"…tor help! Doctor help!" Amy's voice slowly grew louder in his head as the Doctor awoke on the cold, hard floor of the restaurant. Without thinking he immediately picked himself up and began walking toward the TARDIS. He felt like Amy's cry of help was enough to keep him going, but as he reached for the stairs, he clutched his second heart. It felt like a knife was plunged into his heart, and as he tried to walk his legs gave away. He collapsed on the stairs and tried to push himself up, but his body was shaking uncontrollably.
"Look at you. You still care. It's impressive, I'll give you that." River looked at the Doctor with awe. Even after everything he's been through, with all the pain he's going through he still has the drive to protect the people he cares about.
"River, please!" Why couldn't she see the truth? If he could just somehow show her who she is. His mind however was a blur, and he could barely see straight.
"Again? Who is this River? She's got to be a woman. Am I right?" River was so confused. After everything she had been taught, the Doctor was the enemy and he had to be destroyed. Right? But why did she suddenly feel this surge of pity and remorse. He was so kind and selfless. He never wanted to hurt anyone, the exact opposite of her.
"Help me. Save Amy and Rory. Help me." He couldn't even keep his footing on the ground as his vision began to blur. He knew there wasn't much time, and he had to save Amy and Rory before he could tell River anything.
"Tell me about her. Go on."
"Augh! Just... help me." As soon as he said that, he collapsed on the stairs. His strength gave out as the poison infiltrated his nervous system. He could not do anything, he felt so helpless, and he was out of time.
River saw the hurt in the Doctor's eyes, this man who she once thought was the worst man in the world, who had to be killed no matter what, who she was told was the most powerful man in the world, was now so fragile. She knew she would never get this vision out of her mind, a little broken boy spread out on a staircase. The realization set in, and she knew what she had to do.
The Doctor could hear River get up from her chair and start making her way to the Doctor.
"Doctor please…tell me what to do. I mean it I will do anything I have to, just tell me."
The only thing that the Doctor could tell her was, "You are the child of the TARDIS..."
"That's all I can say…just…save your parents."
"Doctor what-?"
"DO IT NOW!" He yelled. They were running out of time, and he was running of life. He refused to go until he knew his companions were safe. Without hesitation, River ran past him and entered the TARDIS. The Doctor smiled, he knew that the River he knew was coming back, and she would save his friends. He heard the sounds of the TARDIS disappearing and he closed his eyes, everything was going to be alright.
"Doctor please, oh my god please wake up!" The Doctor could feel himself being lightly shaken. All he felt he could do now was talk and open his eyes, but even then all he could see were blurs.
"It's too late Amy, we can't do anything for him, he's gone." Rory said somberly. It was very clear he was trying to hold back tears.
"Oh I wouldn't say that quite yet." The Doctor managed to whisper. He couldn't do anything now but wait for death.
"You can't die now. I know you don't die now." She had never realized it, but she had actually told the real Doctor about his death back on the planet with the Flesh. How could he die now if she saw him die back at Lake Silencio? And that was 200 years into the future.
" Oh Pond. You've got a schedule for everything."
"But it doesn't make any sense."
"Doctor, what do we do? Come on. How do we help you?" Rory was a nurse; if the Doctor would just tell him what to do he could make it better. Even after all he's been through with the Doctor, the almost dying, the dying, the Roman thing, even when he thought that there was no hope, the Doctor was always there to help him and his wife. Without him their lives would be so empty.
"No, I'm sorry, Rory. You can't. Nobody can. Ponds. Listen to me. I need to talk to your daughter." As much as he would have loved to spend his remaining minutes with his companions but he needed to tell River something. Amy rested her head on the Doctor's chest one last time and then made way for River to talk to the Doctor. The Doctor's strength was fading fast, but River wasn't completely transformed, and before she did he needed to tell her something. "Find her. Find River Song and tell her something for me."
"Tell her what?" River leaned in close to the Doctor. He whispered in her ear something that he should have told a certain blonde headed time traveler.
"Well I'm sure she knows-". Before he could hear anything else the Doctor closed his eyes, now it was all up to them.
He couldn't understand what was happening. He thought he was dead, his body was stiff and cold, and yet he could feel a growing warm sensation in his chest. His hearts began to start beating and he took a deep breath. He opened his eyes as he saw River slowly coming into focus, but her body was glowing, and that could only mean one thing. "River. No. What are you doing?"
"Hello Sweetie." Those words were like music to his ears, and before he could stop her, she kissed him. It was the loveliest kiss he had ever received, and the warmth of her time lord body only made it better. He felt almost endless bounds of energy sweep into his body, and every second that passed made him feel more and more alive. Although it seemed to last hours, only a few minutes had passed when the golden glow faded from both their bodies and River fell limp on the Doctor. It took a couple seconds for the Doctor to gain his bearings, but as soon as his vision cleared up and his head stopped spinning, he gently laid River down on the stairs and ran into the TARDIS. Amy stood with her husband, both with jumbled looks on their faces.
"Um Doctor…wha-what just happened?" The Doctor rushed out of the blue block, completely forgetting to explain everything that just happened.
"Ah yes right! Your daughter is on the floor unconscious!" He exclaimed with a cheery look on his face.
"Yeah, yeah we get that part but what about the whole, glowy woooooooosh?" Rory exclaimed, waving his arms around.
"Bigger explanation requires more time…get River into the TARDIS and I'll explain everything, but we need to hurry!" The Doctor ran back into the TARDIS. He set the locations to exactly where he needed to go. "Come on come come!" He called out. Rory and Amy came through the doors carrying River in their arms. They set her down on the beds in one of the many rooms and ran back to the console room.
"Okay Doctor what the hell just happened?" Amy asked, with a frustrated look on her face.
"One sec." And with that the Doctor flipped the wibbly lever and the sounds of the traveling TARDIS filled the room. "Okay, explanation time. I was dead right?"
"Right." They both said simultaneously.
"Well I was dead, but (long story short) before her regeneration energy ran out, she used her energy AND the energy of all of her remaining regenerations to heal me." He explained in one breath, he was met with silence.
"But Doctor how is that even-"
"Ah it's all timey wimey wibbly wobbly stuff. Point is we need to get her to a hospital before long or…well let's just say that we need to get her to a hospital." He said flipping some more levers and pushing buttons.
"But Doctor…does that mean…that River's all…" Amy asked, not too sure about how to phrase her question.
"Yes Amy…the River we know and love is back."
