Time Again, Goodbye Again

Chapter 13

"Yeah," River said.

"Why would I do that?" The Doctor asked.

"I didn't pluck it from your cold, dead hands if that's what you're worried about."

"And I know that because?"

Tea felt as though she were listening to a private conversation... There wasn't exactly any place she could go to avoid being a part of it, though.

"Listen to me. You've lost your friend. You're angry. I understand, but you need to be less emotional, Doctor. Right now."

River really just said that? Tea loved this woman.

"Less emotional? I'm not emotional," the Doctor said.

"There are six people in this room still alive. Focus on that," River ordered. "Dear God, you're hard work young."

"Young? Who are you?" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, for heaven's sake! Look at the pair of you. We're all going to die right here, and you're just squabbling like an old married couple," Mr. Lux complained.

Tea looked between the two...

Married couple?

Nah.

"Doctor, one day I'm going to be someone that you trust completely, but I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry," River said.

River leaned over to whisper in the Doctor's ear.

The Doctor gaped at the woman.

"Are we good? Doctor, are we good?" River asked sternly.

"Yeah," the Doctor said, glancing at Tea and pulling at his necktie. "We're good."

"Good."

River took her screwdriver back.

The Doctor took his sonic from Tea. "Know what's interesting about my screwdriver? Very hard to interfere with. Practically nothing's strong enough. Well, some hairdryers, but I'm working on that. So there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. So what's new? What's changed? Come on! What's new? What's different?"

"I don't know. Nothing. It's getting dark?" Other Dave offered.

"It's a screwdriver," the Doctor judged. "It works in the dark. Moon rise. Tell me about the moon. What's there?"

"It's not real. It was built as part of the Library. It's just a Doctor Moon," Mr. Lux said.

"Dr. Moon?" Tea asked.

"What's a Doctor Moon?" The Doctor repeated.

"A virus checker. It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet," Mr. Lux explained.

"Well, still active," the Doctor said. "It's signalling. Look. Someone somewhere in this library is alive and communicating with the moon. Or, possibly alive and drying their hair. No, the signal is definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it, but it's trying to break through."

Donna appeared on the screen.

"Donna!" The Doctor yelled.

"That was her. That was your friend! Can you get her back? What was that?" River asked.

"Hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm trying to find the wavelength. Argh, I'm being blocked," the Doctor said.

"Professor?" Anita asked.