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As the TARDIS tumbled into the time vortex, Amy sauntered around the console and murmured in the Doctor’s ear, “So, Doctor. Why won’t you just release the handbrake?”
Hunched over to check the calibration of the gravitic anomaliser, he barely turned his head to reply, “Why would I, Pond?”
She stepped back, thrusting a hand at the column rising to the ceiling above them. “So that the time rotor stops making that horrible noise!”
Jerking back like he’d been slapped, the Doctor turned a hurt look at his companion. “Why would I want it to stop making that noise? I love that noise!”
“It’s like you have an elephant stuck in there!” She nudged his arm with a fist. “Really, Doctor, I think you just like it because it’s loud and bothers everyone, don’t you?”
Whirling on his heel, the Doctor clapped his hands together and leaned forward to explain himself clearly. “Amy, all TARDISes make that noise. Always have. The handbrake has nothing to do with it. It’s off, for your information. I always release it. The TARDIS won’t take off with it on.”
“But River said…” she protested, but he cut her off by grasping her shoulders.
“Amy.”
“What?” she replied, meeting his gaze with wide, questioning eyes.
He spoke very slowly and clearly. “Do you remember what River told you?”
She continued to stare straight into his eyes. “She’s told me a lot of things.”
“But there’s one thing she’s told you,” he stated, squeezing her shoulders for emphasis, “one thing that’s so very important. The Doctor lies.”
A smirk slowly spread across Amy’s face as she thought she understood. “Come on, Doctor. Just release the handbrake.”
“No. You don’t get it.” He nodded at her, and she felt compelled to mimic the bob. “When Professor River Song tells you, ‘The doctor lies,’ why do you think she’s necessarily talking about me?”