Sarah stared at the Syjakt, waiting for it to let out a screech and attack her. Except it didn't move. She tentatively reached out to touch it, a shaky laugh escaping her lips as she realized that it was long dead. "It's been mummified," she said, surprised.

Then she tilted her head. It looked different from the others she'd seen. For one thing, its color was lighter, and its wings looked more like those of a bat or something along those lines than the wraith-like ones that the others had. "Maybe it's the first one?" she asked quietly. "The one that crashed here? It looks almost like it was placed here, like in a tomb or something."

She paused as she realized she was talking to thin-air and chuckled a bit, but she didn't stop. It might not be the best sign of her sanity, but it made her feel better. Shaking her head, she spared the dead Syjakt one last look before starting down the corridor again.

There was a door nearby, wide open. Sarah peered inside it, taking in the scientific equipment with an air of relief. She walked over to the nearest machine, eyeing the vials inside curiously. Several had a brown stain inside, and a few still had hints of red mixed in, as if they had one been filled with blood. "Gotcha."

She opened the door on its front, pulling out the vials. Taking two clean-looking ones, she pulled out the bottle of water that Eshran had given her and opened it. Then she splashed a little of it on the sleeve of the Doctor's coat. She caught a few drops of the murky looking liquid that dripped from it in one of the vials and put it back inside the machine. Then she paused.

Letting out a sigh, she glanced around until she saw a piece of broken glass resting on a nearby counter. Quickly sending up a quick hope that it wasn't covered in some type of invisible alien poison or something along those lines, she picked it up and pricked the edge of her finger with it. Then she caught a few drops of blood in the other vial.

"I hope this works," she said, putting her cut finger in her mouth as she put the other vial inside the machine as well. She eyed it warily after shutting the door, trying to figure out how it worked. Eshran had said it would be simple to figure out, as long as the ship still had power. One large button stood apart from the others.

"Here goes nothing."

She reached out and pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

Sarah felt her heart sink. Eshran had warned her that the ship might not have enough power left to run machinery after all this time, but she had hoped that he was wrong. Then, suddenly, she heard a quiet beeping sound.

Sarah leaned down and peered into the machine. A tiny yellow light had appeared inside it, and as she watched it seemed to scan the sample of the Doctor's blood. Crossing her fingers, she didn't move her gaze as it scanned hers as well.

There was another beeping sound behind her, and she spun around. Another device had lit up, and as she stared in surprise a vial seemed to materialize out of nowhere. She walked over and hesitantly picked it up, running it between her fingers as she studied it. The liquid inside was a dark orange, and she knew somehow that it was what Eshran had sent her to find.

The machine beeped again, and another vial appeared. She reached out and picked it up, somewhat startled when she saw that it wasn't the same color. The liquid inside the second vial was a bluish-green color, almost teal. Sarah held up both vials, staring at them.

"Orange for the Doctor," she said slowly. "Blue-green for me."

Letting out a breath that she hadn't even known she was holding, Sarah gently slipped the two vials into her trousers pocket. Then she glanced around the lab, trying to find some sort of syringe. There weren't any lying out in the open, so she walked over to one of the drawers and began to search through it.

She found what she was looking for in the fifth drawer that she opened. A box full of syringes was there, a thin layer of dust covering them. She picked up a handful of them and dropped them into the pocket of the Doctor's coat.

"Now," she said, looking around the empty lab, "I need to find that distress beacon, which means I probably need to find the control room or whatever passes for it."

Reaching down to feel the comforting presence of the vials in her pocket, Sarah turned and left the room. She started down the corridor again, pausing in front of every door she came across in order to peer inside. After finding what appeared to be some type of dining area, a room filled with beds, and what she assumed were the toilets, she found herself staring at a dead end.

Sarah sighed. "Let's try the other direction."

She made her way back along the corridor she has just walked down, ignoring the doors that she had already checked. When she passed by the mummified Syjakt again, she couldn't help but take a look at it and shudder. It just felt wrong to be wandering around with a dead body resting there, even if it wasn't human.

Hurrying past the door to the outside, Sarah turned the other corner in the hallway. She smiled when she saw a single door standing open at its end. One glance inside told her that she'd found the room she was looking for. It was filled with advanced-looking computers and other such technology.

Sarah reached down and touched the disk she was wearing around her neck, and the light went out immediately. She peered around the room, a self-satisfied grin appearing on her face when she saw a flashing light on the opposite side of the room. Turning on her light again, she made her way toward the screen that she'd seen lit up.

Her smile faded once she was standing in front of the computer. There wasn't any type of buttons on it that she could see, and she had no idea how to turn it off. She glanced around the room, frowning. Only one thing came to mind, and she didn't want to take that step unless she had to do it.

After several seconds, she sighed and pulled out the weapon that Eshran had given her. She held it a moment, testing the weight slightly, before bringing it up and aiming it at the flashing computer. Then, taking a deep breath, she pulled the trigger.

It didn't do anything.

"Why didn't it work?" she muttered. She studied the gun, and her eyes were drawn to the small knob on the side. Feeling sheepish, she hit the knob before aiming the weapon again. This time, when she pulled the trigger, it let out a loud droning sound.

The screen exploded in a flash of lights and sparks, and the weapon clattered to the ground as Sarah instinctively reached up to cover her face. She pulled her hands back down after a moment, eyeing the computer warily. Then she hit the disk around her neck.

The flashing light was gone.

Sarah felt relief flood through her as she turned the light back on. She knelt down to gingerly pick up the dropped gun. "Now all I have to do is find the Doctor."

Not even sparing another glance at the room, she turned and dashed back down the corridor. Barely noticing that it was much easier to see than it had been earlier, Sarah slipped through the outside door. And then she froze.

The sun was rising.

"Four hours," she said in realization. "Night only lasts four hours."

Somewhere in the distance, she heard a shriek.

Sarah took a deep breath, trying her best to resist the urge to hide in the ship until it was night again. She didn't know how long the Doctor had before the transformation was complete, and she couldn't risk waiting around doing nothing. If she did and it cost her the chance to help him, she'd never forgive herself.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she stepped away from the ship. Then it hit her just how difficult the task of finding the Doctor would be. She thought back to the lab, how some of the vials were brown with age while others still had traces of red. "Some of the others found a way to make the cure," she said, her eyes widening in surprise. "They just couldn't find the people they were looking for in time."

Panic started to rise up inside her, and Sarah hurriedly pressed it down. She had to think. Where would the Doctor have gone? He would have known that she wouldn't just leave him, not without at least trying to help. In that case, he probably would have stayed near the area where she'd seen him last.

She glanced up at the rising sun, trying to remember what direction she and the Doctor had been traveling in that first night when it had been setting. Closing her eyes, she pictured the scene in her mind's eye. Then she nodded, quickly getting her bearings as she reopened her eyes.

She started to walk.

As the sun continued to rise, the number of screeches that she heard in the distance increased significantly. Every so often her hand would slip down to pat her pocket, making certain that the vials were still there.

Time slowly passed, and to Sarah's surprise she didn't run into any of the Syjakts. She still heard their cries from time to time, but most of them were far in the distance. Eventually, she noticed a dark smudge far off in front of her. Despite herself, she smiled. It was the tree line.

Without warning, a loud shriek came from startlingly close.

Sarah spun around, her eyes widening when she saw a shadow moving quickly in her direction. It was a fully transformed Syjakt. There was no other explanation.

She turned around and sprinted toward the distant line of trees, not even pausing to think. Even though she knew there was little to no chance that she'd make it there before the Syjakt caught up with her, she had to give it a shot. The cries coming from behind her got louder and louder.

Sarah's lungs felt like they were about to burst, but she refused to give in. The trees were much closer now, close enough that she thought that she might have a chance of reaching them after all.

Then something hit her from behind, sending her sprawling.

Her hand immediately slid down to her trouser pocket, relief flooding through her when she felt that they hadn't been broken. The emotion immediately faded, however, when she found herself staring up at the Syjakt that had been chasing her. It was hovering over her, its claws poised and ready.

It brought its arm up, and as it rushed down toward her Sarah closed her eyes. As a searing pain rushed through her stomach, she screamed. She could feel blood trickling down her side, pooling on the ground underneath her.

Sarah's eyes flew open. The Syjakt was still hovering above her, its red eyes focused on her. Then it brought up its arm again. Her left hand slid down to cover the cut on her stomach, but this time she didn't close her eyes. She stared up at the Syjakt, waiting for it to attack her again. As she did, her other hand surreptitiously slipped into her coat pocket and reached around for the weapon Eshran had given her.

Suddenly the Syjakt was hit by a fast-moving figure.

Letting out a gasp of surprise, Sarah jerked her hand out of her pocket and rolled out of the way immediately. She spared a quick glance down at her stomach, not surprised to see that it wasn't very deep despite how much it hurt. Then she looked over at the Syjakt . . . and froze.

It was the Doctor. He still looked mostly like himself, though if she wasn't mistaken his skin looked darker than normal and the cut on his arm was scarred over. His fingernails had sharpened. They weren't quite claws just yet, but they were well on their way. His chest was heaving as he stood between her and the Syjakt that had taken a swipe at her, the expression on his face cold.

The Syjakt hissed at him, but it didn't attack. It looked her way, and Sarah got the oddest feeling that it seemed almost smug. Then it turned and flew off, quickly moving away from them.

"Doctor," Sarah said, her voice cracking slightly. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

He spun around to face her. "I told you to leave," he said, his voice cold. She could see the worry on his face, though, as well as the way his eyes kept drifting down to her bleeding stomach. "Why didn't you just go back to the TARDIS, Sarah?"

She smiled at him and slipped her hand into her pocket. "Because if I'd left, who would be here to give you this?" she asked lightly, holding up the orange vial.

The Doctor stared at her. He didn't say a word, but his surprise was obvious.

Reaching into the pocket of his coat, she pulled out one of the syringes. "Come here," she said, gesturing for him to move toward her.

He shook his head. "I can't." His face twisted into a grimace, and he closed his eyes for a second. "I'm barely able to control it."

Sarah quickly filled the syringe with the orange liquid from the vial. "Fine, then I'll come to you."

Before he had a change to react, she flung herself up from the ground. She grabbed his arm, pulling down with all her might when he tried to yank it away from her, and quickly injected the liquid.

Then she backed away.

The Doctor stared down at his arm, a blank look on his face for a moment. Then he looked back at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't get a chance as he suddenly convulsed with pain and dropped to his knees.

"Doctor?"

He let out a cry of pain, loud and heartrending. Sarah took a step toward him, stopping short when he managed to look up at her and curtly shake his head. There was nothing she could do but watch.

Sarah pulled out the other vial, holding it in her hand for a moment before slipping her hand into her pocket and grabbing another syringe. She quickly filled it and stuck it in her arm, not sure what to expect. After several seconds, she doubled over as a wave of pain rushed through her. It only lasted a second, but her eyes were wide as turned her attention back toward the Doctor. If it was that bad for her, then she couldn't even imagine what it was like for him.

Somewhere in the distance, she heard the screeches of several Syjakts. Sparing a quick look at the Doctor, who was practically curling in on himself with pain, she hurriedly reached into the coat pocket to pull out the weapon that Eshran had given her. Then she sat down on the ground, several feet from the Doctor, and forced herself to watch.

The dark color of his skin faded away, and his fingernails were slowly going back to their normal length. He was keeping his eyes closed for the most part, but every glimpse she caught of them revealed them to be less red. "It shouldn't be much longer," she said softly. "I promise."

The Doctor opened his eyes and looked in her direction. They were back to normal.

Then he arched his back and let out an agonizing yell. Sarah was by his side before she even knew what she was doing, Eshran's weapon laying forgotten on the ground where she had been sitting. She grabbed the Doctor's arms, holding him close to her in something resembling a hug. Her eyes, however, were focused on his back.

As she watched in surprise, the wings seemed to wither up. There was a ripping sound, and without warning they fell to the ground. The skin of his back was still scarred, bloody wounds sticking out against his pale skin where the wings had been attached. But the wings were gone.

"Doctor?" Sarah asked softly, pulling away from him. "How do you feel?"

He opened his eyes, meeting her gaze. His mouth twisted into a large grin that she didn't believe for a second. "Never better."

She snorted. "I doubt it," she said lightly. "Do you think you can walk?"

There were several screeches in the distance, louder than the earlier ones.

"Don't have much of a choice, do I?" the Doctor asked, winking at her.

Sarah stood up, doing her best not to stumble when she held out her hand and helped the Doctor get to his feet. He was leaning on her, putting quite a bit of weight on her frame even though he was trying his best to walk on his own. She glanced down at Eshran's weapon, still lying where she'd left it, but she didn't move to pick it up.

The Doctor followed her gaze and he frowned.

"I didn't use it," she said softly, starting toward the tree line. "You showed up just in time."

She stumbled forward at first, barely able to keep her balance. The closer they got to the trees, though, the stronger the Doctor seemed to get. By the time they had made it to their edge, he was walking almost entirely on his own.

They paused just inside the forest, both of them staring out over the empty plain. A few Syjakts were flying in the distance, barely visible. "Do you have any idea where the TARDIS is?" Sarah asked.

The conspicuous silence from the Doctor answered her question instantly.

Shaking her head, she turned toward him. "We should start looking," she said. "I think we could both use a trip to the infirmary right about now."

The Doctor grinned at her, but she could tell it was half-hearted. His eyes moved down to her neck, and his face darkened.

"It wasn't you," Sarah said instantly. She reached out and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't even think about blaming yourself."

His fake grin faded instantly. "Sarah."

She met his gaze without blinking. "I mean it," she said firmly.

The Doctor stared at her for a moment, studying her face closely. Then he impulsively reached out and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

Sarah couldn't hide her smile when he let go a few seconds later. "What was that for?"

"For being my best friend," he said seriously.

She felt her face flush, and she looked away.

He reached over and put his hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "I'm being completely serious."

"I know," she whispered.

Nearby, someone clapped their hands.

They both turned, startled. Eshran was beaming at them, though Sarah could see a trace of surprise on his face. Beside him, Machäl was openly gaping. "Rijad will never believe that you're alive."

Sarah rolled her eyes as she walked over and knelt down in front of the girl. "Tell you brother that I appreciate his confidence in me," she said dryly.

Machäl blushed and slipped behind Eshran again.

"Your weapon is still out there," Sarah said, gesturing in the direction they had come as she stood back up. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "I don't need it."

They stared at each other moment before Sarah smiled. "Thank you," she said, leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Eshran's gaze drifted past her toward the Doctor. "I'm just glad you succeeded."

Sarah laughed. "Me too," she said lightly. Then she turned and walked back to the Doctor, hooking her arm in his.

Machäl peered back out at them. "We found a weird blue box near the berry patch."

Eshran chuckled as both Sarah and the Doctor immediately came to attention. "We thought it might be yours," he said. "If you'd like, we can show you the way."

"That would be most appreciated," the Doctor said, nodding.

Before Eshran could reply, Sarah jumped in. "You wouldn't happen to have that healing device of yours on you?" she asked. "It should work on him now, shouldn't it?"

Eshran looked almost sheepish as he reached into his bag and pulled it out. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't even think."

She pushed the Doctor toward him. "It's his back," she said, gesturing with her eyes. "From where the wings fell off."

Machäl's eyes lit up. "Ooh, can I see?" Without waiting for a reply, she rushed over to stand beside Sarah and gaped at the Doctor's back. "I can't wait to tell Rijad what he missed! He said I was an idiot for going berry picking, but I said--"

"Machäl." Eshran shot her a warning look as he ran his device over the Doctor's back.

She kicked at the ground. "Sorry."

After a few seconds, Eshran turned off the device. Sarah walked over and peered at the Doctor's back, surprised to see that it looked perfectly normal. There wasn't even a mark. "I still say that's amazing," she said, shaking her head. "Though those fancy transmat systems you have set up to get you up to the city built in the treetops were pretty neat as well."

Eshran laughed when he saw the Doctor's face, but he didn't say a word. Gesturing for them to follow him, he started walking. Machäl followed close behind him, talking to him just quietly enough that Sarah couldn't hear what she was saying.

Beside her, the Doctor cleared his throat. "Sarah, about the beacon."

"Don't worry," Sarah replied, smiling, "I took care of it."

He didn't even try to hide his relief.

Sliding her arm out of his, she loosely grabbed his hand. He tightened his grip on it almost instantly.

After a few seconds, he coughed pointedly. "I would like my coat back at some point."

Sarah laughed as she leaned against him, resting her head on his arm. His shirt was stained with dried blood, and her bruised neck was aching. She was tired and sore, and she knew that she would probably have nightmares about the last few days for weeks, maybe even months.

The Doctor squeezed her hand, grinning at her.

She couldn't have been happier.