Lost And Found
Pairing: 10/Jack
Challenge: Home
Rating: 12
Warnings: Bit of swearing, heavy mentions of suicide and graphic illness.
Spoilers: None!
The Doctor stood there. His arms lying limply by his side. His hair had seemingly lost all life. His mouth was slightly open. His eyes were wide with shock, confusion and uttermost grief.
This couldn’t be… No. Not. Never. She’d been with him since the beginning and he’d been sure she’d be there until the end.
All they’d shared. Everything they had witnessed… Together their two minds painted the legacy that was the Time Lords. But now… All that was left of her was a few shards of glass and some splinters of blue woo
On the pavement where she last stood, a black stain marked her memory like a gravestone.
“Oh god…” Whispered the Doctor
His legs caved under the weight of his loss and he found himself kneeling; bowing before this black pit of soot.
How could anyone carry on? After all this, surely he would have someone who he could hold onto forever?
Slowly the Doctor clenched his fists and laid them down on the cold, unforgiving pavement to support him self while kneeling.
Why?
Why, when he thought he had found a love that could last, did it get taken from him?
Oh how he feared opening his hearts again. He shouldn’t but he did
Fear leads to anger, he thought, anger leads to hate, hate leads…Hold on… Damn it that’s Star Wars.
What if he did get angry? Again?
Just like his ninth incarnation. He didn’t let his emotions out after the war and what it did to him? He shouldn’t have to do this.
He reacted suddenly. His mind made up. No. He wasn’t going to keep this silent. He wasn’t going to take any of this bullshit any longer. He was angry. He was upset. And fuck this tiny little planet if he was going to hold all of this back.
He looked up to the peaceful, forgiving sky and screamed. This wasn’t the little cry he’d had when the Master died. This was a full bodied scream. He screamed until his lungs felt red raw and were begging for mercy.
Slowly, feeling a little better he sat and hugged his knees, trying not to cry.
“’Scuse me mate. You ok?”
The Doctor looked up. In front of him was a man. Caucasian male, 5”8, brown hair, blue eyes, white t-shirt, iPod nano third generation, simple Donnay trainers and new jeans that smelled distinctly like Tesco’s £3 range.
The Doctor cleared his throat and put on a brave face for him.
“Yes I’m fine thank you.” Giving him a weak smile. Don’t over-do it.
“’Cus you don’t look it.” Continued the man. “Tell you what, seeing as I’m feeling generous, I’ll buy you a pint at the Rose and Crown. It’s only down there. ‘Cus you look kinda rough. ‘K?”
Then the Doctor genuinely did smile. It was a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.
Sometimes I bring out the worst in humans, but they’re always there for me.
The Doctor looked up at the man, who was smiling warmly, then up at the sky. It was a lovely day. Blue sky, birds, rich green trees… Good old Earth.
The man reached out with his hand to help the Doctor up, which he gladly took.
The Doctor hauled himself up onto his feet and swayed slightly, but the man held onto him, grasping his shoulders to keep him upright.
“Thanks.” Said the Doctor.
He noticed the man was looking at him. The Doctor raised his eyes to meet with the man’s and found obvious attraction blinding the man’s eyes.
The Doctor looked downwards, blushing slightly, before regaining him composure.
“I’m the Doctor.” He said holding out his hand.
The man grasped his hand and shook it.
“James, James Wild.”
The Doctor nodded and looked around.
“So um… where am I?”
James smiled slightly.
“That bad huh? This is Hay-On-Wye in Herefordshire.”
“Herefordshire? Right…”
“Come on” Said James “Pub.”
And he led the Doctor off towards the Rose and Crown.
***
As the Doctor sat with his third vodka and diet coke, his momentarily happy mood lapsed, and he began to feel empty and alone without the Tardis’s comforting hum in his head.
He realised of course that this wasn’t over. He hadn’t even begun to grieve for his beloved ship.
Of course, friendly helpful James asked him what was wrong.
“I lost someone.”
Was all he could reply.
"Well you got family eh?”
No
“I don’t have any family. They’re all gone too.”
“Oh mate I’m sorry. I know you’re not from round here, but you got mates?”
Donna’s gone. Rose has gone. Martha’s gone.
Then suddenly:
Jack. I want Jack.
“Just one. We’ve been friends for a long time. He’s in Cardiff.”
The more the Doctor thought about him the more he wanted to cry.
Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare cry in a pub.
“Well what a coincidence! I’m due up there. I’m a cop see? There’s always some weird shit that’s happening down there and they call in for backup. I was sent down there so often I didn’t see the bloody point so I was moved to the South Wales Police Department.”
The Doctor merely nodded.
"When do you need to be there?” The Doctor asked
“Not for another few hours yet, but wouldn’t hurt to get on the road before the usual traffic.”
He eyed the Doctor.
“You don’t get car sick or anything do you? Only you look really pale.”
“What me? Nah.”
With that the Doctor drained his glass in one and looked at James.
It suddenly became apparent to him just how funny he looked. Sure he had lovely, floppy hair, and really lovely blue eyes, but he looked funny.
He didn’t feel too good either…
The world seemed to be very happy. He felt giddy and dizzy at the same time.
The Doctor concentrated on James’s face to see him looking at him oddly.
“What?” Said the Doctor giving him a lop-sided smile.
“You mate.” He smiled shaking his head. James stood up and offered the Doctor his arm.
Slowly the Doctor stood up, grasping James’s arm and leaving heavily on him.
And, once again James led the Doctor out.
***
The Doctor woke up and found himself in a car.
Ok who’s car?
He looked to his right and saw a man with floppy brown hair and blue eyes.
James… James Wild.
And why were they travelling?
Before the Doctor could try to answer this James saw he was awake.
"Hello Doctor.”
Suddenly the memories of the past few hours sank in.
He put his head in his hands and a few stray tears leaked out.
Don’t you dare. Not here. Not now
James saw his tears.
"Don’t worry mate. We’ll be in Cardiff soon. You kinda got in my car, strapped yourself in and fainted. Talk about luck eh?”
The Doctor just groaned at his head
"Not a drinker? There’s some aspirin in the glove compartment.”
The Doctors eyes moved towards the glove compartment.
He slowly began to think.
Why? What was the point of him living without her?
He lived to travel. To help. To heal.
Who was going to heal him?
He thought about Rose. His lovely brown eyed Rose. And Martha… how he had destroyed her life. Took it in his hands and crushed her like a bug. Jack. Oh god Jack. His gorgeous handsome Jack. He needed him. Now; now more than ever. He was the only person who knew his burden. To live past times, to watch the ones you know and love grow old and die before your eyes...
Tears began to cascade down his face and his shoulders started to shake.
His beautiful Tardis… How he had taken her for granted. He had hit her. Shouted at her. He hadn’t loved her as much as he could.
He was a stupid old fool. An idiot. Call yourself a Time lord? Do you?
You’re a destroyer. An Oncoming storm. A disease. A bringer of death.
If anyone can take there own life it should be you. You’ve taken so many billions of lives why not take your own if you’re that strong?
In a blur of a moment he reached forward and opened the compartment. He grabbed the plastic bottle and emptied the container in his mouth, swallowing the many tiny tablets.
Time seemed to slow down.
He could feel every second crawl by.
He watched the world move in slow motion.
He felt the earth’s turn slow down to a mere 5000 mph.
And the last thing he saw, before his eyes closed was his own hand loosing complete control of itself, shaking and turning pale, just like the rest of his body as he gave into violent convulsions.
***
James saw the Doctor grab the aspirin and down it in one.
It just all happened so quickly.
He was just about to shout at him when the Doctor turned deathly pale and started shaking.
James lost control of the car and started swerving. The car swung from side to side as he grabbed a hold of the steering wheel and tried to regain control. Suddenly the bonnet of the car smashed into a metal fence on the middle of the motorway, throwing James and the Doctor forward in their seat belts but stopped by the two airbags that deployed.
The Doctor was still convulsing, but was now frothing at the mouth.
Forgetting about himself, James got out of the car, and went to the Doctors side door.
He was a policeman. The public always came first.
He looked around the highway wondering why no cars had passed.
He opened the door, reached over and undid the seatbelt, unbuckling it from his body as quickly as he could, before placing his hands under the Doctors knees and on his back to carry him out.
It was horrible. He was still convulsing.
James wasn’t a medical professional. They had to learn basics; CPR, mouth to mouth, recovery position… but it didn’t cover this.
Luckily he was an avid House fan and he just happened to have watched an episode the other day on what to do
He placed him on the floor and rolled him onto his side, hoping it would stop.
After another 30 seconds the shaking ceased. He placed the Doctor into the recovery position before running into his wrecked car and pulling out his mobile dialling 999.
The calm yet quick voice came over the phone.
“999 Emergency. Fire, Ambulance or Police services?”
“This is PC Wild of the South Wales police department. I request an ambulance to attend for a 10-62 and traffic police at a 10-49. My current location is along the A449 past Newport. Victim’s name is the Doctor. I am uninjured.”
There was clicking at the other end.
“Sorry PC Wild but I’m going have to refer you to Torchwood.”
“Torchwood? What’s tha-“
But before he finished asking the question there was more ringing.
He waited for another few seconds before the phone was answered.
“Captain Jack Harkness speaking.”
“Hello. Um this is PC Wild. I called the emergency services but I got referred to you and I don’t know why. But listen you’ve gotten get an ambulance down here. My friend has just taken an overdose and…”
“Whoa buddy calm down. If 999 put you over to us there’s gotta be a reason. Now, are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“Ok and who’s your friend?”
“I don’t know his name. I only met him today. He just said the Doctor.”
“Oh.”
***
The man at the other end of the phone suddenly sounded very desperate. After telling Jack where he was, he started asking him every minute little detail.
“How many pills did he take?”
“Nearly the whole bottle. Listen are you gonna start getting here soon? I don’t like the look of him.”
James knelt beside him. He had very shallow breathing, which was getting worse by the minute. He felt his pulse. Very weak.
“I’m already on my way. Has he said anything? Tell me everything he’s said to you.”
“Well… I found him on the street. I heard someone screaming. I’d just picked up my stuff y’see to come down to Cardiff and I was outside my car when I heard it. He was sitting on the floor and he looked a right mess. So I offered to take him to the pub. He had three drinks before he talked to me. He told me he’d lost someone.”
“Oh god.”
“I told him that family might help but he told me he had no family. So I asked about friends, and he said he had one in Cardiff. That they’d been friends for a long time.”
***
Jack had never expected this. Never.
The Doctor trying to kill himself?
How had it come to this?
The man on the end of the phone sounded like a good man. He was just trying to help the Doctor. But the fact they were on the way to see him?
God how he ached for the Doctor to return. He’d imagined a thousand ways that they would meet again.
With a long passionate kiss. With a punch to the Doctor’s stomach. With a drawn out stunned silence only to be broken by Jack running into the Doctor’s arms.
But him on the way to save the Doctor’s life after he’d tried to kill himself?
No. Not in a million years,
Just who had he lost?
“Ok just inform all emergency services not to touch him. If anyone but you should even breathe on him I’ll kill them myself. You got that?”
“Inescapably”
Jack knew that aspirin was fatal to him, so he grabbed the SUV and drove as fast as he could to the Doctor’s dyeing side.
***
By the time Jack arrived there was a road block covering the whole of the road. All of the Welsh police instantly recognised the black SUV and moved out of its’ way.
Jack stopped the car by slamming the brake down hard, serving the car in a commotion of smoke and screeching.
He leapt out of the car, sprinting towards the circle of policemen were.
One of them happened to look round and saw Jack running, so he quickly alerted the rest of them to his presence. They all moved out of his way as Jack passed them, dropping to his knees at the Doctor’s side.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
They all just watched.
Jack inched himself forward and placed the Doctor’s head in his lap, stroking his hair.
“Oh god what have you done?” He whispered, his voice cracking with emotion
Tears began to fall down his face at the sight of his Doctor.
Nervously a man stepped forward.
“No ones touched him. He stopped breathing around 3 minutes before you arrived.”
Jack looked up. This must be James.
Jack couldn’t see him properly through his blurred vision but he nodded in his direction.
Slowly he looked back down to the pale figure. He placed two fingers on the left side of his neck.
No beat.
Then he placed them on the right side.
There. The tiniest of heart beats still hanging on for dear life.
Jack put his cheek lightly against the Doctors’ mouth. Still breathing. Not stopped but barely.
He pulled up and kissed him on the lips lightly.
“Come on.” He whispered. “It’s me Jack. Your old buddy.
I still gotta get you that drink remember?
Please, you’ve still got those pills inside you. Just regenerate or get rid of the pills."
His voice dropped even lower.
“Cus you’re the only thing that’s keeping me goin’. I can’t loose you again.”
More tears fell down his face, and he didn’t care that he was breaking down in front a police force. He stroked the Doctor’s hair again.
“You know why?
It’s because I love you.
And I can’t be in love with a dead man because it just won’t work.
I won’t work.”
"Give me another chance and I’ll get it right.”
Shakily, Jack sighed through his tears.
He waited. For anything…
Something.
Just some kind of sign that the Doctor could hear him.
But there was none.
His shoulders began to shake as his heart broke clean in half.
“Help me”
And the Doctor stopped breathing.
***
Suddenly the Doctor’s eyes opened wide. He wildly looked around, before he rolled over onto all fours and vomited hard onto the tarmac road.
Jack sat, shocked for a moment before helping the Doctor.
He stroked along his spine with a flat palm to soothe him.
The Doctor retched again, the contents of his stomach splattering onto the road including the partly digested aspirin pills.
The Doctor had tears steaming down his face as he heaved again and another 3 times.
When he had finished he stayed on his hands and knees, shaking.
“Easy now.” Jack said as pulled the Doctor back into a sitting position before placing him in his lap.
He grabbed a tissue for the Doctor to wipe his nose and mouth on, but he was too weak. Jack did it himself and looked up.
The police were still staring at him and the Doctor.
“Don’t you lot have to be doing something?” He barked “And bring me some water.”
The officers immediately dispersed, all of them obviously having jobs to do at the scene. One of them, a female, walked up, giving Jack a bottle of water before hurrying off again.
The Doctor took the water gladly and gulped down a few sips, grimacing at every swallow at how sore his throat was.
Jack spoke first.
“Doctor… what’s happened? I nearly lost you.”
The Doctor closed his eyes for a few moments before opening the again.
“I lost her Jack.” He croaked “I lost the Tardis. She’s gone forever."
And he started crying. Jack pulled the broken man into an embrace and they sat in silence, the only sound coming from the Doctor as he poured out his soul.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Jack. I didn’t know what I was doing. But I…”
He pulled back and looked into Jacks eyes, surprised for a second to find tears there.
“I don’t know what to do. I don’t have anywhere to live; I don’t have anything to do. I’m a Time lord stuck in the 21st century. I’ll go insane. I’ll…”
He sighed looking downward
“I’ll just wither and die without her Jack.”
Jack sighed. He lifted the Doctors chin to look at him. Their eyes met.
“Listen to me. I’m going to take you back to Torchwood where a Doctor will look you over and sort you out. Then, we’re gonna deal with this together. Just like we used to. No hiding, no secrets just plain truths.
I know you can fight this. Because you’re strong in here.” And he put both hands on the Doctor’s hearts. “And in here” he said lifting a hand and brushing his temple, before caressing his cheek pulling the Doctor closer.
Both lips met in quick kiss.
Jack pulled back, but found the Doctors lips had followed his
They kissed again, this time for longer and it grew from a simple kiss to both lips moving softly against the other. It ended all too soon, both men pulling away from their first proper kiss and staring at each other.
“Don’t worry we’ll find you a home.” Said Jack
“No need" said the Doctor cuddling up in the Captains arms "I am home.”
Challenge: Home
Rating: 12
Warnings: Bit of swearing, heavy mentions of suicide and graphic illness.
Spoilers: None!
The Doctor stood there. His arms lying limply by his side. His hair had seemingly lost all life. His mouth was slightly open. His eyes were wide with shock, confusion and uttermost grief.
This couldn’t be… No. Not. Never. She’d been with him since the beginning and he’d been sure she’d be there until the end.
All they’d shared. Everything they had witnessed… Together their two minds painted the legacy that was the Time Lords. But now… All that was left of her was a few shards of glass and some splinters of blue woo
On the pavement where she last stood, a black stain marked her memory like a gravestone.
“Oh god…” Whispered the Doctor
His legs caved under the weight of his loss and he found himself kneeling; bowing before this black pit of soot.
How could anyone carry on? After all this, surely he would have someone who he could hold onto forever?
Slowly the Doctor clenched his fists and laid them down on the cold, unforgiving pavement to support him self while kneeling.
Why?
Why, when he thought he had found a love that could last, did it get taken from him?
Oh how he feared opening his hearts again. He shouldn’t but he did
Fear leads to anger, he thought, anger leads to hate, hate leads…Hold on… Damn it that’s Star Wars.
What if he did get angry? Again?
Just like his ninth incarnation. He didn’t let his emotions out after the war and what it did to him? He shouldn’t have to do this.
He reacted suddenly. His mind made up. No. He wasn’t going to keep this silent. He wasn’t going to take any of this bullshit any longer. He was angry. He was upset. And fuck this tiny little planet if he was going to hold all of this back.
He looked up to the peaceful, forgiving sky and screamed. This wasn’t the little cry he’d had when the Master died. This was a full bodied scream. He screamed until his lungs felt red raw and were begging for mercy.
Slowly, feeling a little better he sat and hugged his knees, trying not to cry.
“’Scuse me mate. You ok?”
The Doctor looked up. In front of him was a man. Caucasian male, 5”8, brown hair, blue eyes, white t-shirt, iPod nano third generation, simple Donnay trainers and new jeans that smelled distinctly like Tesco’s £3 range.
The Doctor cleared his throat and put on a brave face for him.
“Yes I’m fine thank you.” Giving him a weak smile. Don’t over-do it.
“’Cus you don’t look it.” Continued the man. “Tell you what, seeing as I’m feeling generous, I’ll buy you a pint at the Rose and Crown. It’s only down there. ‘Cus you look kinda rough. ‘K?”
Then the Doctor genuinely did smile. It was a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.
Sometimes I bring out the worst in humans, but they’re always there for me.
The Doctor looked up at the man, who was smiling warmly, then up at the sky. It was a lovely day. Blue sky, birds, rich green trees… Good old Earth.
The man reached out with his hand to help the Doctor up, which he gladly took.
The Doctor hauled himself up onto his feet and swayed slightly, but the man held onto him, grasping his shoulders to keep him upright.
“Thanks.” Said the Doctor.
He noticed the man was looking at him. The Doctor raised his eyes to meet with the man’s and found obvious attraction blinding the man’s eyes.
The Doctor looked downwards, blushing slightly, before regaining him composure.
“I’m the Doctor.” He said holding out his hand.
The man grasped his hand and shook it.
“James, James Wild.”
The Doctor nodded and looked around.
“So um… where am I?”
James smiled slightly.
“That bad huh? This is Hay-On-Wye in Herefordshire.”
“Herefordshire? Right…”
“Come on” Said James “Pub.”
And he led the Doctor off towards the Rose and Crown.
***
As the Doctor sat with his third vodka and diet coke, his momentarily happy mood lapsed, and he began to feel empty and alone without the Tardis’s comforting hum in his head.
He realised of course that this wasn’t over. He hadn’t even begun to grieve for his beloved ship.
Of course, friendly helpful James asked him what was wrong.
“I lost someone.”
Was all he could reply.
"Well you got family eh?”
No
“I don’t have any family. They’re all gone too.”
“Oh mate I’m sorry. I know you’re not from round here, but you got mates?”
Donna’s gone. Rose has gone. Martha’s gone.
Then suddenly:
Jack. I want Jack.
“Just one. We’ve been friends for a long time. He’s in Cardiff.”
The more the Doctor thought about him the more he wanted to cry.
Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare cry in a pub.
“Well what a coincidence! I’m due up there. I’m a cop see? There’s always some weird shit that’s happening down there and they call in for backup. I was sent down there so often I didn’t see the bloody point so I was moved to the South Wales Police Department.”
The Doctor merely nodded.
"When do you need to be there?” The Doctor asked
“Not for another few hours yet, but wouldn’t hurt to get on the road before the usual traffic.”
He eyed the Doctor.
“You don’t get car sick or anything do you? Only you look really pale.”
“What me? Nah.”
With that the Doctor drained his glass in one and looked at James.
It suddenly became apparent to him just how funny he looked. Sure he had lovely, floppy hair, and really lovely blue eyes, but he looked funny.
He didn’t feel too good either…
The world seemed to be very happy. He felt giddy and dizzy at the same time.
The Doctor concentrated on James’s face to see him looking at him oddly.
“What?” Said the Doctor giving him a lop-sided smile.
“You mate.” He smiled shaking his head. James stood up and offered the Doctor his arm.
Slowly the Doctor stood up, grasping James’s arm and leaving heavily on him.
And, once again James led the Doctor out.
***
The Doctor woke up and found himself in a car.
Ok who’s car?
He looked to his right and saw a man with floppy brown hair and blue eyes.
James… James Wild.
And why were they travelling?
Before the Doctor could try to answer this James saw he was awake.
"Hello Doctor.”
Suddenly the memories of the past few hours sank in.
He put his head in his hands and a few stray tears leaked out.
Don’t you dare. Not here. Not now
James saw his tears.
"Don’t worry mate. We’ll be in Cardiff soon. You kinda got in my car, strapped yourself in and fainted. Talk about luck eh?”
The Doctor just groaned at his head
"Not a drinker? There’s some aspirin in the glove compartment.”
The Doctors eyes moved towards the glove compartment.
He slowly began to think.
Why? What was the point of him living without her?
He lived to travel. To help. To heal.
Who was going to heal him?
He thought about Rose. His lovely brown eyed Rose. And Martha… how he had destroyed her life. Took it in his hands and crushed her like a bug. Jack. Oh god Jack. His gorgeous handsome Jack. He needed him. Now; now more than ever. He was the only person who knew his burden. To live past times, to watch the ones you know and love grow old and die before your eyes...
Tears began to cascade down his face and his shoulders started to shake.
His beautiful Tardis… How he had taken her for granted. He had hit her. Shouted at her. He hadn’t loved her as much as he could.
He was a stupid old fool. An idiot. Call yourself a Time lord? Do you?
You’re a destroyer. An Oncoming storm. A disease. A bringer of death.
If anyone can take there own life it should be you. You’ve taken so many billions of lives why not take your own if you’re that strong?
In a blur of a moment he reached forward and opened the compartment. He grabbed the plastic bottle and emptied the container in his mouth, swallowing the many tiny tablets.
Time seemed to slow down.
He could feel every second crawl by.
He watched the world move in slow motion.
He felt the earth’s turn slow down to a mere 5000 mph.
And the last thing he saw, before his eyes closed was his own hand loosing complete control of itself, shaking and turning pale, just like the rest of his body as he gave into violent convulsions.
***
James saw the Doctor grab the aspirin and down it in one.
It just all happened so quickly.
He was just about to shout at him when the Doctor turned deathly pale and started shaking.
James lost control of the car and started swerving. The car swung from side to side as he grabbed a hold of the steering wheel and tried to regain control. Suddenly the bonnet of the car smashed into a metal fence on the middle of the motorway, throwing James and the Doctor forward in their seat belts but stopped by the two airbags that deployed.
The Doctor was still convulsing, but was now frothing at the mouth.
Forgetting about himself, James got out of the car, and went to the Doctors side door.
He was a policeman. The public always came first.
He looked around the highway wondering why no cars had passed.
He opened the door, reached over and undid the seatbelt, unbuckling it from his body as quickly as he could, before placing his hands under the Doctors knees and on his back to carry him out.
It was horrible. He was still convulsing.
James wasn’t a medical professional. They had to learn basics; CPR, mouth to mouth, recovery position… but it didn’t cover this.
Luckily he was an avid House fan and he just happened to have watched an episode the other day on what to do
He placed him on the floor and rolled him onto his side, hoping it would stop.
After another 30 seconds the shaking ceased. He placed the Doctor into the recovery position before running into his wrecked car and pulling out his mobile dialling 999.
The calm yet quick voice came over the phone.
“999 Emergency. Fire, Ambulance or Police services?”
“This is PC Wild of the South Wales police department. I request an ambulance to attend for a 10-62 and traffic police at a 10-49. My current location is along the A449 past Newport. Victim’s name is the Doctor. I am uninjured.”
There was clicking at the other end.
“Sorry PC Wild but I’m going have to refer you to Torchwood.”
“Torchwood? What’s tha-“
But before he finished asking the question there was more ringing.
He waited for another few seconds before the phone was answered.
“Captain Jack Harkness speaking.”
“Hello. Um this is PC Wild. I called the emergency services but I got referred to you and I don’t know why. But listen you’ve gotten get an ambulance down here. My friend has just taken an overdose and…”
“Whoa buddy calm down. If 999 put you over to us there’s gotta be a reason. Now, are you safe?”
“Yes.”
“Ok and who’s your friend?”
“I don’t know his name. I only met him today. He just said the Doctor.”
“Oh.”
***
The man at the other end of the phone suddenly sounded very desperate. After telling Jack where he was, he started asking him every minute little detail.
“How many pills did he take?”
“Nearly the whole bottle. Listen are you gonna start getting here soon? I don’t like the look of him.”
James knelt beside him. He had very shallow breathing, which was getting worse by the minute. He felt his pulse. Very weak.
“I’m already on my way. Has he said anything? Tell me everything he’s said to you.”
“Well… I found him on the street. I heard someone screaming. I’d just picked up my stuff y’see to come down to Cardiff and I was outside my car when I heard it. He was sitting on the floor and he looked a right mess. So I offered to take him to the pub. He had three drinks before he talked to me. He told me he’d lost someone.”
“Oh god.”
“I told him that family might help but he told me he had no family. So I asked about friends, and he said he had one in Cardiff. That they’d been friends for a long time.”
***
Jack had never expected this. Never.
The Doctor trying to kill himself?
How had it come to this?
The man on the end of the phone sounded like a good man. He was just trying to help the Doctor. But the fact they were on the way to see him?
God how he ached for the Doctor to return. He’d imagined a thousand ways that they would meet again.
With a long passionate kiss. With a punch to the Doctor’s stomach. With a drawn out stunned silence only to be broken by Jack running into the Doctor’s arms.
But him on the way to save the Doctor’s life after he’d tried to kill himself?
No. Not in a million years,
Just who had he lost?
“Ok just inform all emergency services not to touch him. If anyone but you should even breathe on him I’ll kill them myself. You got that?”
“Inescapably”
Jack knew that aspirin was fatal to him, so he grabbed the SUV and drove as fast as he could to the Doctor’s dyeing side.
***
By the time Jack arrived there was a road block covering the whole of the road. All of the Welsh police instantly recognised the black SUV and moved out of its’ way.
Jack stopped the car by slamming the brake down hard, serving the car in a commotion of smoke and screeching.
He leapt out of the car, sprinting towards the circle of policemen were.
One of them happened to look round and saw Jack running, so he quickly alerted the rest of them to his presence. They all moved out of his way as Jack passed them, dropping to his knees at the Doctor’s side.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
They all just watched.
Jack inched himself forward and placed the Doctor’s head in his lap, stroking his hair.
“Oh god what have you done?” He whispered, his voice cracking with emotion
Tears began to fall down his face at the sight of his Doctor.
Nervously a man stepped forward.
“No ones touched him. He stopped breathing around 3 minutes before you arrived.”
Jack looked up. This must be James.
Jack couldn’t see him properly through his blurred vision but he nodded in his direction.
Slowly he looked back down to the pale figure. He placed two fingers on the left side of his neck.
No beat.
Then he placed them on the right side.
There. The tiniest of heart beats still hanging on for dear life.
Jack put his cheek lightly against the Doctors’ mouth. Still breathing. Not stopped but barely.
He pulled up and kissed him on the lips lightly.
“Come on.” He whispered. “It’s me Jack. Your old buddy.
I still gotta get you that drink remember?
Please, you’ve still got those pills inside you. Just regenerate or get rid of the pills."
His voice dropped even lower.
“Cus you’re the only thing that’s keeping me goin’. I can’t loose you again.”
More tears fell down his face, and he didn’t care that he was breaking down in front a police force. He stroked the Doctor’s hair again.
“You know why?
It’s because I love you.
And I can’t be in love with a dead man because it just won’t work.
I won’t work.”
"Give me another chance and I’ll get it right.”
Shakily, Jack sighed through his tears.
He waited. For anything…
Something.
Just some kind of sign that the Doctor could hear him.
But there was none.
His shoulders began to shake as his heart broke clean in half.
“Help me”
And the Doctor stopped breathing.
***
Suddenly the Doctor’s eyes opened wide. He wildly looked around, before he rolled over onto all fours and vomited hard onto the tarmac road.
Jack sat, shocked for a moment before helping the Doctor.
He stroked along his spine with a flat palm to soothe him.
The Doctor retched again, the contents of his stomach splattering onto the road including the partly digested aspirin pills.
The Doctor had tears steaming down his face as he heaved again and another 3 times.
When he had finished he stayed on his hands and knees, shaking.
“Easy now.” Jack said as pulled the Doctor back into a sitting position before placing him in his lap.
He grabbed a tissue for the Doctor to wipe his nose and mouth on, but he was too weak. Jack did it himself and looked up.
The police were still staring at him and the Doctor.
“Don’t you lot have to be doing something?” He barked “And bring me some water.”
The officers immediately dispersed, all of them obviously having jobs to do at the scene. One of them, a female, walked up, giving Jack a bottle of water before hurrying off again.
The Doctor took the water gladly and gulped down a few sips, grimacing at every swallow at how sore his throat was.
Jack spoke first.
“Doctor… what’s happened? I nearly lost you.”
The Doctor closed his eyes for a few moments before opening the again.
“I lost her Jack.” He croaked “I lost the Tardis. She’s gone forever."
And he started crying. Jack pulled the broken man into an embrace and they sat in silence, the only sound coming from the Doctor as he poured out his soul.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry Jack. I didn’t know what I was doing. But I…”
He pulled back and looked into Jacks eyes, surprised for a second to find tears there.
“I don’t know what to do. I don’t have anywhere to live; I don’t have anything to do. I’m a Time lord stuck in the 21st century. I’ll go insane. I’ll…”
He sighed looking downward
“I’ll just wither and die without her Jack.”
Jack sighed. He lifted the Doctors chin to look at him. Their eyes met.
“Listen to me. I’m going to take you back to Torchwood where a Doctor will look you over and sort you out. Then, we’re gonna deal with this together. Just like we used to. No hiding, no secrets just plain truths.
I know you can fight this. Because you’re strong in here.” And he put both hands on the Doctor’s hearts. “And in here” he said lifting a hand and brushing his temple, before caressing his cheek pulling the Doctor closer.
Both lips met in quick kiss.
Jack pulled back, but found the Doctors lips had followed his
They kissed again, this time for longer and it grew from a simple kiss to both lips moving softly against the other. It ended all too soon, both men pulling away from their first proper kiss and staring at each other.
“Don’t worry we’ll find you a home.” Said Jack
“No need" said the Doctor cuddling up in the Captains arms "I am home.”