The Last Stand

As the words sunk in, he regretted the moment that he knocked on the door. He should have waited, in silence, and let himself be forgotten. He was old, and done with this life, he should be allowed the sacrifice.

But not even for a moment, although he pleaded, he believed The Doctor would leave him behind. Just as Wilfred was ready to give up his life to save his, this man was adamant on fulfilling his destiny.

He couldn't, he wouldn't control the flow of tears, he had nothing to loose, nothing to fear. He asked, and begged to be left behind, and didn't even blink as he saw him rage, and storm, seeing the glimpses of those things he had shunned for hundreds of years. All the arrogance, all the confidence, all the compassion turned sour into a string of meaningless words, as meaningless as Wilfred himself.

Yet, he knew the time would have came, the look in his eyes, as he spoke.

"Lived too long."

There could be no life enough for such a man, but everything comes to an end, and so must him. Wilfred knew he would miss him, Wilfred knew he'd never be able to forgive himself for allowing this to happen. No man should bear the burden of being responsible for the death of their heroes. No parent should ever have to watch his parent's body lifeless in the floor. It couldn't be avoided. He walked out, trembling with unspoken emotions, and watched as he fell, and faded, crumpled into the floor.

The enormity of the sacrifice hit him over and over again as waves. He could feel himself disintegrating slowly under the pressure of the feelings that lived in his chest. It was his time, and there would be no way out. Even as he saw him rise, and tried to summon some cheer and optimism from the man's eyes, he knew it was a lie. As his battle wounds disappeared, he could see the faint glow of death around him.

He did as he was told, and kept an eye out for him. Every day, in each corner, he'd expect to see him again, his reward taken, ready to leave as the hero he was. And, when he least expected it, there was him, his brown eyes dark with meaning. He knew this was the last time he'd ever seen him, and said things he didn't mean, asked questions he knew he'd have no answer to. They took the gift, without wondering what it was, for it didn't matter: the greatest gift had been given in paying homage to Geoffrey, in coming to say his goodbye.

He stood, as a soldier, his hand on his head, crying earnestly, as he watched him leave. With a final kiss of love, of adoration, of parenting and of companionship, Wilfred said his last farewell to the man that had changed so many lives.