SPACEMAN AND THE MOON ― doctor who

thirty-four: daleks in manhattan part two

chapter thirty-two : daleks in manhattan

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LUNA FOLLOWED SOLOMON, MARTHA, AND THE DOCTOR OUT OF THE TENT where they met up with a young man a few years Luna's junior.

"I need men," a man in a suit and bowler hat spoke from in between to more well-dressed man above them. "Volunteers. I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah, and what is the money?" The young man who brought them asked.

"A dollar a day."

Some men around the camp chuckled but Solomon moved closer, curiosity piqued. "What's the work?" He asked.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day?" Solomon shook his head. "That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they."

"Accidents happen."

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, eyes narrowing.

"What sort of accidents?" The Doctor added, moving closer to Luna. She distanced herself just enough so they wouldn't touch, but she didn't hate him standing next to her. She could still smell him; old books, lavender and calendula, a touch of citrus, and the faintest after shave -- an object she never could find in his room. Her eyes closed for a moment, and she inhaled quietly, the smell of him making her dizzy. Before, she would get lost in his scent, feeling safe and warm, but now it only made her feel hollow. She moved further away from him.

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?"

The Doctor raised his hand.

"Enough with the questions."

"Oh, no, no, no," he pointed at his raised hand. "I'm volunteering. I'll go."

"Me too," Martha spoke up, her own hand raised.

Luna threw hers into the air as well. "Same here."

Some of the men gave her looks and she heard complaints about "taking our jobs" "and our money" "stealing" and the like. She didn't look at anyone, putting her hand down shyly. She'd still go, but perhaps she didn't need to announce it so loud.

"Anybody else?"

The young man and Solomon both raised their hands.

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The sewers reeked. Luna sniffed once as soon as she got off the ladder in the bottom and felt terrible. Disgusting. All she wanted was a shower. She'd found herself in many situations and places in her travels with the Doctor -- but the sewers? Not her favorite in the slightest.

"Turn left," Diagoras told them, "go about half a mile, follow tunnel 273, the fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" The young man asked.

Silence sat for a moment in between them. "When you come back up."

"And if we don't come back up?" The Doctor asked carefully.

"Then I got no one to pay."

"Don't worry," Solomon spoke up, his voice resounding through the sewers. "We'll be back."

"Let's hope so," Martha muttered, following Solomon down the sewers with a flash light. The young man followed after her and Luna glanced at the Doctor. He and Diagoras stared at each other for a moment before she tugged his arm and he glanced down at her.