The Eleventh Doctor ran, clutching his side, stumbling as the explosions rang all around him. He fell in through the doors of the TARDIS and collapsed on the spot, unable to move anymore.
He began to close his eyes.
"You're not done yet, doc!" Jack yelled, firing his gun over his shoulder before dragging the Doctor by the arms.
Slamming the doors shut, Jack sighed before pulling the Doctor to his feet.
"There you go, take it easy…" Jack replied soothingly.
"Jack…? What…what are you doing here…?" The Doctor blinked rapidly.
"Heard you were traveling alone these days, thought I'd come see your new face," Jack grinned.
The Doctor smiled and took a step forward before his knees gave out and he fell to the floor.
"Whoa, take it slow, tiger…" Jack came to his aid.
Looking at the gash on the Doctor's side, Jack relaxed a bit.
"It looks pretty superficial…nothing fatal…the cut isn't real deep."
The Doctor smiled sadly.
"Just after I managed to escape having my molecular biology completely rewritten I found myself in a sword fight…unfortunately the sword was laced with poison…I…don't think you will get to see this face for much longer…"
Jack inched forward.
"But you can handle poisons can't you? You've done it before."
"Poisons that affect humans, yes, but this…I was not prepared for this…" The doctor replied quietly.
He groaned and snapped his eyes shut.
"Is there no antidote?" Jack quickly asked, instinctively putting a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.
"I don't know…I've never felt something like this…the pain…" He swallowed and his eyes rolled back a moment, "…the pain is terrible…even if there was something I could do…there's no time, Jack…no time…"
Jack nodded solemnly before tucking his hands under the Doctor's arms to pull him back to his feet, allowing him to lean on his shoulder.
"I've never seen you give in…" Jack looked into his eyes, "What changed?"
"A lot has happened these last few years…" The Doctor looked at nothing in particular and seemed to be lost in thought.
A blast brought him back to reality.
"They're trying to break in!" Jack's eyes widened as he stared at the TARDIS doors.
The Doctor ran from Jack's arms and began pressing buttons and pulling levers as he ran around the circular control center, his eyes locked in a determined stare with the panel until one final switch brought the familiar roar as the TARDIS sprang to life, screeching with the iconic sound as the machine dematerialized in front of its attackers.
The Doctor stood back with a triumphant grin spreading across his features.
"There he is…" Jack smiled back, catching his eye. "The Doctor I know!"
The Doctor's smile quickly faded as a wave of pain blinded him and sent him crashing against the control panel.
"Jack…get me to the medical bay...please" He yelled, closing his eyes and groaning. "I'm out of time…"
Jack sprinted over and half carried the Doctor down the corridor to the med center. Pulling him onto a gurney, Jack looked down sadly as the Doctor's hearts sped up from the strain.
"Can I get you something for the pain, doc?"
"Yeah…next room over…in the top left cabinet…a blue bottle…quickly…"
Jack flew out of the room and burst through the doors, flinging the cabinet open and knocking bottles away before finding two blue bottles. One had white pills while the other one had a slight pink tint with purple spots across them.
"Which one?" Jack panicked as he heard the Doctor yell in the next room.
Grabbing both he decided he would ask when he got there.
He was just about to run back to the Doctor when a blinding light shown through the window on the door, casting an eerie yet beautiful yellow glow on Jack as he shielded his eyes.
"Doctor…?" Jack reached carefully for the door handle when it was over.
"Don't come in!" A voice yelled from inside.
It sounded higher than the Doctor's voice, but his was likely to change octaves after regeneration.
"Are you alright?" Jack tried to peak inside but upon spotting the gurney, he noticed it was empty.
Pushing the door open quietly, Jack snuck inside. As soon as the door snapped shut, the Doctor popped up from behind the gurney and Jack knew he was mad, but couldn't contain the shock of the new form before him.
"What part of 'don't come in' didn't you understand?!" The Doctor screamed.
Jack's mouth was hanging wide open and for the first time, he was speechless.
"Stop staring…" The Doctor groaned.
"But you…"
"Don't say it!"
"You-"
The Doctor shot a warning glance.
"You look stunning, doc…" Jack replied.
"I need a mirror…" The Doctor mumbled, shoving past Jack and running from the room.
While Jack stayed behind a sudden scream echoed from down the hallway.
Jack ran towards the sound and found the Doctor, mouth open and hands clutching hair, in front of a mirror, opening and closing his mouth trying to speak.
"Jack…" he croaked.
"I know…"
"Jack!" he spun to face the captain.
Jack smiled sadly and tried to mask the excitement he really felt.
"I'm female, Jack…" The Doctor whispered.