Benedict Cumberbatch: Life With Ben

Chapter Twenty Seven: To Infinity and Beyond

I dialled my home number and waited for a reply. Nothing. No reply. I tried my mums number. Nothing. No reply. Dads number? Nothing. No reply. Why was no one answering. Sam. He will answer! "Sam?" I asked as someone picked up the phone. "No, this is P C Whitehall, who is this?" I gasped. "P C? What? I'm Claudia, Sam's niece. I'm trying to find my mum and dad." There was silence for a moment. "Claudia Digby?" "Yes!" I snapped frustrated. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." "Why are you sorry? Where is my mum and dad?!" I started to panic. "I think you should come down to the station." "I can't I'm in London at the moment." "When will you be back in Thanet?" The police officer asked. "I don't know as I live in London now as I'm in university" "Okay, well, I'll just tell you over the phone. Your mother, father, brother and sister died yesterday evening in a car crash. Your uncle was injured but he is in cortical condition. I'm in the hospital with him at the moment but he is a sleep. I am so sorry you had to find out like this." I froze in the taxi and I hung up the phone. My family have died. All I have is Sam and Sue. Sue! I'll phone Sue. She's okay. I dialled in the number and waited for her to reply. "Claudia! I've been trying to call you. I am so sorry!" "Where are you?" I said bluntly. "I am at home about to go to the hospital to see Sam." "Okay" I replied. I didn't know what else to say so I just hung up. I sat and stared out of the taxi window and waited to get back to Oxford.

"£25 please" the taxi driver asked putting his hand out. I handed him the money and walked off into the university grounds. It was 12:48 and everyone was sitting having lunch but I wasn't hungry. I walked up to my room and sat on my bed staring at the wall. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Not Adelaide. Not Ben. Knock knock! Went the door.I didn't want to answer the door. I ignored it. "Hello? Claud? It's Dean? Adelaide told me what room you were in so I thought I'd drop round. Claud?" Dean said softly through the door. I walked over to the balcony and sat staring outside. Watching everyone laugh and smile. "Claudia? I know you're in there please answer the door?" Dean said whilst knocking louder also. I got my iPod out of my bag and put my earphones in turning the music up loud so I couldn't hear a soul. "One by one; they pass me by and I've used up my supplies.." My iPod sang to me. I pulled out my phone and started to read through my messages from earlier that morning.

Amanda- Good luck beaut! Hope it all goes okay! A x
Martin- Good luck Claud, hope the dress fits okay! Good luck x
Simon- Good luck & knock their socks off! Love Si & Mo xxx
Nick- You don't need luck you'll be ace! Hope it goes okay though! Don't cry though! ;) x
Unknown- Good luck Claudia! Hope it goes okay! All my thoughts go to you! Love Tom H x
Ben- Morning Darling. I hope you are okay. Good luck today and I'll see you later? Love you loads! <3
I thought momentarily and remembered Ben was meant to be visiting but I didn't want to see anyone. So I texted him- "Ben, Darling, I'm sorry, I haven't had a good day, would you be able to come and visit another day? Sorry Darling <3". Ben's cancelled. Dean's left me alone. Now lets hope Adelaide will stay away for a while.

Silence echoed through the room making the atmosphere tense despite it only being me in the room. I laid on the floor and thought for a second- why my family? Why didn't it happen to me? I need my family. I need them right now. "Claudia Digby?! Open this door right now!" An Australian accent shouted through the door before laughing. I picked myself up and opened the door before laying back on the floor. "Claudia? Claud?" The Australian said sitting next to me watching my eyes shut and never to open again. "Claud? Claud! Talk to me?" I couldn't speak. "Claud, what's wrong? Did the meeting go okay?" I nodded. "So what's up?" I sat up and took my ear phones out before crying "My family. They died!" I flung my arms around Adelaide and started to cry. "Wait! What?" "My mum. My dad. My brother. My sister. All dead. My uncle, nearly dead." Adelaide put her arms around me and started to rock me slowly, comforting v me saying everything will be okay. "Does Benedict know?" She asked. I shook my head. "He was meant to be visiting today but I asked him not to come." Adelaide replied, "Oh. I'm so sorry Darling. So so sorry! Why don't I go and get you some ice cream? Ice cream and some cookies? How about a hot chocolate as well?" I nodded, "Thank you." I cried, "Please don't tell anyone. Not a soul!" She agreed and left.