River Song

When I woke up, I felt a little better. I tried to sit up, but fail. The Doctor stayed with me the whole night, sitting in that uncomfortable chair in the corner.

My stomach is still ablaze. I know the nanos are hard at work, doing everything they can to fix my baby. The Doctor said that it would only take one more week for the nanos to fix everything, then I'm back to normal. I begin to wonder if I can walk, I'm getting sore from laying here forever. I glance at the Doctor, asleep with his head on the desk.

"Doctor! Wake up! Help me get out of bed!" I yell.

The Doctor bolts up.
"What? What's going on?" he says confused. I have to explain to him a second time.

"River, I think you should just stay here," he says after I explain.

"No, I need to walk around, please? Just in this room," I plead.

The Doctor looks at me silently.
"River, remember when I said that the nanos were dangerous for you? Well, it seems they've done more damage then I thought."

I look at him confused, wondering what is wrong with me.
"What? What's the matter?" I ask.

He looks at me with a sad face.
"River, the nanos got to your spinal cord. They attacked it, making you paralyzed. I'm working on fixing it and it should be ready in about a week. I'm sorry, but you're stuck like this for at least seven days," he explains.

I realized I haven't had the need to use my legs, and even if I wanted to, I can't now. I pull the blanket off my legs. I sit up and try to move my legs, but they don't work. I am paralyzed from the waist down, but that won't stop me. I mean, come on, I'm River Song.

I swing my legs to the edge of the bed, and slowly slide down until I'm sitting on the floor, and then I get up on my hands and drag myself across the floor. The Doctor just stands there staring at me.
"Hey River, you do know I have something for you to use?" he asks.
I laugh.
"Then help me up off the floor!" I exclaim.

He picks me up and holds me tight. He kisses me, and I can tell he is being ever so gentle. He carries me to the chair and sets me down.
"I'll be right back. Stay here, although it's not like you could really go anywhere anyway," says the Doctor, who then leaves the room, leaving me alone.

Although, I'm never really alone. He comes back later with an absurd contraption in his arms. It looks like a backpack with skinny metal legs coming out of it. There is a sort of a wire looking thing coming out near the top. He must be crazy if he thinks I'm actually going to use this. He brings it over to me.

"Here, I'll help you put it on," he offers.

"What is it?"

"It's a exoskeleton. You put the pack on your back, strap your legs and feet into the braces, plug the communication wire into your brain, and you're all set and ready to walk," he explains.
It sounds crazy, but it just might work.

"Alright sweetie, I'll try it. Now help me strap myself in."

My arms are so weak I can't even push myself up, the Doctor has to grab me with his gentle arms and pull me up. He attaches the pack to my back, and straps my legs in. The sturdiness of the exoskeleton helps me to stand. Without it, I would fall on my face (considering I have no movement in my legs). Now for the part I'm afraid of, the wire in the brain.

"Doctor, how does the wire work? Do you have to use surgery to put it in my brain?" I ask, a bit confused.

He laughs.
"Haven't you noticed it looks a bit like a earbud? That's because it is an earbud. It sends electrical currents to and from your brain. All you have to do is think to move your legs, and it will do it," he explains.

It doesn't seem too hard. He puts the earbud in my ear, and I think, "Walk! Walk towards the door!" and my legs start to move. At first I'm a bit wobbly. Okay, well a lot wobbly, but I get better. It's weird, because I don't have feelings in my legs, yet they move. It's like having alien legs on your body. At least I can walk. As soon as I can walk looking a bit normal, I decide to have some fun, and mess with Amy and Rory. I have the Doctor put a pair of pants over my legs, and I put on a sweatshirt. The plan is to walk into their room, like nothing is wrong with me. I can't wait to see Amy's face.