Time Travel and the Apocalypse: Book 1

6. Picking up the Pieces- Holiday

-

"Mrs. Hargreeves, is there anybody I can call for you? Is there any family?"

I shook my head.

"Any friends?"

"Yes. Margot Henderson,"

The Doctor nodded and left the room.

Ten minutes later, Margot arrived in a tizzy.

"Oh, Holiday! Oh Honey! You poor, poor Dear!" She wrapped her arm around me as I sobbed.

Even though Five wasn't really dead, it still felt like I was lost him. Time Travel was risky business. And though Five was intelligent, I was still worried.  What if something happened and he couldn't get back?

Margot ushered me into the back of a cab.

"You poor thing. Can you tell me what happened?"

"W-W-well, it was a normal morning, except Five said he wasn't feeling very well. He called off of work, which he never does. But he insisted he was okay. So we went out for a walk to get some fresh air, and all of a sudden he was on the ground.... holding his chest. I just started screaming-"

Margot gave me a tight hug. "Just all of a sudden?"

I nodded. "It was terrible. We rode the ambulance to the hospital, and then he was gone!"

"He seemed fine last night "

"Yeah. And now he's-he's dead!" I cried.

"I know, Honey, I know. Would you like me to help with the funeral arrangements?"

"Yes please," I whimpered. I wrapped my arms around my stomach. "The Doctor called me Mrs. Hargreeves."

Margot just patted my shoulder. "Mistakes happen all the time, Dear. I'm so sorry."

We rode the rest of the way back to my apartment in silence.

"You should take a hot bath," Margot said.

I nodded. I headed into the bathroom and began a bath. I could hear Margot in the kitchen, making arrangements. Just the thought ripped my heart in two.

"...Yes, hello. I'm calling behalf of Holiday Wentworth....No.....Yes, Five Hargreeves.... yes.... no......I'll have to call back, just a minute." Margot came running into the bathroom. "Holiday?"

"Yes?"

"Who's invited to the funeral? Are his siblings coming? Do they know yet?"

"I'll make a list when I get out. And his siblings..." Shit. What was I going to say about his siblings? I couldn't just say 'They haven't been born yet', which sucks. I was stumped. "Oh, uh, they passed away a few years ago in a boating accident."

Margot shook her head in sadness. "Parents?"

"They-they...uh...died just the same."

"How tragic." Margot sighed. "What about your family?"

"Oh, they wouldn't make it on time...They live out of country."

"You poor, poor thing. So who do you want to invite?"

"I guess his co-workers. And you and Ted, of course. I'm not too sure who else."

"Well, I'll leave you to it."

Margot left me in my solitude. I just sat in the bathtub and stared at the wall.

-

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Mr. Bush. I know Five would appreciate that you're here. He really liked his time around you-" I could hardly finish my sentence before breaking back down into tears.

Margot put her arm around me, muttered something to Mr. Bush, then led me over to the gravesite. Since there was no body, the shoebox and a picture of Five and I was placed inside the coffin instead.

I wept as it was lowered into the ground. I placed a single red rose and a handful of dirt on it before the rest of the coffin was covered.

I stared at the beautiful grave Margot had made. It read:

FIVE HARGREEVES
October 1, 1949- June 10, 1973
Buried here by his beloved Holly

I knew Five wasn't dead. I kept reminding myself that, but it really felt like he was. And for that, I mourned.

-

Time went on, and I never forgot about him. I threw myself into 'traveling' again, gaining more and more scars, and draining my energy. But I didn't care. Five was the last person I loved that loved me back. And he was gone.

The traveling took a toll me, and it wasn't long before I found myself sick. I spent most of my days at home, collecting dust on all of my artifacts. From clothes to records. There wasn't much that I did anymore: too weak to travel, too depressed to go outside. The only thing I could do was wait for Five to come home.