To Be Astrid

Chapter 14 - Flesh and Stone

Flesh and Stone, part 2 -

They caught up to the group to see River attaching a med scanner to Amy who was laying on a tree stump.

"We wait for Astrid and the Doctor", she insisted as she did so, as Octavian had apparently just tried to start another argument.

"Our mission is to make this wreckage safe and neutralise the Angels. Until that is achieved-"

"Father Octavian, when the Doctor is in the room, your one and only mission is to keep him alive long enough to get everyone else home. And trust me, it's not easy. Just ask my best friend who stayed behind with him for it. Now, if they're dead back there, I'll never forgive myself. And if they're alive, I'll never forgive him. And, Doctor, you're standing right behind me, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah", he jumped off the small hill he was on, Astrid rushing past him, towards Amy.

"I hate you", River told him.

"You don't. Bishop, the Angels are in the forest", he then turned to inform Octavian.

"We need visual contact on every line of approach", he instructed his men.

"How did you get past them?", River looked between the Time Lords.

"Found a crack in the wall and told them it was the end of the universe", he shrugged it off.

"What was it?", Amy croaked weakly.

"The end of the universe", Astrid muttered and kneeled to her level, "How are you holding up?"

"I don't know. What's wrong with me?", she asked.

"Nothing. You're fine", River told her.

"Everything. You're dying", the Doctor protested.

"Doctor", River scolded her.

"Ooo, that was the Oracle-approach", Astrid pointed at River, "Humans like feel-better-lies."

"Yes, you're right. If we lie to her, she'll get all better. Right. Amy, Amy, Amy. What's the matter with Amelia?", he rambled, "Something's in her eye. What does that mean? Does it mean anything?"

"Doctor", Amy croaked.

"Busy."

"Scared", she seemed very close to tears.

"Course you're scared. You're dying. Shut up."

"Okay, let him think", River whispered to Amy.

"Oh, hold on, remember the book said, the eyes aren't the windows to the soul, but the doors, and I concluded that the Angel is entering her soul?", Astrid told her dad who now had wide eyes as he stared at her, running her theory through his head.

"Sir! Angel incoming", a Cleric called out.

"And here", another added.

"Keep visual contact. Do not let it move", Octavian instructed.

"Come on, come on, come on. Wakey, wakey", he took Astrid's shoulders and they stared at each other, theorising, "She watched an Angel climb out of the screen. She stared at the Angel and, and-"

"The image of an Angel is an Angel", Amy mumbled.

"It climbed into her soul. There is a living mental image in a living human mind", Astrid built onto her theory.

"But we stare at them to stop them getting closer. We don't even blink, and that is exactly what they want", the Doctor continued as well.

"Because as long as we're staring they can climb inside. The Angel is in her soul, in her mind", Astrid concluded, finally.