Ok, so I'm getting to work right away on the next chapter. But I should probably explain something that has some people confused. Normally, I'd just clear it up in a pm, but a few of you guys asked this so it's simpler this way. The students that were brought to the Wilkins Institute were invited from schools all over Great Britain, and the only two from Aaron's school are Jessica Fenn and himself. It should also be noted that Jess was not in Aaron's history class, and thus did not go on the Fieldtrip of Epic Proportions. So, hopefully that makes sense. At any rate, thanks for all the feedback once again!
Dobby's Polka-Dotted Sock
Chapter Eleven
"Oh God."
It didn't matter who said it. She could have said it for all she knew, but it wasn't likely. River Song had been alive for far too long to think there was something out there—and how could she think so with the reality unfolding on the screen before her?
Cold logic didn't stop her from crying in her head to some unknown entity, Why? Oh, Why?
If she hadn't been so sure in her hearts of what would be under that white cover from the moment Jenny had discovered the regenerative energy coursing through the building's electric panel, she might not have recognized him.
His skin was bone white, or perhaps that was merely from the way his bones were so prominent under skin stretched taut over distinguishable ribs. The floppy full head of hair she knew was a ratty, tangled mess, thinning and brittle-looking, while a dark, coarse scruff was overtaking the lower half of his face.
But what was the most frightening part, the absolute worst, were the eyes. Those eyes that would never stay still, that gave away just what he was feeling no matter how impassive the rest of him looked, that were always, always thinking—they sat, sunk deep in dark sockets, staring blankly at the ceiling. He lay there, immobile and simply empty.
She became slowly aware of the bite of someone's nails into her skin, her mother or someone else gripping her arm tightly. And as the numbness faded, she realized she was clutching just as desperately back. Her ears began to pick up sounds, muffled mutters and badly concealed whispers.
"That's an alien?"
"He looks like a bloke."
"Is he even alive?"
It was to Jenny's credit that their view of what was happening was not diverted to these simple conversations. Maybe the girls was just transfixed or frozen, but River felt it spoke of a greater strength, a resolve not to turn away from the horror.
"Subject Theta," the cool, confident voice repeated, and River's eyes jumped to the woman on the screen. Dr. Charlene Griffiths…the sight of that vile woman standing over her motionless husband was quickly turning her shock to rage.
"What has she done to him?" Sarah Jane whispered, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
"The last of the warrior Time Lords, tempered and made docile by guilt for his unspeakable actions in the past."
"Of course he's docile, you're starving him!" Donna burst out angrily, but was forced to fall silent to hear Griffiths' next words.
"A medical miracle. Though his outer biology has evolved to mirror our own, on the inside you will see he is quite different." The human doctor switched on the heart monitor, and she wondered who had modified the equipment to display the twin peaks of his heart rates. Slow, very slow. This set off a torrent of noise amongst the students.
"As you can clearly tell, this creature has two hearts. This gives him a host of abilities that we can only imagine, but the most important is the biological process called regeneration. When a Time Lord's body is damaged beyond what can be naturally repaired for a human—"
"When you kill him," Mickey seethed.
"It heals itself with its own energy."
Yes, his energy. His energy that they were sucking out of him so they could have lights and heating and air-conditioning and running water for this macabre spectacle.
"That's not how it works," she heard Aaron Wood say softly, though she couldn't see him, and then she heard Jenny speak for the first time since the Doctor was revealed.
"That's not how any of it works, how it is. She's twisting it, making him a monster." She realized the girl's voice was not wavering with oncoming tears, but suppressed anger, and River wanted so badly to reach out to her, for it was exactly her own state of mind. A shock had been dealt to them so great and so offensive that they were left hard and cold on the outside and boiling with an almost unbearable rage within. "My father may have the ability to fight as a soldier, but he is not a barbaric savage." Then the vehemence seemed to fall away from the blonde's tone. "But why isn't he fighting now? She released his restraints—he could run. Why won't you run, dad?"
"I don't even know if he could," Rory said solemnly, and there was merit to her father's words. The condition of his legs were unknown, as they were still clothed, but she doubted they were capable of making a sprint to freedom.
"But then why keep him restrained until now?" She couldn't help arguing on Jenny's behalf, for she agreed. Even if it was hopeless, the Doctor would always try. What was stopping him? How had this woman broken him so?
"He's the starwhale," her mother breathed, and it was not just River who looked at her in bafflement. Amy had indeed dug her nails into her arm, but her fingers unclenched in order to bring her hand up to wipe at her eyes. "It stayed," she choked out. "Even after all that torture, all those years they kept treating it like a prisoner, it still stayed. Because it just made it kind." Amy tore her gaze away from the screen as her tears spilled over. "But that was wrong."
"By utilizing Subject Theta's unique properties, we at the Wilkins Institute have been able to combat one of the most serious problems facing the medical world: the severe shortage of organ donors. The organs, blood, and even tissues of a Time Lord are incredibly compatible with that of humans," Griffiths continued with her lecture.
"No," Martha gasped, wide-eyed. "She can't be- that's—"
"We have made a record number of successful transplant surgeries using this creature's organs," the woman announced, creating another flurry of words amongst the students, and the people assembled in the TARDIS.
"Why that's horrid!" Sarah Jane cried in outrage.
"She calls herself a doctor?" Martha exclaimed, clearly affronted by her colleague's actions.
"Oh just wait till I get down there—let her have it, Jenny!" Donna urged.
"Oh, Doctor," Amy was moaning, face buried in Rory's shoulder, his own face ashen.
But River's attention went to Jack as he declared, "Thank you, Dr. Griffiths, that's exactly what I needed to hear from your lips." The Captain, who had remained grim and silent thus far, removed a recording device he'd plugged into the console and stood. "Donna, Jenny's being smart. She shouldn't reveal her position yet."
"What are you planning?" Mickey inquired as the other man slipped his arms through the sleeves of his greatcoat.
"Off to a budget meeting," Jack told them, before his frown turned to a smirk. "But I think I can change the topic to something a little more pertinent with this. Griffiths as good as gave her confession."
"So you can take that to the authorities and put an end to it. Wonderful!" The investigative journalist summarized, hope sparking in her eyes as he nodded.
"Wish me luck," were his last words before hurrying out of the TARDIS.
"So that's it, isn't it?" Rory asked, relief coloring her tone.
"Dad, please shh," she nearly begged. After all, Dr, Griffiths had yet to truly begin.
"It is not unlike the experiments other scientists have been making in using parts of animals native to our planet, but this method is the one that will continue. The two species are much more biologically compatible with one another, and as the organs come from a body that still lives, they are healthier to use in transplant operations. But the truly miraculous thing is this- no real harm is done to anyone in this process. Subject Theta's body heals, returning to its original state, and the human undergoing the transplant surgery recovers, completely healthy. Life begets life."
"She really believes that," River murmured, eyes glued to the woman's calm, sincere face. "She really believes everything she's saying, that what she's doing is good…and so does he."
"What?" Donna asked, but everyone froze as Griffiths walked to her table of instruments.
"Now I shall give you a practical demonstration of my work. Observe class, the triumph of modern medicine."
"Oh no," Aaron Wood said in a low voice as the woman pick up a scalpel. "No, she can't- what's he doing, Jenny?"
"I- I don't know," the girl replied, and their view of the situation trembled slightly as she trembled. "Dad, please…"
But her husband did not make a move or a sound as the female doctor approached and the other students leaned forward to watch in captivated silence. The only change in the Doctor was that he sunk his teeth into a bottom lip already mangled, red, and raw, just as Dr. Griffiths made her first incision.
"Oh!" Sarah Jane buried her face in her hands, the cry of despair seeming to come from deep within. Her mother was still leaning against her father, but the redhead's eyes seemed unable to look away from the screen. Rory's arms were wrapped securely about Amy as though he were using her as some type of talisman to stay strong. Martha and Mickey's hands were clasped together between them as they watched, and tears were trailing silently down Donna's face.
But as red bloomed on his abdomen, that was all River could see. Her own blood rushed up and pounded in her ears as Dr. Griffiths spoke, meticulously explaining every last part of the medical procedure, holding up his organs one by one like items at an auction before setting them aside to be delivered to someone else- some human who needed them more than him, apparently.
It was all done quietly and efficiently, with not a single protest from the Doctor. And that was what worried her most, scared her even. The man whose words were his greatest weapon had fallen silent in his own defense. Even with his remarkable lack of concern for his own wellbeing half the time, he had to see how wrong this was. A Time Lord, or any being, was not merely a tool just as she was not merely a weapon. They had thoughts and feelings the same as every species in this universe, and certainly the same as humans. So what must he be thinking and feeling to undergo this unbearable agony willingly, repetitively?
And who did this woman think she was to believe she had the right to literally hold his hearts in her hands?
"Oh- oh I just can't," she heard Donna moan, "What are we doing here?"
River felt just the same. Even as she could not bring herself to look away for even a moment- it was only right for her to have to watch every terrible second of his suffering –she felt a growing urge to set the TARDIS in motion, land it right there in the operating room, and come out with guns blazing. Had this been some time ago, when River Song still made those brash decisions, she would have.
But Professor Song recognized the wisdom in Jack's plan. If she were to rescue her husband from the Wilkins Institute now, they could never come back to Earth again, for fear of recapture or worse. As much as she detested being constrained by local law enforcement customs, she knew it would only hurt him to be in essence banned from the only planet he came close to calling home. And she would miss her parents and all these people around her just as much as he would. That this was happening here made it even more wretched.
"Now you will bear witness to the true marvel," Dr. Griffiths stepped back, allowing full view of the hollow shell her husband's body had become. His eyes had slipped shut, and with noting in his chest cavity it did not rise and fall with breath. The seconds ticked by and she felt gripped by a sudden fear. What if—
But then it started. Wisps a gold energy began to rise from his skin, growing brighter to the point where even Jenny had to look away so that they caught a glimpse of Aaron Wood's shielding his awfully pale face with a hand, before the girl snapped her gaze back to her father.
It was as if someone had hit the magic undo button or reset the clock. Though his eyes were still shut, the Doctor breathed in and out with a chest free of any incision. What blood he'd shed was being cleaned away with rags by a couple orderlies, and he had a fresh supply within. Yet she felt he looked even thinner, wearier, and perhaps even emptier than before.
"As you can see, he has been completely restored," Griffiths gestured at his recovering form. "What energy he does not use is then converted into electrical energy for the maintenance of the building. At the Wilkins Institute, we are about one-hundred percent renewable resources."
"Cool," one of the students breathed, and somewhere in the crowd someone began clapping. Then it wasn't just one person, but a whole group of students, until almost the entire room of teenagers was applauding the presentation they'd just witnessed.
"How can they cheer for that?" Amy demanded.
"They don't get it, they don't realize what they're approving of," Rory shook his head, and she had to admire the certainty with which he said it. But then Mickey's phone rang.
The soldier picked it up before the second ring. "Jack? Tell me you have some good news." When the man's face fell, however, River felt her own hearts drop to somewhere below her stomach.
OoO
When the video stopped, Jack looked expectantly at the man. "Well, Reynolds?"
Reynolds was a beefy man with beady eyes and a double chin. He gave a "Hm," of slight interest before leaning back in his chair. "Very entertaining, Harkness."
"Entertaining?" He repeated, not thrilled by the word choice.
"Yes, though I'm afraid if you were going for shock-factor, I'm a little underwhelmed. You see, Captain, if you'd stopped long enough for pleasantries, I would have introduced you to this gentleman over here," he motioned towards the man who had been occupying the chair in front of Reynolds' desk when he'd barged in. A man with a mustache; Jack felt his mouth go dry. "Gareth Wilkins."
"Then you knew about this?" He gaped at the clean-shaven of the two. While he'd never really cared for Reynolds, he'd never imagined the man capable of this.
"Knew? Of course I know. Mr. Wilkins here met with me before opening his institution. He was interested in obtaining a grant."
"UNIT's funding," he realized, knowing now why Colonel Mace had sounded so worried when they had mentioned the Wilkins Institute.
Reynolds gave a short chuckle. "Well, UNIT is an outdated failure at best, it was frankly the easiest budget cut I've made my entire career."
"And now you're pulling the plug on Torchwood, too?" He guessed, scowling down at the man.
"No." It was Wilkins who said it, and he turned on his heel to face him in surprise. "I was the one who called this meeting. You see, I would like to propose a partnership between my Institute and Torchwood."
"A partnership?" He echoed, his eyebrows meeting his hairline.
"Yes. While regretfully most of your inventory was destroyed in the mid-2000s at Canary Wharf, I would be interested in having some of my scientists look at the alien technology your organization has acquired. It is my belief that these things could be put to better use for the profit of mankind, rather than sit around collecting dust," the man elaborated.
"We're not even sure what some of that stuff does, and you want me to release it to a bunch of civilian scientists? So they can take it apart and- and destroy it like they're doing to the Doctor—"
"Careful, Harkness," Reynolds warned. "Do you realize how many people have benefited from this project Wilkins is running? How much money we're saving? I can give you the figures—"
"I don't care about the figures!" He growled. "The positives don't outweigh the fact that these people have abducted and tortured an innocent man!"
"Come now, Captain, you and I both know that's not true. If Dr. Griffiths had committed any crime against a human being, I would have turned her over to the authorities myself. But she hasn't, has she?" Wilkins asked of him.
"Then it's a crime against humanity," Jack snapped.
"If it's a crime against humanity to heal people with the parts of a creature, then it's a crime against humanity to use leather or fur for clothing, put animals on the menu, or make a horse plow the field. No one is going to punish the designer, the chef, or the farmer," Wilkins reasoned. He opened his mouth, but found he had not a single word to say, and shut it again, choosing to glower at the man. "You know, I'm a bit surprised by your reaction, Captain Harkness," the man commented, before stroking his mustache in thought once or twice. "After all, I was quite sure of Torchwood's motto: If it's alien it's ours."
Jack grit his teeth together and through a clenched jaw said, "That's not our policy anymore."
"A pity," the man remarked.
"You're dismissed, Harkness," Reynolds spoke, looking at him in disdain. "But I think I'll hang onto this," the man waved his recorder. "I'm quite curious as to how you got this footage."
He glared at the two men still seated for a moment, before turning on his heel and marching from the office. In the hall, he took out his phone and quickly dialed Mickey's number. The other man picked up almost instantly.
"Jack? Tell me you have some good news." He sounded almost desperate, and he tried not to think about what happened during Griffiths' demonstration in his absence.
"Afraid I can't, Mickey. Wilkins is in with the authorities. They don't care about the Doctor."
"No, no they can't mean it—"
"Mickey," Jack interrupted, "I showed them the footage, and they're not going to do anything about it." He sighed, absolutely drained. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
OoO
"What did they say?" Martha asked her husband as soon as he hung up.
"They already know about the Doctor," he told them with a dejected tone. Sarah Jane gasped. "And they don't care."
"What kind of creeps are they?" Donna yelled, her anger returning tenfold.
"One that can sit through a video where the criminal admits to her crime and do nothing," the man responded tiredly.
"River?" Amy asked her, perhaps worried at her silence. "It'll be ok- we'll figure something out. I mean, we have the footage, so—"
"No," River breathed, her eyes going wide, and she lunged for something she'd laid on the console.
"What?" Rory craned his neck to see what she had retrieved. "Why do you need your communicator?"
"Because, if they've chosen to side with Griffiths and Wilkins, then they'll want to find the security breach. Jenny's in danger." She typed at a furious pace, feeling spurred on by a very real fear. Yes, she wanted her husband back, and yes, all she wanted to do right now was curl up in a ball and cry, but she couldn't bear to lose Jenny, too. That brilliant, sweet, loveable girl had so quickly become a part of her life, and right now she had to be her first priority.
When the view on the monitor jerked sharply, she knew her step-daughter had gotten the message, and it was confirmed when the blonde glanced down at the psychic paper to read it. The authorities will not help us, but they know someone snuck in. You have to get out of there. Stay safe –River.
She should have known. She should have known exactly what would happen next, and yet it still gave her a great shock. They heard Jenny's deep breath, and then suddenly the image on the monitor spun about and blurred until it suddenly stopped, and they could see the blonde girl herself, sans glasses.
"Hold on to those for me, will you, Aaron?" She asked, slowly rising to her feet.
"Jenny, what are you doing?" The boy nervously blurted the question on all of their minds as they stared horror-struck at the screen.
"I'm sorry," Jenny said, and the way her eyes connected directly with theirs made River realize she was apologizing to them as well as Aaron Wood. Then she turned away to face Griffiths.
That's where I'm stopping this chapter. Apologies for the cliff-hanger, but I'll try to get you guys another update in the next couple of days. We'll finally get to see the confrontation many of you have been asking for since I don't remember when. Until then, thanks for reading and please review!
