Chapter Nine
Laying in bed staring up at the burnished gold ceiling Rory listened to Amy softly snoring. He had woken up about an hour ago but Amy was so peaceful laying against him on his arm that he didn't want to disturb her. He also knew that sitting up was going to aggravate his shoulder which was already plenty angry at him.
"I could be at work right now, but noooo..." Rory sighed quietly to himself.
Amy shifted at the sound of Rory's voice but didn't seem to wake up. When she rolled over off his uninjured arm Rory quickly reclaimed his limb and rubbed it against the sheets to get rid of the pins and needles sensation. The sheets were some sort of ultra smooth silk which if Rory was in a better mood he would have appreciated, but all it really did was make him miss the cotton sheets of his own bed. There was no denying the underwater city of Leviathan was beautiful, but there was something about being injured far from home that seriously spoiled the adventure.
Rory reached up and pressed his hand against his dislocated shoulder. He explored the joint with his fingers and decided that although it was sore it was at least in the correct position. Zarin's people had done a good job at gently placing it back into place. He spent a few minutes untying and adjusting the ribbon that acted as a sling.
The bright spot of morning light from the round window finally crept across the floor and up onto the bed. Amy was still sleeping, but there was something odd about her breathing. Rory sat up in alarm when her soft irregular breath stopped completely. Amy was laying on her side facing away from Rory so he took her shoulder and rolled her onto her back. Amy gasped sharply and opened her eyes. She looked up at Rory fearfully for a second before she relaxed into a warm smile.
"Morning." Amy muttered casually as she stretched out like a cat. "Sleep well?"
"Amy, are you okay?" Rory asked as he pressed his fingertips against her throat to check her pulse.
"Fine...what are you doing?" Amy batted Rory's hand away.
"You stopped breathing."
"Don't be silly." Amy said as she tried to sit up.
"Amy," Rory said firmly as he held her down "I'm a nurse, I know these things."
"I feel fine. Honest."
Unconvinced Rory leaned down and pressed his ear against her chest. He wished he had his stethoscope. He asked Amy to take a few deep breaths as he held his own to hear better. Amy rolled her eyes but she complied with the exam. Rory closed his eyes and listened to the steady 'lub-dub' of Amy's heart. He moved his position a few times asking her to repeat the deep breaths. It didn't sound like there was any fluid in her lungs, there was no crackle or wheeze. At the same time something didn't feel quite right.
"Well, Nurse Rory?" Amy asked. "Satisfied?"
"For now, but I need you tell me if you get any tightness in your chest. A tiny amount of water in the lungs can cause big problems hours after the fact. Secondary drowning is a serious danger."
Looking concerned for the first time Amy took another deep breath and held it for a moment. Releasing the breath she looked up at Rory and smiled.
"No tightness, no pain." Amy reported seriously. "How about your shoulder?"
"Sore, but not life threatening."
"We keep worrying about each other, but right now I think it's the Doctor we should be worried about."
"Why?"
"He's keeping secrets. He suspects something about the people here and he's not telling me. Plus it can't be easy for him to be surrounded by something that looks so much like Gallifrey. You know he never makes good decisions when Time Lords are involved."
"Yeah, the last time we ended up outside the Universe." Rory agreed. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one."
"Exactly."
Rory leaned down once more and gave Amy a quick kiss before he got up out of bed. There own clothing had been returned sometime during the night and lay cleaned and folded on the dresser top. With Amy's help Rory was able to get his injured arm through his button down shirt and then she helped him re-tie the sling. Once they were both fully dressed Rory stepped up to the door which automatically slid open. One of the natives was standing in the doorway, having clearly been waiting for them.
"Yah!" Rory yelped in surprise. "Zarin, what are you doing?"
"I am not Zarin." He corrected. "I am Turk. I have been assigned to you. Do you require anything?"
"Uh...no." Rory said uncomfortably.
"Very well." Turk bowed, but remained standing in the door way.
"I guess I do need you to move out of the way." Rory said once it became clear that Turk had no intention of stepping aside.
Turk instantly backed up to allow them to pass. When Rory and Amy walked out into the hall Turk followed them a few paces back. Trying his best to ignore their shadow Rory went over the door that lead to the Doctor's room. The door opened, but revealed the room to be empty.
"He doesn't sleep much." Amy said. "He was probably up exploring all night."
"Right." Rory nodded.
"Can I help you?" Turk asked meekly.
"No, we're fine." Rory replied automatically, he didn't really like the idea of having a servant. It was like when the Doctor had accidenlty left the Ood in their house.
"Actually," Amy said "can you take us to the Doctor?"
"Yes, of course." Turk replied in obvious excitement as he turned around. "Right this way."
"It creeps me out how much the natives here seem to love him." Rory said quietly to Amy.
"You are just as welcome here." Turk assured having overheard.
Rory gave Turk a doubtful look but the Leviathanite didn't seem to take notice. He lead them down the hall towards a door that had a glass panel set in the wall off to the side. Turk tapped a complicated code into the panel and the door opened up on the main study in the Library. Rory stepped up to the threshold and looked into the immense room that had books along the walls that spiraled up out of view.
"This...this can't be the same building."
"It is not." Turk assured. "This is the Library."
"Time Lord technology." Amy smiled. "It's just like on the TARDIS where the doors can change where they lead to."
"That's right." Turk nodded. "Follow me, please."
Turk stepped through into the Library and Amy and Rory followed. Turk was fleet footed and Rory had to pick up his pace in order to keep up with him. Amy kept up but to Rory's trained ear she was breathing a little too heavily for the mild amount of exercise. He reached out and took her wrist and sought out her pulse as they walked at the quickened speed. Rory furrowed his brow at the results and was about to say something when Amy suddenly stopped.
They had entered the main foyer and Amy had stopped at the sight of the towering marble statue that dominated the centre of the room. Turk had continued on and was almost around it before he noticed that the pair wasn't behind him. Turk stopped and waited as Amy and Rory slowly catch up while staring at the impressive statue. Coming around the front Rory found himself under the powerful glare of Vael's visage.
"Wow," Amy said in awe "that is impressive."
"I can't say I like the way he's looking at us." Rory commented.
"He does look very...severe."
"Do you know Lord Vael?" Turk asked hopefully.
"Can't say that we do." Rory replied for them both.
"We are all hoping that the Doctor will report good things back to Lord Vael. Perhaps then he will return with the rest of his followers."
Amy and Rory exchanged an uncomfortable glance. Amy had already told Rory that she was afraid what might happen if the people here learned that the Doctor was the last.
"How many Time Lords have you met?" Turk asked curiously.
"Uh..." Rory looked to Amy.
"Is the Doctor near by?" Amy asked rather than replied.
"Of course, I'm sorry to have become distracted from my task." Turk hurried to the doors. "He is out by the new done. Not far. Come along."
"New dome?" Rory repeated.
Turk didn't clarify, his full focus was now on leading the pair to the Doctor. Amy shrugged and followed after him. Rory looked up at Vael and tried to shake the uneasy feeling the statue gave him before he caught up with Amy and Turk. Turk brought them to the edge of the city where a group of just over a dozen natives where gathered around a partially dismantled saucer like vehicle. What looked like the rest of the population was gathered in the shade of the buildings and trees at the edge of the city watching the smaller group.
The saucer out on the marble floor was about fifteen feet in diameter and six feet high. Half the panels had been torn off and lay strewn about along with heaps of wires and spare parts. From inside could be heard the sounds of metal being pried apart along with the occasional zap of an electrical spark. The natives standing around it all watched with close attention. Zarin was among them and waved at Amy and Rory when he spotted them.
Beyond the barrier behind the torn apart vehicle another dome sat out in the sands about ten meters from the larger city dome. Inside a large tangle of gold and glowing glass stood menacingly. To Rory it had the vague shape of a piece of ground artillery with the slender multi chambered barrel pointed away from the city. As Amy and Rory approached a screwdriver with an oddly shaped grip flew out of the opening on the top of the saucer and clattered to the ground.
"Useless!" The Doctor snarled from inside.
"Doctor?" Amy called.
There was a pause followed by the sounds of rustling and struggle as the Doctor worked to free himself from the inner workings of the saucer. The Doctor peeked out over the edge of the saucer and smiled brightly at Amy. With a little more effort he was able to stand up in the cockpit so that he could be seen from the waist up. He had taken off his jacket and rolled up is sleeves of his now grease stained white button down shirt.
"Good morning you two." The Doctor greeted.
"Doctor what is going on?"
"I am converting this maintenance pod into a submersible so we can get outside the dome. Speaking of which, that happened last night." The Doctor gestured towards the other dome. "Cool, eh?"
"Looks like a weapon." Rory said warily.
"That's what I thought." The Doctor nodded in excitement.
"I still do not know why Leviathan would need a weapon." Zarin said nervously.
"Having a weapon and needing one are two different concepts." The Doctor said as he yanked another part off the saucer. He tossed the part down and looked to one of the natives. "Naris?"
"Yes, my Lord?" Naris jumped to attention and stepped closer.
"'Doctor'." The Doctor corrected.
"Doctor." Naris said with an apologetic bow. "How can I help?"
"Be a good lad and fetch me a Cathelitical Conversion Crystal with at least a fifteen Yarlip rating."
"Right away."
The Doctor watched Naris leave with a smile. Amy gave the Doctor a concerned look, which he took notice of.
"Isn't that great?" The Doctor beamed. "He understood what I was talking about."
"Glad someone does."
The Doctor chuckled and climbed the rest of the way out of the saucer. He was able to get down himself, but several of the natives had been more than ready to catch him if he fell. The Doctor stepped up to Amy and gave her a hug despite her protests about the dirt on his shirt. He looked her over critically for a moment.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." Amy replied in an exacerbated tone.
"Just checking." He looked over his shoulder at the saucer. "I should have this done in a few more hours."
"You just love having a new toy to tinker with don't you?"
"I do."
"What about that thing out there?" Amy pointed towards the dome.
"I don't think it's anything to worry about. Even if it is a weapon it would only be as dangerous as the person who wields it." The Doctor shrugged. "Besides, I could be wrong, it might be something else. Vael was a brillant inventor after all."
"Whatever it is it does seem to have reacted to the arrival of a Time Lord." Zarin pointed out.
"With Time Travel cause and effect don't always follow the same boring order. Maybe it is here because I am or maybe I'm here because it is."
Zarin didn't look very comforted by the explanation. The Doctor turned back to his project and reached into one of the open panels so he could tear a handful of wires out. Knowing there would be no taking the Doctor away from the saucer for now Amy wandered over towards the dome to look at the new arrival. Rory took the chance to step up to the Doctor.
"Doctor," Rory said as the Doctor inspected a spinning part "can I talk to you?"
"Of course." The Doctor connected two wires that sparked angrily at him. "Ouch, wrong wire, this thing is not colour coded properly."
"Privately?" Rory added with a note of urgency.
The Doctor stopped what he was doing instantly and looked over at where Amy was chatting with Turk by the barrier. Zarin automatically went to follow the Doctor when he went to step away with Rory. The Doctor politely asked him to stay behind and although he hesitated Zarin bowed and stayed next to the saucer. Rory didn't lead the Doctor far away, he just wanted to put enough distance between themselves and others so that they wouldn't be over heard.
"What's wrong, Rory? Your shoulder..."
"My shoulder is fine. It's Amy, her heart rate doesn't change."
"What?"
"Her heart rate doesn't go up with exertion, it stays at a perfectly steady rhythm which isn't natural, and this morning she briefly stopped breathing. Her chest sounds clear...but something is wrong, I know is."
Looking thoughtful the Doctor turned his attention to Amy. A small curious group had gathered near her and she was allowing one of the natives touch her long hair. After hesitantly brushing against the fiery strands he thanked her and then turned to chat excitedly with his friends. Amy chuckled at the short haired natives reaction. The Doctor looked to Zarin who was standing exactly where he had left him by the saucer. The ambassador had been watching the Doctor and Rory talking but as soon as he found himself under the Doctor's gaze he shifted his eyes down to the floor.
"Doctor?" Rory asked.
"I'll take care of this." The Doctor growled darkly.
"What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know, but I know someone who does."
