Storm: Storm is Brewing

The Lodger 3

It was just past three in the afternoon, when Craig came bursting into the call centre. No-one noticed him at first, as almost everyone was gathered around Craig's work desk.

Terry herself only looked up when she heard the manager, Michael, greet carelessly: "Oh, afternoon."

Craig hadn't noticed her or the Doctor yet, and he began apologizing profusely: "I'm so sorry, Michael. I don't know what happened. I've got no excuse-"

It was at that point that he noticed Terry, and Craig blinked while Terry waved at him blithely as she said into her phone mic: "Well, that's not what my screen is telling me, Mr. Lang."

"What's she doing here?" Craig asked, bewildered, before addressing Terry directly as he asked: "What are you doing here?"

She shushed him as she said into her mic: "If that's your attitude, Mr. Lang, please take your custom elsewhere."

She then hung up mercilessly, while Craig's jaw dropped.

"No, no, no," Craig protested aghast, "that's one of my best clients."

"No he isn't." Terry corrected. "He was stringing you along; and it was high time he learnt he can't do that to you."

Craig gaped at her, when the Doctor strolled up.

"Hello, Craig." The Doctor greeted brightly as Craig stared between the two Time Lords. "How are you feeling? We had some time to kill, and I was curious. Never worked in an office."

"You've never worked anywhere." Terry pointed out dryly as she took the files the Doctor had offered her. "But thank you for fetching these for me."

"It was my turn." He answered with a shrug, and Craig protested: "You're insane."

"Leave off them." Michael said firmly, turning to Craig while Terry answered another call. "I love the Doctor and Terry. The Doctor was brilliant in the planning meeting and Terry's brought in more customers than anyone has before – and she's only been at the desk for three hours."

"You went to the planning meeting?" Craig asked the Doctor incredulously, and the Doctor nodded as he explained: "Yes. Terry was your representative, and I was hers. Then we did lunch, and Terry's been working in your stead. She's better at it than I am. I got angry at rude Mr. Lang, and I wasn't even on the phone with him."

Craig could only stare, his brain unable to comprehend what was going on, while Sophie came up and she handed the Doctor a box as she said: "Here you go, and I found some custard creams."

"Sophie, my hero." The Doctor said enthusiastically as he took the box of biscuits.

He promptly opened it and handed one over to Terry, while Sophie said to Craig a little timidly: "Hi, Craig. I went on the web, applied for a wildlife charity thing. They said I could always start as a volunteer straight away. Should I do it?"

She was looking at Craig hopefully, as though hoping he'd stop her, but Craig was too busy staring at the Doctor and Terry as he muttered carelessly: "Yeah, great. Yeah, good. Go for it."

The Doctor munched on his biscuit as he turned back to Craig, and the Time Lord frowned as he eyed the man up and down.

"You look awful." The Doctor informed Craig. "About turn. Bed."

Craig stared for a moment while the Doctor munched his biscuit as Michael spoke earnestly to him while Terry said into her mic: "Yes, so sorry Mr. Joergensen, I was eating a biscuit. What did you say?"

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Later