Where Waves crash and Journeys end (Doctor Who/Broadchurch)

4

"You all right?"

The voice was female, but Alec couldn't see a face. His vision was still dark, his head was spinning. A hand grabbed his arm and helped him getting back on his feet, a few seconds later he could finally open his eyes. 

A woman stood right in front of him, not much older than him. Her arms were crossed, a little smirk on her smooth lips. She wore a black suit, just like Alecs and had curly, dark brown hair tied in a bun. According to the DI, she seemed very nice. 

And was a bit short. 

But there was another thing glowing in her eyes no one couldn't see except him: 

She looked human. Maybe...just maybe...she could be his friend. 

Maybe...

"DS Ellie Miller. Nice to meet you!", the woman raised her voice again, her accent was a bit weaker. She had learned to fit in. A long time ago, probably. Maybe, she lived here since birth, had never left or run away. She seemed happy. 

Alec let out a noise of panic as Ellie shook his hand, but way too silent that she didn't hear it. He didn't want to attract further attention on him, so he just nodded and replied: 

"DI Alec Hardy!" 

He froze. How was that even possible? He had been the only applicant back then, no one else had been interested - so why her? And if he was a DI, for what was DS standing for?

He was so confused that he even couldn't breathe for a moment. But then, he swallowed hard and wanted to go on - Miller cut him short. 

"You...you took my job! I was supposed to be the new inspector, why you? I've never seen you before, why you? God, after all this time..."

She ruffled her hair in fake desperation, began walking in circles. 

But then, her look changed quickly when she saw the corpse. Miller went pale and glared at the crowd of people behind the tape. Waiting. 

Before Alec could stop her, she was walking to the childs' dead body. He did too. Something deep inside him had started to whisper. 

Come and see. Come and see. Come and see...

He couldn't help it, it was just there. Feeling the crowds' suspicious gaze on his back, he followed the DS to the corpse. 

A few meters before the body, he stopped. His heart was racing. The feeling got stronger, was pulling him further until he could see the boy more clear. 

God, don't do this to me, he thought, taking another deep breath. 

He couldn't deal with dead bodies. Of those who knew his past, had once been murdered in the most cruel way existing. Sometimes, in his dreams, their plastic faces still haunted him, making him wake up in horror. 

But it wasn't time to think. Now, he had to investigate. Like any other cop did. 

Millers voice made him jump: 

"Oh God, I...I know this boy! This...is Danny, Danny Latimer, only 12 years old...oh, for Gods Sake!"

She was talking fast, struggling with the words. It was clearly to see that she couldn't stand any of this. She was totally distraught, not knowing what to do. 

He knew that he had to calm her down, but he didn't even know how to deal with himself. 

At least, he already knew the boys' name.