who_contest | Just A Little Help (Reply)

Title: Just A Little Help
Rating: G
Genre: Drama
Word Count: Exactly 500
Pairings or Characters: 3rd Doctor; Liz Shaw.
Spoilers: none
Warnings:none
Summary: A farmer has just one request for a busy man and woman.

I had to cut quite a bit to get to the proper word count.

"Ya got a high-falutin' accent,” I told him, tryin' to get his attention.

“What?” he said , scratching his white mane of hair.

“ He means you sound very posh and British, Doctor,” said the woman. She was wearing a uniform and couldn't look more different from this wannabe magician.

“I'm not Brit—oh, whatever. Liz, deal with him. He's been bothering me all day,” he said.

“Sir, we're busy. Maybe some other time?” she said. I could tell she was annoyed by my requests well.

“All I want is a ride for my daughter to the hospital. There's usually no cars in the country, '. You look like government types who probably got some wheels. If you could--”

Having had enough, the man looked at me, glaring over his big nose. Cutting me off, he said “Listen, human. Right now, this woman and I are hunting a menace that is from--” (Liz shot him a look)--” a place you are not allowed to know. This threat is bigger than anything imaginable. Many lives will be in danger if we lose. So tell me, chap, still want to bother me about a car ride?” Not waiting for a response, he walked off.

Liz ignored him. “I'm sorry. Been a bad day, so he's even more irritable than usual.”

“Thanks. Shouldn't have bothered you. It's just...hard,” I said.

“What's wrong?” Liz said.

“Sara—my daughter--always been an active girl. Climbin' trees, racin' dogs. One day, she was playin' around the street with a friend., chasin' after a ball that went into the street, and of course, that's when a car comes around. She grabbed her friend out of the way, but her legs was hit in the process. Her legs is injured and ain't getting' better.”

“Just because--” started the doctor .

“She puts on a brave face, says nothin' wrong. But I can tell she's afraid. Afraid that she won't be able to move, that she'll be stuck in one place, unable to go anywhere. It could be worse—hell, my old grandpa had one leg, and was the best man than I ever knew—but she's afraid that if nothin' gets done, she'll be trapped forever. I kno' you folks are doin' big things, but just one ride to the hospital?”

The Doctor was silent, chewin' on what I said. “Trapped, you say...” he murmured. Snapping out of his trance, he took out a phone.

“Brigadier, a word.” After a few minutes, he came back.

“There will be a car for your daughter. My apologies for my mood.” They began to leave.

He turned back suddenly. “Tell Sarah that she doesn't need legs to explore. She has everything she needs inside.” (Liz rolled her eyes behind him, though smiling.) Then they were off.

Nowadays, Sara's tellin' me she wants to be in the Paralympics when she grows up.

Maybe the Doc's accent wasn't that bad after all.