Eve of Something New Chapter 7: A Storm of Guilt, a doctor who fanfic

Eva sat on the balcony right outside the room where they had all gathered in earlier, thinking, and occasionally taking a drag of her cigarette but mostly watching it die.

The rest of the group had returned to the room now that they had parted with Miss Evangelista. But Eva couldn't help but think of the young woman she let die, couldn't stop her mind from bringing up the hopeful look she wore when she thought Eva was going to sign the contract.

She was dead now, eaten away until there was nothing left but her skeleton. And Eva knew that would happen. She had known, and she didn't even try to stop it.

She put the cigarette to her lips, inhaling deeply and letting the smoke burn her lungs.

She should have done something. She should have saved her. The Doctor was right.

It wasn't until she sensed someone nearing her that she looked up, but she said nothing as Donna sat down next to her. They sat in silence until Eva finished her cigarette, deciding against another as she stomped the burning end of it with her foot and threw the stub into a nearby bin.

"You know," Donna said, breaking the silence between them, "You travel through all of time and space and getting into trouble with the Doctor. How do you even have the time to buy cigarettes?"

"The TARDIS gave this pack to me, actually," Eva replied. "I found it on my night shed this morning when I woke up. A good thing, too, since the last one ran out last night."

"I bet the Doctor wasn't happy about that," Donna remarked.

"As if I care what he says," Eva scoffed. "I'm a smoker. Deal with it."

"You don't have to tell me," Donna said. "He has no right interfering with your life."

"Preaching to the choir, honey," Eva muttered.

"But," Donna went on, "When he is trying to interfere with your life, he usually does so because he cares about you."

"He's trying to convince me to tell him what I know," Eva told her.

"I know," the red haired woman replied. "And you shouldn't tell him."

"People will die," Eva said. "Miss Evangelista already has."

"And it's not your fault," Donna said, getting to her feet and pulling the other woman to eye-level. "The only one to blame is whoever or whatever killed her. Got that?" Eva nodded uncertainly. "Good. Now come back in."

The Doctor, who was having a quiet conversation with River, looked up when he saw the two come back in.

"You're here," he noted with no real emotion to his voice. "Good. I'm going to need a packed lunch," he told the rest.

"Hang on," River said, leaning down next to her bag and drawing things out as she searched for food.

"What's in that book?" the Doctor asked as she took out her TARDIS notebook.

"Spoilers," she replied.

"Oh, I bet you got that from Eva..." the Doctor muttered. "Who are you?"

"Professor River Song, University of –"

"To me," the Doctor said. "To us. Who are you to us?"

"Again, spoilers," River said with a sigh, opening her lunch box and handing it to the Doctor. "Chicken, and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

The Doctor stared at her for a long moment before talking. "Right, you lot," he said, standing up. "Let's meet the Vashta Nerada!"

He leaned down next to a table, trying to use his sonic screwdriver to check for Vashta Nerada while holding River's food but barely managing.

"Eva, could you come here?" he asked.

"Do I have to?" Eva asked, causing him to stop and look at her.

"Please."

She sighed, moving to sit next to him as she did nothing but hold the food, a task that, in her opinion, the floor could do just as well as she could.

"Are you okay?" the Doctor asked, surprising her.

"What do you care?" Eva asked.

"I care," he said. "I always care when it comes to you."

"You didn't act like it before," Eva scoffed.

"Well, River knocked some sense into me while you were out," the Doctor shrugged. "Literally knocked it in. That woman has a mighty slap. Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?" he asked as he reached the table Proper Dave was sitting on.

"Why?" Proper Dave asked.

"Just move," Eva bit out, causing him to walk away, rolling his eyes. "I have a feeling you will get quite acquainted with River's slaps soon," she remarked to the Doctor.

"Will I, now?" the Doctor muttered. "Looking forward to it. Is she important?" he added. "In my future. Is she important?"

"You know I can't tell you," Eva said.

"I know," the Doctor quickly told her. "Sorry."

"What are you talking about?" they heard Donna say. "Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know them or don't you?"

"Donna, quiet, I'm working!" the Doctor said.

"And, for the record," Eva added. "She knows us better than almost anybody else."

"She does?" the Doctor asked.

"Shouldn't you be working?" Eva asked.

"Right," the Doctor said, going back to looking for living Vashta Nerada. "Back to it."

"You are so immature sometimes," Eva scoffed.

"Of course I am," the Doctor said. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Eva said. "It's just all of those different you, getting lost in my head."

"Okay!" the Doctor called out to the group instead of replying to what Eva said. "We've got a live one. That's not darkness down those tunnels," he told them all. "This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man-eating swarm."

Eva took one of the chicken legs and threw it through the shadow, letting them all see the way it was stripped down to the bone before it even touched the ground.

"The piranhas of the air, the Vashta Nerada," the Doctor said.

"Literally 'the shadows that melt the flesh'," Eva added. "Most planets have them, but usually in small clusters."

"I've never seen an infestation on this scale, or this aggressive," the Doctor mused.

"What d'you mean, most planets?" Donna asked. "Not Earth?"

"Earth, and a billion other worlds," Eva said. "Where there's meat, there's Vashta Nerada."

"You can see them sometimes, if you look," the Doctor added. "The dust in sunbeams."

"If they were on Earth, we'd know," Donna said.

"Nah, normally they live on road kill," the Doctor told her. "But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark."

"Every shadow?" River asked, looking around.

"No," Eva replied. "But any shadow."

"So what do we do?" River asked.

"Daleks - aim for the eyestalk," the Doctor said. "Sontarans – back of the neck. Vashta Nerada..."

"Run," Eva said, swallowing hard. "Just run."

"Run where?" River questioned.

"This is an index point," the Doctor said. "There must be an exit teleport."

"Don't look at me," Lux said. "I haven't memorised the schematics!"

"Doctor, the little shop!" Donna said. "They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff."

"You're right!" the Doctor said, looking into the shop. "That's why I like the little shop!"

"You and your bloody shop," Eva muttered.

"Okay, let's move it," Proper Dave said, moving towards it.

"Actually, Proper Dave," Eva said, her voice trembling. "Could you stay where you are for a moment?"

"Why?" Proper Dave asked.

"I'm sorry," she said, knowing it was one more person she was unable to save. "I really am. But you've got two shadows."

"It's how they hunt, they latch on to a food source and keep it fresh," the Doctor explained.

"What do I do?" Proper Dave asked.

"You stay absolutely still," the Doctor replied. "Like there's a wasp in the room, a million wasps."

"We're not leaving you, Dave," River quickly said.

"Of course not," the Doctor told him. "Where's your helmet? Don't point, tell me."

"On the floor, by my bag," Proper Dave said, and Anita moved to fetch it.

"Don't cross his shadow!" the Doctor warned her, making sure she was extra careful as she walked. "Thanks," he said, putting the helmet on Proper Dave's head. "Now, the rest of you, helmets on and sealed up. We'll need everything we've got."

"Doctor, we haven't got any helmets," Donna noted.

"We're safe anyway," the Doctor brushed her concern off.

"How are we safe?"

"We're not," Eva said. "That was a clever lie to shut you up. Not working, by the way."

"Eva, you're the safest person in the room right now," the Doctor told her.

"Why?" Eva asked. "Because I can't die?"

"No," the Doctor said. "Because I'd rather die than let anything happen to you. Professor, anything I can do with the suit?"

"What good are suits?" Lux questioned. "Miss Evangelista was wearing one, there was nothing left."

"We can increase the mesh-density, dial it up 400%," River offered. "Make it a tougher meal."

"Okay," the Doctor said, taking out his screwdriver and doing as she said before making a move to pass it to her.

"Got one," she said, showing him her screwdriver.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked.

"It's a screwdriver," River said.

"It's sonic," the Doctor said, shocked.

"Yeah, I know," River told him. "Snap."

She turned to the others, increasing the mesh-density and the Doctor looked at Eva with a quizzical glance. Her face remained stoic, and he sighed, taking Donna to the shop where Eva knew she would be sent away. He returned a minute later and grasped Eva's hand, but she shook her head.

"No way," she said. "I know what you're trying to do and it's not going to work on me, Mister."

"The Vashta Nerada –" the Doctor started.

"Can't kill me," Eva replied. "I can't die, remember?"

"You're not invincible," the Doctor told her.

"I'm not a damsel in distress, either," she retorted. "You're stuck with me. Deal with it."

"Doctor!" River called, causing the two of them to turn around, and the Doctor to tighten his grasp on Eva's hand.

They looked at Proper Dave, who was standing exactly the same as before, only one shadow less.

"Where did it go?" the Doctor asked.

"It's just gone," Proper Dave said. "I looked round, one shadow. See."

"Does that mean we can leave?" River asked hopefully.

"I don't know why we're still here," Lux muttered.

"I don't know why you're still talking," Eva retorted. "Shut up."

"Did you feel anything?" the Doctor asked. "Like an energy transfer?"

"No, no, but, look," Proper Dave said as he turned around to show the Doctor. "It's gone."

"Stop there, stop moving," the Doctor called out. "They're never just gone. And they never give up." He let go of Eva, leaning down to check the shadow that was left. "Well, this one's benign," he muttered.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Proper Dave asked, and Eva took a shaky breath, knowing he was gone.

"No-one, they're fine," the Doctor said, looking up at him.

"No, seriously, turn them back on!" Proper Dave said.

"They are on," River said, and Eva reached out and pulled the Doctor back.

"I can't see a ruddy thing," Proper Dave told them.

"Dave," the Doctor said slowly. "Turn round."

"What's going on?" Dave asked, turning around and allowing the rest of the group to see nothing but darkness inside his mask. "Why can't I see? Is the power gone, are we safe here?"

"Dave, I want you stay still, absolutely still," Eva said, knowing what was coming next.

Dave twitched in pain, and a sickening sound was heard from inside the suit.

"Dave, Dave?" the Doctor asked, constantly pushing Eva behind him only for her to step forward and push him back. "Dave, can you hear me, are you all right? Talk to me, Dave."

"I'm fine, I'm okay, I'm fine," Dave said, though Eva knew he was anything but.

"I want you to stay still, absolutely still," the Doctor instructed.

"I'm fine, I'm okay, I'm fine," Dave repeated. "I can't... Why can't I? I... I can't... Why can't I? I... I can't Why can't I? I..."

"He's gone," Eva said, looking at the flickering light in his collar. "He's ghosting."

"Then why is he still standing?" Lux asked.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" Dave asked. "Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"Doctor, Eva, don't!" River said as the Doctor leaned closer to Dave and Eva pulled him back once more.

"Dave, can you hear me?" the Doctor asked, and Eva barely managed to push him back in time for Swarm-Dave to attack her and not him.

"Hey! Who turned out the lights?" Swarm-Dave asked as he put his hands around her neck, the skeleton moving inside the suit. "Who turned out the lights? Hey! Who turned out the lights?"

"S'cuse me!" River said, running forwards and electrocuting him until he let go.

"Back from it, get back, right back!" the Doctor said, pulling Eva away.

"It won't do," Eva said. "It can move now."

"Doesn't move very fast, does it?" River asked.

"It's a swarm in a suit," Eva told her.

"But it's learning," the Doctor said, looking at the shadows extending from the suit.

"What do we do? Where do we go?" Lux asked.

"See that wall behind you?" River asked.

"Duck!" Eva called, pulling the Doctor down with her.

"Squareness gun!" the Doctor said appreciatively.

"Everybody out!" River said, running through the hole she created in the wall. "Go, go, go!"

The found themselves in a corridor, and River looked around.

"You said not every shadow," River said.

"But any shadow!" the Doctor replied.

"Not this one, though," Eva said, reaching out for River's hand with the one that didn't hold the Doctor's. "Run!"

EMH

"Trying to boost the power," the Doctor explained once they reached a new corridor, everybody other than him breathing heavily. "Light doesn't stop them, but it slows them down."

"So what's the plan?" River asked, taking her screwdriver and finishing what the Doctor spent several good minutes working on in just a couple of seconds. "Do we have a plan?"

"Your screwdriver..." the Doctor said. "Looks exactly like mine."

"Yeah," River said. "You gave it to me."

"I don't give my screwdriver to anyone," the Doctor replied.

"She's not anyone," Eva said.

"Who are you?" the Doctor asked River before looking at Eva. "Who is she?"

"Plan," Eva said. "Have you got one?"

"I teleported Donna back to the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "If we don't get back in five hours, emergency program one activates."

"Take her home," River nodded. "We need to get a shift on."

The Doctor frowned, looking at his screwdriver. "She's not there," he said. "I should've received a signal, the console signals me if there's a teleport breach."

"I'm sorry," Eva said.

Both the Doctor and River turned to look at her. "What for?"

Eva sighed, heading to the nearest Node. "There's a Donna Noble in this library," she told it. "Do you have the software to locate her?"

The Node turned and the Doctor froze as he saw it bearing Donna's face.

"No," he whispered.

"Donna Noble has left the Library," the Node said. "Donna Noble has been saved."

"Donna!" the Doctor called out.