Something was wrong. He had known that something was wrong with him for a couple of months now. In all of his years on the run, he never remembered sleeping so much, but now he would go to bed and wake up even more tired in the morning. He had always been so restless, so when he found himself in bed for the second day in a row, he decided maybe it was time for a change. Pulling himself reluctantly out of bed he headed down to the medi-bay.
When he had first noticed something was wrong, he had ran scans on himself but the scans had shown nothing. Now he was running the same test again. He read the results and saw with no surprise that his energy was lower than it should be. What did surprise him is when he did a full body scan and saw small white marks on his brain. He had the Tardis do another scan of just his head, to verify it and the white marks continued to show.
He threw the scans to the side and picked up the ones he had done originally. Holding it up he looked closely at them and saw nothing wrong. He picked up both sets of scans and put them in a filing cabinet in the Medi-bay. He knew what the marks ment, but it wasn't possible. He was tired, that was all. He just needed a break.
Heading quickly to his room, he showered and cleaned himself up before setting the Tardis to go to Cardiff. He needed a distraction.
-DW-
Jack was busy trying to pull a baby weevil out of one of the cabinets in the morgue, without getting bit... again. Martha had found the weevil when they were out investigating rift activity and had taken to it like a mother hen. Jack had tried to explain to her that they were not pets and were dangerous and that he was the boss and was putting his foot down. All of it had fallen on deaf ears.
The familiar noise of the Tardis materializing distracted him for the briefest of moments and the weevil bit him again, and then took off into the hub. Sighing Jack pulled himself up and examined his hand. It was bleeding profusely from the three bite marks.
"Martha, catch your pet and give it to Janet, The Doctor is here." He called out.
"He has a name." She called back.
"If he bites me again, he won't have need for a name." He muttered angrily and then hissed as he rinsed off his hand and wrapped it in a bandage. Heading out into the main hub, he saw the visitor's entrance opening and the Doctor stepped in.
"That has a lock you know." Jack chastised the Doctor.
"Not a very good one. Only took me two minutes to crack it." The Doctor smiles at him. "Well I say two minutes, more like a minute and a half." He tugs on his ear and looks at Jack sheepishly. "Would have been a minute but my nose itched."
Jack watched as the Doctor took off his coat and threw it over the railing. He frowned as he noticed how the Doctor's usual suit seemed to be hanging off of him. His eyes had bags beneath them.
"When was the last time you slept?" Martha asked coming into the room.
"I sleep." The Doctor replied indignant.
"Oh, it's good to see you." She said and wrapped him in a hug and joined Jack's concern about how thin he seemed.
"Where's Mick, Mick, Mickey?" He asked happily, as he released Martha and looked around.
"Just the two of us here right now Doc," Jack responded. "Mickey had to go north to investigate Rift activity and won't be back for a couple of days and Ianto is out running errands."
"What about that Welsh girl, Gwen?"
"She just gave birth and is on maternity leave." Martha responded.
"Alright, well better be on my way. Lots to do, got a bowling match with Virginia Wolff."
"And a time machine," Martha said, taking his arm. "Stay awhile. You just got here after all and we haven't seen you for awhile."
She led him to the kitchen and sat him down at the table with Jammy Dodgers, while she made him a cup of tea. Her and Jack sat and talked about recent rift activity and artifacts that had come through that needed cataloging. But she watched with growing concern as the Doctor's eyes kept fluttering until finally his chin fell against his chest and his breathing evened out.
"That doesn't happen." Jack said taking another sip of his coffee. "I have never seen him fall asleep at the table before."
"Me either," Martha agreed, keeping her voice low. "He did look exhausted though." She stood and gently shook the Doctor. "Hey wake up, that can't be too comfortable."
The Doctor grumbled and laid his head against her stomach. Martha gently stroked his hair. "Why don't you wake up and come back to my apartment and get some proper sleep?" The Doctor nodded against her and then sat up and stretched.
"Take good care of him," Jack called after Martha as the two of them headed out of the hub. There was something seriously wrong and Jack hoped that a goodnight's sleep and a couple of days rest would cure it.
-DW-
Martha awoke suddenly as the bed was shaking and the cause of the shaking was the Doctor. She looked over at him and she realized he was having a seizure. "Oh honey," She said softly. She uncovered him and moved off the bed to give him room. It was almost three minutes before he finally stopped and she rolled him into the recovery position.
"Come on Doctor, wake up for me and then you can get some sleep." She told him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at her. "Hey, coming back." She asked him still keeping her voice low.
"What's wrong?" He moaned and squirmed a little to adjust his position.
"Nothing." She answered quickly. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired." He replied. "And cold." He sat up a little and looked down to see the blankets at the bottom of the bed. "If you're going to be a blanket hog, I can sleep on the couch." He told her as he let his head fall back to the pillow and wrapped his arm around it.
Martha chuckled. "Well be quick about it."
"Too tired."
"Alright get some rest." She responded as he closed his eyes and she covered him back up. He sighed and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep.
-DW-
Morning came and he was up before she even stirred. Martha stretched and got out of bed, grabbing her robe and tieing it shut around her. She headed out into the living room to find the Doctor sitting at the table sipping tea.
"Morning," He said pleasantly as she entered the room. He smiled at her and she noticed that he still looked tired. He stood quickly and rushed into the kitchen, coming back a moment later with a second cup of tea. She sat down at the table across from him and took a small scalding sip before returning his greeting.
"Morning, how are you feeling?" She asked him.
"Fine," He answered looking confused.
"Since when do you have seizures." She asked him casually.
"I don't," he responded looking even more confused.
"You did last night. A full tonic clonic seizure that lasted about three minutes." She told him. "It's lucky I am a doctor, otherwise that would have been a scary thing to wake up to. As it is, it is still concerning. Especially being your friend."
"Agreed." He leaned closer to her. "Are you sure it was a seizure?"
She rolled her eyes and took his face in her hands. "Positive. I know you didn't have seizures when I traveled with you, so what has changed since then?"
"I don't know," He responded, knowing that it was partly a lie.
"Let me run some test then and see if we can determine what's causing them."
"No," The Doctor shook his head. "Are you sure you weren't dreaming."
"Positive."
He stood up, "Thank you for the tea, but I should really get going." He started to head towards the door.
"Um, Doctor. Before you leave at least take a shower and get dressed."
He looked down and realized he was still in the pajamas he borrowed the night before. "I won a sword fight in my jimjams once." He told her happily.
"Well unless you plan on another sword fight, which I wouldn't recommend. I would get dressed."
He headed into the bathroom and she heard the shower start. Reaching into her purse she pulled out her phone and called Jack.
-DW-
When they got to the hub later, Jack was doing paperwork. He had received a call from Martha, that her and the Doctor were on their way back to the Tardis after the Doctor finished his shower. Her next request broke his heart to comply with but it was for the best for the Doctor.
Feeling guilty he sat working until he heard them enter.
"Jack," The Doctor said happily.
"Hey Doc," Jack responded.
"Don't call me Doc," He narrowed his eyes at Jack. "Would love to stay and chat but there is a meteor shower happening right now on Regulus Nine?"
"Take me with you," Jack said.
"I don't have companions anymore." The Doctor replied.
"One trip," Jack pleaded.
"Get your coat." The Doctor responded and didn't miss the look Jack and Martha exchanged as the two of them left the hub. The Doctor entered the Tardis first and Jack paused outside the door.
"He is going to hate us."
"It's for the best," Martha responded and he entered the Tardis. The Doctor was leaning with his back against one of the coral and his arms were crossed. Jack closed the door behind him.
"Jack, I understand Martha wants you to come to keep an eye on me, but you are going to stay here. I will dematerialize the Tardis around you, so she at least thinks you tried. But you aren't coming." He said casually.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm dying Jack."
"Don't say that," Jack responded immediately.
"Time Lords don't have seizures. The only time they do is when there is a decline in their brain that leads to their death. If the other's were still around, I might have a chance but with just me, I am going to die."
"Let us help you." Jack pleaded.
"No, I don't want you to remember me like that. I will get worse. I will decline to the point I can't walk on my own, eat, shower or hold my own head up. I will have more seizures and more often until finally I will die."
"Why are you telling me this," Jack asked, unable to keep the sadness out of his voice.
"Because I don't want you to remember me like that and I don't want to die like that. I will run until I can't anymore."
"How much time do you have?"
"A couple of months maybe longer." He responded and stood up straight and headed to Jack. He kissed Jack softly on the forehead. "Good bye Jack." He said.
He turned and headed to the console and Jack saw the anger in his eyes when he realized the controls were locked He took out his sonic and scanned them. His eyes narrowed further when he realized that not only were they locked but they were deadlocked. "When," He hissed.
"While you were showering." Jack responded. "Martha knew something was seriously wrong and that if we let you leave you would never come back."
"Unlock them now."
"No," Jack stood his ground.
"Now Captain," The Doctor hissed again.
"I'm sorry, we can't just let you leave without trying to help you."
"Do you want a fairy tale? Should I lie to you instead? Would that give you peace" He laughed cruelly. "I'm not going to die. I am going to the meteor shower and then bowling and will be back in a few days."
"I'm not removing the chains." Jack said sadly.
"You have no right to do this." The Doctor's voice went the deathly calm of the oncoming storm. "Unlock my Tardis right now, or so help me I will make you regret being immortal."
"I would like to see you try." Jack moved to stand in front of the Doctor so that they were staring each other in the eye. The Doctor's hands curled into fist.
"Get off my Tardis," The Doctor hissed finally pointing at the doors and Jack complied.