Prelude to an Adventure with Jim the Fish

Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay

“Carry the four….”

Kate looked up from her book. “I thought you were reading music, Doctor?”

“I am reading music. ” He turned the page. “6th measure, 3rd note, carry the four….”

Kate stared up at the ceiling wondering if she would ever understand him. She joined him at his table.   “So who’s it by? Prokofiev? Beethoven?”

“Islands in the Stream,” he said without looking up.

“Wait, what?”

“Karaoke track.”  He picked up the pencil next to him and wrote down the letter L on a tablet. “Do you like Karaoke, Kate?”

She nodded, knowing to play along when he got distracted. “So you have a secret message in a Karaoke score?” She turned the tablet around to look at it. In very small handwriting was the word “hell.”

He nodded. “Do you remember that waiter at the cafe?”

“The one who spilled the entire plate of spaghetti all over the table next to us?”

“He slipped this to me. Someone needs our help. “

“A secret message from hell?”

“Not quite,” he said flipping the page, then writing the letter S.

“Doctor, I really don’t get what’s going on.”

He took his glasses off and jumped up.  “We need to go.” He ran over to the helmic regulator and spun the dial.

“Where?”  She’d learned long ago to stay calm when he got excited. 

“Raxacoricofallapatorius.”

“Raxa..cor…” she uncrossed her eyes from trying to repeat him. “So, what’s the message, Doctor?” 

The TARDIS slipped into the time stream.

“Hello Sweetie.”

~~~

Ok, you’ve caught me. I’ve shamelessly written a Doctor Who fan flash. If you’re a fan of the show, you will know who Jim the Fish is. I’m not sure Jim the Fish (or River) ever met Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in canon, but hey. It’s Friday. What else will you write about but Karaoke?

If you have no clue what I’m talking about, then I’m sorry. Thanks for stopping by anyway!