Title: Out of the Nest
Summary: Francine learns more about the Doctor.
Rated: G
Notes: Spoilers for "The Lazarus Experiment" and the season 3 Big Bad.
Out of the Nest
by Lizbee
The
man -- Francine had stopped thinking of him as a waiter -- leaned in
close and whispered, "The Doctor was responsible for the death of your
neice, Adeola."
Francine froze.
"Among others, of
course," he added. "Where ever he goes, he leaves death behind. Your
daughter should be careful." Francine tried to pull away, but he was
still speaking. "Unfortunately, it is Mr Saxon's policy to regard the
Doctor's willing companions as equally culpable in his crimes."
Francine
wanted to argue, to tell him that Martha was usually a sensible girl,
that for the first time she'd just lost her head and gotten swept up in
some man's fantasy life -- but he was already walking away.
*
And
what was she supposed to tell her sister? Margaret would know as soon
as they met that there was something on her mind. They were twins; they
always knew.
But she wasn't going to tell Margaret that Martha
had run off with the man who killed Adeola. Margaret's pain was still
too raw. All the photos of her daughter had been put away, and Margaret
flinched when she heard her name.
*
It occurred to
Francine that it simply wasn't true, that the waiter was just a passing
lunatic who saw an opportunity to interfere.
The package put an end to that idea.
It
arrived just before lunch the next day, a sealed package delivered by
courier. It contained a DVD and a few pages of text, heavily censored
like a letter from a war front.
Francine went home early. The
house was too big and empty now, with no children or husband to fill
it, but she kept putting off the inevitable move. She regretted that
now, watching her niece's death.
Watch. Rewind. Freeze. She was so intent on Adeola that she didn't even see the Doctor at first.
But when she did--
Oh God, it was the same man, and Martha was with him now, his dispassionate face as he killed Adeola, my God was he apologising? Pick up the phone, Martha, pick up the damn phone--
It didn't help that Adeola looked so much like Martha. That was an old family joke, no longer funny.
Francine picked up the phone again.
"Martha, this is your mother. Please ... call me. Please."
*
The papers were excerpted from a file. An old file, judging by the dates. A list of events, causes, chaos. Deaths.
Known companions,
she read, and then there was a long list of names. Most of them women,
many deceased. These women, they left with him and never returned. Perpugilliam Brown. Dorothy McShane. Two (Rose Tyler, Jaqueline Tyler) had died on the same day as Adeola. A lot of people died that day, but still---
*
"Martha, this is your mother. It's urgent that you call me right away. Martha? Martha, are you there?"
end