Elizabeth Cutter | Primeval

S2 E1 - Freeze Your Brain

Dad's pacing back and forth. His breathing isn't healthy, he's hyperventilating and I don't know what to do. What can I do? He thinks someone who doesn't exist is missing.

"Something's happened," he mutters. "Something happened while I was in there, something's changed. The world's evolved differently."

"Dad," I warn. 

He grabs my shoulders, pressing into me but I don't complain. I need him to calm down. To talk properly. "You must believe me Beth. You know who Claudia Brown is, she treated you like you were her own." 

There's a pang in my heart. I don't know this made up woman in Dad's head but I like the sound of her. I'm sure she'd be better than Helen any day. Lester hangs up the phone and turns to us. 

"I think we're done here, aren't we?" 

Dad lets me go and runs up to Lester. "No, no Claudia Brown. Claudia Brown. She's been with us since the beginning. She was in charge of the day-to-day running of the anomaly operation."

"No, that's Leek," I say as though it should be obvious, which it should, but clearly it isn't to him.

"Oliver Leek," Lester continues, glancing from me to Dad. "You can't have forgotten him. You saw him at the ARC today."

"The what?" 

I step closer to him, holding out a hand but he doesn't take it. "The ARC. The Anomaly Research Centre."

"No, you mean the Home Office..." 

Abby stands beside me, concern filling her features. "No. We moved from that place ages ago."

Lester looks at me. "Sorry, is he having a nervous breakdown? If so Beth, call him an ambulance."

"He's fine." My voice is strong, hiding my fear. He's clearly not fine. 

"You're getting a little old for imaginary friends, Professor." 

As Lester leaves and everyone rounds up their stuff, I pull Dad aside and he bends down so I kneel too, my hands on his shoulders. "Dad, what's going on?" 

He looks up at me, his eyes pleading. "You have to believe me, Beth. I went through that anomaly and left you with Claudia. I come back and she's gone. We did something out there, but I don't know what."

"Say it's all true, how?" 

"I'm not sure, but I need to know you believe me. I need you to trust me."

"I do, Dad. I believe you, okay?" 

"Okay, but I have another question."

"Yeah?" 

"You told Helen she tried to kill you."

I sigh. "When she dragged me through that anomaly back at the stadium, she left me for dead." I close my eyes, shaking off the thoughts. "Let's get back to the ARC." 

*    *    *

Walking in, I can't help but notice Dad's eyes darting from side to side. I was like it the first time I came here but I can't understand how he must feel. He doesn't remember anything about being here before.

Lester and Leek are talking ahead of us and I take a deep breath.

"Ah Professor. Glad to see you back well and safe. Though I gather your wife won't be joining us?" Leek says and I sigh internally. He should not have said that.

"Who the hell are you?" The Scottish accent makes it all the more comedic to me. I have a slight Scottish twinge, but it's overtaken by a southern English accent.