A metallic click brought the pair to a halt. The eyeless manifestation craned its neck to face the blue tip of a sonic screwdriver.
"Go on, make my day," River warned, her other hand brought up her sonic blaster to join her already offensive weapon. With clenched teeth, bared like some rabid dog, the form growled as he turned to face her fully. Her eyes fixed upon him; as if he were the Dalek that had tried to take her lover's life.
From his position on the floor the Doctor glanced helplessly up at the two. The Tardis shook once more; shuddering and spitting sparks from its damaged circuits. Before he could blink the dark form launched at River – Her defences we temporally impaired by the rocky movements.
"No!" he cried unable to act quickly enough. A shot was fired; River was thrown violently from the elevated console platform. A heavy thud indicated her landing below them. Through the glass floor the Doctor could see her body; perfectly still, perfectly silent. His tears splashed against the glass – Too far to reach out to her.
That's when it happened.
His hearts burst suddenly into overdrive; so much so that his chest felt on the verge of some cataclysmic explosion. His hands balled instinctively into fists; eyes, blind to everything. Anger, rage, fury; bubbled up from his core and erupted from him in the form of the most heartfelt and pained, "No!"
He leapt up, tackled the hideous creature into the console and released the door catch lever. Both of the brilliantly blue doors flew open. The pressure change sucked the air from the Time Machine. It dragged them in their tangled conflict out into open space. They took no notice of how they slammed into bars, or crashed against the floor on their way out. They fought, hit, punched, kicked, elbowed and kneed as they went – Then the doors slammed shut harshly behind them.
How long did it take for River Song to regain consciousness? Who knew? When the Professor finally stirred she found herself alone, alone and in silence. She groaned, rubbing the lump on her head as she did so, finding her feet was a struggle but nonetheless she managed to steer herself back up to the console level.
"Doctor?" she called out stretching her hands out instinctively over the typewriter. She searched for life forms, anomalies, disturbances. Her eyes frowned at the time on her watch. She'd been out cold for hours - So where was the Doctor?
She shook her head trying in vain to snap herself out of the daze she was currently in. Perhaps she was mistaken, it couldn't have been hours. It just couldn't have.
Sitting in the comfy chair beside the console exhaustion took hold of her; River unwillingly drifted into unconsciousness.
"River? River…"
The voice was distant, echoing.
"River are you okay?"
She winced; her eyes reluctantly opened, daring to see who the speaker was; though the voice she knew very well.
His brown eyes welcomed her, teeth showing in a wide smile. The Doctor kissed her forehead firmly, "You're going to be fine," he told her calmly, "It's okay now. It's okay"
River shook her head; resisting the urge to cry she threw her arms around his neck; burying her face into his neck, "Hey," he said with mild surprise, "I'm here. It's okay" He kissed her hair, her cheek; finally laying a firm kiss against her lips, "See," he put her hands on his face, "All me"
He rose from his kneeling position. Scanned her momentarily with his sonic; concluding in his own way that everything was in order then turned to the controls.
River stared down at the floor. She couldn't put her finger on it – But something was wrong. Perhaps she had hit her head a little too hard. Her eyes focused on the shiny glass of the floor; she frowned hard at it, trying her best to jog her mind into some kind of regular function. Her curls hid her face from him.
It was the glint that drew her attention to it; a green glint. River squinted; it was beneath the floor; nestled in one of the curved holes in the base of the machine – The Doctor's sonic screwdriver – But he'd just scanned her with it…
Her face drained of colour; blood ran cold; heart stopped instantly, "Oh…"
At the controls the Doctor stood staring at his eyeless reflection in the glass surrounding the time rotor. He grinned; a disturbingly gleeful grin as his head cocked slowly to one side. A chuckle escaped him, growing quickly into hysterical laughter.
From outside of the Tardis a bright flash of light could be seen through the small windows – River had gone.
Space
Endless nothingness
The Tardis; floated gently. No whirring, no wheezing. It spun slowly, every edge, every side; reflected in his still eyes. They stared blankly at his beloved machine – His Tardis.
Any life that remained within him left when the Tardis dematerialised before him. All that remained as evidence of the ordeal was the body of a Time Lord; bow tie and tweed; floating in the endless silence… The endless silence of time and space… His own back yard… His home…
Silence
Broken only when the Tardis sails past; and the Doctor comes to call.
Silence
... Never ending
