River's chest was heaving and she leaned against a counter once they were inside the store. The Doctor didn't bother catching his breath, going quickly to her side. "Are you alright?"
"I need to sit down." She shook her head, squeezing his hand tightly, glancing nervously at the door.
He helped her to the floor, while not comfortable looking, was at least covered with a rug. "Are you having contractions?" He whispered.
"No, I'm just tired." She lied, giving him a weak smile, "Everything's fine."
"What about back there?" He asked, remembering the earlier pain.
"He was holding me very tightly." She tried to argue.
"I mean when he let go." He said worriedly.
"I don't know what you're talking about." She murmured, closing her eyes and trying to relax.
He dropped his protests, knowing it wasn't the time to push against her. He instead sat next to her. "We need a plan."
She nodded, "Any suggestions?"
"Well basically the entire market is looking for us and who knows if they'll start checking shops. We could wait it out and sneak out when the commotion dies down."
"How far are we from the TARDIS?" She asked, suppressing another pained expression.
"Not sure. The running screwed me up, but I'd say at least an hour's walk."
She nodded, breathing deeply, "Right, alright. Let's wait it out then."
"You know it could be hours?" He reminded.
"Yes, I know." She nodded, "Why? Do you have somewhere to be?"
He laughed weakly. "No, I just feel bad that a chunk of your birthday will be spent hiding away from people who want you dead."
She shrugged, "It makes the day exciting. And I get to have to alone time with you."
"I'm glad it's not getting you down. How's that jaw?"
"Bruised I'm sure." She sighed, "But I've had worse."
"You should put ice on it as soon as we get back. You aren't hurt anywhere else, are you?"
"No, I'm just fin-ag!" She squeezed her eyes shut in pain.
"River, that really doesn't sound fine." He fretted, offering his hand again. She squeezed his hand, breathing in and out. "How long have you been having these?"
"It's nothing. I'm not having anything!" She refused to admit the obvious.
"You were due yesterday, River. You've done this three times before. How can you say this isn't it?" She shook her head, though she didn't have any way to defend her argument. "Look at me, love. Tell me what's wrong." He was starting to think there was an emotional component to her denial.
She stared at him, whispering weakly, "She's not coming today. She's not even in the right position."
He put his hand on her middle, feeling that Terra was indeed in a breech position. "I'm sorry, but positions don't always predict timing."
She shook her head, "She can't come, not now."
"It's going to be alright, my love, we still have time. We can try to turn her."
"No, no I'm not ready for her to come. She can't come now."
"Riv, you've got to breathe and try to stay calm. Take a breath." He was cupping her face now, trying his best to assure her. She shook her head, growing more and more panicked. "Come on, deep breaths." He encouraged, taking a few himself in hopes she'd mimic him.
She took a few breaths, though it didn't look like it really helped. He started reaching into his pockets and pulled out a med kit. "Had a voice in the back of my head today to bring these."
"What are you doing?" She stared at him, "We're not doing this!" Her voice was rising to a level that threatened to give away their hiding place.
"Sh." He glanced at the door instinctively, making sure there were no intruders or lurking shadows of one. "We're sitting ducks and you're in labour. I'm only being prepared."
She closed her eyes, breathing in and out as another wave of pain passed. He set the materials aside and out of her sight, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by them.
She was still visibly distraught, putting her head in her hands. Those emotions were affecting Terra, causing her fear to escalate as well. The anxiety Terra was feeling only heightened the fear and stress River was having, creating a circle increasing panic.
It didn't take an expert to see the strain on River, and the Doctor wanted desperately to help. "Is there anything I can do?"
She leaned towards him in search of comfort, "I don't know."
He wrapped his arms around her, offering what assurance he could through physical contact. She leaned into his embrace, shaking. He murmured what sweet nothings he could think of, hoping to help calm her. She started to relax just slightly, leaning against him
Footsteps from outside passed by the door and onward. The Doctor was starting to wonder how well their hiding spot would hold. "How are you doing?"
"Fine." She lied, squeezing his hand.
"What happened to Jack?" He asked, seeing through her words, but not commenting.
"He's back at the party." She murmured, breathing deeply. "I don't want him in here. He is not going to be in here." She shook her head.
"I meant that if we could get a message to him, he could bring the TARDIS and we could get out of here."
She squeezed his hand as there was a bang on the door, a big, hulking figure casting a shadow over the room. The Doctor shut his mouth and held his breath, squeezing back tightly.
They were hidden behind the checkout counter, but even so would be in big trouble if the man came all the way in. River suppressed a groan of pain as another contraction came. The Doctor desperately motioned for her to try to stay quiet, palms sweating nervously.
"Blaster?" He mouthed. She pointed a few feet away. He nodded and reached for it as silently as possible as the door broke open.
River jumped, clutching onto his arm as heavy, unfamiliar footsteps pounded into the room. "Song! If you're in here you better start praying!"
River glanced worriedly at her husband. "What do we do?" She mouthed.
He offered the blaster. While he didn't want the killing, there weren't any people around to back the other man up and it was better than having River gutted.
She tried to steady herself so she would be able to use the weapon, taking aim from behind the counter. Her husband supported her, assisting in keeping her arms from trembling.
Once she had a good shot, she fired without so much as a warning. The shot wasn't exactly in the center of the intruder's head like usual, but it was still clean and lethal.
He dropped to the ground. River fell back against the support of her husband, breathing heavily.
"That was close." The Doctor held her firmly, resuming his own breathing.
She nodded, "We might have to move."
He nodded with hesitation. "But we'll be seen." She held onto him, feeling another painful wave. He did his best to hold her through it. "I could strengthen the perception filter and take his shirt... River even if we made it our of the market without being spotted, do you think you could make it that far? The TARDIS is so far away."
She shook her head, "I don't think I can." She admitted, "Perhaps it would be best if we stayed here."
He nodded. "It might be best for you to lay down or try some positions to help with the pain..."
"I don't want to lay down." She whispered, squeezing his hand.
"You don't have to. Listen to what your body needs, yeah?"
"She needs to change positions." River murmured.
"We can try externally trying to shift her, but if that doesn't work there's not much else we can do."
"Let's try shifting her."
He placed his hand on her belly. "This will be uncomfortable. If you can talk to her and tell her to stay calm, to move her head down even, that would help."
She nodded, finding her connection with Terra and focusing on sending calm feelings. Terra was still frightened, almost overwhelmingly. Part of it was from what had happened and part was because she didn't understand why her word kept tightening around her.
The fright was leaking through to her mother, but River tried to stay calm, "Everything is going to be alright. We're going to get to see each other very soon."
Terra didn't know what seeing was, but it seemed to have a good connotation with River. Her confusion increased, however, when the Doctor's prodding hands started to try to ease her head down.
"It's just Daddy." River assured her, "We need you to move your head down, can you follow his hands?"
Why? She didn't want to move from her cozy spot.
"Because you have to be facing the other way." She urged.
For what?
"To be born."
Terra was quiet for a moment, trying to figure out this word too. It seemed rather mysterious and maybe a bit magical. It was filled with all things new and maybe if she turned she'd get to learn what new things the word had in store. She finally, in one swift lurch, turned herself down (with her father's assistance).
River winced, reaching out for her husband.
"Lots of pressure from her head now." He murmured, offering his hands again.
"Yeah, I noticed." She breathed, "Can you sit behind me?"
He nodded, ready to do what she needed. He lowered them both down. "Sorry it's happening like this."
She didn't answer, trying to breathe steadily in and out.
"How close are they?"
She shook her head, "I don't know, one every few minutes."
"That's pretty close." He realized she must've been having them all day.
"Not really." She muttered
"Every few minutes is considered close, River."
"It could still be hours… we don't even know how dilated I am."
He'd been hoping that she'd relieved of her pain sooner but nodded since she was right. She sighed, rolling her shoulders. He reached to massage them for her.
She shook him off of her, "I need to get up. I need to walk around, I need to move."
"Em, alright then." He stood from behind her and offered a hand up. She took his hand, standing up.
Avoiding looking at the body still on the floor, they moved to the back of the shop and away from the windows. The Doctor stood out of River's way but was ready in case she wanted to lean on him or something of the like.
For the next hour, River slowly paced around the room until she asked for her husband's help to continue walking. He quickly moved to assist her, watching her movements for cues.
She leaned on him for support, "The pressure is increasing."
"Has your water broken yet?"
She shook her head, "Not yet." She murmured.
"My guess is that the pressure means it will soon."
Voices outside the stop were growing louder again, making is sound as though the market vendors were starting to look inside buildings.
The Doctor looked at the windows, what he saw confirming that the search had moved on to that. He swallowed and looked at the body on the floor, then River. They would need to hide the body and probably themselves also.
River was hardly paying attention, focusing on breathing and rocking her hips back and forth.
He walked her slowly back over to the checkout counter, shifting her over to lean against that so he could go move the body.
She leaned against the counter, watching him, "Do you need help?"
"No, you just focus on what you're doing." He insisted. He was about to start dragging the dead vendor over to the broom closet but paused. "I have an idea."
"What?" She breathed, still rocking back and forth.
"The search party, they want to find tracks; clues to us," he whispered, "We don't need to hide everything, we just need to make it look like we've been through here and left. We can make it look like we killed him and fled out the back door. They'll follow right through."
"Are you sure it will work?" She murmured, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I'm never sure, but it's the best chance we've got."
She nodded, "What do you want me to do?"
"Open the back door a bit so it looks like we went through." He instructed, bending down to strategically arrange the body.
She slowly walked towards the back door, opening it up. The Doctor cleared up the things he'd left on the floor, sticking them in his back in pockets, and handing River the blaster again.
She shook her head, "I can't, I won't be able to use it if we nee-agh!"
He quickly pocketed the gun and rushed to her before her knees could give out. She fell into his arms, taking a few deep breaths, "I don't think I can move."
"You only need to get to the broom closet to hide." He murmured.
"Pressure..." She whispered, holding onto him.
"What kind?"
"Painful." She whispered, "It feels like my waters about to break."
"Just try to make it to the closet, yeah?" He urged. It probably wouldn't help if her waters broke all over the floor and the search party found it.
"I hate to break it to you, but I don't have much control over where or when my water breaks." She snapped.
"Never said you did, love." His tone remained patient and level.
"I don't think I can make it to the closet." She breathed.
"Just hang on to me." He urged, the voiced growing closer. She nodded, holding him tightly. He held her firmly, very slowly getting her to move her feet inch by inch towards the broom closet. He was practically carrying her.
"Stop! Stop!" She halted about halfway to the door.
"What is it?"
"H-hurts. I can't go."
He didn't want to push her but he could hear footsteps coming. "I'll carry you." She held onto him tighter, not really wanting to be carried. "We've got to hide now, we'll be found." He whispered urgently.
She was about to protest when the pressure released. Liquid pooled in the door beneath her feet and Terra grew confused at the feeling.
Shadows of a small throng of people approached and the Doctor swiftly (and as carefully as he could manage), ducked River and himself back behind the counter. It was too late to make it all the way to the safety of the closet.
River stared at him in alarm, panic obvious in her eyes. He made a gesture to stay silent, gripping the gun in one hand and her hand in his other. She made a small squeak of pain, putting her free hand to her side.
Terra was getting scared again and the search party entered the dark shop. River was staring at her husband, trying to think of some way to get out of the situation. He signaled for her to wait to see if the plan would work.
"They've killed Jareer!" Someone shouted. There was quite a commotion after this realization, several of the search party members splitting up to search the shop.
River's hearts were pounding and she pulled the Doctor closer to her. Terra started fully panicking again and though the Doctor was too, he tried hard not to show it and just hold his wife close. He had a feeling he would be using the gun soon.
River was curled up against the Doctor, trying to suppress the noises of pain she was making.
The scouts who weren't searching the place had followed the false trail out the back door. The others were looking through shelves and behind curtains and in the broom closet, which now the Doctor was thankful they hadn't hidden in, but their time was shortening rapidly as footsteps followed to the checkout counter.
Someone else entered the room.
River's contractions were getting stronger and she was struggling to keep silent.
One of the scouts found their hiding place. "Ey, Marrock! I found the wrals..."
Whoever was announcing their presence trailed off at the sound of someone bashing who was presumably Marrock over the head. This was followed by the sound of a body dropping.
The rest of the group was looking towards the intruder.
"Hi there." Said a familiar voice. "The name's Jack Harkness."
River sighed in relief, relaxing just slightly. The search party drew in around Jack, but the man made very quick work of them with a trusty metal pipe he'd found on his way here.
When they were all unconscious or dead, Jack rounded the counter to find his friends. "By the way, I definitely won the bet."
River groaned, clutching her husband's hand, "Stop talking."
He reluctantly shut his mouth while the Doctor spoke up. "I need you to go get the TARDIS."
Jack nodded, "Is everything alright?"
"The baby has poor timing." He informed.
"Right, I'm on it." Jack nodded, running for the door.
The Doctor looked at River. "I guess having Jack pop in was a good thing." She nodded, trying to shift and relieve the ever increasing pressure.
-x-
An hour passed and Jack still wasn't back with the TARDIS, and then another hour. Finally, footsteps returned to the shop. "Bad news Doc."
He was helping River breathe through a particularly strong contraction, looking up at him worriedly.
"I don't think you'll be getting the TARDIS back anytime soon," Jack muttered, going on to explain how the TARDIS had been chained up and guarded by several of the remaining vendors who had recognized it. "I tried to get to it, but they've got it tied up pretty tight."
The Doctor muttered a curse under his breath, looking at River. "I'm not sure how much longer Terra will wait."
"Is there anything I can get?" Jack asked.
"Do you have your vortex manipulator on you?"
Jack shook his head, "I left it with Gwen, she needed it for a mission back at Torchwood."
"Then what mode of transportation did you use to get here?"
"Ship, but it's on the other side of the planet. I don't think you'll make it, especially with half the market still looking for you."
"River's in no position to move and I'm not leaving her." He looked questioningly at is wife.
"Is there anywhere around here at least a bit safer and more secure than here?" River asked.
"There's some more empty buildings outside the market. The doors there actually lock, but they're in the opposite direction of the TARDIS."
"Do you think we can get to them without being seen?"
"I think there are enough back allies for it... do you think you can make it?"
"If we leave now and hurry." She nodded.
The Doctor handed Jack the blaster and helped River up. She leaned heavily against him, waited for the contraction to pass before hurrying out the back.
