The Adventures of Mercy Song

Sink or Swim

[RIVER'S POV]

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   River gasped, and with a final push, she knew she'd finished. Martha exclaimed, "It's a girl!" And quickly turned the child on it's side between her legs, cleaning it off, and wrapping it in a white towel as a weak shriek escaped from it's lungs.

"Atta girl!" Amy grinned, leaning closer.

River's pain dulled away as she glowed faintly, healing quickly. A squeaking baby was held out to her, and she took the babe with outstretched, desperate arms. Martha set her down on River's bare chest, letting the touch of her mother calm the child. "Hello, Little one," She breathed, "I've waited so long to meet you..." She reached her finger tips to brush over the baby's red, screaming face.

She stared. How could something so small and so weak be so precious? She was an archeologist, and spotting value was her second nature. But what she saw on that little face was a love that could outweigh all of time and space. The baby was perfect. Her child. Her baby girl. Her daughter! So small and so beautiful. River pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead.

"Can I look her over?" Martha stepped in, reaching out her hands.

River's eyes were torn from her baby to the woman, whom she frowned at. "She's breathing. Is that not enough?"

"I need to weigh and measure her. Check her lungs and hearts and all that," Martha said, "I'm no OB, but I think I can do what needs to be done."

River held her fingertips to her daughter's warm chest, "Feels like both hearts are beating to me. I think She's fine."

Amy put a hand on River's shoulder, "I'll stand right by her every step of the way. You stay here." River stared up at her, and after a moment, held the baby back for a single kiss. Martha narrated every little detail, and Amelia kept her promise, a hand out to the child at every step.

As Martha lifted the babe away, Amy cut the cord and clamped it with Rory's instruction.

The agonizing, terrifying seconds of her daughter's absence were crucifying for the new mother. River had been raised in an environment where anxiety had been a weakness and a character feature to be ashamed of. But after nine months of stressing about her child being taken from her the way she was taken from Amy and Rory, River was freaking out. Amy knew that River trusted Martha, but the only thing that kept the blonde grounded was her hand on her blaster and knowing that Amy's hands hovered over her baby. Amelia looked between the baby and her daughter, trying to signal Rory to keep Melody from having a panic attack.

River was so distraught that every movement in her vision was tricking her into seeing Silence. Amy knew what it was like, The swollen heads and abyssal eyes bearing into her from every corner, waiting for the perfect moment to take her child and beat her down again. Just knowing that the Silence knew of her pregnancy, in turn meaning that Kovarian knew there was a child left her more terrified. And River was never terrified.

Rory finally got the hint and suddenly invaded River's vision. "Melody, Melody!" He said, grabbing her face, forcing her to focus. River stared up at her father. Amy could see the terror in her eyes.

"Look, Melody, There's no one here but us. Torchwood is on lockdown like Amy asked. There are guards posted and orders to shoot on sight. Remember what the Doctor said? He made a barrier for the facility so that vortex manipulators can't get in or out. Kovarian isn't here. She can't get here. Look, I have a sword." Rory unsheathed the weapon, and held it out to his daughter.