Ch 20
The Doctor made it to the town in minutes, panting. The people of the town stared at the man, wondering who the stranger was. He addressed the first people he could find in their language. "Where is your pharmacy?"
The people watched him suspiciously, pointing him in the direction he needed to go. He rushed into the building, demanding to see who was in change.
A very old man, hobbling with a cane for support emerged from the back room, "What is it you need?"
"A woman came in here just earlier for medicine for a lung infection, did she not?"
He nodded, "Yes, is there a problem?"
"I need you to make something that will neutralize all the effects of it." He was already digging in his pockets for payment. "Fast as you can, please. It's an emergency."
The man nodded, creating the counter medication as fast as possible. The Doctor couldn't find any money that would be acceptable to use here, so reluctantly gave him the sonic instead.
"And do you have anything to help stop a miscarriage?" He knew that question was a long shot, as pregnancies had been outlawed long ago.
The man's frowned deepened, "Why would you have any need to stop a miscarriage?"
"None of your business, just answer the question." He demanded.
"No, now get out before I call the authorities."
The Doctor huffed, grabbed the medicine, and left.
Milva was waiting for him outside the barn when he returned.
"How is she?" He asked.
"Not well. She's been in a lot of pain."
He rushed inside, hurrying to River's side. River was trying to hide how upset she was, giving him a weak, grimace-like smile.
"Here." He give her the medicine the pharmacist had given him. "This might help."
She nodded, taking it right away. He held her hand tightly.
"Can you lay down with me for a minute?" She asked quietly.
He nodded, quietly getting on the bed with her. She curled against him, silent. After a few minutes, her shoulders started to shake.
Milva and the Doctor said nothing of her tears, the latter holding her against his chest in as best a comfort as he could manage under circumstances. River occasionally mumbled apologies to the Doctor, keeping her cries as silent as she could.
He brought his hands up to her face, stroking away her tears.
"I'm so sorry." She said for the hundredth time.
"It's alright." He still didn't know if she was apologizing for keeping the secret or for the possible loss they were close to having.
She sighed tiredly, "I should have told you."
"I know now. " He murmured. She didn't say anything, wincing in pain. "Squeeze my hand." He whispered as she did as he said.
There was suddenly a throng of voices outside the barn, becoming louder. Milva signaled for them to be quiet and hide, going to see what the commotion was.
The Doctor shifted both himself and River off the bed, urging River to come hide behind a bale of hay with him. River hid with her husband, pressed against him so they took up as little space as possible. He threw the tarp-blanket over them.
Outside, the townspeople had begun to gather. The old man from the pharmacy approached Milva. "We know you are hiding fugitives in there!"
"I am doing no such thing." She frowned.
"We wish no trouble, Milva, but we cannot afford another 'visit' from the High Council."
"I assure you I do not have fugitives. The High Council will not come."
"Not even for a pregnant Gallifreyan?" He quired as others headed inside to investigate. "You are well aware that the punishment for that is termination and regeneration. Unlike you, many of us are on our lasts legs, so to speak."
River could hear the argument outside. She had to focus her herself to translate the Gallifreyan in her head, but their words soon had her holding her breath and holding the Doctor tight.
Three of the townspeople had entered the barn. The pair hiding could hear them looking under tarps and pushing over hay bales. River pressed her face against the Doctor as the footsteps drew closer.
"Check up here." One of them said, referring to the area with the bed. One of the people's heavy footsteps came clomping over, turning over the bed and coming closer to the haybale.
The Doctor held his breath, holding River tightly. The tarp was ripped off and the hay bale overturned. "Hey, Maalok! I found them!"
The others ran over, snatching River out of the Doctor's arms.
"NO! Don't touch her!" He scrambled to his feet, trying to get her back.
River struggled in their grip, two of them holding her back while the third tried to grab the Doctor. He burst away from the grip of the third one, tackling one of the Gallifreyans holding River.
River was able to get out of the grasp of last one, taking the opportunity to knock him out with a kick to the jaw.
At this point, more towns people were coming into the barn at the commotion, helping to restrain River and the Doctor. Several more people made to grab the Doctor's limbs to restrain him, doing the same for River.
In all, it took about a dozen people between the two of them to drag them outside and hold them there.
River refused to stop struggling against the people that held her back, looking at the Doctor. Her husband's eyes were wide, looking at her middle and the bloodstain just below. It wasn't too dark, but it'd been there for a while, going unnoticed when she'd been beneath the blankets.
River noticed the blood, shouting and fighting harder, her distress fueling her desire to be free.
"Stop making so much noise." Maalok, the old man, demanded.
River ignored his words and spitting at his feet.
He slapped her, growling. "Identify yourself, woman." Her cheek stung, turning bright red. She glared at him, falling silent and not answering.
"Your..." Maalok gestured vaguely to the Doctor, "Consort here requested a medication to interrupt a miscarriage. Presumably that was for you?"
Her eyes flickered to the Doctor, "Let me go." She growled.
He grabbed her face. "Answer!"
She spat at him again, not planning on cooperating for anyone. He angrily wiped his face, then surged his cane up, jabbing her in the lower belly.
She cried out, her knees giving out beneath her.
"Don't touch her!" The Doctor demanded.
Maalok raised his cane to strike her again, "Tell me who you are!"
Milva jumped in front of River blocking the strike. "Don't you recognize them, you dense man?! This is the man who won the bloody Time War. For Rassilon's sake, show a little respect!"
Maalok nearly dropped his cane, "Doctor?"
The Doctor glared a hole in the old man's head, nodding slightly. Maalok signaled for River and the Doctor's release, though many had already let go.
The Doctor scrambled over to his wife. "River? River are you alright?"
She was crumbled on the ground, the people stepping back to give the two space. She shook her head, clutching her abdomen. He gathered her into his arms. "I'm so, so sorry. This is my fault."
"No, it's not." She whispered, "It's mine. I should have told you."
"None of that now." He hushed her, lifting her and turning to the townspeople. "You lot are going to help her."
They nodded, "There is an empty cottage in town, I have the keys." One of the residents volunteered.
"Healers first." He glared a bit more at Maalok, fighting the urge to kick his cane out from beneath him. Instead, he started heading back to the village. Several people ran ahead to get the Healers ready.
River groaned quietly in the Doctor's arms. "Hang in there, love. Help is on the way."
The Healers were waiting for them upon arrival, ushering the Doctor into one of the huts. Inside, there was a wooden examination table and many shelves full of herbs and liquids. He placed River down gently on the table. River clutched the Doctor's hand tightly, not wanting him to leave her. He squeezed back in assurance.
There were four healers all dressed in tans and off-whites. Two of them were pulling things from the shelves while the other two were prodding River's abdomen with slightly glowing fingertips.
"What are they doing?" River breathed, watching them suspiciously.
"Telepathic mapping. They can use their regeneration energy in controlled amounts like sonar to create a map of your anatomy." He explained.
She nodded, looking down at her abdomen, willing everything to be okay. The Healers spoke to each other in Old High Gallifreyan, mixing together a paste of some of the herbs. Some of it, they spend on River's skin above her womb, the other part they made her orally ingest.
River asked the Doctor to translate for her as she was too exhausted to do it herself, doing and eating what they told her to. Her husband spoke to her softly, both translating, and adding in his own assurances that things would be alright.
She was starting to calm down more, the Healers managing to stop the bleeding for the time being. When it was deemed she could be moved, the Doctor brought her to the cottage that'd been lent to them.
The Healers ordered bedrest and gave the Doctor a cream to apply externally every few hours. They also promised to stop by for an examination at nightfall.
The cottage that had been lent to them was small and drafty and everything was covered in a layer of dust. It only had one level and they found the bedroom easily.
The Doctor shook out the linings of dust before helping River into the bed.
Out the window next to the bed, the curious eyes of two small children peered into the room.
The Doctor smiled weakly at them. "It's a bit hypocritical, you know." He murmured to River. "These people being on your case about growing a child inside you instead of using a loom."
She nodded, watching the children at the window who were now giggling and waving at the Doctor. "I don't think it's so much the concept as the fact that it's illegal. You heard what that man said at the barn. If the High Council finds us here, they'll kill everyone for helping us."
"You're not the only one breaking the rules, though. Those children, they weren't born of the Loom."
She frowned slightly, "How can you tell?"
"Looms can't make children." He smiled at her. "They can make fully formed adults, but not children."
"Oh..." She murmured, putting a hand on her belly.
The children in the window disappeared for a moment, running to knock on the door.
"Shall I?" He asked her. She nodded. He rose, going to answer the door.
The children were beaming, holding out flowers and food, "Are you the Doctor?" One of them asked.
"Yes, I am. What's all this?" He knelt down to their level, taking the gifts.
"Flowers from our garden and dinner from Mummy." The girl answered him, "She said that our family is very sorry for what happened."
The little boy butted in, "Are you the one that fought the Daleks?"
"That's very sweet of her, and yes. I did fight the Daleks on many occasions. What are your names, children?"
"I'm called Rai and this is Theon. Who is that lady in there?" The girl answered for her brother, peering past the Doctor.
"She's my wife." He said affectionately. "Would you like to meet her?"
They nodded, following him inside. He brought the kids and gifts to the bedroom. "River, I believe you have some fans who'd like to meet you." He put the gifts on the bedside table.
"Hello there." She smiled softly as the children peered over the edge of the bed.
"Hi!" Rai said excitedly.
At the same time, Theon said, "Mummy says you're from another planet!"
River nodded, "I'm from a planet called Earth. Have you ever heard of it?"
"A little," Rai said, though her brother shook his head. She looked a few years older than him, and had probably heard it through school.
"It's very far away from here." River murmured, looking up at her husband.
The Doctor smiled encouragingly as the girl asked, "Why did you choose there instead of here?"
"Well, because I'm not fully Gallifreyan. It isn't safe for me to live here on Gallifrey." She answered.
"Why's that?" Thoen asked innocently.
"Because some of the powerful people here don't like people who aren't fully Time Lord."
"What species is the other part of you?"
"I'm also part human."
She spent while answering the children's questions and explaining when humans were. The small gathering was interrupted by another knock at the door.
The Doctor went to answer this, letting River occupy the children. Maalok was standing at the door, holding a small parcel, a box, and the sonic screwdriver.
"What is that?" The Doctor frowned.
"A peace offering." He held it out with the sonic, which the Doctor was happy to take back.
Suspiciously, he took the parcel and box too and began reading over it. The paper attached were instructions and inside the box were a few pill bottles, "It's for your wife."
"For the baby." The Doctor whispered and relaxed slightly. "...Thank you."
Maalok nodded, "This cottage, it'll be safe if the High Council comes. It is where we hide our womb-born children during each census."
The Doctor nodded. "I know the last one was difficult for you... I'm sorry about your wife. She'd be proud of you for helping us now."
The man said nothing, turning to leave.