[A/N: If you might recall, in Let's Kill Hitler, after Mels regenerates into River and Rory is exposed to pure vortex energy, this conversation happens;
Rory: "Is anyone else finding today just a bit difficult? I'm getting a sort of banging in my head."
Amy: "Yeah, I think that's Hitler in the cupboard."
Rory: "That's not helping.."
Oh dear, here come the plot bunnies!]
Howard's framed photograph hung on the wall along with the rest of the Minotaur's victims. The boy was smiling, looking happy and at peace.
The Doctor was gazing at the picture, when Rory wandered through the corridor towards him. Both men acknowledged each other by raising their eyebrows, even though this was hard for The Doctor to do in this particular incarnation.
With a puzzled expression on his face, The Doctor looked upon his companion. Rory had opened his mouth and was about to speak, but The Doctor intruded,
"Have you found your room yet?" he queried.
"No, no", Rory assured him, and joined in on inspecting the pictures, before furrowing his eyebrows into a frown. His head snapped around to look at the Time Lord. Suddenly serious, he asked "Is that good or bad?"
The Doctor thought on this for a moment, leaving Rory to wait and blink.
"Maybe you're not scared of anything", he then suggested, while rocking on the balls of his feet. Raising his eyebrows once again and rolling his eyes, Rory shrugged. Then, after an intake of breath he thought aloud, "Well, after all the time I spent with you in the TARDIS, what was there left to be scared of?"
Rory looked back at the victims, pictured on the wall, then his mind seemed to slow and it took a while for him to catch up with it. In fact, he was only snapped back into reality by The Doctor's voice. Giving Rory a double take, The Doctor surprisingly accused,
"You said that in the past tense."
"No, I didn't", replied Rory quickly, with an expression of both annoyance and confusion. The Doctor had stepped back now, perching himself on the stair rail, looking a little bewildered, while Rory leant casually, with one arm against the wall.
It was Rory who broke the silence, telling his friend about how Howard had been in speech therapy and had just gotten over a massive stammer. Stressing the remarkableness of this achievement, the human reminded the Time Lord that not all victories are about saving the universe.