To Be Astrid

Chapter 15 - Flesh and Stone

Flesh and Stone, part 3 -

"There's a teleport", River immediately informed the Doctor.

"If we can get it to work we can beam the others here", Astrid added.

"Where's Octavian?", River asked after a quick look around.

"Octavian's dead. So is that teleport. You're wasting your time. I'm going to need your communicator", he took it away from River.

The women exchanged a concerned glance, although there was more sadness in River's eyes and more resignation in Astrid's eyes. She didn't like the man, that didn't mean he deserved death. After all, he did get River on this mission.

The Doctor got the communicator working and then Amy's concerned, weak voice came through, "Hello?"

"Amy? Amy, is that you?", he asked

"Doctor?", Amy sounded close to tears of relief at hearing his voice.

"Where are you? Are the Clerics with you?"

"They've gone. There was a light and they walked into the light. Doctor, they didn't even remember each other", she told him.

"No, they wouldn't", he brushed it off like it was obvious.

"What is that light?", River asked.

"End of the universe", Astrid muttered.

"Time running out", the Doctor said, "Amy, I'm sorry, I made a mistake. I should never have left you there."

"Well, what do I do now?"

"You come to us. The primary flight deck, the other end of the forest."

"I can't see. I can't open my eyes", she reminded him.

"Turn on the spot", he held his sonic up to the communicator.

"Sorry, what?"

"Just do it. Turn on the spot. When the communicator sounds like my screwdriver, that means you're facing the right way. Follow the sound. You have to start moving now. There's Time Energy spilling out of that crack and you have to stay ahead of it."

"Oh, stars, can't I just go help her?", Astrid suggested nervously.

River, instead, reminded her of the control panel with a quick gesture and the women got to work on it, hoping that the Doctor was wrong and they could help Amy from here.

"But the Angels, they're everywhere", Amy worried.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but the Angels can only kill you."

"What does the Time Energy do?"

"Just keep moving!"

"Tell me", she insisted.

He withdrew his sonic in frustration, "If the Time Energy catches up with you, you'll never have been born. It will erase every moment of your existence. You will never have lived at all. Now keep your eyes shut and keep moving."

"It's never going to work", River commented.

"What else have you got?", he yelled at her, she flinched, "River! Tell me!"

Astrid kept working, unbothered by his sudden outburst. Angry Dad wasn't scary. Angry Dad had a reason to be angry and with Octavian's untimely death right behind them, she had a feeling what that reason was. He'd told him more about River than he should have. She wasn't scared of the Doctor's mood, she knew it'd be fine. She was just that little bit angrier at Octavian.