Loose Change (short story)

Loose Change was the eleventh short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Defining Patterns. It was written by Steven Savile. It featured the Sixth Doctor.

Summary
The Doctor listens to a street musician named Si play guitar. He leaves him a tip that includes a notched coin. Si uses the coin to buy a hot dog from Jay, the hot dog vendor.

Jay is robbed by Ellis, who takes all his money, including the coin.

Ellis uses the coins to play an arcade game.

Jervis McCreedy works at the penny arcade. He cleans out the machine when Ellis is done. When Jervis leaves work, he goes to May's florist shop to buy orchids. He leaves a tip for May that includes the coin.

When May leaves work that night, she takes the change from the tip to pay the bus fare. She strikes up a conversation with an attractive man on the bus.

The bus driver, Dave Mason, notices May talking to the man. When Dave finishes his shift, he takes his change with him. He encounters a man named Chris Welsh, whose wife has just had a baby.

Dave gives Chris change for the telephone so he can call his parents.

Vernon Robey empties out the pay phone in the hospital. He takes the money to the bank, but he arrives right before Andy Mills and Stevie Carr enter the bank to rob it. Stevie takes Vernon's money and, despite Vernon's pleading, his wedding ring.

When the police arrive, Andy and Stevie take off. Stevie spills the coins during his escape. The Doctor sees in the pile of coins the same one he gave to Si that morning. He then trips Stevie and leaves him there for the police.

Characters

 * Sixth Doctor
 * Si
 * Jay
 * Ellis
 * Jervis McCreedy
 * May
 * Dave Mason
 * Chris Welsh
 * Vernon Robey
 * Andy Mills
 * Stevie Carr

Worldbuilding

 * Ellis steals the coin from Si and uses it to play Space Invaders.
 * Andy mentions Pulp Fiction.

Continuity
to be added