Chapter 4

The Doctor slammed his fist on the console of the TARDIS once again. What was it about that ship that made it so hard to track?

"We lost them?" Jack asked softly, abruptly reminding the Doctor he was no longer alone.

"Yes," the Doctor growled in anger and frustration, "But I WILL find them. And when I do…"

"Good," Jack said, his voice subdued.

The Doctor deliberately looked Jack over, noticed he had thankfully removed the chain and collar, observing his weakness and his emaciation.

"Let's go," the Doctor said, grabbing Jack's arm and pulling him towards the infirmary.

"Where we going?" Jack asked.

"You're going to the infirmary. Rassilon knows what you picked up from those people," the Doctor said. He winced internally at the thought of what had happened to Jack. He was going to heal him, pump him full of antibiotics and vitamins, and make him eat. Then Jack was going to take a shower and sleep for a few days.

"I've had my shots," Jack grumbled but followed.

-000-

After an embarrassing infirmary visit, a bowl of thick stew, and a very long, very hot shower, Jack sat in the TARDIS' kitchen, nursing a cup of herbal tea. He preferred coffee, but tea was all he could find.

He sighed, looking down at the last dregs of his drink, when he heard the Doctor stomping down the hallway.

Jack prepared himself for a lecture about the human need for sleep, but watched, astonished, as the Doctor walked right by. After a moment, Jack stood and followed him, his bare feet silent.

He stopped outside Rose's door. The Doctor had left the door open as he entered, but Jack was reluctant to intrude. He'd had plenty of alone time to contemplate life without Rose, to go through his memories of her, to seek the thing he could have seen, or done, or not done, that would have allowed her to live.

"Jack," the Doctor said softly, calling him into the room.

Without a pause, Jack entered the pink room.

The Doctor was sitting on the edge of Rose's bed, the pink duvet twisted like she had just left it. Her clothes were piled up in the chair, her shoes trailing across the floor. It was like she was taking a shower and any minute she'd pop in her room, grinning and shaking her head at finding them waiting for her.

The Doctor sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. He looked old and tired. The anger was still there, but it had been dampened down, choked by the grief.

Jack went to his side and sat next to him on the bed. They sat in silence, breathing in her familiar scent.

"Jack," the Doctor started to say. He paused, seeming to compose himself, "Can you tell me… How did it happen?"

"My fault," Jack said immediately, his hands clenching around his knees as he spoke, "I should have been paying better attention. I should have seen them coming."

"Could you have?" the Doctor asked mildly.

Jack blinked in surprise at the interruption. He paused, holding his breath as he ran over the events of that fateful day for the hundredth time.

"No," Jack said finally, shock coloring his voice, "There was no warning. They were waiting. They knew what they were doing."

The Doctor shrugged as if to say- so, then…

Jack shook his head, then continued, once again slipping into an official report, "The Donvarians were waiting at the local tavern. They had commandeered it and waited for travelers to come in. R… Rose and I filled their quota. They took us to their ship."

Jack looked over at the Doctor, "We tried to slow them down. Tried to give you time to find us. We knew it would be hard to track the ship once we were in space."

The Doctor's expression shifted to annoyance, "Almost made it," he said, "saw you and Rose on the ramp. Not fast enough, though." His face fell and he muttered, "Never fast enough."

"So close," Jack breathed.

"Close isn't good enough," the Doctor said gruffly, gesturing for Jack to continue.

Jack nodded, "Standard slave ship. Tied us to the wall. The whole ship smelled. There was always screaming," Jack shuddered, his hands unconsciously creeping to his back- resuming their position.

"Jack," the Doctor said sternly.

Jack took a deep breath and clasped his hands over his stomach, "They disintegrated our clothes. Rose was peeved," Jack smiled slightly, remembering the irate expression on her face. "They examined us. Then they told us where we were going," Jack shivered.

The Doctor nodded, waiting for the inevitable.

Jack continued, "Later, they came for me. They had a table, right there in the cell. They pushed me onto the table and they…" Jack stopped, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

The Doctor reached out to comfort him, but Jack jerked away and he let his hands fall back to his lap. He waited patiently for Jack to continue.

"Rose was screaming for them to stop," Jack said softly, "She didn't know what they were going to do. When she figured it out…" Jack laughed wryly, "She had a mouth on her."

The Doctor's mouth quirked up slightly- imagining Rose's colorful vocabulary.

"I don't remember what happened after that," Jack said simply, "When I woke up, I was chained to the floor next to Rose. She was furious."

"At you?" the Doctor asked, his eyebrow raised.

Jack grinned, looking over at him, "At you," he said, "Said you were probably still 'playing with your toys,'" Jack quoted.

"Oi!" the Doctor said.

"Don't worry," Jack said, "I stood up for you, said you were on your way." Jack sighed, "She knew you were. She was just scared." Jack smiled slightly, "Couldn't very well rant at me, could she?" Jack's smile fell, "Not yet, anyway. Made her mad when I told her what she needed to do… when they… came for her."

The Doctor bristled, barely stopping himself from rising and pacing the floor, "What did you tell her?"

Jack hunched over, as if preparing for a blow, "Told her not to fight them," he said.

The Doctor snorted, "What'd she say? Jump in a lake?"

Jack looked up, surprised at the Doctor's humor, "Pretty much, yah," he said, "But then I pulled my trump card. Asked her to do it for us. Said we'd die if she did," Jack sighed, covering his face with his hands, "Lied."

"She agreed," the Doctor said- a statement rather than a question. Jack answered anyway.

"Yes. Then she started praying, I think," Jack said, looking questioningly over at the Doctor as he felt him jerk.

The Doctor's face had paled and he had his hand in his pocket- gripped tightly around something.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

The Doctor didn't answer. He simply pulled out his psychic paper and handed it to Jack. Jack opened it and gasped.

"Is this?" he asked.

The Doctor nodded, "Rose sent it. Didn't think she could- usually only works with telepathic species."

Jack shook his head, fighting back tears as he read those two words. Rose. She was magnificent. It didn't say save me- it said save us. She wasn't about to forget him, not even in a hopeless attempt at getting help.

"She was special," Jack finally choked out.

"Yes, she was," the Doctor said, taking the paper back and slipping it securely into his pocket.

Jack knew he had to continue, so he took a deep breath, "They came for her. She didn't fight back at first. She was trying… I could see how hard it was for her. Then, something happened," Jack said, puzzled, "I don't know what it was. She just seemed to snap. She kicked the captain in the groin," Jack said with a half-grin, "Should have heard him scream," he said proudly.

"That's our Rose," the Doctor agreed.

Jack warmed. Our.

"She was coming to free me- I don't know how she thought she was going to manage it with her hands still tied." Jack paused, looking quickly over at the Doctor, "She said something strange, though. Said she couldn't do it- 'not again'. What did she mean?"

The Doctor's expression was murderous as he stood and began to pace.

"Doc?" Jack asked, standing.

"I don't know what she meant," the Doctor growled, "But I am going to find out!"

The Doctor looked over at Jack and suddenly realized that he was nearing collapse. He strode over to his side and pushed him back on the bed, sitting down next to him.

"Later," the Doctor said, reigning in his temper.

Jack nodded. He continued, "He caught her before she could reach me. Slammed her up against the wall. He had a gun. He put it to her head…" Jack trailed off, losing his voice.

"Did he give her any warning?" the Doctor asked tightly.

Jack shook his head, "She said, 'I'm sorry.' Then she said, 'Tell the Doctor I…' And then he shot her." Jack's voice broke and he started to cry, unable to hold back the tears any longer. He jerked as he felt the Doctor's hand touch his face.

"Sleep," the Doctor said, his fingertips resting on Jack's temple.

Jack fell asleep, curled up on Rose's bed, his hands grasping the pink covers.

To Be Continued...