After the Tardis materialized in the Plas, Jack waited for half an hour for the Doctor to emerge, then let himself in with his key.

"Doc?" The console room was empty and quiet. "Doctor where are you?"

As if in reply the interior door swung open. Jack started down the corridor and another door swung slightly open.

"Giving me a nudge, are we old girl? Jack asked patting the wall."Is the Doctor in trouble?"

The Tardis hum changed in pitch and the door down the corridor gave a slight twitch.

"Okay, I got you."

Jack pushed open the door slightly and peered into the darkened room."Doctor are you in here?"

"Go away Jack."

"Hey, are you all right? Your voice sounds funny. Do you have a cold or something?"

"I said go away."

Jack stepped into the room. In the dim light he could make out a bed with a huddled figure in it.

"Don't come in here, and whatever you do don't turn on the light!"

The voice definately was not the Doctor's or not the Doctor he knew. "Doctor, have you regenerated?."

A long pause then "Yes."

"What's the matter? Did it go wrong?"

"In a way yes. Don't come near me I'm hideous," he cried as Jack stepped nearer the bed.

The Doctor was rolled up in the covers like a cocoon. All Jack could see was a bare foot poking out of one end.

He leaned over trying to see in the dim light. The Doctor was facing away from him with the covers over his head.

"Hey, Doc it can't be that bad. Let me see."

"No."

"Oh come on."

"No Jack, now please go away."

Jack sighed and walked over to an armchair. As he went to sit he realized it had some of the Doctor's clothes on it. The tie had been pulled off without being undone, the dress shirt was torn and had dark stains that looked like blood. Looking around he could see other pieces of clothing and one lone Converse scattered around the floor.

"Oh Doctor," he said softly.

"You still here?"

"Yes, and I am not leaving until you let me see you." He dropped the clothes on the floor and sat down.

An hour passed in silence. Jack sat staring at the bed. The Doctor didn't move, Jack couldn't tell if he was asleep, unconscious, or just playing possum hoping that Jack would leave.

Finally Jack stood up and went over to the bed. "Are you awake Doctor?"

The cocoon twitched and the foot flexed. "Jack, please go."

"Not until I see you. I want to make sure you are all right."

"Course I am all right."

"Are you coming out of there?"

"No."

"Okay then, I am sorry for this."

Jack grabbed the covers and gave a tug rolling the Doctor away from him and onto the floor on the far side of the bed.

"What did you do that for?"

Pale blue protuberant eyes looked up at him as a hand reached for the covers. Jack snatched them away and then walked around the bed to take a look. The new Doctor had a round face with a pug nose and weak chin. That combined with the eyes and lank reddish blond hair made for a far less attractive look than the previous Doctor. Jack looked down. The Doctor was wearing pajama pants. His body was medium height and pudgy with sparse pale hair on his chest and arms. His fingers were shorter and thicker.

"You're uhm different;" Jack said

"Of course. I've regenerated, into a troll"

The Doctor got up and walked to a corner where he picked up his beloved coat and wrapped it around his shoulders. He came back, sat down on the bed and sighed.

"I know I shouldn't be so vain but it is a bit of a letdown after my last body."

"It is a bit of a shock," Jack said trying to be diplomatic. "You look much more average."

"Uh hum. My regenerations have been rather unpredictable. Never know what you are going to get. Like Forrest Gump and his chocolates."

He leaned down, grabbed the comforter and made as if to cocoon himself again, coat and all.

Jack watched him for a second, then sighed. "So you are just going to hide in there until you regenerate again?"

"Jack"

"Hey, I know you are upset, but like you said chocolates. Sometimes you get one with a nasty center. You either spit it out or swallow as not to be rude. And you are rude, remember?"

"That was the old me. This me I am not sure about yet."

"Why don't you come out of there and find out what the new you is like?"

The Doctor's head poked out of the cocoon, his hair hanging over his face. He pushed at it. " New hair not as nice as before. And look at this hand, hmmm."

"Its not that bad really, once you start to get used to it, it kind of grows on you."

"Like fungus." He unrolled himself, sat up and looked at his coat. "Blood, everything I had on has blood on it. That's what comes from it getting you in the face I guess."

He sat staring into space for a long while then stood up.

"Ah well, you are right Jack. Can't really hide in there forever. I've been given a nasty chocolate which I can't spit out and I have to deal with it. First things first I suppose. I should head up to the wardrobe and find something to wear. Jim jams and this coat are the old some tea maybe or maybe not. Coffee? I don't know."

He started towards the door and stopped to pick up the Converse. "I might keep these though."

He walked out the door and spoke without looking back.

"Go home Jack. I will come see you later, or maybe not. I don't know."

"Are you sure you are going to be okay?"

"Go home!" Jack heard the Oncoming Storm in that tone of voice,

"Now that sounds like the Doctor"

"Jack."

"Yes sir."

Jack stood in the doorway and watched him walking away barefoot and wrapped in the bloodstained coat. Then he turned and left the Tardis.