Somehow he made it down the elevator shaft on the make shift cable with his stomach contents in place. Rose screamed the entire time down and he had to fight the urge to throw her off of him. As the top of the lift got closer he applied the hand break quickly. Rose lost her grip and fell screaming the last few feet to the top of the lift.
"Oops sorry," He called out with a laugh. He slowly released the break and slid gently down the last few feet. Coming to a stop on the top of the lift. Rose glared up at him from where she lay and he smiled down at her. Not bothering to help her up he bypassed a lever and made his way over to the lift's disinfectant tank.
"Now, listen. When I say so I want you hold that lever." The Doctor informed her as he removed the lid to the tank.
"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't," Rose protested as she knelt down and took the lever in her hand.
"Hold that lever! I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself." He informed her as he began to rip the drip bags open with his teeth. He poured them into the tank. They splashed and squirted messily and he ignored Rose's protest as some got on to her skin. He didn't think it would hurt her. When all the bags had been added he turned to look at Rose again.
"Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got." He demanded angrily. He pulled the top of the lift open and held his sonic tightly.
"What about you?" Rose wondered.
"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in." He smiled cheekily at her and then dropped down into the lift. Using his sonic he opened the doors and stared out at all the diseased people who had made their way to the lobby. A few of them looked up at him and a couple stood up and started to make their way towards the lift.
"I'm in here," He called out to them.
"Don't tell them." Rose's face appeared in the opening as she scolded him. He glared up at her.
"Pull that lever!" He hissed at her and she rolled her eyes at him and made her way back over to the lever. All of the diseased people were now making their way over to him and he watched them shuffling over. He just hoped his plan worked, if not he would soon be joining Jack. He shook his head, no Jack was alive he just had to find him.
"Come and get me." He called out happily as they came closer. As they walked through the lift doors he heard the announcement of *Commence stage one disinfection.* The cocktail that he brewed up began to rain down on him and he jumped up and down happily to get their attention.
"Hurry up! Come on!" He called out happily. They paused as they entered the water, not sure what it was. As the spray hit them though their bodies began to cure. Boils and rashes visibly disappeared before his eyes. His jumping ceased though, when in the back of the crowd he saw Jack appear. Jack leaned against the railing and smiled at him.
"Pass it on!" He told them excitedly as he waited impatiently to be able to exit the lift.
"Pass on what? Pass on what?" Rose called down anxiously but he didn't bother to answer her. He continued to yell at them to pass it on as he watched them touch and hug each other, curing themselves of the disease.
"What did they pass on? Did you kill them? All of them?" Rose asked.
"No. That's your way of doing things." He replied as he made his way out of the lift. As soon as there was a clear path he took off running and straight to Jack. Not caring that he was soaking wet he wrapped his arms around Jack and Jack spun him.
"You cured them," Jack said in awe. They heard a loud crash and an ow. Jack set the Doctor down and they turned to see Rose laying at the bottom of the lift this time.
"Again?" He tutted and Jack looked at him questioningly. Their attention was diverted to the lift again as Rose screamed and they saw one of the newly cured women giving her a hug.
"That's right. Hey, there we go, sweetheart." He called out happily. Rose though stood up and pushed the woman off of her.
"Go to him. Go on, that's it. That's it." She snidely said as she continued to push the woman towards one of the men.
"It's a new sub-species, Jack. A brand new form of life. New humans!" He excitedly pulled Jack through the crowd of people, holding his hand the entire time as he examined them. "Look at them. Look! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, completely alive."
"You can't deny them, because you helped create them." He informed Cassandra as he pointed at her. She wasn't as excited as he was though and once again pushed someone off of her. Leaving Rose behind, Jack pulled him off to the side and pressed their lips together, kissing the Doctor greedily. He kissed Jack back.
"I thought I was dead." Jack whispered against his lips.
"Rose, made it so you couldn't die. I'm sorry Jack but I can't fix it." The Doctor apologized. He started to hang his head, but Jack took his chin and lifted it back up. Kissing him softly again. The announcement came that the quarantine had been lifted and the two of them made their way back to the lift and up to Ward 26.
As they made their way up the police called over a loudspeaker that they had arrived and that all staff were to be arrested. The new humans though were to be cataloged and then taken into care. The Doctor made a face when they also announced that all visitors would be required to make a statement.
"We can leave before that." Jack told him and he nodded. The doors to the lift opened and he was surprised to see the big glass tank still sitting in the corner. The Face in it though, rather then looking sickly looked more alive and his eyes were open.
"The Face of Boe!" He called out and pulled Jack with him quickly towards the tank. "You were supposed to be dying."
"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait." he informed the Doctor. The Doctor nodded his agreement and smiled when Jack kissed him on the side of the head. "I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew."
"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old." The Doctor leaned down and placed a hand on the tank as he stared in.
"There are? That would be impossible." Boe chuckled.
"Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me." He asked eagerly.
"A great secret." Boe agreed with him.
"So the legend says." He leaned closer feeling like a child waiting to open their present. He had to keep himself from bouncing in his happiness.
"It can wait." Boe replied crushing him. His face fell.
"Oh, does it have to?" He whined unhappily and then stood up. He felt a little better as Jack wrapped one arm around him and squeezed him tightly.
"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day." The entire tank with Boe included beamed away as the two of them watched on. He was still disappointed that he wasn't allowed to know the secret yet but hopefully one day soon he would meet up with Boe again. He wondered if there was an easy way to track where Boe had gone and decided he would try it as soon as they got back to the TARDIS.
"That is enigmatic." He informed Jack.
"We should get going," Jack whispered.
"We need to take care of Rose first." The Doctor replied softly.
"I thought we could just leave her here with Cassandra and let the problem sort itself out." Jack laughed.
"But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?" Rose asked coming up behind them.
"Shit, she found us again." Jack swore.
"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra." He told her.
"I don't want to die." Rose whined.
"No one does. He agreed sadly.
"Help me." She pleaded with him and he looked away from her.
"I can't." He said softly.
"She could just stay..." Jack began.
"Jack," He warned him, drawing Jack's name out.
"Mistress!' The voice of Chip, interrupted their conversation and they all turned to see him coming down the hall. Before the Doctor could say anything or stop her, Cassandra had left Rose's body and headed straight for Chips. Rose collapsed backward from the energy transfer and the Doctor jumped out of the way before she hit him.
"Yahtzee," Rose called out from the ground.
"Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle." Chip looked at his arms in disgust. The patterns that she had loved to look at, didn't look the same as she peered at her skin.
"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done." He stepped over Rose and headed to Cassandra.
"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last." Cassandra fell to her knees and the Doctor knelt down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her back.
"Are you all right?" He wondered.
"I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine." Cassandra informed him.
"I can take you to the city."
"No, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me any more. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good." Cassandra whispered.
"Come on. There's one last thing I can do." He gently helped her to her feet. Jack took one of her arms and the two of them supported her as they led her to the TARDIS. Because they had to move slowly Rose was able to pick herself up and she followed them, skipping happily towards their destination. Jack accidentally tripped her on one occasion but it didn't deter her.
They dropped Cassandra off in a small restaurant, so she could see herself as a human once more. They left as she lay dying in her own arms, being held by the only person she had ever truly loved, herself. After he sent the TARDIS back into the time vortex. He set the coordinates for modern day London and to Rose's home but he didn't send them back, not yet. He instead headed down the corridors to Jack's room. He knocked softly on the door and receiving no answer, he tried the door and found it unlocked.
He entered the room and heard the shower going. Closing the door behind him, he settled on the edge of the bed as he waited for Jack. Tonight, for once, he didn't want to be alone.