Lost In Time: A Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter 23 - Army of Ghosts, Part 2

Lyssa sighed as she once again waited on the TARDIS seat, swinging her feet back and forth in boredom. The Doctor was literally buried underneath the console, doing... something, and Rose was grabbing something from outside. She hadn't exactly been paying attention, so she didn't actually know what it was. 

"Are you done yet?" she called impatiently towards the feet peeking out from underneath the console. 

"You can't rush greatness, fairy-girl," he called back, voice muffled.

She smirked. "I know. That's why I'm telling you to hurry up."

There was a muffled clang. "Ouch. That hurts, fairy-girl. That genuinely hurts my feelings. I'm wounded now."

"Meh." She shrugged. "You're the one with the medical title, you can be the one to treat it."

She could practically feel his indignation and bit back laughter as the front door pushed open and Rose strolled in, a newspaper in front of her face.

"According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds." She pulled away the newspaper and kicked gently at the feet. "Now don't tell me you're gonna sit back and do nothing."

Familiar music poured out from hidden speakers and he popped up with a wild grin. "Who you gonna call?" he rapped, rucksack on his back and holding some odd contraption that resembled a flashlight.

"Ghostbusters!" Rose cheered.

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts," he sneered, extending a hand to help Lyssa up. 

"That makes one of us," she muttered, laughing despite herself as she followed him and Rose out to a playground where Jackie was waiting for them next to a jumble of items.

"When's the next shift?" he asked her, arranging three traffic cones into a triangle shape connected by wires.

Jackie frowned and checked her watch. "Quarter to. But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot for?"

"Causing trouble," Lyssa smirked.

"Triangulating their point of origin," the Doctor corrected her, shooting her a dirty look.

"I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose offered thoughtfully. "I mean, it kind of seems like they're trying to get through, ya know? Maybe they're just takin' a less violent route this time."

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head dismissively. "They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper." His eyes met Lyssa's, face grim. "Like a boot over an anthill."

"You're always doing this," Jackie complained crossly, folding her arms together as she watched them stubbornly. "Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real?" she pleaded. "Just think of it... all the people we've lost, our families coming back home... Don't you think it's beautiful?"

The Doctor's hands stilled. "I've lost many people over the years, Jackie," he said softly. "And it broke my hearts, every time. But we can't bring back the dead." He glanced at Lyssa, eyes distant and pained, likely thinking of Gallifrey and every companion he'd lost in the past. "This is only a mockery. A horrific illusion. Be careful, Jackie," he cautioned the woman, who looked taken aback.

And then he shook off the somber mood, assuming his regular cheer once more. "Give me a hand, would you?" he asked, nodding at the thick cable. Lyssa and Rose bent down and helped him unwind it, leading it into the TARDIS and plugging it into the console as Jackie followed them, shutting the door behind her.

"Right," the Doctor started, turning around to face the two girls. "I know Lyssa knows the gist of what's going to happen, but not everything, why I still don't know, and she still won't tell me." He paused to give her a sulky look. "But! She's coming with me, so pay attention, Rose. As soon as the cones activate, if that line -" he pointed to a small dial on the console - "goes into the red, press that button below it. If it doesn't stop..."