Abandoned By Doctor

Closing Week

The TARDIS arrived in the same place it had just been, but about 35 years earlier. Rose was still shaken from her encounter with the Mickey, so she grabbed the Doctor's hand before they left.

Once exiting the TARDIS, they saw that the formerly overgrown Treasure Island was bustling with families all over.

"Mowgli's Palace?" Rose asked.

"Well, we'll get there," the Doctor said. "I think we should talk to some other employees before looking for our friend, don't you?"

Rose nodded, but if she was honest with herself she wanted to get in and out of here as soon as possible. The only thing that kept her from being uneasy was the Doctor holding her hand.

"Excuse me," the Doctor said to a passing employee.

The employee turned, looking miserable in one of the loincloths they had seen in the mascot room. "Yes, sir?"

"Sorry, but we're a bit lost," the Doctor smiled charmingly. "First day here, you know. Can you tell us what attraction is best?"

The employee sighed. "That would be the new Jungle Cruise." He pointed with two fingers away from them. "That way. There's a big sign, you won't miss it."

"Thank you," the Doctor nodded and pulled Rose along the way the employee had pointed.

"The workers really do hate this place, huh?" Rose said.

"Seems like it," the Doctor agreed. "Though I would too."

Rose cleared her throat, stopping herself from making a remark about his comment. Instead she said "Are we in the right place? Closing week, yeah?"

"Right," the Doctor said. "Closing week. Right before things went haywire. Maybe we'll stick around until it actually closes, stow away somewhere."

Rose nodded. "We'd have to get a room to stowaway in, though." She pointed out.

"Right!" The Doctor changed course towards Mowgli's Palace. "We'll meet some people, figure out why the place is closing down."

"Who's gonna want to talk to us?" Rose asked. "We're not important to them."

"That's exactly the point," The Doctor replied. "We're not suspicious."

The Doctor sauntered into Mowgli's Palace with Rose in tow. Rose was shocked at how different it looked in the past. It was decorated with overgrowth but it was painfully fake compared to the real vines they had seen just a few minutes ago.

It was strange to see people filling in the lobby, "abandoned by Disney" written nowhere, vandalism hadn't happened yet. The only things the same were the check in desks and furniture in the lobby.

"Ah, check in," the Doctor said, jarring Rose from her observations.

"Wait," Rose furrowed her brows. "If this is a palace, or hotel, rather, why is the mascot room here and not in a staff facility or something?"

"Valid question." The Doctor nodded. "My guess would be that it's because this hotel seems to be very central. It's probably the most convenient."

As they were talking, they reached the front desk. It seemed to be that every employee was forced to wear the skimpy tribal clothes. Unlike the other employee, the young girl at the front desk smiled at them as they approached. Rose noticed that the Doctor wasn't moving his gaze from her face.

"How many rooms?" The woman asked.

"One," the Doctor said, flashing the psychic paper at her. After reading what he wanted her to see on it she nodded and handed the Doctor a room key. He smiled and led Rose towards the lift.

"What did the paper say?" Rose asked.

The Doctor looked at the paper. "We're Mr. And Mrs. Doctor apparently."

Rose grinned pleasantly. "A bit redundant, don't you think?"

The Doctor shrugged as they boarded the lift. "I suppose to some people. Well, unless my last name was Doctor, well, in a way it is since I don't have a last name. Well," he stopped when Rose laughed. "What?"

"You're rambling," she said.

"When aren't I?" The Doctor retorted.

Somehow it was sorted that their room had a balcony over the park. The Doctor suggested that they scope out some of the park from there. Rose agreed. She was a little nervous to be down there and possibly run into Mickey again, though they hadn't met him yet.

"There's our friend Donald," The Doctor pointed out over the balcony. Rose followed his finger and saw the same Donald costume they had seen in the mascot room.

The person inside the duck was very much alive, which threw Rose for a little bit of a loop since she had only just seen his skull. Seeing him alive however, gave her a bit of hope that they could be helped.

"You think we can talk to him?" She asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "From what I've seen of parks like this, they're not allowed to talk while they're in character. Ruins the effect."

"So how're we going to talk to anyone?" Rose glanced down at all the people. "If everyone's in character all the time."

"My thought is that we sneak into the mascot room right around ten," he checked his watch. "That's closing time. Psychic paper should let us in."

"And... People should be down there?"

"If they're people."

"You mean, they might be aliens?" Rose wasn't shocked: just double checking.

"Weird happenings usually mean aliens. Plus, the TARDIS doesn't usually send distress signals. If it did whenever there was distress, we'd always be on the move and wouldn't have time to visit your mum and Mickey."

Rose snorted. "That wouldn't be so bad." She admitted. "Mickey gets awful protective for an ex."

"That's what I've been saying," at first she thought the Doctor was kidding, but then realized he was dead serious.

"Yeah, you have."

At 9:30 the Doctor and Rose trekked down the mascot's room. The Doctor pounded on the door with vigor until it was opened for him.

"You're not a mascot!" A brown-haired man said with alarm. "No guests down here, please!"

The Doctor held up his psychic paper. "I think you'll find that we are not ordinary guests."

"Uh..." The man looked at the paper. "Okay, come in then, Mr. And Mrs. Disney."

Rose's cheeks burned. Everyone seeing them as husband and wife didn't bother her in the slightest, but she was afraid of what the Doctor thought of it.

"We're Disneys?" Rose asked lowly. The Doctor nodded.

"I'm his nephew, according to this. They've got to let all Disney's relatives in. Respect, and what not."

"So now that we're in-?"

He grinned at her. "We try to find the alien."