The Weeping Angels
Stones Don't Die
They walked quickly along the corridor, Martha and Emma scurrying along after Eric’s long sweeping strides. The attending nurse gestured into a room and left them to continue her rounds. The door opened quietly as Eric pushed it and walked through. One of the four beds was occupied by a thin, frail woman. Her eyes flickered open slightly as Eric took a seat beside her bed. She started and her eyes opened fully.
Her mouth opened and closed a few times and she frowned in frustration. Her hand trembled as she lifted it to her mouth and mimed drinking. Eric grabbed the glass of water on the table beside and helped her take a drink.
She closed her eyes as she swallowed and sighed quietly. They waited in silence for her to open her eyes again. When she did, Eric gave her a small smile. “I’m Detective Eric Palmer and this is Emma Squire and Martha Jones.”
The old lady looked at each of them with foggy eyes. She nodded slowly and reached a quivering hand to a device beside the bed. She pressed one of the buttons and with a loud creaking the bed slowly brought her into a sitting position.
She placed her hand upon her chest as she spoke. “Ruth Thomas.” Her voice was wheezy and they could see that it was with difficulty that she spoke.
“We’ve come to talk to you about the Weeping Angels.” Eric said.
Ruth frowned slightly, “Angels?”
“Yes, the things that sent you back in time.” Eric explained.
Ruth nodded slowly, her thin white hair bobbing slightly on her head. “So that’s what they were.” She breathed deeply, sucking air into her failing lungs. “I do not remember much now, except for them.” Her eyes drooped closed and her head rested back against the pillows. “Those faces.” She wheezed. “They haunted my nights for years. They had such awful faces.”
Eric glimpsed Emma and Martha from the corner of his eye as they moved to sit at the end of the bed. “Do you remember when it was that they touched you?” Eric asked.
Ruth moved her head slightly from side to side on the pillow. “All I remember is those faces.”
“There was more than one?” Emma cut in.
“Yes, they were all around me. One moment I was walking alone and then the next I was surrounded by the statues.” She wheezed and reached blindly for the cup of water. Eric grabbed it and handed it to her. “Silent, screaming faces.” Her eyes squeezed shut and her hand trembled, water spilling from the glass onto the crisp white sheets. Eric reached out and gently took the glass from her hand. “That’s the last thing I saw. Then I was back in 1969. Everyone thought I was mad. For most of my life I thought they were right.” Ruth opened her eyes and looked tiredly at them all. “Until now. Now I know that I wasn’t mad.” She gave a dry little laugh. “I suppose that is some sort of consolation.” Her shoulders moved in a tiny shrug. “I’m tired now.” She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.
Eric stood and turned to Emma and Martha. “That’s the first time there’s been more than one angel.”
“1969 again.” Emma said quietly.
“Yes, that seems to be the most common year for them to be sent. And they never seem to leave England.” Eric nodded slowly as he spoke.
The nurse walking into the room and gently ushered them out into the hall. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave now.” She said as she shut the door.
Eric sighed and leaned against the wall, staring at his feet. “So, what is it that the angels want? Are they just out to kill people in order to stay alive? Or is there something that they are working towards?” He glanced up at Martha.
She shrugged, “I think it’s mostly so that they can just stay alive. This potential energy is their food source, so I suppose if they did not feed they would die.”
“But they’re stone!” Emma interjected. “Stone can’t die.”
“No, which is why you can’t kill them.” Martha nodded.
“So, surely if they stopped feeding on people’s lives they would continue to live.” Emma continued.
Martha shrugged again. “I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone knows that. Except the Doctor of course.”
Eric pushed himself off the wall and motioned for them to follow him. “Yes, and god I wish he would hurry up.”
Her mouth opened and closed a few times and she frowned in frustration. Her hand trembled as she lifted it to her mouth and mimed drinking. Eric grabbed the glass of water on the table beside and helped her take a drink.
She closed her eyes as she swallowed and sighed quietly. They waited in silence for her to open her eyes again. When she did, Eric gave her a small smile. “I’m Detective Eric Palmer and this is Emma Squire and Martha Jones.”
The old lady looked at each of them with foggy eyes. She nodded slowly and reached a quivering hand to a device beside the bed. She pressed one of the buttons and with a loud creaking the bed slowly brought her into a sitting position.
She placed her hand upon her chest as she spoke. “Ruth Thomas.” Her voice was wheezy and they could see that it was with difficulty that she spoke.
“We’ve come to talk to you about the Weeping Angels.” Eric said.
Ruth frowned slightly, “Angels?”
“Yes, the things that sent you back in time.” Eric explained.
Ruth nodded slowly, her thin white hair bobbing slightly on her head. “So that’s what they were.” She breathed deeply, sucking air into her failing lungs. “I do not remember much now, except for them.” Her eyes drooped closed and her head rested back against the pillows. “Those faces.” She wheezed. “They haunted my nights for years. They had such awful faces.”
Eric glimpsed Emma and Martha from the corner of his eye as they moved to sit at the end of the bed. “Do you remember when it was that they touched you?” Eric asked.
Ruth moved her head slightly from side to side on the pillow. “All I remember is those faces.”
“There was more than one?” Emma cut in.
“Yes, they were all around me. One moment I was walking alone and then the next I was surrounded by the statues.” She wheezed and reached blindly for the cup of water. Eric grabbed it and handed it to her. “Silent, screaming faces.” Her eyes squeezed shut and her hand trembled, water spilling from the glass onto the crisp white sheets. Eric reached out and gently took the glass from her hand. “That’s the last thing I saw. Then I was back in 1969. Everyone thought I was mad. For most of my life I thought they were right.” Ruth opened her eyes and looked tiredly at them all. “Until now. Now I know that I wasn’t mad.” She gave a dry little laugh. “I suppose that is some sort of consolation.” Her shoulders moved in a tiny shrug. “I’m tired now.” She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath.
Eric stood and turned to Emma and Martha. “That’s the first time there’s been more than one angel.”
“1969 again.” Emma said quietly.
“Yes, that seems to be the most common year for them to be sent. And they never seem to leave England.” Eric nodded slowly as he spoke.
The nurse walking into the room and gently ushered them out into the hall. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave now.” She said as she shut the door.
Eric sighed and leaned against the wall, staring at his feet. “So, what is it that the angels want? Are they just out to kill people in order to stay alive? Or is there something that they are working towards?” He glanced up at Martha.
She shrugged, “I think it’s mostly so that they can just stay alive. This potential energy is their food source, so I suppose if they did not feed they would die.”
“But they’re stone!” Emma interjected. “Stone can’t die.”
“No, which is why you can’t kill them.” Martha nodded.
“So, surely if they stopped feeding on people’s lives they would continue to live.” Emma continued.
Martha shrugged again. “I don’t know. I don’t know if anyone knows that. Except the Doctor of course.”
Eric pushed himself off the wall and motioned for them to follow him. “Yes, and god I wish he would hurry up.”
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It's been a while since I updated this. Sorry for that :)