the hourglass (doctor who fan fiction)

Silence in the Library pt. 4

 
  "I'm going to need a packed lunch." the Doctor yelled. "Hang on." River ran to her backpack and pulled out her book. "What's in that book?" the Doctor asked crouched beside her. "Spoilers." she said rummaging through her bag. "Who are you?" the Doctor asked. "Professor River Song, University of-"

"To me. Who are you to me?" he raised his eyebrows. "Again, spoilers." She opened a lunch box. "Chicken and a bit of salad. Knock yourself out."

"Right, you lot. Let's all meet the Vashta Nerada." he flipped his torch.

The Doctor began to scan the floor with his sonic screwdriver. "You travel with him, don't you? The Doctor, you travel with him." River asked Donna. "What of it?" Donna asked. "Proper Dave, could you move over a bit?" Dave turned to the Doctor. "Why?" The Doctor motioned towards the left. "Over there by the water cooler. Thanks."

"You know him and Juno, don't you?" Donna questioned. River smiled. "Oh God, do I know those two. We go way back, Juno, the Doctor, and me. Just not this far back." Donna turned to River. "I'm sorry, what?"
"They haven't met me yet. I sent him a message, but it went wrong. It arrived too early. This is the Doctor and Juno in the days before they properly knew me. And they look at me, they looks right through me and it shouldn't kill me, but it does."

"What are you talking about? Are you just talking rubbish? Do you know them or don't you?" Donna exclaimed. "Donna! Quiet, I'm working." the Doctor said still sonicing the floor. "Sorry." she mumbled. "Donna. You're Donna. Donna Noble." River turned to Donna. "Yeah. Why?" Donna looked unfazed. "I do know the Doctor and Juno, but in the future. Their personal future." River explained. "So why don't you know me? Where am I in the future?"

"Okay, got a live one." the Doctor said standing up. "That's not darkness down those tunnels. This is not a shadow. It's a swarm. A man eating swarm." he pointed down the dark hallway. He threw a chicken leg into the shadow. It became just the bone by the time it hits the floor. "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." he explained. "What do you mean, most planets? Not Earth?" Donna crouched down beside him. "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."

"If they were on Earth, we'd know." Donna said. "Nah. Normally they live on road kill. But sometimes people go missing. Not everyone comes back out of the dark." he said looking out into the dark corridors that surrounded us. "Every shadow?" River asked. I looked to her. "No. But any shadow." River turned to us. "So what do we do?"

"Daleks, aim for the eyestalk. Sontarans, back of the neck. Vashta Nerada?" he paused and turned to the group. "Run. Just run."

"Run? Run where?" River walked to the Doctor. "This is an index point. There must be an exit teleport somewhere." he stood up and placed the lunch box filled with food on a nearby desk. "Don't look at me, I haven't memorised the schematics." Lux said. "Doctor, the little shop. They always make you go through the little shop on the way out so they can sell you stuff." I pointed out. "You're right. Brilliant! That's why I like the little shop." he gave me a smile. "Okay, let's move it." Dave heads towards the shop but the Doctor spots something. "Actually, Proper Dave? Could you stay where you are for a moment?" he stepped to him. "Why?" he stood still.

"I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry." he looked down at Dave's shadows. "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?" Dave asked. Fear ran through his eyes. "You stay absolutely still, like there's a wasp in the room." the Doctor said. "More like a million wasps." I added. "We're not leaving you, Dave." River said. "Course we're not leaving him." He looked over to River, then back to Dave. "Where's your helmet? Don't point, just tell me."