It had been 30 minutes since Jack ended his call with Martha and not much had changed. He had attempted to find the TARDIS med bay and retrieve the neck brace and other supplies for the Doctor. But upon his inspection, he found the TARDIS corridors in darkness and not just your ordinary 'switch off the lights' kind of darkness. No, Jack almost felt like he was looking into a black hole, it was empty, he couldn't make out anything beyond the metal frame work of the door leading to the infinite depths of the TARDIS.
A chill went down his spine, he was getting cold, which wasn't like him. His energy kept him warm except for adverse weather, it was one of the plus sides of his immortality.
But something was definitely wrong. Not only was the TARDIS dark, and silent but now she was getting cold. All the more signs that her life force had been lost in the crash. He wanted to mourn her but he was too worried about saving her pilot. Perhaps when the Doctor was patched up, he could tell him what happened, perhaps the TARDIS has simply shut down her systems to save her console.
When Jack went back to Ianto and the still unconscious Doctor, he slipped off his long coat and placed it over the Time lord.
"I don't like how cold it's getting in here, Martha needs to hurry" Jack noted
"Funny you should say that" replied Ianto "I think I can hear the helicopter close by"
Jack jumped to his feet and ran to the open doors that provided the only natural light within the console room. He looked around and eventually spotted the helicopter that he recognised as UNIT's own. It landed and he watched as Martha jumped out of the helicopter with her kit and took off again.
As she ran towards him he shouted over the noise of the propellers "Where are they going!"
"Don't worry! We've got a plan, let's get inside!" she exclaimed
Martha and Jack both stepped into the TARDIS and there was a second of worry within Martha's eyes upon seeing the beloved ship, before her professionalism washed over her and she immediately stepped into action.
"Where is here?" she asked
Ianto called out from his perch beside the Doctor and Martha followed him. Her brow furrowed at the sight of her friend but she must not let it get to her.
"We thought it best to bring you all to UNIT as I believe their medical base to be much more equipped than Torchwoods" she said
Jack shook his head "How are we supposed to get there if the chopper just flew off, like I said Martha, the TARDIS is damaged, possibly worse. There's no flying her or accessing her med bay"
"I know, that's why the pilot is in the air again. That helicopter is fit with a large device mainly used to pick up large debris and heavy metal, perfectly capable of picking up the TARDIS and transporting her back to UNIT with us inside" She explained, "They just need to wait for my ready"
"Not sure if I like it but, it's the best we got. Ianto, I want you to head back to the hub, we can't leave Gwen on her own. I'm going to head to UNIT with Martha. I'll keep you informed" said Jack
Ianto nodded "Yes sir"
Once he was gone, Martha set to work. It was only now that Jack noticed the large medical bag Martha had brought with her. She opened it up and immediately retrieved the neck brace from within and with Jacks help placed it on The Doctor. She then followed with placing his arm in a temporary splint, a little more refined than Jack's makeshift one.
"How long was he here before you found him?" asked Martha
"We got the signal come through before he crashed and arrived on scene about ten minutes later"
Martha sighed "If you said there were fumes before and he was breathing them in for ten minutes, I'm worried about his lungs" Martha turned up the oxygen before taking out her radio
"Greyhound 19 come in" she called
The radio came to life as an older man replied "This is Greyhound 19, go ahead"
Jack could tell she was speaking to the pilot or co-pilot of the helicopter as he could heard the engine in the background.
"Are you locked on and in position for return to base?"
"Affirmative Ma'am, we have the cargo secured and ready for take-off, please ensure you are safely secured and ready for turbulence, I don't know how gently I can keep the cargo in place"
"If the TARDIS is still a little bit functioning then we shouldn't feel too much. Ready when you are Captain"
"Yes Ma'am"
Jack and Martha stopped themselves from falling on the Doctor as the TARDIS shook for a few seconds before everything stood still once more.
"Will he be alright?" asked Jack, sincerity in his voice
"To say he crashed from such a height that even caused the TARDIS so much damaged, I'm actually surprised he's not in worse shape. But then again, I haven't managed to take a look at what's going on inside yet. Outside, his arm could use realigning and a cast for a month, depending on the outcome. A few minor cuts and a head wound that I'd like to get scanned for any damage. His lungs could be infected not to mention any internal bleeding or other broken bones we've missed" Martha answered
Jack sighed before placing a gentle hand on the Doctor's head, caressing his hair "He's been through worse, he'll make it through this one too"
"As long as he has help" Martha clarified
Jack furrowed at Martha "Well of course he's going to have help what are you saying?"
"You know what the Doctor's like Jack, he'll most certainly have our help whenever he might ask. But sometimes, he won't ask. I can already tell this is going to be a tough recovery. He might want to walk out and leave as soon as he wakes. But he can't do that with the TARDIS like this. He's going to need some tough love" she replied
Jack thought it over. He knew Martha was right. The Doctor was never good at sitting still and once they figured out the full extent of his injuries he was looking at a few weeks in a hospital bed. Martha was going to take position as his full time Doctor, so Jack was going to need to be by his side until he and the TARDIS were ready for travel.
"You're right. Best just make him comfortable"
"As soon as we arrive, we'll transport him to the medical building and run the tests. Best to let the Brigadier know he's coming. He certainly won't be too happy, not when his favourite Time Lord is hurt"
