2 - Henriks

Dorian goes out shopping with some friends. Then in the evening, one of London's biggest Department Stores explodes!

‘Excuse me; have you got this jumper in a medium?’ Dorian asked the Henriks Department Store assistant, holding up a large navy blue jumper.

‘I’ll go check for you.’ The blonde assistant replied. She had full lips and hooped earrings, she looked fed up and tired. Dorian didn’t blame her; it must have been a long day.

‘Thank you,’ he checked the name tag on pinned to her pink hooded top, ‘Rose.’

 

Dorian continued to browse while he waited for Rose to return from the store room.

‘Here you go.’ Rose said as she held out a smaller jumper to him.

‘Thank you.’ Dorian said again, taking the jumper from her and giving her a smile.

‘Have a nice day, sir.’ Rose returned his smile with a twitch of her lips before walking off to help another customer.

 

***

 

Dorian met up with his two closest friends after buying the jumper. Gerard and Jo were his fellow second year students at Med School. He had always been brilliant at science, his best subject being Physics, but he found it ironic that he was training to be a doctor when his father went by that title too. After all, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the spare time, was it?

Between stoppings at cafes for drinks they spent the entire day shopping. Jo said she needed a new dress for a friend’s wedding so they headed back to Henriks to look.

‘Don’t be too long sirs, madam.’ The uniformed security guard on the door said, ‘Store’s closin’ in an hour.’

Dorian spotted Rose again as he and Gerard waited outside the changing rooms for Jo to model her selection of dresses. She saw him looking and gave him a quick smile.

‘Got an admirer there D.’ Gerard winked. Dorian opened his mouth to object but was cut off by Jo emerging from behind a curtain in a flowing and elegant dress.

 

***

 

It was getting dark outside when said goodbye to Gerard and Jo outside Henrik’s. The security guard on the door bade them a ‘goodnight’ as they left. Dorian buttoned up his jacket and lifted the collar up against the cold, and set off on the walk back to his flat. Promptly walking into a big eared, big nosed man in a leather jacket.

‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ Dorian apologised immediately.

‘It’s alright!’ said the stranger brightly, Dorian detected a northern accent. ‘You be on your way, back to your home like it’s just another normal day! Tell you what, go mad, have a cup of tea! Tea’s great!’

Dorian stared. Then decided it was best to just carry on walking. ‘Right. Well, umm, sorry again.’

‘Best to stay away from here tonight! Things might get a bit hot!’ The stranger called cheerfully after him. Dorian just carried on until he got to his flat, wondering if the man was crazy.

 

***

 

‘The whole of Central London has been closed off as Police investigate the fire’

Dorian heard the news story and read the headline: ‘DEPARTMENT STORE BLAZE: Henriks dept store ripped apart by explosion.’ Footage of fire fighters trying to put out the fire on the Department Store roof played across the screen.

Dorian settled himself down on the sofa as the newsreader announced what the early reports indicate caused the blast.

He couldn’t help recalling what the strange man outside Henriks had warned. ‘Things might get a bit hot.’ Could the man have known? Dorian wondered. Could he have caused it? He sipped his cup of tea and watched the news.

Gerard rang not long after, asking if Dorian had seen the story on TV.

‘I saw it on the news at half-time. It was only a matter of timing, you know? I mean, it could have happened while we were there!’ Gerard cried down the phone. Dorian calmed him down after a while, apparently Gerard’s mum’s friend Bev knew someone whose daughter worked at Henriks and they were talking about what set off the explosion. It was like a big gossip network.

Dorian listened patiently as Gerard reeled off what they suggested could have been the cause, each as unlikely as the next.

‘Sorry Ger, but it’s getting late and we’ve got that early lecture tomorrow morning. I’m going to have to go now. See you tomorrow!’ Dorian let out a deep sigh when he hung up, finished his tea and got into bed.

His mind raced with thoughts and he tried to shut them off.

Before he knew it he was back inside the T.A.R.D.I.S. running from the Time War, waking up in his bed, covered in sweat.

Author's Note

Thoughts?

I know it took ages to get this down, but I had to get on top of my school work and rewatch "Rose" to get the details right :)
Hope you enjoy!