A/N: Okay I'm finishing this story off tonight just so it's done really and while I still know how it's going to end lol. One more chapter after this and it'll be finitooo :P

Chapter Eleven

Essential Trust

Jackman was halfway back to the sickbay when he was halted by the Doctor's screams. He stood listening, feeling his heart rate increasing. He had just sealed that man in that room with her. What if he was screaming to be out? What if she was slowly burning him and he was screaming for help?

Jackman tried to continue to the sickbay, telling himself that he needed to get Kimi and Randall to safety, that it was that Doctor's fault for coming on board in the first place, but he couldn't make his feet move in the direction he wanted. Instead he felt himself turning and running back the way he had come.

He wouldn't be able to live with that screaming haunting his dreams at night.

It felt like his chest was about to explode. That was where most of the heat was – right beneath her hand. He could feel the veins protruding on his temples and neck. His skin felt stretched. His blood felt like it was boiling. For what seemed like a long time he could do nothing but scream, the pain was so intense. But that part of his mind that seemed to be able to stay calm through anything was ordering him to talk to her, to try and calm her down. If he couldn't calm her down in the next minute then he was going to be nothing but a pile of ashes at her feet.

'Ashley…' he wheezed. 'Please… don't do this…'

He managed to open his eyes and, although black spots threatened his vision, he saw her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her eyes were tightly closed. They were both on their knees. The only thing keeping the Doctor upright was the pain in his system.

'You don't want to kill me,' he told her. 'Stop…'

'Shut up!' she sobbed. 'Stop it! Just shut up!'

'Ashley… you're killing me…'

'All you have to do is tell me!' Ashley yelled. 'All you have to do is tell me the truth!'

The pain became unbearable again and then Doctor screamed out. 'Please!' he cried. 'I'm begging you!'

'Tell me the truth!'

'You have to stop! Please I-'

'I have to know! I need to know what I am!'

'I can't! It hurts…'

Ashley gritted her teeth and a new burst of heat shot through his system. He could feel the skin beneath her hand blistering. It was agony. He wouldn't be able to stay conscious much long and if he passed out…

'Just tell me!'

The Doctor summoned up every piece of energy he had remaining. 'You're alone!' he yelled, louder than it should have been physically possible for him. 'You're alone! Like me… alone…'

Ashley stared at him with wide teary eyes. She watched his face contorting in agony. She watched his skin getting redder and redder and she realised what she was doing. With a cry she snatched her hand back and scrambled back on her hands and feet. Horrified, she watched as the Doctor fell on his side. Wisps of smoke floated up from his skin. He let out a throaty groan. Ashley let out a huge sob.

'I'm sorry!' she cried, and then put both hands over her mouth to stifle a louder, more hysterical sob. She looked around to see the fire she had caused now raging. She looked back to the Doctor. His eyes were half open.

'It's okay…' he told her in a broken voice.

Ashley let out a bigger, anguished sob and began to crawl towards him. Suddenly the door flew open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. She looked up, startled, to see Jackman pointing a gun right at her. The Doctor tried to turn to see him.

'No…' he started, weakly.

Ashley's mouth dropped open but Jackman pulled the trigger. She flew backwards, slamming against the front of the Tardis and ending up slumped against it, unconscious. Jackman hopped over a bunch of live wires towards the Doctor, shielding himself from the growing fire. Before he had a chance to lift him, the Doctor turned and grabbed the front of his shirt.

'What did you do?' he demanded. 'What did you do!?'

Jackman stared at the Doctor's reddened face and his bloodshot eyes, and raised the stun gun. 'She'll only be out for half an hour.' He told him with a shaky voice. 'I set it a little higher than normal so it might be a bit longer.'

The Doctor continued to stare at him with his teeth gritted together – although it was just to try and control the pain tearing through him. Finally, he managed to speak. 'Key.' He said.

Jackman frowned. 'What?'

'There's a… a key in my pocket. Use it to open the Tardis.'

Jackman just blinked at him. 'What? What's a Tardis?'

'The huge blue box standing in your control room!' the Doctor growled, finding it harder and harder to stay conscious. 'Open the door and help me get inside.'

Jackman looked at him unsurely. 'But the fire…'

'Just do it!'

Jackman quickly got the key from the Doctor's pocket and ran to the Tardis, having to use four attempts at getting the key in the lock. Finally he managed and shoved the door open. He ran back and helped the Doctor to his feet, but still ended up practically carrying him to the Tardis. He helped him through the door, and then froze.

'Oh my Lord…' Jackman muttered, staring up at the large interior.

'There's no time for that,' the Doctor wheezed, holding himself up on one of the coral beams. 'Get Ashley… bring her in here…'

Jackman blinked, and then headed back out. A moment later and he dragged Ashley over the threshold with his hands under arms. He lay her on the floor, and then looked towards the Doctor for further instructions.

'You need to get your crew out of here right now.' The Doctor told him, stumbling towards the controls. 'That fire is going to hit the fuel pipes any minute and blow this sub apart. You have to get them…' He paused and grimaced in pain, dropping to his knees. He gasped to regain control of himself. '… you have to get them into an escape pod and get Kimi to the nearest hospital…'

'But what about you two-'

'Just do it,' the Doctor ordered. 'And keep that key. You'll need it to get us out of here when you get back. Where is the nearest hospital by the way?'

Jackman swallowed and thought. Outside something crashed as the fire burnt through it. This jogged his memory. 'Saint Josephines!' he cried. 'It's on a lunar colony-'

'I know where it is…' the Doctor nodded as he gripped the controls. 'Just… just go…'

Jackman cast one last look around the interior of the Tardis, and then ran out. He slammed the door behind him. The Doctor, trying his best to regain conscious, set the coordinates for the hospital. He pulled the lever and the Tardis hummed into life.

With that job done, he allowed himself to drop to his knees. Every part of him felt sore and tender. He looked over his shoulder. Ashley lay unconscious on the floor, her face streaked with soot and dirt. Her left hand was bright red. He crawled towards her. Black spots began to grow over his vision. He tried to blink them away but it was getting harder and harder to keep himself awake. He managed to reach her, collapsing with his face onto inches from her, his body splayed out in the opposite direction – her face upside down to him. He opened his mouth to speak to her, but the blackness finally prevailed and he slipped away into it.