What It Is And Isn't

Chapter 18

The Doctor woke up in a cold sweat, the box they were sitting in quite dark.  Their light had been turned out.  He reached up and flicked the light on, squinting at even the dim light. Something was crouching before him, holding a tray of food in its long spindly fingers, and he had a feeling it was the same thing that Rose had seen.  

"Hello," he said, crossing his arms and looking down at a sleeping Rose before glancing at the thing again.  It had a suit on.  "What are you doing in here?"

Why do you keep awakening?

"Because we are tired of being in here.  It's quite difficult for humanoid figures to sleep when they've been at rest for so long. You must realize that., correct?"

What do you want?

"Oh, don't you think I should be asking you that?" The Doctor asked, careful to keep his voice low so that Rose wouldn't wake up. He wasn't sure if she was drugged or not, but even if she was, she would probably come to some form of awakenss at the sound of his voice.  He wanted to stand and confront the creature, but thought that would probably not be the best thing.  

We are merely-

"I don't care what you're doing. What are you?"

We are the Rake.

"No, no you're not."  The Doctor leaned forward, elbows on his knees.  "Rose here has told me about the Rake, what she has seen, what we've seen. So you can't be the Rake. You can't all be the Rake.  So what are you?"

We are the Rake.

"Stubborn, aren't you?" The Doctor tutted. "That sort of thing won't get you anywhere, I promise," he said fiercely. "I have a feeling that you just work for the Rake, don't you? But I'm not asking about the Rake.  What about you?  What do your people call themselves?"

The thing stared at him and the Doctor sort of wished it had expressions so that it could show him what it was feeling, even if it hadn't spoken (or thought) a word.  It shifted, adopting a more authoritative stance, as well as it could in the car.  

We call ourselves the Silence.

"Ah!  Very nice.  I'm the Doctor."

I know.  

"What?"  He furrowed his brows, feeling a sense of confusion mount as well as a mounting expectations on what this could mean. Time could be in flux. This could be the most important moment of his tenth life.  He glanced at Rose, his eyes growing soft. Okay.  Second most important.  

We know about the Doctor. The Doctor had us killed.

Had something been speaking?  The Doctor couldn't quite remember. He looked forward and his eyes bugged out when he saw a creature sitting before him. He furrowed his brows, confused.

"Sorry. Have you been here this whole time?"

The thing seemed to radiate frustration.  We are the Silence.  You are the Doctor.  You killed us.

"Obviously not. You're here."

Not all of us have died yet. But we will.

Well, you won't, I promise it, not if you let us go.  You're our captors, of course.  Why did I kill you? You see, it hasn't happened to me yet."

The thing, the Silence, the Doctor reminded himself, sort of looked confused. Well, what he thought might be the equivalent of confused.  It shook its head. You may wear a different face, but you will kill me.  All of us.