One Card for the Curious (short story)

One Card for the Curious was the fourth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Defining Patterns. It was written by Xanna Eve Chown. It featured the Seventh Doctor and Ace.

Summary
The Doctor and Ace arrive on Earth at the beach. Ace notices a "clairvoyant" booth among the amusement arcades, and she sees a girl, whose picture is on the window, enter the booth. When she comes out, she bumps into a man carrying hot coffee, and she mentions to Ace that the man in the booth warned her about people carrying hot drinks.

Ace notes that there is a new picture in the window of the booth, and it strongly resembles the Doctor. She visits the booth, where the man tells her that "one of the balls" might drop on her if she doesn't watch out.

Outside the booth, a strange accident occurs whereby a man on a unicycle is juggling several balls but gets distracted, and one hits Ace on the head. She decides to show the Doctor the booth where the man can predict the future.

Inside the booth, the Doctor and Ace confront the man, whose name is Hiram White. The Doctor thinks the man is from Cramand, but he's actually from Candram, a moon of Cramand. He's been on Earth for over a hundred years. He became addicted to Holloway's pills, a quack remedy that doesn't harm humans but has obviously had an affect on Hiram.

The Doctor offers to take Hiram home. Hiram, who was aware of the Doctor, has been saving money for years in order to offer the Doctor a deal: he will give the Doctor the money if the Doctor will get him some more pills.

Back in the TARDIS, Ace is relieved when the Doctor enters, alone, having refused Hiram's request.

Characters

 * Seventh Doctor
 * Ace
 * Hiram White
 * Girl

Continuity
to be added