Gwen hurried across the destroyed building, the medical team in tow. Jack had sounded stressed but she couldn't hear any pain in his voice; he must have found survivors.
She was clambering over a pile of debris when she saw it, in the distance. It was a twisted version of a human; its legs were human but its feet were claws. Its midriff was black fur, its shoulders and head were human but its mouth extended into a snout that was full of teeth...and was that smoke coming out of its mouth.
The medical team along with herself let out a gasp and could only watch as it bent at the middle and its snout disappeared behind a half destroyed building.
They heard a rumble that may have sounded like a voice and then laughter and then it straightened and faded away.
Gwen blinked and came to her senses...the thing had been in the same place the signal was coming from.
"Move!" she snapped at the medical team and started clambering down the rubble.
They found a relatively clear path and managed to break into a jog.
It was as she was approaching she heard a voice she had never expected to hear. She drew her gun and gestured for the medical team to be quiet.
Cautiously she moved closer to the sound of the voice...then she heard Jack's voice and he sounded angry.
Then she heard what sounded like a punch and then a few seconds later Jack's cry and with a yell of her own she rounded the corner and stopped.
It wasn't Jack that was in trouble, it was the one person that she thought would never grace this planet again...the Doctor.
He was lying awkwardly with Jack kneeling by him. It was then she saw the blood on Jack's hands and the blood on the floor.
Jack's head snapped up when she'd shouted and the panic in his voice stayed her anger.
"Gwen, the medics...now!"
Jack eyed the doctor's warily as they told him what they had to do.
"We have to cut the bar," the rescue officer said.
The whole area had been turned into a makeshift ER as it had filled with the rescue team that was sweeping the area for survivors.
The sound of shouting drew Jack's attention and he turned and saw the Doctor angrily shoving a medic away.
Jack saw the reason why and rushed over. "Is that morphine?"
The medic nodded. "We need to reduce the pain before we can cut and move him."
"He's allergic to it, in fact he's allergic to most pain-killers. Do you have any Entenox?"
The medic nodded and went off to fetch it.
Jack knelt down by the Doctor who was pale, sweaty and very angry.
He was about to take a swipe at another medic but Jack caught his hand. "Hey, let them help you."
The Doctor glared at Jack and he could see the anger flashing in the back of those golden brown orbs.
"You want this thing out," Jack said and moved his head towards the now obscured piece of metal.
The Doctor swallowed and nodded.
"Then let them do their job. They're not going to kill you and carve you up."
Jack looked up as the medic came back with the cylinder of Entenox. "Let me," he said.
He placed the mask over the Doctor's face, ignoring the flash of annoyance in them.
"You know how this works, take a few deep breaths and when the pain gets too much do it again."
Jack waited until he was sure the Doctor had calmed enough and nodded to the doctor. "Do it."
The Doctor's muffled cry echoed round the debris as the metal bar was cut and the doctor pulled the leg into a normal position.
"That's the easy part. There's no chance of getting him to a hospital," the doctor said.
He dropped his voice to a whisper. "And if I'm right, you don't want him near a hospital?"
Jack nodded. "What do you have to do?"
The next ten minutes were one of the most excruciating of the Doctor's long life. His logical mind told him what they were doing was necessary, but the baser side of his nature wanted to tear them apart.
But the strong hands of Jack and the soothing Welsh tones of Gwen Cooper lulled him into a half-awake stupor.
His thigh felt like fire as he felt the blade cut into it and it was like molten metal when it was pulled out.
He decided then that unconsciousness was the better option and passed out.
The city was quite beautiful when it was viewed from here the Doctor mused...but there was no time for admiring the view.
"I really don't want a temple in my name, your majesty," he said.
"Tell that to the people Doctor. To them you defeated and imprisoned Zu and his demons. That makes you a god and I cannot order them not to. There is nothing you or I can say that will persuade them otherwise."
The Doctor snorted. "The problem with gods is they tend to start believing their own PR."
The King laughed. "You say you are not a god, yet you call yourself a lord of time."
"It's just a name," the Doctor replied. "Just don't let them make any sacrifices in my name."
"I can only promise that in my reign. What comes after, I cannot govern."
The Doctor sighed. "Just make sure they keep the Tears safe and it'll be fine."
"I and the priests shall guard it with our lives, Enlil."
Authors Note:
Enlil- chief god "Lord of the Open" or "Lord of the Wind" - Major Ancient Mesopatamian deity.
