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

Chapter Twelve: Not Abandoned

I looked at the Doctor with wide eyes.

"How do you get in contact with the police?" He asked.

"That pannel right there," Branigan told us, "Its a bit dogey though."

The Doctor rushed over to it, scanning it with the screwdriver before picki3mg up the radio.

"Hi, I need to speak to the police." He said.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold." The screen replied. I furrowed my eyebrows, reaching over and grabbimg the radio.

"You're the feaking police!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold." The screen replied once again.

"Is there anyone else?" The Doctor asked. " I once met the. Duke of Manhattan, is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh, ain't you lordly." Brannigan answered.

"Actually, yeah." I said, shrugging.

"We've got to find our friend!"

"You can't make outside calls." Valerie stated. "The motorway's conpletely enclosed."

"Well how about the other cars?" I asked.

"Well, we've got contact with them. Some of them anyway, they've got to be on your friends list." Brannigan explained, "Let's see, who's near by...ah the Cristini sisters!" He picked up the radio after clickimg on a car ID number. "Be still your hearts my handsome girls! Its Brannigan here!"

"Get off the line Brannigan, you're a beast and a menace." An old woman's voice answered. The Doctor and I exchanged a glance.

"Come on now, sisters. Now is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married." She replied.

"Ooh, stop that modern talk, I'm an old-fashioned cat." Valeried and Brannigan chuckled. " Now, I've got a pair of hitchhikers here, call themselves the Doctor and Catherine." I grabbed the radio, smiling in thanks before pressing the button.

"Hi there, sorry to bother you, we're looking for someone called Martha Jones, she's been carjacked. She's in one of these vehicles but we aren't sure which one." I reported.

"Wait a minute."

"Could I ask, what entrance did thet use?" A new old lady's voice came through the radio. I glanced at Brannigan.

"Pharmacy town."

"Pharmacy town." I repeated. "Would've been about twenty minutes ago."

"Let's have a look."

"Just my luck to marry a car-spotter."

"In the last half hour, 53 new cars joined from the Pharmacy. Town junction."  The Doctor grabbed the radio from my hand.

"Anything more specific?"

"All in good time," The woman stated, "Was she carjacked by two people?"

"Yes! Yes, she was. Yeah."

"There we are! Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means tbey had three on board, and the car number, is 4-6-5-Diamond-6."

"There! Yes, now how do we find them?"

"Now there, I'm afraid I can't help you."  I took the radio back.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're very welcome, dear."

"We can call them on this thing," the Doctor suggested," We've got their number, Diamond 6."

"Not if they're designated fast lane. Its a different class." Brannigan told him.

"You could try the police."

"They put us on hold." I answered.

"You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else." I sighed.

"Thanks again." I handed the radio back to Brannigan.

"We've gotta go to the fast lane. Take us down." The Doctor commanded.

"Not in a million years!"

"You've got three passangers, four even!" I exclaimed.

"I'm still not going.'

"She's alone and she's lost. She doesn't even belong on this planet and its all my fault. I'm asking you Brannigan, take us down."

"That's a no, and that's final!" Valerie shot back. "I'm not risking the children down there."

"What happens down there that's a risk?" I asked.

"We're not discussing it. The conversation is closed."

"So we keep on driving?" I asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"For how long?!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Till the journey's end." Brannigan said stubbornly. The Doctor grabbed the radio.

"Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"We were amongst the first. Its been twenty-three years now." I took the radio now.

"Tell me if you could, in those twenty-three years, have you ever seen a police car?" I asked.

"I'm...not sure."

"Look at your notes." The Doctor prompted. "Any police?"

"Not as such!"

"Any Ambulance, rescue service, anything official, ever? "

"I can't keep a note of everything!"

"What if the reason for that is because there's no one out there?" I asked.

"Stop it!" Brannigan said, yanking the radio from my hand, "The Cassinis were doing you lot a favor."

"Well someone's got to ask the big questions, Mr. Brannigan!" I exclaimed.

"Because you might not talk about it, but its there, in your eyes. What if the traffic Jam never stops?" The Doctor continued.

"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city-state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us!"

"They've done it before." I said, "Wheater its New New York, or New York where I'm from, if a problem is too onconvenient to deal with, they will leave you here and forget about you. If they havent, then where are they?!"

"Shut up!" Valerie exclaimed. "Just shut up!"

Our argument was interrupted by static as a blonde woman appeared on the dash screen.

"This is Sally Calypso...and its that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic. The perfect setting for the daily contemplation."

"You think you know us so well, you two. And Catherine I don't know what your experience is, but we are not abandoned. Not while we have each other." Brannigan said. The Doctor and I looked at each other.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe."

The voice if the woman was replaced with the old Christian hymn 'Old Rugged Cross', and the couple began quietly singing along. But even through the thick metal walls of the car, you could hear it. They were all singing. Everyone in every car, singing together because together was all they had...just like Hoovervile. And they were crying.

I was crying.