Chapter X
Location: Tribal planet
Local time: unknown
"We're screwed, aren't we?"
"Oh, yes. Definitely." River confirmed. They were in a small, windowless hut, waiting for a decision from the tribal elders. They had aggravated the tribe by pretending to be friends of the Doctor's. Apparently, the Doctor and his companions had just narrowly avoided being thrown into the volcano for some appeasement ritual.
They'd been stripped of basically everything except for the clothes that they wore. Even their shoes had been taken. "It's to keep us from running." River had said. They were sitting on the dirt floor with their backs to the wall. Their feet were tied to the wall of the hut and a guard had been posted at the door.
"River?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I tell you something?" She thought for a moment. "Sure, why not? You not going to live long enough to tell anyone else."
"When I said let's get married- what I mean is- I was only half kid - Never mind, it's stupid."
"Probably."
He sat there in silence for a second and then said, "I love you."
"You what?"
"I know, I know. It's just- I mean your- different. You're clever. You see things in a different way than anyone else. "
Jack rested his head on the wall behind them and closed his eyes. "If I hadn't been so mad for you being given the command over me, I'd have asked you out on a proper date." River pulled him closer to her and kissed him. When she pulled away, Jack asked, "What was that for?"
"We might die soon and this might be the last chance I have to spend time with someone who actually cares about me."
Jack grinned. "Well then- let's make a point of it." He leaned over and kissed her. Instead of the overwhelming urge to hit him over the head that she normally felt when he kissed her, River found herself returning his kiss.
Outside, the tribal elders had gathered.
"So, what are we going to do with them?"
"Well, they're obviously human. We can't sacrifice them. The medicine woman was very specific. It has to be an alien."
"And they are obviously not friends of the Doctor's. His friends spoke our language flawlessly. These two new people can barely saw a few words."
"So what do we do with them?"
"Drug them and leave them out in the forest. Let them fend for themselves."
"Oh, my head." River moaned. I really hope that this isn't the afterlife. She thought.
"Are we dead?" Jack asked.
"I don't think this is heaven." River replied.
"Who says that's where we are?"
"Touché." River sat up and took stock of her extremities. Nothing broken or missing. That was a good sign.
"They must have dumped us somewhere in the forest. What kind of people are they?" Jack said.
"The nice kind, Jack."
Jack snorted. "Nice? We're in the middle of nowhere."
"They didn't kill us. For such a primitive culture, that's nice."
"Hey, look, they left our stuff. Here, catch." Jack tossed her shoes and her vortex manipulator to her. She caught them and put them on.
"Jack, what's the last thing you remember?"
"They brought us some tea, I thought it was weird and then nothing. I don't even remember drinking it."
"Same here. Let's go home. We can sort this out later."
"No arguments from me." Jack programmed his vortex manipulator and they disappeared.