Watching the Doctor

by RedRobyn2

The Doctor is stranded in prison, dealing with the revelations of the Timeless Child and the memories of her time travelling, all alone. Until the Tardis decides enough is enough and gathers her and some of her more recent companions to help her deal with her past and make some amends by watching her adventures. Characters watch the show, set after Timeless Child/Pre-Resolution.

33. Silence in the Library

Hi all,

I am very late I know. Life is just hectic sometimes, ya know?

Anyway, here's the next chapter - Silence in the Library. I'll to do my best to upload the second half within two weeks (but I make no promises, I have so many assignments I should be working on, but meh)

Please keep your comments coming on what episodes you want to see, and what you think of the story (it helps motivate me!)

Thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy!
Robyn

---

The Tardis, thankfully, seemed to take pity on the Doctor for once as the next video came up on screen. The latest title revealed itself to the group, and the Doctor immediately wanted to take back any thanks she was about to lay down on the Tardis.

"Silence in the Library?" Bill said, head tilting to the side in confusion. "What kind of title is that?"

"Not a promising one, if it is what I think it is." The Doctor muttered, face grim as she realised exactly what this video was likely to be about, after all she didn't actually have that many adventures in libraries. She couldn't help but glance at River and Donna, both seemingly to have reached the same conclusion as the Doctor based on the look they shared.

"Well, that's not reassuring." Rory grimaced, he didn't like the sound of this to begin with and based off of the Doctor's gaze, it appeared his daughter was also involved. A recipe for disaster if he'd ever seen one (and he'd seen many).

(To a background of nursery music.)
MOON [OC]: Close your eyes, and tell me what you see.
GIRL: The library.
(A massive, futuristic building which she is floating above.)
MOON [OC]: Open your eyes again. Where are you now?

"What?" Rose blinked, of all the ways for a video to start that wasn't what she had expected, though it maybe wasn't the weirdest opening they'd seen so far. No one knew what to say to her, all equally confused, except for those who had actually spent time there – though none of them were likely to give anything up this early in the video.

[Girl's home]

(Dr Moon is making notes as the girl's father watches.)
GIRL: My living room, Doctor Moon.
MOON: When you close your eyes
GIRL: I go to the library.
MOON: Go to the library now.

"I'm guessing this is the library from the title?" Martha asked, aiming her question at the Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged in response, "Probably."

"Very helpful Doctor." Martha sighed.

"As always." Mickey snorted.

[Rotunda]

(A circular wood panelled room lit by natural light from the dome above. Very classical looking.)
MOON [OC]: Are you back there?
GIRL: Yes.
MOON [OC]: The same part?
GIRL: No, it's always different. The library goes on for ever.
MOON [OC]: How do you move around?
GIRL: By wishing.
(The big entrance doors rattle.)

"I think someone wants in." Ryan declared, eyeing the doors on screen wearily. There was about a 50-50 chance that it was someone friendly, likely the Doctor, or someone threatening, which was also likely with the Doctor around.

[Girl's home]

MOON: What's wrong?
GIRL: Something's here. Someone's got in. No one's supposed to get in.
FATHER: She's never mentioned any one else. She's always been alone.
GIRL: Someone's in my library. No, no, please, that's not allowed. That's not allowed.
MOON: Listen to me. The library is in your mind.
GIRL: I know it's in my mind, but something's got inside.

"Wait, is this library actually real or is it in this little girl's head?" Amy asked.

"Why can't it be both?" The Doctor answered. At this point the group couldn't tell if she was being purposely annoying or just her normal level of annoying.

[Rotunda]

(The Doctor and Donna burst in. The Doctor grabs a book and uses it to jam the door handles so it won't open again.)

The group relaxed a bit upon seeing it was just the Doctor and Donna breaking into the library. For the minute, whatever threat the Doctor was concerned about was not visible and they were going to enjoy that brief moment of respite while they could.

DOCTOR: Oh. Hello. Sorry to burst in on you like this. Okay if we stop here for a bit?

"Are you talking to her?" Graham asked, "The little girl?"

The Doctor tilted her head to the side in consideration for a second, "In a way yes, though we were unaware of it at the time."

[Tardis]

(We now get what is presumably what happened before they burst into the rotunda.)
DOCTOR: Books. People never really stop loving books.

"For good reasons." Clara smiled.

[Library]

(The Tardis is in a mostly empty area with just a few small cases of books.)
DOCTOR: Fifty first century. By now you've got holovids, direct to brain downloads, fiction mist, but you need the smell. The smell of books, Donna. Deep breath.

"Ooh, so we get to see another adventure of Donna and the Doctor." Martha grinned at her friend.

Mickey snorted, "I can already imagine the chaos."

[Staircase]

(A massive marble job.)
DOCTOR: The Library. So big it doesn't need a name. Just a great big The.
DONNA: It's like a city.
DOCTOR: It's a world. Literally, a world. The whole core of the planet is the index computer. Biggest hard drive ever. And up here, every book ever written. Whole continents of Jeffrey Archer, Bridget Jones, Monty Python's Big Red Book. Brand new editions, specially printed.

"You could get lost in a place like that." Bill muttered, eyes widening as she took in the scenery, and she'd thought the university library was impressive.

"More than lost." Donna muttered, sharing a grave look with the Doctor and River. No one else heard thankfully, or they would have been even more unnerved than they already were.

(They look over a balcony onto roofs below.)
DOCTOR: We're near the equator, so this must be biographies. I love biographies.
DONNA: Yeah, very you. Always a death at the end.
DOCTOR: You need a good death. Without death, there'd only be comedies. Dying gives us size.

"For once I wish this was a comedy." The Doctor sighed, squeezing River's hand tight to comfort herself more than anything. Jack was the only one that heard that comment, giving the Doctor a concerned look which she missed, River answering silently in her stead with a shake of her head, this wasn't the time to ask.

(Donna picks up a book and the Doctor takes it from her.)
DOCTOR: Way-a. Spoilers.
DONNA: What?
DOCTOR: These books are from your future. You don't want to read ahead. Spoil all the surprises. Like peeking at the end.

"I don't think reading one book is going to give away everything." Rose pointed out.

The Doctor shrugged, "You never know."

DONNA: Isn't travelling with you one big spoiler?
DOCTOR: I try to keep you away from major plot developments. Which, to be honest, I seem to be very bad at, because you know what? This is the biggest library in the universe. So where is everyone? It's silent.

"You are very bad at that Doctor." Jack declared with a raised eyebrow at the Doctor who grinned unrepentant. She tried but she couldn't control where the Tardis took them all the time.

(The Doctor uses his screwdriver on a nearby information screen, bringing it online.)
DONNA: The library?
DOCTOR: The planet. The whole planet.
DONNA: Maybe it's a Sunday.
DOCTOR: No, I never land on Sundays. Sundays are boring.

"So giant library and no people. Plus, a mysterious young girl. Totally not a recipe for disaster." Yaz muttered, glancing between the screen and the Doctor and Donna in the room.

DONNA: Well, maybe everyone's really, really quiet.
DOCTOR: Yeah, maybe. But they'd still show up on the system.
DONNA: Doctor, why are we here? Really, why?
DOCTOR: Oh, you know, just passing.

Everyone in the room turned to the Doctor with disbelieving looks, "When was that ever true Doctor?" Clara shook her head.

"It could be." The Doctor argued.

"But it never is." Rory said with a resigned sigh to which the Doctor only shrugged.

DONNA: No, seriously. It was all let's hit the beach, then suddenly we're in a library. Why?

"You always promise us beaches and we always end up everywhere but the beach." Amy complained.

"And when we do end up at the beach, there's always some danger that ruins our peace." Martha added on.

The Doctor raised her hands in surrender as the pair turned on her, "Well that's hardly my fault."

"It … kinda is Doctor." Bill argued.

DOCTOR: Now that's interesting.
DONNA: What?
DOCTOR: Scanning for life forms. If I do a scan looking for your basic humanoids. You know, your book readers, few limbs and a face, apart from us, I get nothing. Zippo, nada. See? Nobody home. But if I widen the parameters to any kind of life.
(The screen says Error 1,000,000,000,000 lifeform number capped at maximum record.)

DOCTOR: A million, million. Gives up after that. A million, million.

"That's not good." Nardole muttered. No one missed the long look that Donna, the Doctor and River shared.

"So, an uncountable amount of an unknown entity. One that going off all the glances is not friendly." Rose summarised, "What is your luck?" She finished with a glance at the Doctor.

The Doctor grimaced, "Tell me about it."

DONNA: But there's nothing here. There's no one.
DOCTOR: And not a sound. A million. million life forms, and silence in the library.

"Roll the title." Ryan muttered. For once, it seemed the library being silent was not a good thing.

DONNA: But there's no one here. There's just books. I mean, it's not the books, is it? I mean, it can't be the books, can it? I mean, books can't be alive.
(They both reach slowly for a book. A voice makes them jump.)

The group in the room all jumped in sync with Donna and the Doctor on screen, before letting out a breath of relief as they released it was not the book that had spoken (weirder things had happened to them). No one asked any questions, having figured out by this point that it was often quicker and less painful to wait for answers than ask the Doctor who was prone to avoiding questions and giving limited information that left them with more questions than they started with.

NODE [OC]: Welcome.
DONNA: That came from here.
DOCTOR: Yeah.

"Off to find a mystery voice in a silent library surrounded by millions of unknown creatures." Mickey said. "Just your normal weekend with the Doctor."

"Millions of millions." Nardole corrected, earning a grimace from the group at the reminder.

[Library]

(They return to the mostly empty room. A vaguely humanoid sculpture by a curved desk turns its head and speaks with a female voice from a small face on its surface.)

"What the heck is that!?" Bill shouted, recoiling from the sight on screen. She wasn't the only one.

Donna grimaced at the sight, reminded of her own first thoughts. Even now she didn't like the nodes.

The Doctor raised her eyebrow at that reaction before waving at the screen to the group's annoyance.

NODE: I am Courtesy Node seven one zero slash aqua. Please enjoy the Library and respect the personal access codes of all your fellow readers, regardless of species or hygiene taboo.
DONNA: That face, it looks real.
DOCTOR: Yeah, don't worry about it.

"I feel like that's something we should worry about!" Yaz argued.

"Nah." The Doctor drawled, channelling her Pinstripes regeneration.

DONNA: A statue with a real face, though? It's a hologram or something, isn't it?
DOCTOR: No, but really, it's fine.

"No, it's really not." Martha crossed her arms, annoyed at the Doctor's continued dismissal of what was bothering the majority of the room. Her annoyed glare waned after catching Donna shaking her head, this wasn't an issue to push, and not now.

NODE: Additional. There follows a brief message from the Head Librarian for your urgent attention. It has been edited for tone and content by a Felman Lux Automated Decency Filter. Message follows. Run. For God's sake, run. No way is safe. The library has sealed itself, we can't. Oh, they're here. Argh. Slarg. Snick. Message ends. Please switch off your mobile comm. units for the comfort of other readers.

The group listened in growing horror as the message played out, all feeling more and more restless as the realisation of the danger Donna and the Doctor were already in.

"You can't even go to the library without finding trouble, can you Doctor?" Amy sighed, she kept glancing at River and the Doctor. She really didn't like how the danger seemed to already be making an appearance and it seemed her daughter was also going to be involved, which didn't spell out anything good.

DOCTOR: So that's why we're here. Any other messages, same date stamp?

"You are far too calm about everything." Jack narrowed his eyes as he came to a realisation, "You already knew something was wrong."

The Doctor shrugged, "I had an idea something was wrong, not what though." She glanced at Donna and River, if she'd known she might have hesitated a bit more, not that she would ever regret her first meeting with River (from her perspective), just the ending. She'd always regret how that had ended.

NODE: One additional message. This message carries a Felman Lux coherency warning of five zero eleven
DOCTOR: Yeah, yeah, fine, fine, fine. Just play it.
NODE: Message follows. Count the shadows. For God's sake, remember, if you want to live, count the shadows. Message ends.
DOCTOR: Donna?
DONNA: Yeah?
DOCTOR: Stay out of the shadows.
DONNA: Why, what's in the shadows?

The group started to glance around, eyeing the shadows warily despite not knowing what was actually in the shadows, and that the Tardis wouldn't allow anything dangerous into the room with them.

"What's in the shadows?" Ryan asked nervously.

No one missed the silent conservation that occurred between River, Donna and the Doctor, yet they received no answers (as usual, you'd think they'd be used to it now, but they could always hope).

[Stacks]

DONNA: So, We weren't just in the neighbourhood.
DOCTOR: Yeah, I kind of, sort of lied a bit. I got a message on the psychic paper.
(It reads - The library come as soon as you can. x)

Rory and Amy both sighed in sync, "River." Their daughter just smirked at the pair, though both could see the slight nervous edge to it which didn't make them feel any better about the ending of this video.

The remainder of the group glanced between the parent and daughter/daughter-in-law duos, interested in the family dynamic they were getting to witness.

DOCTOR: What do you think? Cry for help?
DONNA: Cry for help with a kiss?
DOCTOR: Oh, we've all done that.

"That we have, Doc."

"Jack!"

DONNA: Who's it from?
DOCTOR: No idea.
DONNA: So why did we come here? Why did you
DOCTOR: Donna.
(The lights behind them are going out.)

"Stop talking, start running." Mickey stated seriously, no one in the room was naïve enough to think that those lights going out were by chance or a technical glitch. No, that was very deliberate and didn't promise anything friendly based on the limited information they had.

DONNA: What's happening?
DOCTOR: Run!
(They can't get the nearest door open.)
DOCTOR: Come on.
DONNA: What, is it locked?
DOCTOR: Jammed. The wood's warped.
DONNA: Well, sonic it. Use the thingy.

Despite the tense situation (which had the majority of the group on the edge of their seats, as if that would help the pair on screen escape) they couldn't help but grin teasing at the Doctor.

"Gee, Doctor. You know what would help with that?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

The Doctor sighed, "Don't start, please."

"I think I know what would help!" Clara joined in, ignoring the Doctor's pleas.

"You know, I think I know what you're thinking too!" Amy grinned, enjoying the brief break in the tension.

"A wood setting!" Donna finally out the Doctor out of her misery. "Seriously Doctor, would it kill you to add a wood setting?"

"At this point I think it would kill any remainder of pride she has left." Martha snorted.

The Doctor gave them a flat look, "Are you all done?"

"For now." Clara grinned.

"Great." The Doctor sighed, knowing this was going to come back to haunt her later.

DOCTOR: I can't, it's wood.
DONNA: What, it doesn't do wood?
DOCTOR: Hang on, hang on. I can vibrate the molecules, fry the bindings. I can shatterline the interface.
DONNA: Oh, get out of the way.
(Donna kicks the door open.)

"Who needs a wood setting, when you have a Donna?" Mickey grinned at the red-head.

"And don't you forget it!"

[Rotunda]

(And we're back to where we were before the titles.)
DOCTOR: Oh. Hello. Sorry to burst on you like this. Okay if we stop here for a bit?
(We see the girl open her eyes at home. The Doctor and Donna see a small metal globe fall to the ground.)
DONNA: What is it?
DOCTOR: Security camera. Switched itself off.

"Wait. Rewind." Graham blinked, "That was the young girl we saw at the start. But you saw a security camera. Is she one of those talking computer things?"

"An AI, grandad." Ryan sighed.

"Yeah, one of those! Doc?"

"Not quite Graham, its best to watch if you want to understand." The Doctor smiled fondly at her latest companions.

"You'd say that even if it wasn't Doctor." Yaz argued to which the Doctor simply shrugged, a non-answer if there ever was one.

[Girl's home]

GIRL: They were in my library. How can they be in my library?
MOON: Who were they?
(The girl puts her hands to her head.)
GIRL: What's that? What's that noise?
FATHER: What noise?

[Rotunda]

(The Doctor is using his sonic screwdriver on the security camera.)

The Doctor winced; she hadn't realised her sonic had hurt the young girl so much.

DOCTOR: Nice door skills, Donna.
DONNA: Yeah, well, you know, boyfriends. Sometimes you need the element of surprise. What was that? What was after us? I mean, did we just run away from a power cut?

"You good, Donna?" Martha asked her friend quietly, a bit uncomfortable with that casual comment from Donna.

Donna smiled reassuringly, "I am, promise."

DOCTOR: Possibly.
DONNA: Are we safe here?
DOCTOR: Of course we're safe. There's a little shop.

River sighed, she really questioned how the Doctor had survived so long sometimes. "I don't think that's quite how these things work, Sweetie." The Doctor just smiled cryptically in response, to her wife's frustrations

(A sign on the wall says The Shop, and Entrance This Way. The Doctor gets the camera open.)
DOCTOR: Gotcha!

[Girl's home]

(The little girls falls onto a rug with the same motif as the camera lens cap - a stylised eye. Doctor Moon and her father comfort her.)
GIRL: No, stop it. No. No.

"Doctor …" Rose muttered, shifting uncomfortable. They knew the Doctor likely didn't know quite what she'd been doing to the poor girl, but it still wasn't fun to watch her suffer. The Doctor just winced again, regretting her actions but unable to do anything about it now.

[Rotunda]

(Her words scroll across a little panel on the camera.)
DOCTOR: Ooo, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's alive.
DONNA: You said it was a security camera.
DOCTOR: It is. It's an alive one.

The group let out a breath of relief as the Doctor realised the sentience or alive-ness of the little camera drone/young girl.

[Girl's home]

MOON: Can you hear me? Are you all right?
GIRL: Others are coming.
MOON: Who's coming? Who are the others?
GIRL: The library is breached. Others are coming.
MOON: What others?

"Others?" Nardole muttered, glancing at River who had yet to make an appearance but had been mentioned to be involved.

"Please be friendly, please be friendly. Please for once." Rory muttered, pleading with an unknown entity that had never seemed to listen beforehand.

"That's hopeful." Amy snorted, depreciatively.

[Rotunda]

DONNA: Others? What's it mean, others?
(Donna goes to a Node.)
DONNA: Excuse me. What does it mean, others?
DOCTOR: That's barely more than a speak your weight machine, it can't help you.
DONNA: So why's it got a face?
MARK NODE: This flesh aspect was donated by Mark Chambers on the occasion of his death.

"It's a real face!" Bill's eyes widened, almost falling off her beanbag as she shuffled back as if that would save her from the truth.

The Doctor grimaced, there'd been a reason she tried to avoid telling Donna (and then the rest of the group) the truth about the faces – it wasn't something humans from their century reacted well to typically (in her experience).

The Master decided to take that opportunity to speak up for the first time in a long while. "Can't take the truth? And I thought humans were supposed to be hardier than that." He was leaning back in his seat, putting on a fake (to those that knew him best, aka the Doctor) nonchalant attitude, though it edged towards smug, like the act that had got the cream.

Bill glared at him but edged a bit further away, still uncomfortable with his presence. She didn't know how to respond to him so she chose to ignore him, turning instead to the Doctor for answers.

The Doctor sighed, shooting the Master a disappointed and disapproving glance to which he scoffed, before turning back to Bill with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "It's not as bad as it seems. This is far into the future, things change. Donating a face to the library is like donating a park bench." No one was very reassured by her explanation based on their expressions.

DONNA: It's a real face?.
MARK NODE: It has been actualised individually for you from the many facial aspects saved to our extensive flesh banks. Please enjoy.
DONNA: It chose me a dead face it thought I'd like? That statue's got a real dead person's face on it.

"Good to see someone reacting to this situation like a normal person." Rory muttered.

DOCTOR: It's the fifty first century. That's basically like donating a park bench.
DONNA: It's donating a face!
DOCTOR: No, wait, no.
(The Doctor grabs Donna as she backs away.)
DONNA: Oi. Hands.
DOCTOR: The shadow. Look.

And with that, the face on the node was shoved down the group's list of priorities. The shadows and the unknown threat within jumping straight back up to numbers 1 through 10.

DONNA: What about it?
DOCTOR: Count the shadows.
DONNA: One. There, counted it. One shadow.
DOCTOR: Yeah But what's casting it?

"That's a very good question." Clara muttered, "One that I am suddenly very scared to know the answer to."

(It is a triangular shadow.)
DOCTOR: Oh, I'm thick! Look at me, I'm old and thick. Head's too full of stuff. I need a bigger head.

Amy snorted, "That's the last thing you need."

(The light in adjoining corridor is going out.)
DONNA: The power must be going.
DOCTOR: This place runs on fission cells. They'll outburn the sun.

"So … definitely not a technical glitch?"

"Unfortunately, not, sorry Mickey."

DONNA: Then why is it dark?
DOCTOR: It's not dark.
DONNA: That shadow. It's gone.

The group was silent as the dots connected into place and the weight of the situation the pair were suddenly in emerged.

"The shadow's sentient. It doesn't need to be cast and can cover lights to make it darker. Great, just great." Martha sighed, as always with these videos seemed to get worse and worse, yet they never got straight answers until near the end (if they ever got any at all).

"Not quite Martha." The Doctor muttered quietly, sharing a knowing look with Donna and River but she didn't elaborate when the group's questioning eyes turned on them.

DOCTOR: We need to get back to the Tardis.
DONNA: Why?
DOCTOR: Because that shadow hasn't gone. It's moved.
MARK NODE: Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached. Others are coming. Reminder. The library has been breached (and so on)

"The shadow can and has moved, and there is some other unknown in the library. Because things can't get worse." Rose grimaced.

"Oh, they certainly can."

"Not helping Donna."

(A door is blown open in a flash of bright light, and six spacesuited figures enter. The leader adjusts her polarising filter so we can see her face.)
RIVER: Hello, sweetie.

"River!" Several people exclaimed at one upon seeing the familiar face, relived that it was someone friendly and not another threat to add to the already terrible situation.

"Of course, it's River." Rory muttered, glancing at his daughter in concern.

DOCTOR: Get out.

The Doctor winced at the reminder of her first words (from her perspective) to her wife. The majority of the group blinked, confused at the Doctor's greeting towards River, it wasn't very in character.

Rory and Amy shared a concerned look, a bad feeling was building high in the pit of their stomachs. They were starting to think they had an idea what this video was going to be about and they hated it already. They didn't want to start an argument now knowing the chances of their questions actually being answered were slim, they would have to choose their moment.

DONNA: Doctor.
DOCTOR: All of you. Turn around, get back in your rocket and fly away. Tell your grandchildren you came to the library and lived. They won't believe you.
RIVER: Pop your helmets, everyone. We've got breathers.
ANITA: How do you know they're not androids?
RIVER: Because I've dated androids. They're rubbish.

"Depends on the android." Jack argued with a wink at River who just smirked back to the Doctor's annoyance.

(A man speaks.)
LUX: Who is this? You said we were the only expedition. I paid for exclusives.

"Oh, he's one of those." Bill muttered a Lux on screen, those people, the ones who wouldn't listen no matter what you said, were always the most dangerous (which wasn't what you wanted really when everything was already plenty dangerous).

RIVER: I lied, I'm always lying. Bound to be others.

"Apparently that's a habit with time travellers." Amy sighed, more resigned to the fact than anything. It still earned a kind of sad, bittersweet smiles from her daughter and the Doctor.

LUX: Miss Evangelista, I want to see the contracts.
RIVER: You came through the north door, yeah? How was that, much damage?
DOCTOR: Please, just leave. I'm asking you seriously and properly, just leave. Hang on. Did you say expedition?
LUX: My expedition. I funded it.
DOCTOR: Oh, you're not, are you? Tell me you're not archaeologists.

"Brilliant priorities as always Doctor." Mickey sighed.

"Still have a problem with archaeologists, sweetie?" River teased her wife.

The Doctor grumbled, but made the smart decision not to answer.

RIVER: Got a problem with archaeologists?
DOCTOR: I'm a time traveller. I point and laugh at archaeologists.
RIVER: Ah. Professor River Song, archaeologist.
DOCTOR: River Song, lovely name. As you're leaving, and you're leaving now, you need to set up a quarantine beacon. Code wall the planet, the whole planet. Nobody comes here, not ever again. Not one living thing, not here, not ever. Stop right there. What's your name?

"You don't know her?" Clara's eyes widened, as the realisation kicked in as to why the Doctor was reacting so weirdly to River.

The Doctor shook her head sadly. "Everything has a beginning, for me this was my beginning with River." She shared a long bittersweet look with her wife, ignoring the group's reactions. Neither of them mentioned, but both of there were thinking it: for River it was the end of the story, but it seems they were, thankfully, being granted a sequel.

The wives were also purposely avoiding the concerned eyes of Amy and Rory, both very aware of how painful this was going to be for River as she'd expressed that thought on many occasions with them. The day where she would know the Doctor and the Doctor would not know her.

ANITA: Anita.
DOCTOR: Anita, stay out of the shadows. Not a foot, not a finger in the shadows till you're safely back in your ship. Goes for all of you. Stay in the light. Find a nice, bright spot and just stand. If you understand me, look very, very scared. No, bit more scared than that. Okay, do for now. You. Who are you?

"I don't think they're going to listen to the random maniac they found in the Library." Yaz said with a raised eyebrow at the Doctor's approach.

Ryan nodded along, "Yeah Doctor, you sound like one of those people on the street shouting about doomsday." The Doctor just sighed, feeling the urge to put her head in her hands and hide.

"Don't worry Sweetie." River patted the Doctor's knee in mocking commiseration, "You're our favourite maniac."

OTHER DAVE: Er, Dave.
DOCTOR: Okay, Dave.
OTHER DAVE: Oh, well, Other Dave, because that's Proper Dave the pilot, he was the first Dave, so when we
DOCTOR: Other Dave, the way you came, does it look the same as before?
OTHER DAVE: Yeah. Oh, it's a bit darker.

"Darker is not good. Darker is very much not good." Nardole declared shaking his head worried.

DOCTOR: How much darker?
OTHER DAVE Oh, like I could see where we came through just like a moment ago. I can't now.
DOCTOR: Seal up this door. We'll find another way out.

"A map would be useful at this point." Graham announced.

"Very helpful, Graham." The Doctor rolled her eyes.

"Oi! Just trying to help."

OTHER DAVE: Would you
LUX: We're not looking for a way out. Miss Evangelista?
EVANGELISTA: I'm Mister Lux's personal everything. You need to sign these contracts agreeing that your individual experience inside the library are the intellectual property of the Felman Lux Corporation.
DOCTOR: Right, give it here.
DONNA: Yeah, lovely. Thanks.
(The Doctor and Donna tear up the contracts.)

Jack grinned approvingly, "The only way to deal with contracts." The rest of the group all laughed a bit at that, enjoying the brief moment of lightness (metaphorically and literally) and the ever-fantastic dynamic between Donna and the Doctor.

LUX: My family built this library. I have rights.

"Definitely one of those." Bill muttered, her thoughts from earlier cemented firmly.

RIVER: You have a mouth that won't stop. You think there's danger here?
DOCTOR: Something came to this library and killed everything in it. Killed a whole world. Danger? Could be.
RIVER: That was a hundred years ago. The Library's been silent for a hundred years. Whatever came here's long dead.

"Unfortunately, when the Doctor's around you can't bet on that." Mickey grimaced.

"Not everything lives as short a life as humans, several people in this room are a perfect example of that." The Doctor reminded River, with a disapproving look for her lack of consideration, it really wasn't like her. Usually she was purposely reckless, after having considered all the options.

"You can't talk."

DOCTOR: Bet your life?
RIVER: Always.
LUX: What are you doing?
OTHER DAVE: He said seal the door.

"Been around for five minutes and they're already taking orders from you." Clara shook her head, failing to hide her fond smile.

"I just have that affect." The Doctor grinned proudly.

"You have something alright." Donna snorted earning laughs from the rest of the group and a pout from the Doctor.

DOCTOR: Torch.
LUX: You're taking orders from him?
DOCTOR: Spooky, isn't it?
(The Doctor takes Lux's torch and shines it into the far recesses of the round room.)
DOCTOR: Almost every species in the universe has an irrational fear of the dark. But they're wrong, because it's not irrational. It's Vashta Nerada.

"Vashta Nerada?" Amy raised an eyebrow at that.

"Vashta Nerada." The Doctor nodded in confirmation, either missing or purposely mid-understanding Amy's question.

"I can't decide if it is good or bad to have a reason to be scared of the dark." Rose muttered with a grimace.

DONNA: What's Vashta Nerada?
DOCTOR: It's what's in the dark. It's what's always in the dark. Lights! That's what we need, lights. You got lights?

The Doctor's comment led to the room all nervously looking around the room and into the small portions of shadows cast by the chairs, despite knowing that they were safe wherever they were.

RIVER: What for?
DOCTOR: Form a circle. Safe area. Big as you can, lights pointing out.
RIVER: Oi. Do as he says.

"At least you have River's support." Martha said. "They're more likely to listen to you if one of their team trusts them."

"You'd think that." Donna muttered quietly, drawing a concerned look from Martha.

LUX: You're not listening to this man?
RIVER: Apparently I am. Anita, unpack the lights. Other Dave, make sure the door's secure, then help Anita. Mister Lux, put your helmet back on, block the visor. Proper Dave, find an active terminal. I want you to access the library database. See what you can find about what happened here a hundred years ago. Pretty boy, you're with me. Step into my office.
LUX: Professor Song, why am I the only one wearing my helmet?
RIVER: I don't fancy you.

"River." Rory sighed, but everyone could tell it was fond and more relieved to see her act more like herself, even in the face of the Doctor's lack of recognition than anything else.

"Yes, dad?" River queried innocently. Rory just shook his head, smiling fondly.

(The Doctor goes over to Dave at the terminal. Lux takes off his helmet.)
DOCTOR: Probably I can help you.
RIVER: Pretty boy. With me, I said.
DOCTOR: Oh, I'm pretty boy?

"It's River. What do you expect?" Amy shook her head.

The Doctor didn't match her grin, answering quietly and reluctantly, "I'd never met her before remember Amy." Amy's smile swiftly vanished at the reminder.

DONNA: Yes. Ooo, that came out a bit quick.
DOCTOR: Pretty?
DONNA: Meh.

"Always nice to have your support, Donna." The Doctor smiled at the English red-head.

"And don't you know it, Spaceboy."

DOCTOR: Don't let your shadows cross. Seriously, don't even let them touch. Any of them could be infected.
OTHER DAVE: How can a shadow be infected?

"I'm liking these … Vashta Nerada? Less and less." Mickey declared with a grimace.

"They're not going to get any better, Rickey."

"Great, just great."

EVANGELISTA: Excuse me, can I help?
ANITA: No, we're fine.
EVANGELISTA: I could just you know, hold things.

"Oh, poor Evangelista." Donna muttered sadly, thinking about the poor girl's fate.

OTHER DAVE: No, really, we're okay.
DONNA: Couldn't she help?
OTHER DAVE: Trust me. I just spent four days on a ship with that woman. She's er
ANITA: Couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod and the bathroom. We had to go back for her. Twice.

"It doesn't mean you have to be cruel to her." Bill frowned disapprovingly at the crew. The group was so caught up in their disapproval that they missed the sad exchange between River, Donna and the Doctor.

(Evangelista talks with her boss. River takes a battered book from her backpack. Its cover is blue with eight squares.

"Your diary." Amy muttered, recognising the familiar blue book that River had caried everywhere with her since Berlin. It made her shuffle uncomfortable to see how full it was, River and the Doctor's words from their time on Darillium ringing in her mind.

RIVER: Thanks.
DOCTOR: For what?
RIVER: The usual. For coming when I call.

"Oh River." Rory's eyes widening as he realised why River seemed so calm about everything – she though the Doctor was pretending not to know her. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

DOCTOR: Oh, that was you?
RIVER: You're doing a very good job, acting like you don't know me. I'm assuming there's a reason.
DOCTOR: A fairly good one, actually.
RIVER: Okay, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Er, going by your face, I'd say it's early days for you, yeah? So, er, crash of the Byzantium. Have we done that yet? Obviously ringing no bells. Right. Oh, picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet? Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Whoo, life with a time traveller. Never knew it could be such hard work. Look at you. Oh, you're young.

The Doctor leaned over to her wife, eyes sad as she whispered, "I'm sorry River."

River squeezed her hand, an attempt to reassure both of them. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

The Doctor just shook her head, "We both know that's not true."

DOCTOR: I'm really not, you know.
RIVER: No, but you are. Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever seen you.
DOCTOR: You've seen me before, then?
RIVER: Doctor, please tell me you know who I am.
DOCTOR: Who are you?
(Brng, brng. Brng, brng.)

The whole group almost visibly jumped at the sudden ringing of a device distracting from the painful moment they had been watching as River realised that the Doctor really didn't recognise her. No one was quite sure what to say, the whole thing seeming far too personal and most of them didn't have enough knowledge of their relationship to really comment on it. Plus, it really didn't seem right to do so.

Amy and Rory both were shuffling uncomfortable on their sofa, looking like they want to join their daughter on the sofa but knowing it wouldn't be appreciated. Like the Doctor, River didn't like having her emotions exposed like that.

Donna was also watching with a sort of guilty curiosity. She'd missed so much of the Doctor and River's interactions, and she'd never met River again after her sacrifice at the end of their time at the Library, but their dynamic had been so odd she couldn't help but be curious. Knowing that the Doctor had married River, many things made much sense now but it was all so much more painful, knowing what she knew. The rest of the group weren't prepared for what was coming.

DAVE: Sorry, that was me. Trying to get through into the security protocols. I seem to have set something off. What is that? Is that an alarm?
DONNA: Doctor? Doctor, that sounds like
DOCTOR: It is. It's a phone.

"A phone?" Yaz frowned, "I don't suppose one of you is carrying one?" River, Donna and the Doctor just shook their heads.

[Girl's home]

(A proper non-wireless, decent sized handset telephone is ringing. The girl has the television on but her back is to is as she writes or draws on some paper.)
GIRL: Dad?
FATHER: In a minute.

"The girl again?" Rose asked, "Are you going to explain how she's there and not?"

River, Donna and the Doctor all held a silent conversation before River answered for them, "It's easiest to just watch." Rose rolled her eyes at that knowing she should have expected that sort of answer.

[Rotunda]

DAVE: I'm trying to call up the data core, but it's not responding. Just that noise.
DONNA: But it's a phone.
DOCTOR: Let me try something.

[Girl's home]

GIRL: Dad, the phone. Aren't you going to answer it?
FATHER: It's not ringing, sweetie.
(The phone stops ringing just as she gets to it.)

[Rotunda]

(The screen says Access Denied.)
DOCTOR: Okay, doesn't like that. Let's try something else.

"Hopefully something that's not going to hurt her." Clara gave the Doctor a pointed look, who held her hands up in surrender but nodded to the screen.

[Girl's home]

(The girl is drawing the library.)
DOCTOR [OC]: Okay, here it comes.
DOCTOR [on TV]: Hello?
GIRL: Hello. Are you in my television?
DOCTOR [on TV]: Well, no, I'm, I'm sort of in space. Er, I was trying to call up the data core of a triple grid security processor.

"You're in her TV." Mickey countered, pointing at the screen.

"Yes, I'm on the TV from her perspective, but I wasn't from ours. Perspective is important Rickey."

GIRL: Would you like to speak to my Dad?

"Good response." Martha smiled, at the very childlike response.

DOCTOR [on TV]: Dad or your Mum. That'd be lovely.
GIRL: I know you. You're in my library.
DOCTOR [on TV]: Your library?
GIRL: The library's never been on the television before. What have you done?
DOCTOR [on TV]: Er, well, I just rerouted the interface.
(The cartoon returns.)

"And you've broken up." Bill sighed with a grimace; she had a bad feeling something was about to go very wrong.

[Rotunda]

RIVER: What happened? Who was that?
(Access denied. The girl starts changing channels on the television.)
DOCTOR: I need another terminal. Keep working on those lights. We need those lights!
RIVER: You heard him, people. Let there be light.
(The Doctor goes to the other terminal, where River left her diary. When he picks it up, she takes it from him.)

"Ah, ah, ah!" River shook her head at the Doctor.

The Doctor smiled fondly, "I know, I know. Spoilers."

RIVER: Sorry, you're not allowed to see inside the book. It's against the rules.
DOCTOR: What rules?
RIVER: Your rules.
(The girl opens the extra section at the bottom of the remote controller and presses a button. Books start flying off the shelves.)

"It really is her library." Ryan mused as they all watched the books fly across the room.

DOCTOR: What's that? I didn't do that. Did you do that?
DAVE: Not me.
(The Doctor's screen says Cal Access Denied.)
DOCTOR: What's Cal?
(The girl works her way through all the extra buttons. The bombardment of books finally stops. Donna goes over to Miss Evangelista.)

"I'm going out on the limb here to say, that young girl is Cal?" Jack asked, turning to the Doctor with a raised eyebrow.

"It seems your instincts haven't failed you yet, Captain."

DONNA: You all right?
EVANGELISTA: What's that? What's happening?
LUX: I don't know.
DONNA: Oh, thanks, for er, you know, offering to help with the lights.
EVANGELISTA: They don't want me. They think I'm stupid, because I'm pretty.
DONNA: Course they don't. Nobody thinks that.
EVANGELISTA: No, they're right though. I'm a moron, me. My dad said I have the IQ of plankton, and I was pleased.

"That's just a shame, I mean she seems so nice." Rose frowned.

DONNA: See, that's funny.
EVANGELISTA: No, no, I really was pleased. Is that funny?
DONNA: No, no.
(More books shoot off their shelves.)

"You might want to do something about the flying books." Amy suggested.

The Doctor rolled her eyes, "Funnily enough, that's what I was trying to do."

"It doesn't seem like it." Amy continued to tease the Doctor, taking any opportunity she could to distract herself from the ever-growing fear about River's fate.

RIVER: What's causing that? Is it the little girl?
DOCTOR: But who is the little girl? What's she got to do with this place? How does the data core work? What's the principle? What's Cal?
RIVER: Ask Mister Lux.
DOCTOR: Cal, what is it?
LUX: Sorry, you didn't sign your personal experience contracts.

"Aka, he knows and isn't going to tell you anything." Martha grimaced.

Mickey snorted, "Not until there is almost no hope of everyone getting out there alive and he has no option. That's how these things usually go anyway."

DOCTOR: Mister Lux. Right now, you're in more danger than you've ever been in your whole life. And you're protecting a patent?
LUX: I'm protecting my family's pride.

"Ah, its personal then." Clara said. They'd all had a lot of practise reading between the lines with people like Lux during their adventures.

DOCTOR: Well, funny thing, Mister Lux. I don't want to see everyone in this room dead because some idiot thinks his pride is more important.
RIVER: Then why don't you sign his contract? I didn't either. I'm getting worse than you.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." The Doctor asked her wife.

River gave her a deadpan look, "And why do you think that is Sweetie?"

"I think that sounds like a trick question."

DOCTOR: Okay, okay, okay. Let's start at the beginning. What happened here? On the actual day, a hundred years ago, what physically happened?
(The girl presses a button on her remote, and a panel slides up in the wall. Evangelista notices it.)
RIVER: There was a message from the Library. Just one. The lights are going out. Then the computer sealed the planet, and there was nothing for a hundred years.

"So, what's changed now?" Yaz asked eyes narrowed at the screen, her detective mindset firmly locked onto the mystery in front of her.

The Doctor smiled fondly, "Just watch Yaz." Yaz shot the Doctor an annoyed look for avoiding the questions as normal, but reluctantly turned back to the screen to watch.

LUX: It's taken three generations of my family just to decode the seals and get back in.
EVANGELISTA: Er, excuse me?
LUX: Not just now.

"I think you should pay attention to her." Bill muttered; she was getting bad vibes from the whole situation. The look that Donna, River and the Doctor shared really wasn't reassuring.

RIVER: There was one other thing in the last message.
LUX: That's confidential.
RIVER: I trust this man with my life, with everything.

The Doctor squeezed River's hand tightly, both to express her thanks but also to try and deal with the squeeze of guilt in her heart. River had trusted her completely, yet in the end she couldn't save her, she hadn't been there for her wife and River had paid the price. Now it seems everyone was going to get to see her failures, Amy and Rory were going to have to watch their daughter die, because she couldn't save her.

Sensing her wife's guilt spiral, River shuffled subtly closer and moved their joint hands onto the Doctor's knee in an attempt to bring her back to reality. The Doctor turned to River, confused by her actions to which River answered with a knowing, bittersweet smile. The Doctor looked away, guilt heavy in her stomach, River's attempts to make her feel better having the opposite reaction.

LUX: You've only just met him.
RIVER: No, he's only just met me.

"The tragedy of being time travellers." River sighed. Jack and her shared a long glance, they understood each other in a way many others couldn't. Their situations similar yet not at the same time, but it was still more similar than the majority of people would ever get to them.

"A tragedy for you, maybe." The Master sneered, earning glares from the rest of the group. All three were concerned (in their own ways, and some more noticeably than others) by the Doctor's lack of reaction. She was determinedly watching the screen, thoughts spiralling with every moment of silence.

EVANGELISTA: Er, this might be important, actually.
LUX: In a moment.
RIVER: This is a data extract that came with the message.
DOCTOR: Four thousand and twenty two saved. No survivors.
RIVER: Four thousand and twenty two. That's the exact number of people who were in the library when the planet was sealed.
DONNA: But how can four thousand and twenty two people have been saved if there were no survivors?

"Saved? That's an interesting choice of words." Rose's face crinkled in confusion.

Ryan's eyes narrowed, mouth opening before he closed it again. Yaz watched him with a raised eyebrow, knowing that sometimes you had to patient as Ryan decided what he was going to say. "Saved? Like with a computer? The technology seems really advanced and it seems to keep getting brought up?" He finally spoke, uncertainty clear in his voice.

The uncertainty didn't last long, but it seemed to have the positive of breaking the Doctor (however temporarily) out of their stupor. "Brilliant Ryan! 10 points to you!" She ignored Yaz, Ryan and Graham's groans at the resurgence of the point system, and Bill's mutter of '10 points to Gryffindor' in the background in favour of sending a blinding smile at Ryan.

RIVER: That's what we're here to find out.
LUX: And so far, what we haven't found are any bodies.

"Maybe there aren't any bodies to find." Rory said.

Amy turned to her husband; a bit startled by his remark, "That's very dark and pessimistic."

Rory blinked confused, then his mouth opened wide in realisation and he hurriedly spoke to clear up the confusion. "Oh! No, no, no. I meant there's no bodies because they didn't die! Not that there are no bodies because they were eaten or something."

Clara didn't miss the wince of Donna, River and the Doctor at the word 'eaten', narrowing her eyes at the group. She considered questioning them for a moment before closing her mouth without saying a word. It wouldn't do well to panic the group unnecessarily (well, more than they already were) and it wasn't like the three were likely to answer anyway.

[Lecture hall]

(Evangelista explores the open panel alone. She goes down a short passage to what might be a reading room or lecture hall. Anyway, every flat surface has books piled on it. She steps into the darkness and screams. The Doctor leads the way to investigate. They find a skeleton in rags.)

The room fell silent in shock. Donna, River and the Doctor all shared a sad look, waiting for the group to actually register what had occurred and the fallout that was bound to occur.

"That isn't … I mean … That can't be …" Bill's eyes were wide as she shook her head in denial, turning to the Doctor pleadingly for answers. The Doctor's sunken shoulders and silent shake of her head said everything the group didn't want to hear. Everyone was distracted, their minds racing as they mentally ramped up their danger rating for the Vashta Nerada. Things were even worse than they had thought, and they hadn't been aiming high.

DOCTOR: Everybody, careful. Stay in the light.
DAVE: You keep saying that. I don't see the point.

"The point is right in front of you." Donna muttered quietly, despite knowing it was pointless it still felt good to say. This was one of her adventures with the Doctor that had weighed heavier on her mind (when she could remember it, that was), and she wasn't eager to relive it knowing what she knew now. She wasn't sure she believed in the whole 'therapeutic benefits' of watching it in the comforts of where ever they were amongst friends. Maybe for the Doctor, but her? She wasn't sure reliving her computer simulated life would help now that she knew what the real version was like (the computer simulation couldn't even compete on a bad day).

DOCTOR: Who screamed?
DAVE: Miss Evangelista.
DOCTOR: Where is she?
RIVER: Miss Evangelista, please state your current
(River's voice echoes from very nearby.)
RIVER: Please state your current position.
(River takes a lit comm. unit from the remains of the skeleton's collar.)

It was the unwanted confirmation of a terrible thing they'd already in their hearts known had happened. They had a moment of silence for Miss Evangelista, she hadn't remotely deserved her horrible fate. It also didn't bode well for the people around when the Library went dark, or the group on screen.

RIVER: It's her. It's Miss Evangelista.
ANITA: We heard her scream a few seconds ago. What could do that to a person in a few seconds?
DOCTOR: It took a lot less than a few seconds.

Several people in the group shuffled uncomfortable with that thought. They'd all encountered horrible deaths over their travels, it had never been something they searched out yet, but it had always somehow found them. The Vashta Nerada, for that was what must have killed Miss Evangelista if they'd been listening right, were on a new terrifying level. One they weren't eager to watch in person, not that they had a choice in the matter.

ANITA: What did?
EVANGELISTA [OC]: Hello?
RIVER: Er, I'm sorry, everyone. Er, this isn't going to be pleasant. She's ghosting.
DONNA: She's what?

"I'm with Donna! She's what?" Martha turned a stern look on the Doctor and River, determined to get an explanation for once.

The Doctor and River shared a silent conversation, trying to decide who was going to brave Martha's wrath. It seemed River was the brave one, or rather the one who lost the silent battle. "It's easier to just watch, If I remember correctly, I will explain."

"I hate that answer." Amy muttered, like Martha she'd been eager for an answer, but apparently, they weren't going to get one.

EVANGELISTA [OC]: Hello? Excuse me. I'm sorry. Hello? Excuse me.
DONNA: That's, that's her, that's Miss Evangelista.
DAVE: I don't want to sound horrible, but couldn't we just, you know?
RIVER: This is her last moment. No, we can't. A little respect, thank you.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: Sorry, where am I? Excuse me?

"This is horrible." Rose said, eyes locked on the screen. She didn't know exactly what 'this' was but that didn't stop her hating the whole situation.

DONNA: But that's Miss Evangelista.
RIVER: It's a data ghost. She'll be gone in a moment. Miss Evangelista, you're fine. Just relax. We'll be with you presently.
DONNA: What's a data ghost?
DOCTOR: There's a neural relay in the communicator. Lets you send thought mail. That's it there. Those green lights. Sometimes it can hold an impression of a living consciousness for a short time after death. Like an afterimage.

"That's …"

"Creepy." Bill finished Graham's sentence with a shiver.

"Not exactly what I was going to say, but sure." Graham shrugged at the young woman.

ANITA: My grandfather lasted a day. Kept talking about his shoelaces.
DONNA: She's in there.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: I can't see. I can't. Where am I?
DAVE: She's just brain waves now. The pattern won't hold for long.
DONNA: But, she's conscious. She's thinking.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: I can't see, I can't. I don't know what I'm thinking.
DOCTOR: She's a footprint on the beach. And the tide's coming in.

The Doctor's analogy caused a few shudders across the room, the whole idea rather unnerving to the 21st century humans in the group.

EVANGELISTA [OC]: Where's that woman? The nice woman. Is she there?
LUX: What woman?
DONNA: She means. I think she means me.

The Doctor smiled softly at Donna which went unnoticed by the normally brash and loud red-head, whose sole focus was the screen in front of them. She had really missed Donna, and it was nice to relive some of their glory days (even some of the more horrible and depressing moments). She tried not to compare her companions (with mixed results), but Donna would always hold a special place in her heart that no one else had come close to since. It was always nice to see others see the true Donna behind the persona she put on.

EVANGELISTA [OC]: Is she there? The nice woman.
RIVER: Yes, she's here. Hang on. Go ahead. She can hear you.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: Hello? Are you there?
DOCTOR: Help her.
DONNA: She's dead.
DOCTOR: Yeah. Help her.

"Everyone deserves kindness, even the dead. Especially the dead." The Doctor declared solemnly, sharing a silent conversation with Donna who nodded back.

EVANGELISTA [OC]: Hello? Is that the nice woman?
DONNA: Yeah. Hello. Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm here. You okay?
EVANGELISTA [OC]: What I said before, about being stupid. Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh.
DONNA: Course I won't. Course I won't tell them.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh.
DONNA: I won't tell them. I said I won't.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh.
DONNA: I'm not going to tell them.
(The green light starts blinking.)

"The patterns fading." Jack frowned, he'd had limited encounters with the neural relays during his travels (he'd never worn himself, having not wanted to find out what would happen if he died wearing one) but he knew enough to recognise that Miss Evangelista was fading. He'd also been digging through his mental archive of alien species he'd heard about over the years and he knew he'd heard about the Vashta Nerada before, and it was never anything positive.

EVANGELISTA [OC]: Don't tell the others, they'll only laugh.
RIVER: She's looping now. The pattern's degrading.
EVANGELISTA [OC]: I can't think. I don't know, I, I, I, I scream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream.
RIVER: Does anybody mind if I?
EVANGELISTA [OC]: Ice cream. Ice cream.
(River turns off the comm. unit.)

"That was horrible." Clara said, then another thought occurred to her and she whipped around to face the Doctor, "If any of the others die are we going to have to go through that again?"

The way the Doctor, River and Donna avoided eye contact was all the answer the group needed. Yes, they would have to go through that again which also meant more of the group was going to die. If the room had already been tense, it grew worse with that realisation.

DONNA: That was, that was horrible. That was the most horrible thing I've ever seen.

"And still is." Donna muttered to herself; she wasn't sure anything could top the neural relays for horrible. Miss Evangelista had been the first victim, but she certainly hadn't been the last time they'd had to hear the neural relays in action.

RIVER: No. It's just a freak of technology. But whatever did this to her, whatever killed her, I'd like a word with that.
DOCTOR: I'll introduce you.

"I wish I hadn't." The Doctor muttered, guilt retuning like a sledgehammer to her hearts. River shot her a glare, taking the Doctor's comment as a challenge to her skills rather than an admittance of the Doctor's guilt over her fate.

[Rotunda]

DOCTOR: I'm going to need a packed lunch.
RIVER: Hang on.
DOCTOR: What's in that book?
RIVER: Spoilers.
DOCTOR: Who are you?
RIVER: Professor River Song, University of

"I don't think he's asking for your profile, River."

"Then he needs to be more specific father."

DOCTOR: To me. Who are you to me?
RIVER: Again, spoilers. Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out.
DOCTOR: Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada.

"Personally, I'd like it if we didn't mee the shadow monsters." Ryan muttered and despite the general consensus of the group, as normal they weren't given a choice as the video continued.

[Girl's home]

(The girl throws the remote control on the floor.)
FATHER: Darling, Doctor Moon is going now, but he'd like a word with you alone. Is that all right?
GIRL: Yes, of course, Doctor Moon.
MOON: Thank you. Now, listen. This is important. There's the real world, and there's the world of nightmares. That's right, isn't it? You understand that?
GIRL: Yes, I know, Doctor Moon.
MOON: What I want you to remember is this, and I know it's hard. The real world is a lie, and your nightmares are real. The library is real. There are people trapped in there, people who need to be saved. The shadows are moving again. Those people are depending on you. Only you can save them. Only you.

"So, Dr Moon knows what's going on?" Mickey asked for clarification, the situation with the young girl was confusing enough without everything else going on.

"I think he's the only one that does." Nardole muttered, earning a roll of the eyes from the Doctor.

"Just watch."

"I hate that answer." Mickey grumbled.

"We all do." The rest of the group (excluding the Doctor, but including River and Donna who at least knew what was going on for this video (and whether that was a good or bad thing is left up for debate)) announced as one. They were all frustrated by the lack of answers and annoying mysteries these videos kept presenting them with and then taking forever to answer (if they ever did that was)

[Rotunda]

(The Doctor is scanning the floor with his sonic screwdriver.)
RIVER: You travel with him, don't you? The Doctor, you travel with him.
DONNA: What of it?

Donna and River shared a long look, both having a much better understanding of each other and the other's situation now then they had back then. All the danger and running (and Donna's time in the computer/fake reality) hadn't really left much room for chitchat, despite how much the Doctor tried.

DOCTOR: Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?
DAVE: Why?
DOCTOR: Over there by the water cooler. Thanks.
DONNA: You know him, don't you?
RIVER: Oh God, do I know that man. We go way back, that man and me. Just not this far back.

"Far forward, is perhaps the better way of describing it from their perspective." River mused, with a bittersweet smile.

"You know Spaceboy over there in a way I have no desire to ever think about." Donna snorted.

"Donna! We've had this conversation!" The Doctor grumbled.

"Don't remind me!" The pair's exchange drew several curious glances from the others in the group but no one pried, knowing they wouldn't get answers and in truth, all their focus was taken up on the video at hand.

DONNA: I'm sorry, what?
RIVER: He hasn't met me yet. I sent him a message, but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is the Doctor in the days before he knew me. And he looks at me, he looks right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does.

"River …" The Doctor whispered hoarsely.

River's smile wavered noticeably to those that knew her well enough, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not."

"Hypocrite."

"This isn't about me River!" The Doctor hissed, "Why won't you admit that you aren't okay?"

River turned to face her wife, silent and assessing for several moments before finally countering, "I'll admit I'm not okay, when you do the same. We both have issues that we need to address, with each other and with ourselves but now is hardly the time to do so, unless you want to start?"

Suitably trapped in between a rock and a hard place the Doctor shut her mouth and turned back to the screen frustrated. River had perfectly trapped her, as she was not willing to admit to her own issues, though for River maybe she'd make an exception. But River was also right, now was not the right time to open that can of worms. The group had watched the exchange awkwardly, unable to not hear every word despite the pair's attempt to be quiet, but not wanting to intrude on the wives personal relationship in this situation.

DONNA: What are you talking about? Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know him or don't you?
DOCTOR: Donna! Quiet, I'm working.
DONNA: Sorry.
RIVER: Donna. You're Donna. Donna Noble.

"They talked about me?" Donna asked, she'd never really gotten a clear answer on that matter although there had been a serious suggestion in her words.

River smiled softly at Donna, "They talked about everyone who travelled with them, but I always enjoyed the stories of your adventures. That mess with Agatha Christie was always one of my favourites, although I'm not entirely sure I believe everything he said happened."

Donna snorted, but grinned at the memories River's words evoked, "Who knows with that bozo -."

"Oi!"

"- I'd happily tell you what actually happened at some point." Donna and River shared a grin.

"I resent those accusations." The Doctor grumbled, but no one missed the fond smile on her face at seeing her wife and best friend get along.

DONNA: Yeah. Why?
RIVER: I do know the Doctor, but in the future. His personal future.
DONNA: So why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?

"At home." Donna muttered to herself, "With no memory." It was somehow both better and worse than what she'd been imagining at the time.

DOCTOR: Okay, got a live one. That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man eating swarm.

"My favourite kind." Rory grimaced, voice dripping with sarcasm.

(The Doctor throws a chicken leg into the shadow. It is only bone by the time it hits the floor.)
DOCTOR: The piranhas of the air. The Vashta Nerada. Literally, the shadows that melt the flesh. Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters. I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive.

"Wait! No, no, no, go back!" Bill sat up straight in her seat, waving her hands at the Doctor. "Are those things on Earth?!" Her question led to all the 21st human's attention being locked onto the Doctor, awaiting an answer.

The Doctor winced but reluctantly nodded.

"How have we not heard about them before? I'm pretty sure we would have noticed shadow piranhas!" Clara argued.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "You'd be surprised what you humans miss. But they usually live more on road kill than anything else, although occasionally someone goes missing and doesn't come back." With that haunting statement the video resumed.

DONNA: What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?
DOCTOR: Mmm. Earth, and a billion other worlds. Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada. You can see them sometimes, if you look. The dust in sunbeams.
DONNA: If they were on Earth, we'd know.
DOCTOR: Nah. Normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark.
RIVER: Every shadow?
DOCTOR: No. But any shadow.

"Oh, that really clears that one up, thank you." Amy rolled her eyes with a huff.

RIVER: So what do we do?
DOCTOR: Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada? Run. Just run.

"Good thing that's your speciality." Yaz grinned at the Doctor, although it quickly faded as the Doctor didn't reciprocate, instead sharing a troubled look with River and Donna.

RIVER: Run? Run where?
DOCTOR: This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere.
LUX: Don't look at me, I haven't memorised the schematics.

"That feels like something someone should have done." Rose considered.

"We were expecting an empty Library, not an infested one." River shrugged although she couldn't help but agree with Rose.

DONNA: Doctor, the little shop. They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff.
DOCTOR: You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop.

"Not this again." Martha shook her head with fond exasperation, thinking back to her first meeting with the Doctor. On the same wavelength for once, the Doctor offered her a grin to which she rolled her eyes, but reciprocated.

DAVE: Okay, let's move it.
He heads towards the shop but the Doctor spots something.
DOCTOR: Actually, Proper Dave? Could you stay where you are for a moment?
DAVE: Why?
DOCTOR: I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. But you've got two shadows.
(He has, at right angles to each other.)

The room immediately tensed; eyes locked onto the screen as the danger came back to the front of their minds.

"Is there anything you can do?" Yaz asked, eyes assessing on the screen, only glancing at the Doctor for a second. The Doctor just shook her head with a grimace, her own eyes barely leaving the screen.

DOCTOR: It's how they hunt. They latch on to a food source and keep it fresh.
DAVE: What do I do?
DOCTOR: You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room. Like there's a million wasps.

"That sounds like another nightmare." Nardole grumbled at the mental image. It sounded like one of those 'would you rather' questions. Would you rather stand in a room with a million wasps, or a room with man-eating shadow piranhas? It was a hard choice.

RIVER: We're not leaving you, Dave.
DOCTOR: Course we're not leaving him. Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me.
DAVE: On the floor, by my bag.
(Anita goes to get it.)

"What's his helmet going to do?" Ryan asked confused. He wasn't feeling very hopeful about Dave's fate based on the Doctor's responses so far, but he hadn't completely given up yet.

Clara narrowed her eyes at the Doctor, a sinking feeling settling heavily in her stomach as she came to a realisation. "It won't do anything will it? You're just trying to make it easier on everyone when he dies."

The Doctor's wince along with Donna and River's grimaces were all the answers the group needed. Any last slithers of hope for Dave's survival quickly disappearing.

DOCTOR: Don't cross his shadow. Thanks. Now, the rest of you, helmets back on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got.
(The Doctor puts Dave's helmet on him.)
DONNA: But, Doctor, we haven't got any helmets.
DOCTOR: Yeah, but we're safe anyway.

The majority of the group sent the Doctor disbelieving looks.

"How does that one work, Doctor?" Jack asked with a snort.

"It doesn't."

DONNA: How are we safe?
DOCTOR: We're not. That was a clever lie to shut you up. Professor, anything I can do with the suit?
LUX: What good are the damn suits? Miss Evangelista was wearing her suit. There was nothing left.
RIVER: We can increase the mesh density. Dial it up four hundred percent. Make it a tougher meal.
DOCTOR: Okay.
(The Doctor uses his screwdriver to adjust Dave's suit.)
DOCTOR: Eight hundred percent. Pass it on.

"Always have to be extra." River rolled her eyes fondly, though it was tainted by the reminder that in the end it hadn't helped anyone.

RIVER: Gotcha.
(River holds up a sonic screwdriver of her own.)
DOCTOR: What's that?
RIVER: It's a screwdriver.
DOCTOR: It's sonic.
RIVER: Yeah, I know. Snap.

"That's the one you gave to her on Darillium, right?" Rory asked, glancing between his daughter and the Doctor, who both nodded in answer.

(River upgrades everyone's spacesuit. The Doctor grabs Donna.)
DOCTOR: With me. Come on.

[Shop]

DONNA: What are we doing? We shopping? Is it a good time to shop?

The Doctor sent Donna a confused look, "Why would it be a good time to go shopping?" She really hadn't registered Donna's comment at the time.

Donna sighed, "Who knows with you, Spaceboy! Besides, I can always dream."

"What do you mean? We've been shopping plenty of times!"

"Yet the ratio of dangerous situations to nice shopping trips is very unbalanced."

"You know I don't control where the Tardis decides we need to be!"

"We all know that, Doctor."

(There is a lectern by a small dais with three roundels in it.)
DOCTOR: No talking, just moving. Try it. Right, stand there in the middle. It's a teleport. Stand in the middle. Can't send the others, Tardis won't recognise them.
DONNA: What are you doing?
DOCTOR: You don't have a suit. You're not safe.

"You're sending her away!" Amy announced, eyes widening as she realised what the Doctor was planning. Despite how much the Doctor enjoyed having companions travelling with her, it was almost guaranteed that the moment things got 'too dangerous' by the Doctor's standards they would try and force them to safety. It never ended well for anyone.

"He tried to." Donna muttered, glaring at the Doctor who only looked a bit sheepish. It seemed the group would have to have another conversation about trying to force them to leave when things got 'too dangerous', the first one apparently hadn't sunk in hard enough.

DONNA: You don't have a suit, so you're in just as much danger as I am and I'm not leaving you
DOCTOR: Donna, let me explain.
(Donna teleports away.)
DOCTOR: Oh, that's how you do it.
RIVER [OC]: Doctor.

[Rotunda]

(Donna starts to materialise inside the Tardis, then flickers, screams, and vanishes.)

"Donna!" Was exclaimed from most corners of the room, the group all shooting Donna concerned glances. Even the Doctor looked worried despite knowing what had happened broadly, she hadn't known the details of how Donna had gotten trapped in the computer system and she hated seeing Donna in pain and knowing that she was the cause of it (although she didn't regret keeping Donna away from the Vashta Nerada).

DOCTOR: Where did it go?
DAVE: It's just gone. I looked round, one shadow, see.

"Unfortunately, I don't think that's a good thing." Martha grimaced.

RIVER: Does that mean we can leave? I don't want to hang around here.
LUX: I don't know why we're still here. We can leave him, can't we? I mean, no offence.
RIVER: Shut up, Mister Lux.

"Yeah, shut up Mister Lux." Bill declared in support of River; Lux had been grating on her nerves all video.

DOCTOR: Did you feel anything, like an energy transfer? Anything at all?
DAVE: No, no, but look, it's gone.
(Dave turns around.)
DOCTOR: Stop there. Stop, stop, stop there. Stop moving. They're never just gone and they never give up.

As much as she disliked the fake reality she'd been put into, Donna couldn't help but be a little thankful that she'd missed this. She didn't know the details of what had happened while she was gone, but she could guess based off of how few members of the group had remained alive when she was rescues from the computer system.

The rest of the group seemed to agree with the Doctor, watching the screen carefully and remaining tense as the Doctor inspected Dave and the shadows surrounding him.

(He sonics the floor by Dave.)
DOCTOR: Well, this one's benign.
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?

Both the Doctor and River winced, sharing a grimace. That line had chased them for their entire time in the Library.

DOCTOR: No one, they're fine.
DAVE: No seriously, turn them back on.
RIVER: They are on.
DAVE: I can't see a ruddy thing.

"They're in his suit." Clara declared hoarsely, eyes widening in horror as she reached the only conclusion that would explain the shadow's disappearance and Dave's lack of sight.

DOCTOR: Dave, turn around.
(Dave turns back to the Doctor, his visor completely dark.)
DAVE: What's going on? Why can't I see? Is the power gone? Are we safe here?
DOCTOR: Dave, I want you stay still. Absolutely still.
(Dave jerks.)
DOCTOR: Dave? Dave? Dave, can you hear me? Are you all right? Talk to me, Dave.
DAVE: I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine.
DOCTOR: I want you to stay still. Absolutely still.
DAVE: I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine. I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? I, I can't. Why can't I? I
(Dave's comm. unit lights blink.)

"He's dead." Jack grimaced. That was another member of the already small group down, they were dropping fast and they still had no explanation for what was really going on or how they would escape.

Mickey shook his head, not in disbelief, just confused, "He's still standing. Ho's he still standing?"

"Please don't tell me the shadow piranhas have taken control of the suit. That's just too far. Doctor?" Rose asked, unnerved but hopeful she was wrong.

River and the Doctor's shared wince was all the group needed to know the answer to Rose's terrible theory.

RIVER: He's gone. He's ghosting.
LUX: Then why is he still standing?
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?

"That's so creepy." Ryan muttered with a shiver.

"Why are our lives so much like horror movies?" Bill bemoaned.

Yaz shook her head at both of them but didn't argue.

RIVER: Doctor, don't.

"Why do I even try?" River shook her head frustrated with her wife's lack of self-preservation and need to know everything. She shared a commiserating look with Jack.

DOCTOR: Dave, can you hear me?
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?
(Dave grabs the Doctor by the throat. A skull is now visible in his helmet.)
DAVE: Who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?
RIVER: Excuse me.
(River zaps the zombie with her sonic screwdriver, freeing the Doctor.)

"Thanks River." The Doctor said, rubbing her throat as if she could feel the ghost of the Vashta Nerada controlled suit's hand.

"Anytime Sweetie." River replied, "Although I'd rather we didn't get into theses situations so often."

"You love the danger."

"I do, but I don't love dying or seeing you almost dying."

"It's a fine line."

"But one we tread so well. Usually."

DOCTOR: Back from it! Get back. Right back.
(Zombie Dave lurches a step towards them.)
RIVER: Doesn't move very fast, does it?
DOCTOR: It's a swarm in a suit. But it's learning.
(Zombie Dave has four shadows, and they are growing.)

"I think it's time to start running." Martha decided, clenching and unclenching a fist over the arm of her sofa. She hated just having to sit there and do nothing while she watched the Doctor and her friends in trouble, even knowing it was the past and everyone was in the room alive and well (mostly).

"I think it's well past time to start running." Amy declared firmly, with a glare at the Doctor born out of concern more than anything.

LUX: What do we do? Where do we go?
RIVER: See that wall behind you? Duck.
(River fires a gun at the wall and makes a square hole in it.)
DOCTOR: Squareness gun!

"Wait just a minute!" Jack declared, sitting up and turning in his seat to face River and the Doctor. Rose had a similar reaction from her own sofa, while the others just watched confused. "Doctor … Is that my squareness gun?"

"You left it in the Tardis!" The Doctor countered, shifting in her seat.

"Because you confiscated it! Why does River get to use it but I don't?" Jack argued with crossed arms and a pout. River smiled smugly at him, as if the pair were toddlers arguing over who got the last slice of cake.

"Because … I was about to say because I trust River with it more, but that's not true. She gets it because she stole if from the Tardis when I wasn't paying attention and I sort of had other things to think about at the time!" The Doctor tried to defend herself. To the rest of the room's amusement her explanation only made Jack pout (playfully) harder and River's smirk smugger.

RIVER: Everybody out. Go, go, go. Move it. Move, move. Move it. Move, move.

"Good to see one of you is still reasonably sane."

"I think you'll be taking your words back by the end of this Rory the Roman."

"Really not reassuring Doctor."

[Stacks]

RIVER: You said not every shadow.
DOCTOR: But any shadow.
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?
RIVER: Run!

"Definitely a horror movie now. Great." Bill sighed.

[Girl's home]

FATHER: Sweetie, dinner's ready.
GIRL: Donna Noble has been saved.
FATHER: Sweetie?

"Saved? Like how the other people were 'saved'?" Mickey asked, turning to the three who would know hopeful for any sort of answer.

The Doctor considered her answer for a moment before nodding, "Yep. Just like the others." Well, it was more than he'd been expecting honestly, but it still didn't tell them much more than their working theory of the survivors being 'saved' into the computer.

[Stacks]

(Somewhere amongst the massive shelves of books, the Doctor is trying to sonic a light fitting.)
DOCTOR: Trying to boost the power. Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down.

"You need all the time you can get." Rose nodded approvingly. She didn't know what they needed time for exactly but any moment they weren't in immediate danger and could come up with an actual plan was good.

RIVER: So, what's the plan? Do we have a plan?
DOCTOR: Your screwdriver looks exactly like mine.
RIVER: Yeah. You gave it to me.
DOCTOR: I don't give my screwdriver to anyone.
RIVER: I'm not anyone.

"You are certainly not." The Doctor smiled softly at her wife who leaned closer, hands locked together again as they shared a quiet moment. The eye of a hurricane so to speak.

DOCTOR: Who are you?
RIVER: What's the plan?
DOCTOR: I teleported Donna back to the Tardis. If we don't get back there in under five hours, emergency program one will activate.
RIVER: Take her home, yeah. We need to get a shift on.

"Wait, that's a thing?" Yaz asked, blinking at the Doctor and wondering why she'd never heard of it.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, always good to have a back up plan in case anything bad happens." Only a few people noticed her glance at Rose.

DOCTOR: She's not there. I should have received a signal. The console signals me if there's a teleport breach.
RIVER: Well, maybe the coordinates have slipped. The equipment here's ancient.
(The Doctor goes to a nearby Node.)
DOCTOR: Donna Noble. There's a Donna Noble somewhere in this library. Do you have the software to locate her position?
(The node turns its head. It has Donna's face.)

A few members of the group let out a shriek at the sight of Donna's face on the node. Even Donna seemed startled, staring at the screen in mounting horror.

"Why's that thing got my face?! Doctor, Doctor how did it get my face!?"

The Doctor winced, "It chose a face in its memory bank that it thought I would most like, just as the first one we met did. Apparently, they can use the faces of people in their system, not just those donated."

"Well, it bloody well never do that again! I don't want my face on a node thing!" Donna exclaimed.

"You're not in its systems anymore Donna, it likely won't use your face ever again. Besides the Library wasn't really in a good state when we left." The Doctor tried to console the shocked red-head, who seemed to calm down marginally at that explanation. River, Donna and the Doctor all shared a long look at the thought of how things ended in the Library. The rest of the group however, was still in the dark (metaphorically only, thankfully) but did not appreciate the suggestion that things did not end remotely well.

DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.
DOCTOR: Donna.
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.
RIVER: How can it be Donna? How's that possible?
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.
DOCTOR: Donna.
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library.
DAVE [OC]: Hey, who turned out the lights?

"Time to start running again." Clara decided. As unnerved as they were about the node and Donna, the Doctor and River couldn't help anyone if the Vashta Nerada got them. They needed to retreat somewhere safe to work out their next steps.

RIVER: Doctor!
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has been saved.
DAVE [OC]: Hey, who turned out the lights?
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library.
RIVER: Doctor, we've got to go now!
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has been saved.

"I think we got the message, creep." Donna muttered with a glare at the screen. There was far too much happening for her liking, though she couldn't deny she was curious to know what had happened while she was gone. The Doctor had never gone into any details, and she'd never pushed sensing the Doctor wouldn't budge on the matter, but unlike her, the Tardis wasn't giving the Doctor a choice.

DAVE: Hey, Who turned out the lights?
(River and the Doctor run, followed by Lux, the other Dave and Anita.)
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library.
(The group are trapped between shadows.)
RIVER: Doctor, what are we going to do?
DAVE: Hey, who turned out the lights?
DONNA NODE: Donna Noble has left the library. Donna Noble has been saved.

"That's the end?!" Bill exclaimed, sitting up sharply in her seat as the screen faded to black. "How can that be the end? We don't know anything!" Several others made various sounds of frustration agreeing with her.

"It's another two-parter." Rory muttered with a grimace, "That's not a good sign. Every two-part video so far has been terrible and ended badly." He really didn't want to wait to find out what happened to his daughter any longer.

"Anyone want a break?" The Doctor asked hopefully, personally she'd be quite happy if they could delay what was coming for just a bit longer.

Amy shot her a glare, as did many others, but Amy's was fuelled by parental concern. "No one is moving from these sofas until we know how this mess ends and what happens to River, Doctor!"

"How do you know anything happens to River?" The Doctor tried to argue but it came out weakly.

"We're not stupid Doctor. We've known you and River long enough to know something's wrong, and you haven't exactly been quiet about it. Now, shut up and let the video continue!"