AN: For some reason there were problems with this chapter, but I hopefully fixed them now, and I am writing a totally new author's note for this but hey, that's okay, here it is if you had trouble reading it before.
"R-River?" The Doctor stuttered.
She looked around anxiously, and taking his wrist, she whispered, "Not here, not now. Come with me."
"Bu-" the Doctor tried to protest, but River had already pulled him away.
Once outside, River took his hand, typed some coordinates in her vortex manipulator, and they disappeared.
They reappeared in a comfortable looking beach house, with sheer curtains and several wicker chairs.
The Doctor took in a few gasping breaths, glaring at River.
"Don't- do that without warning next time."
"Oh, shut up you, you just think it's attractive and don't want to admit it."
"I do not!" he insisted incredulously, straightening to his full height.
"Oh sweetie, it's so adorable how you think you can intimidate me," she said, plopping down on the couch, and taking a blue journal out of one of the many hiding places within her dress.
"Have we done the Pandorica yet?" River asked, looking up.
The Doctor grimaced slightly, like there was a bitter taste in his mouth, and answered in a slightly acerbic tone, "Yes. This is our second adventure since the wedding."
"So….." River said, standing up and straightening the Doctor's bowtie. "We have some catching up to do."
The Doctor stepped away, and, in a tone that was harsher than intended, said, "What are you doing here, River? I don't have time for this. I need to find my friends."
River, instead of getting that offended pout like she so often did, grew serious.
"That's exactly why I'm here Doctor."
"What?" the Doctor asked, confused.
"To save you." She said gravely.
River looked down at her watch, and gave a mysterious smile.
"Later, sweetie," she said, blowing the Doctor a kiss and disappearing with the pressing of a few buttons.
"Wait-" The Doctor cried out; but he was just crying into thin air.
He started panicking.
Why was River there to save him?
How did she know?
Why did she know?
What-
But his last thought was cut off by the cool steel point of a needle entering his skin near the neck.
And he crumpled to the floor in an ungraceful heap of limbs.
The Doctor awoke to the feeling of a cool steel blade sliding across his chest.
He gasped a little, blearily opening his eyes.
There was a figure, hooded and cloaked, standing over him, holding him down with a spiked metal boot that dug into his skin.
"You are surprisingly strong," said a cool, smooth voice. "Most would have been out longer, and would have been screaming in pain by the time the first blade hit their skin, even if they were unconscious." There was a pause in the speech. "But I see you are different."
The Doctor barely managed to gasp out a response, as the blade continued writing something into his skin.
"I got used to it in the years I was alone."
A cool, dry laugh escaped his captor.
He leaned down to whisper in the Doctor's ear.
"Well now you are alone, aren't you?" There was a little intake of breath. "This is for the pain. Sleep tight."
Another needle was inserted into the Doctor's skin.
And he faded once more into restless blackness.
When the Doctor woke up, he first felt a growing pain in his chest.
Poison his brain soon registered. It was poisoned.
He looked down at his chest, and sighed weakly, gently lowering his aching head back to the floor.
It was oozing pus and blood, and seemingly hadn't ceased much from the weakness brought on by the drugs and poison.
And, worse of all, it was his name.
Doctor.
In Gallifreyan.
As his muddled mind slowly realize his situation, he sat bolt upright.
"Ponds," he gasped. "What have they done to you?"
He forced himself upright, ignoring the blade marks across his chest.
Black spots swam in front of the Doctor's eyes, but he ignored them. Forfeiting the idea of going back to the TARDIS and feeling her anger, he instead decided to go on as he was.
He almost considered getting his suit, but then again, to them he could just be a drunken stranger.
He gasped from the pain of old memories.
Rose his mind supplied.
He could almost smell her sweet perfume, touch her blond hair. For a moment he imagined that she was there, laughing with him.
Then the Doctor snapped out of it, and there he was back in this room.
"Okay," he muttered to himself, "I'm okay. Always okay. King of- oh that's rubbish, making up titles I don't even deserve. The main question is- where am I?"
He stumbled to the window, trying to see through the curtains.
"Oh," he gasped. "River was leading- me- to- them."
He ran clumsily back into one of the bedroom, rummaging through the drawers. They were all empty, except one, which contained a note on top of a T-shirt. Tearing off the note, he pulled the T-shirt over his head.
His companions would have laughed at his appearance now.
He almost looked….. normal.
He rushed to the door, fumbling with the doorknob.
Tripping out, he was overcome by a fresh wave of pain.
He doubled over in pain, retching over and over again as his body attempted to reject the poison it had been given.
He half imagined iron manacles holding him in place, and- and…..
"No," he mumbled to himself. "Not now."
Uncurling from the fetal position he had assumed and wiping the vomit off his chin, he staggered to his feet.
A flashback sent him clutching his head and trying to stay upright.
Too much to drink?
Yeah, something like that.
NO, he said, his mind betraying him. Keep GOING.
"There should be some- some. Oh. Yes. Right. Big thingamagig outside… yes. Only question is: How the heck am I supposed to get inside?"
Another wave of pain had him on the ground again, coughing and retching violently, bringing up only bile.
Wiping his chin once more, he straightened.
He surveyed his target.
It was a large center, designed to look like a restaurant in that area- or, as far as he knew, it WAS a restaurant- just with other alien purposes.
So- the front door approach.
Lovely.
He rubbed his hands together.
He hadn't gotten to do his front door approach in what seemed like forever- even though it probably wasn't that long ago. Since the Pand-.
THAT won't do he thought.
He tried doing one of his characteristic goofy smiles- except every movement hurt and it turned into a grimace of pain.
Oh well he thought I'm basically drunk anyway- if only in a different sense. I'll fit right in.
He staggered over to the restaurant.
The sun was just starting to set- not too early then, for him to be completely and utterly stoned.
The Doctor laughed grimly.
And here we go.
He threw open the doors to the restaurant.
"Hello everyone," he slurred, and promptly collapsed to the floor as pain wracked his frame in waves.