Chapter 5

“There. He’s in there,” Yulena said, pointing to a door after many twists and turns.

The guard was on the floor as Jack has ordered.

“You! Are the other guards all on the floor inside? If they’ve touched the Doctor …”

“They have not. No one will risk harm to the princess,” he answered.

Jack dragged Yulena forward.

“Jack, please, you’re hurting me,” she pleaded. “Let me go! You’ve got what you need now!”

“You’re not going anywhere yet,” Jack growled, moving to the door and twisting the handle.

~~~

The Doctor stirred as he heard shouting around him. He realized with a start that he was no longer tied up and could move slightly. Then he recognized the voice.

“Jack,” he mumbled, trying to push himself up.

“Doctor, just stay still. I’m getting you out of here.”

The Doctor obeyed, unable to do anything else. He tried to look around and figure out what was going on, but he couldn’t manage it. Contacting Jack last night had taken most of his remaining energy.

His head lifted slightly as he heard the unmistakable sound of the TARDIS doors opening.

“Put him inside the TARDIS. And be gentle.”

The Doctor felt himself being lifted up and nearly lapsed back to sleep as he felt the soothing presence of the TARDIS comforting him. He was never so relieved to feel the grated floor underneath him. He could feel the TARDIS’s horror as she realized his condition.

I’ll be all right, he told her. Look after Jack until we’re safe, please.

He knew there wasn’t much she could do, but he wanted her attention on Jack, since he was the one in immediate danger.

He could hear the Ontuksians shouting, and then Yulena’s voice was near.

“What the ... it’s bigger on the inside! This is impossible!”

The TARDIS doors closed.

“Jack,” the Doctor called weakly.

“I’m here,” Jack’s voice came back to him. “Don’t worry, Doctor. It’s almost over. Just hang on a little longer.”

“Jack, let me go. You’ve got what you want. You can’t take me with you!”

“Believe me, I’ve got half a mind to. I could lock you up and torture you like you tortured him!”

Yulena started to cry.

“But I’ve got much more important things to worry about than you.” By the sounds, he could tell Jack had set the TARDIS to make a jump into the Vortex.

He heard some more shouting and screaming before the TARDIS doors opened and slammed shut. Footsteps ran back up the ramp and threw the lever to send the TARDIS into the Vortex.

The Doctor could feel tears of relief slipping down his cheeks.

“Doctor,” Jack was beside him now, laying something warm over his naked form. “It’s over. We’re safe.” Gentle fingers wiped away the tears. “Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

“Jack.” The Doctor couldn’t manage any other words and started to shiver.

Jack wrapped his arms around him. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

The Doctor managed a small smile. “Good.”

~~~

It took all of Jack’s self-control not to attempt to pilot the TARDIS straight back to Ontuksia when he realized the extent of the Doctor’s injuries. After carrying him to the medbay, the TARDIS had obligingly changed the monitor displays to English to help Jack care for her Time Lord.

The Doctor was covered in bruises, welts, and cuts. The TARDIS readouts gave the location of many broken bones and indicated areas of muscle wastage. Jack nearly screamed out loud when he realized the Doctor had been raped multiple times. He pulled himself together.

“What do I do?” he asked aloud. “Tell me how to help him.”

Instead of outlining a treatment plan, the TARDIS displayed an internal map, indicating a room that Jack was not familiar with.

“What’s that?”

The Doctor stirred. “Zero room,” he mumbled.

Jack leaned over him. “I thought you were unconscious.”

“Time Lord,” the Doctor said with a slight smirk. “TARDIS … need the Zero Room.”

“Okay. I can move you there.”

“I’ll sleep and heal most of the damage,” the Doctor explained. “Might take a bit.”

He felt Jack’s lips tenderly graze his forehead. “You take as long as you need. I’ll wait.”

~~~

On day five, the TARDIS alerted Jack that the Doctor had managed to heal all of his broken bones and the worst of the muscular damage. He was no longer in a regenerative sleep. Jack had kept an almost constant vigil over him in the Zero Room, as he glowed with a faint gold energy.

“Doctor?” Jack asked, standing beside him, running his fingers through his hair. “You with me?”

The Doctor didn’t respond.

Jack checked the TARDIS monitors, but all he could tell was that the Doctor was either asleep or unconscious. He gently picked up the Doctor and carried him to one of the many bathrooms. He carefully laid him down on the mat as he started the bath running.

~~~

The Doctor started to come around as he felt water on his skin. He tried to talk, but his tongue felt as if it were made of lead.

“Doctor?”

The Doctor tried again to talk or open his eyes, but he couldn’t manage it. Everything felt dulled and “fuzzy” after being in the Zero Room. He appreciated the fact that the TARDIS had helped him heal, but he wanted his body back under his own control.

“Shh, it’s okay. Just relax.”

Jack didn’t understand. He didn’t know what this was like for a Time Lord. He heard splashing and then felt Jack take one of his hands and lift his arm up, running soft wash cloth over it. Jack gently placed his arm back under the water.

“Hey,” Jack whispered, wiping tears from the Doctor’s cheeks with his thumb. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but if you can, it’s okay. I’ve got you, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be all right. Don’t cry.”

The Doctor felt his hearts nearly break. Jack’s gentleness was almost unbearable after what he had endured. Jack kissed his forehead and temple tenderly.

The Doctor forced his eyes to open.

“Hey,” Jack said, smiling down at him. “Can you talk?”

The Doctor managed to shake his head.

Jack kissed his forehead again. “It’s okay. I’m sure you’ll be rambling at me before you know it. You’ve healed most of the damage, so I thought we’d get you cleaned up. Is that okay?”

The Doctor nodded, gulping as more tears ran down his face.

Jack ran his fingers through the Doctor’s dirty hair. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

The Doctor closed his eyes, completely ashamed as his weakened body shook with sobs.

He felt Jack’s arms around his shoulders, pulling him against his chest. He realized distantly that Jack’s shirt was getting wet as he held him tight and murmured soothing words into his hair. He would have tried to pull away if he’d had the strength. Then he remembered Jack looking after him on Azamarya and telling him not to be embarrassed. He could remember those times now and not feel his hearts break.

This was Jack – his Jack – who had seen him through some of the worst and best times in his life and had loved him for longer than a normal human could even comprehend. All of his experiences with Jack were starting to coalesce into something … though he wasn’t quite sure what. What he could determine for the moment was that he was safe and loved, and that it was all right to cry in front of him.

“I’m so sorry,” Jack told him. “If I’d know you were on the other side of that mirror …”

The Doctor shook his head, trying to tell Jack not to feel guilty.

“I know. It wasn’t my fault, but … God, I’m sorry.”

The Doctor firmly pushed the memories away and took some deep breaths. The sobs and shaking eased.

Jack gently let go and lowered him back into the warm water.

The Doctor opened his eyes again and watched Jack as he gently washed the dirt, grime, and blood off his body. He relaxed and stopped fighting his body for control. He trusted Jack to take care of him until he was back on his feet.

~~~

Jack laid the Doctor down in his bed, tucking the blankets around him. He sat beside him, stroking his now clean hair softly. “All right? Warm enough?”

The Doctor nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”

“Get some sleep. I’ll fix you something to eat and make some tea, okay?”

The Doctor weakly grasped Jack’s wrist. “Stay.”

“Of course,” Jack said, stretching out beside him. He kept stroking the Doctor’s hair rhythmically. “I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” He chuckled softly. “At least I should stop having bad dreams now.”

“Lucky you,” the Doctor murmured without thinking.

Jack frowned and kissed his temple. “I’ll be here.” He wrapped his free arm lightly around the Doctor’s waist. “Tell me what else I can do.”

The Doctor shook his head, holding back his tears. He couldn’t remember the last time he had properly slept, instead of just lapsing into unconsciousness.

“We’re gonna have to get you eating properly again tomorrow,” Jack told him as he continued stroking his hair. “You’ve lost a considerable amount of weight. But I’m sure with a little of my cooking, we can fix that.”

The Time Lord’s lips twitched into a small smile.

“Do you want to go somewhere? Somewhere quiet and safe? With a beach? Slow down for just a little bit until you’re better?”

The Doctor shrugged, and Jack took that as a “maybe.”

“Okay. Try to get some sleep, sweetheart.”

“Don’t go,” the Doctor mumbled, turning and clinging onto Jack’s shirt.

Jack kissed the top of his head and hugged him. “I won’t. I’m right here. Just relax and try to rest.” He could feel the Doctor’s shoulders start to shake slightly. “Shh, it’s okay. I’ve got you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” The Time Lord began to calm in his embrace. “That’s it, sweetheart. Everything’s all right. You’re safe.”

The Doctor sniffled and let his cheek rest against Jack’s chest. Slowly, his breathing evened out as he finally dropped down into sleep.

As he listened to the Doctor’s breathing, Jack tried to push thoughts of revenge out of his head. It would have to wait, at least until the Doctor was fully recovered.

He concentrated instead on the amount of trust the Doctor put in him in order to be vulnerable in front of him. It wasn’t as if he had had much of a choice, but he seemed to be accepting it rather than fighting it. As he rested his head lightly against the headboard, he couldn’t deny how amazing that felt, to have the Doctor’s trust, after waiting for so long. Free from the effects of the Ontuksian drugs and influence, he realized that a lifetime (or several) spent with only one other person was something that no longer frightened him – so long as that other person was his Doctor.

~~~

Epilogue

“Are you ready?” Jack asked the Doctor.

“Yes,” the Doctor answered. He was standing next to the TARDIS console with a wired nodes attached his to his temple – a neural interface.

Once the Doctor was back on his feet, the two of them had worked out a plan for Ontuksia.

“All right. Let me know if you get tired or … if anything goes wrong, okay?”

The Doctor nodded. For the moment, he still accepted Jack’s fussing. He had been in a bad state when he’d been rescued.

“Okay, here we go. Tuning you into the general Ontuksian frequency.” Jack flipped a switch and slowly turned the dial to the correct frequency. “You’re on.”

The Doctor closed his eyes, projecting telepathically. “People of Ontuksia. Please forgive this intrusion. My name is the Doctor. I know that you are happy under the rule of the Gontreckna family, but I must let you know of a terrible injustice that is occurring in their house even as we speak. They acquire exotic ‘pets’ and then torture them. This is a favorite pastime of your beloved Prince Nihemse. Unfortunately, these ‘pets’ are sentient beings. How do I know all of this? Because, recently, I had the misfortune of being a ‘pet’ of the Gontreckna family. And if you don’t believe me, I can prove it. Here is a brief glimpse of my experiences.” He paused, letting some pre-selected memories of his imprisonment filter through. “If you want to see this continue, then do nothing. However, if you want things to change, for your beautiful planet to regain its good name, then I suggest you take non-violent action to remove them from power. And since you are telepathic, and they are not, they’ll have no idea what you’re planning. Thank you for your time.”

Jack flipped the switch back and dialed back the frequency. He leapt forward and caught the Doctor as he swayed. “You all right?”

The Doctor shook his head to clear it and opened his eyes. “Yeah, sorry. I’m fine. It’s been a while since I’ve tried a planet-wide telepathic broadcast.”

Jack smiled. “Well, if that doesn’t plant the seeds of a revolution, I don’t know what will. I still say you should just let me go back there and –“

“Jack.”

“Sorry.” He looked carefully at the Doctor’s face as he packed away the parts for the neural interface. “Come on. You need a cup of tea and some kip.”

The Doctor grinned lopsidedly. “Ah, come on, Captain. Taking down the Gontrecknas? I think that calls for a bit more of a celebration.”

Jack smiled back. “I know. But it can wait one night. Come on.” He took the Doctor by the elbow and led him towards the kitchen.

“You know,” the Doctor announced as they walked down the hall. “I think one of us is getting old, and it isn’t me!”

Jack laughed. “Hey, I am actually older than you.” They paused as Jack’s mobile rang.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “Who would that be? Former lover?”

Jack smirked. “Could be, since you upgraded me to universal roaming. Why? You jealous?” He flipped open the phone as the Doctor sputtered. “Hello?”

“Jack, it’s Martha. Would you two mind making a detour to Earth? Torchwood could really use your help.”

~~~

The End! Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of Jack and the Doctor in The Reason series!
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