rather aggressive one. 

"I just told you. I've always had it, don't know where it came from."

"And you've never opened it?" He asked.

"How did you...what makes you think I've never opened it?" 

"Call it a hunch."

"I don't mean to be rude, Doctor, but you hardly know me, and it's quite frankly none of your business, so I implore you to keep your 'hunches' concerning me to yourself." I stated,  walking up in front Solomon. First my watch starts whispering to me, and now this guy comes out of nowhere, knowing things that he shouldn't know? The Doctor followed me and fell into step beside  him.

"So,this Diagores bloke, who is he then?" He asked, changing the subject. 

"Couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now, seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How'd he manage that then?"

"These are strange times. A man can go from being king of the hill to lowest of the low overnight. Guess with some folks it works the other way around." I slipped, letting out a scream. The Doctor caught me, one arm under my own, and his opposite hand on my waist.

"You alright?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Just slipped on...what in the heck?" I looked down to see a glowing, jellyfish looking thing on the ground.

"Whoa!" Martha shone her flashlight on it.

"Is it radioactive or something."

"Strongly doubt it." I crouched down, picking it up.

"Girl's not afraid of gettin' her hands dirty." Frank pointed out. Martha gagged.

"It's gone off, wahtever it is." I handed it off to the Doctor, who put on a pair of glasses.

"Shine your torch through it."

"My what?" I asked.

"Your flashlight." Martha told me. I shined it through the middle to see that the light passed directly through it.

"It looks like a brain or something." I addressed.

"Composite organic matter. Martha, medical opinion?"

"It's not human, I know that."

"Well it's not animal, so what else could it be?" I asked. The Doctor ignored me, standing up rather suddenly.

"And I'll tell you something else. We must be at least half a mile in, I don't see any signs of a collapse do you?"

"Not a one." I agreed, shining my flashlight around the tunnel.

"So why did Mr. Diagores send us down here?"

"Where are we now? What's above." Martha inquired.

"Well-" The Doctor started.

"Just below Manhattan. I know these tunnels like the back of my hand, if there had been a collapse, we'd have seen signs of it by now. Rubble or something."

"Let's keep going. Maybe he miscalculated the distance." Frank suggested.

~~~

"We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing."

'That Diagores bloke, was he lying?" 

"Looks like it." The Doctor confirmed. 

"So why does he want us to come down here?" Frank asked.

"Solomon, I think it's time you took these three back. I'll be much quicker on my own." The Doctor said.

"Like heck he is. I'm not going anywhere." I argued, "Take Frank and Martha if you want. I'm staying."

"Catherine, I really don't think-"

"There's no point in arguing with her, Doctor. She's stubborn as a mule." Frank told him. Before anyone could do anything, a squeaking nose filled the tunnel.

"What the heck was that?" Solomon asked.

"Sounded like...a pig." I said. I shone my flashlight through the tunnels. 

"Hello!"

"Frank."

"Shh." 

"What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared and half made down here on your own." Frank reasoned.

"You think they're still alive?" The Doctor asked.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost." The squeal sounded again.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that."

"Where's it coming from?" Frank asked. "Sounds like there's more than one of 'em." 

"This way." The Doctor instructed, shining his light down the tunnel.

"No, that way." Solomon argued.  My flashlight stopped on a figure, sitting against the wall.

"Newsflash boys...you're both wrong." I stated.

"Doctor?" Martha whispered from behind me. The Doctor was by my side in seconds. I nodded at the figure.

'Who are you?" Solomon called.

"Are you lost?" Frank chimed in. "Can you understand me? I've been thinkin' about folk lost down here..."

"It's alright, Frank. Just stay back. Let me have a look." I started slowly progressing towards it.

"Catherine, get back." The Doctor warned. I stopped, turning around. 

"Since when are you an authority over me?" I asked, turning back to the man. The Doctor followed after me, and I rolled my eyes. His whole overprotective vibe is starting to get annoying. "My friend Frank makes a solid point. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know how to get out of here...back into daylight. If you come with us." As I got closer to him, I realized that I had been right about that sound.

It was a man with a pig face.