The Weeping Angels
Waiting
They all jumped when Martha’s phone rang. Eric leaned forwards excitedly, his hands rubbing against each other. Emma felt her heart thump oddly as Martha fumbled in her pocket.
“It’s him.” She grinned and held the phone up to her ear.
“Martha!” Eric and Emma could hear a voice clearly through the phone. “Martha, I think I’m lost.” There was a thin peal of female laughter in the background. “I don’t know what happened, the coordinates must’ve gotten mixed up or something...” the voice trailed off and loud banging could be heard.
Martha pressed the speaker button and placed the phone on Eric’s desk. “Where are you?”
“Ha! Norway, 1695.”
Martha laughed loudly, “How on earth did you get there?”
“No idea Martha. But I think I’ve got everything sorted now. Oh, er, then again... Damn!” The loud banging continued and there was a shout of pain. “You alright there? Yeah? Excellent! That should just about do it I think. And you know what? I’m pretty much marvellous!”
“Yeah, okay Doctor,” Martha laughed again. “Everything sorted?”
“Did you ever doubt me Martha? Oh! I’m cut Martha, really wounded! Right, well I should be seeing you soon. If not, then you probably do have reason to doubt me!”
The Doctor hung up and Martha pocketed the phone.
“So, that was the Doctor.” Martha said.
“His voice at any rate.” Emma commented and pushed her hair out of her face.
“Norway 1695. How did he get it that wrong?” Eric leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers behind his head.
Martha shrugged, “No idea, I could’ve sworn that I’d given him the right time and date. Obviously it got mixed up somewhere. He’ll be here soon though and then we can really get started.”
Eric sighed and rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. “When you said soon, what did you mean?”
Martha glanced at the clock, it had been four hours since the Doctor had called. She made a face and leaned back in her chair. “Well, I had rather thought that he would be here today. But I don’t know, maybe he’s here tomorrow.”
Eric grimaced as she talked about time travel again.
“You really don’t like it do you?” Martha asked with a grin.
Eric smiled back at her, “Not really no. I just can’t seem to work it out.”
“Then stop trying.” Martha advised. “I found that was the best way to go. Just go with it. It’s much easier that way. In the end, it just all seemed to work itself out and it meant that I could just enjoy the adventures I had with the Doctor instead of constantly trying to figure the whole mess out.”
“Eric’s really not the sort of guy who likes to sit back and let things unfold, are you Eric?” Emma interjected. “You like to know how things work.”
“Yeah, actually I do.” Eric stared at her for a moment. Emma’s cheeks flushed and he glanced away again.
Martha flicked her eyes quickly between the two without them noticing. “Well, the last time the Angels were around the Doctor had to try and explain this to Sally. I can’t remember exactly what he said but it was something along the lines of,” she raised her fingers in quotation marks, “’a big ball of timey-wimey stuff’.”
“You realise that what you just said didn’t help at all.” Eric groaned and leaned forwards to rest his head against his hands.
“Yeah, it didn’t really help me either, don’t think it helped Sally all that much at the time.” Martha paused and thought, “Not sure if the Doctor’s explanations ever really help.” She paused again. “Okay, that was a bit of a lie, but I must admit there are times when I would just smile and nod when he was talking.” She grinned and shrugged slightly.
Eric glanced at the clock on the wall, “Right, well I think I’m going to head home. I’m tired and it doesn’t seem as if the Doctor is going to turn up any time soon.”
“Ah, time travel Eric.” Emma quipped with a wry smile.
Eric sighed and shook his head. “I’m going home anyway, it’ll be easier to get some rest there anyway whilst I wait.” He looked to Martha, “As soon as he turns up, give me a call and I’ll be there, wherever there is.”
Martha nodded. “Well, I suppose if you’re leaving, we might as well go too.” She stood and collected her things. “I’ll give you both a call as soon as I hear anything from him.” She smiled and walked out of the office.
Eric waited as Emma got her things together and they walked out. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later.” Emma said when they reached Eric’s car.
Eric reached out his arm as she started to walk towards the bus. “Actually, I was thinking of going to get a drink, want to come?”
Emma thought for a moment before shrugging. “Why not?” She smiled and stepped into the passenger seat of the car.
“It’s him.” She grinned and held the phone up to her ear.
“Martha!” Eric and Emma could hear a voice clearly through the phone. “Martha, I think I’m lost.” There was a thin peal of female laughter in the background. “I don’t know what happened, the coordinates must’ve gotten mixed up or something...” the voice trailed off and loud banging could be heard.
Martha pressed the speaker button and placed the phone on Eric’s desk. “Where are you?”
“Ha! Norway, 1695.”
Martha laughed loudly, “How on earth did you get there?”
“No idea Martha. But I think I’ve got everything sorted now. Oh, er, then again... Damn!” The loud banging continued and there was a shout of pain. “You alright there? Yeah? Excellent! That should just about do it I think. And you know what? I’m pretty much marvellous!”
“Yeah, okay Doctor,” Martha laughed again. “Everything sorted?”
“Did you ever doubt me Martha? Oh! I’m cut Martha, really wounded! Right, well I should be seeing you soon. If not, then you probably do have reason to doubt me!”
The Doctor hung up and Martha pocketed the phone.
“So, that was the Doctor.” Martha said.
“His voice at any rate.” Emma commented and pushed her hair out of her face.
“Norway 1695. How did he get it that wrong?” Eric leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers behind his head.
Martha shrugged, “No idea, I could’ve sworn that I’d given him the right time and date. Obviously it got mixed up somewhere. He’ll be here soon though and then we can really get started.”
Eric sighed and rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. “When you said soon, what did you mean?”
Martha glanced at the clock, it had been four hours since the Doctor had called. She made a face and leaned back in her chair. “Well, I had rather thought that he would be here today. But I don’t know, maybe he’s here tomorrow.”
Eric grimaced as she talked about time travel again.
“You really don’t like it do you?” Martha asked with a grin.
Eric smiled back at her, “Not really no. I just can’t seem to work it out.”
“Then stop trying.” Martha advised. “I found that was the best way to go. Just go with it. It’s much easier that way. In the end, it just all seemed to work itself out and it meant that I could just enjoy the adventures I had with the Doctor instead of constantly trying to figure the whole mess out.”
“Eric’s really not the sort of guy who likes to sit back and let things unfold, are you Eric?” Emma interjected. “You like to know how things work.”
“Yeah, actually I do.” Eric stared at her for a moment. Emma’s cheeks flushed and he glanced away again.
Martha flicked her eyes quickly between the two without them noticing. “Well, the last time the Angels were around the Doctor had to try and explain this to Sally. I can’t remember exactly what he said but it was something along the lines of,” she raised her fingers in quotation marks, “’a big ball of timey-wimey stuff’.”
“You realise that what you just said didn’t help at all.” Eric groaned and leaned forwards to rest his head against his hands.
“Yeah, it didn’t really help me either, don’t think it helped Sally all that much at the time.” Martha paused and thought, “Not sure if the Doctor’s explanations ever really help.” She paused again. “Okay, that was a bit of a lie, but I must admit there are times when I would just smile and nod when he was talking.” She grinned and shrugged slightly.
Eric glanced at the clock on the wall, “Right, well I think I’m going to head home. I’m tired and it doesn’t seem as if the Doctor is going to turn up any time soon.”
“Ah, time travel Eric.” Emma quipped with a wry smile.
Eric sighed and shook his head. “I’m going home anyway, it’ll be easier to get some rest there anyway whilst I wait.” He looked to Martha, “As soon as he turns up, give me a call and I’ll be there, wherever there is.”
Martha nodded. “Well, I suppose if you’re leaving, we might as well go too.” She stood and collected her things. “I’ll give you both a call as soon as I hear anything from him.” She smiled and walked out of the office.
Eric waited as Emma got her things together and they walked out. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later.” Emma said when they reached Eric’s car.
Eric reached out his arm as she started to walk towards the bus. “Actually, I was thinking of going to get a drink, want to come?”
Emma thought for a moment before shrugging. “Why not?” She smiled and stepped into the passenger seat of the car.
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:)