There is no easy way.
Author Notes: The doctor has lost his son Noah; Noah committed suicide; and now is trying to get over but will his friends be there to help him. Doctor/Jack story
Characters: 10th Doctor, Donna, Gwen, Captain Jack Harkness, Seif, Noah
Chapter 1 -
The doctor pressed his solemn tear stained face against the criss crossed patterned frosted onto the glass, his palms were pressed against the cold glass that it almost appeared that his skin was squashed onto the glass. His gaze was fixed on the frail body of a teenage boy in the next room a boy whom he has grown to love and care for yet here he was, looking in through a window at that boy while doctors and nurse tried to save his life.
There were tubes and wires spouting from his mouth making him look like some new aged Odd but they were to keep him alive not some part of an elaborate costume. A see through cylinder that contained a black conjugated plastic tube that inflated and deflated at every artificial breath. A nurse was stood at the food of the iron railed bed with a clipboard in one hand and a pen in another; she looked towards the doctor stood on the opposite of the glass and shook her head slowly indicating that it was not good news.
The doctor's head slipped forward so his forehead was touching the window; tears began to roll down his checks and onto the toes of his wore out trainers. Raising a hand to his eyes he began to wipe away the tears and tried to regain self control, but every time he looked up he would be greeted with the lifeless body of the boy in the room, the boy whom was his son.
The sound of tapping heels on lino flooring was the only thing that brought the doctors gaze up and he could see from their reflection in the window that he was no longer alone; a faint smile inched from his lips as he lower his hands from the window.
"I thought you weren't coming" it was more of a statement than a question and the two people stood behind him and hung their heads in shame, "But I'm glad you did" the tension that filled the air started to thin and there was hope that the mood could be lightened.
"We were doing something important, we didn't mean to be late" the male of the pair began; he spoke with a swooning American accent which felt out of place in a countryside hospital; he proceeded to step forward but the Doctor placed a hand between them.
"I'm sorry but important?" His voice was sharp much unlike his usual tone which was one of understanding and joy. The man sighed deeply almost half expecting this would happen.
"We found alien DNA on the crime scene I discussed with your earlier, I guess we just got caught..." the Doctor just waved his hands at the mans explanation,
"I don't wanna hear it Jack. And you Donna" his attention was now on the shorter of the pair; a fiery red haired whom had once travelled with him; "I thought you at least would be here with me not cooped up in some underground lab looking at gooey green slime" The doctor breathed deeply and lent against the window.
It was only know that Jack looked past the Doctor into the room. He saw several different doctor looking down at the boy, one switching off the life support machine while the other looking down to his watch. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. They were too late.
"Please don't take this out of us, at least not Donna she was waiting for me" Jack extended a left arm in hope of placing it on the doctor's shoulder but this was rejected by a shrug and the arm was left to hang Jack's side.
Silence filled the corridor this time the only sound that was hear was Donna sniffing up tears.
"A few nights ago I got a call from Sarah Jane that my son was in hospital" the doctor began. His voice was low and he spoke slowly so that the pair could hear and understand him. "He had tried to take his own life, I didn't know why and neither did she, I demanded that we had to go back to earth but you and your stupid torchwood" his teeth gritted at the word 'torchwood' making Jack's heart ache as the truth hit him hard in the face. The doctor carried on "insisted that we finish the mission because you really needed to know what type of DNA was in some old homeless man's body" the Doctor's fist connected with the window which made Donna jump, but Jack was staring him right in the face.
"It wasn't feasible" Jack began, his voice was raised a little, "We had to know otherwise someone else to die, and you don't have a right to be like this with us. I have family too but I know that they would understand that this mission was important" the doctor threw his head back and laughed loudly, Donna took hold of Jack's hand to calm him down.
"Last time I checked Jacky boy you didn't give a rats arse about your family, if I recall didn't you execute your own..." but before the Doctor could finish a punch with immense force had hurtled through the air and connected with the Doctor's nose.
Blood spurted from both nostrils; Jack rubbed his knuckles glaring down to the doctor who was bent over holding his nose. Donna hand let go of Jack's hand and know was rubbing the Doctors back shooting Jack evil looks.
"Both of you stop acting like children" She shouted at both men whom didn't seem to notice how immature they were being, but this didn't seem to have any effect.
"The truth hurts jack" mumbled the doctor cupping his nose as the blood seeped through the cracks in his fingers.
"I may have done that Doctor but at least I was with my family when that happened, least I was there when they needed me the most. You on the other hand had to wait for your son to top himself before coming back here, so yes the truth dose hurt...doctor" Jack thrusted a finger at the Doctors chest but soon rejected what he had said. Jack knew what he had done in the past was awful and he knew he did have a choice to stop it, the doctor on the other had no choice on the events that had unfolded and he was just striking out at Jack because he was anger and full of grief. Jack was just being stupid and hurtful.
The doctor crumpled to the hospital floor sobbing like a child, curling up in the foetal positions while Donna tried to calm him down by stroking his hair. Jack sighed deeply and knelt down beside him,
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it" he paced his right hand on the doctors shoulder. Donna's eyes met jacks and the pair knew that not only had they lost the doctors son but in some respects they had lost the doctor was well.