Martha peered round apprehensively. She saw the harsh surroundings of what looked like the engines rooms or some kind of basement. There was a steady thrum of some kind of machinery that made her quiver slightly.
"Do you know where we are?" she whispered.
"Earth," said the Doctor. "Smells of earth, anyway."
"Smells of earth?" Luke looked quizzically at the tall man to his left.
"Yup. Very earthly indeed. Martha. Luke. Onwards and upwards." Taking a few tentative steps forward, the trio began to make their way along the rust coloured mesh floor, wincing as their shoes made faint clanging sounds against the metal. Luke hopped over an overturned can with some unfamiliar markings on, and turned to the Doctor.
"Doctor-" he began, but the Doctor hushed him.
"Quiet! We need to be cautious this time. If we get ourselves caught, we're no use to anyone, are we?"
"But-"
"Shush!"
Luke bristled. The Doctor ignored him. He looked to his left where Martha was clinging onto his hand grimly. He smiled in spite of himself. She was just so beautiful. Then his jaunty grin faded as he noticed the vicious bruises down her jaw line and around her eye again. How could he?
The journey got longer and longer and more similar. Martha winced as she stumbled and tripped over a fallen can, steadying herself on the Doctor's arm. Luke froze.
"We've been here before," he said abruptly. "That can…"
"It's just a can," said Martha.
"No, no, he's right!" The Doctor leapt around excitedly, dropping Martha's hand so he could clap his together. "Oh, this is brilliant! Look, Martha. Luke. We're not going anywhere. We've stayed in the same place. A loop, like a circle. We're stuck!"
"So we're moving… but we're not," Martha said slowly. "We're lost?"
"So we, what? Wander round here forever?" said Luke.
"What? No! We-"
"Doctor!" Martha's voice rose in volume as the previously scalding lights sank into pitch black. A high whine echoed through the air and the trio fell to their knees with involuntary yells.
"What's going on!" Luke shouted.
"I don't know!" the Doctor yodelled back. "Maybe-" Then the screams of Luke and Martha were cut short and the whine ceased. The Doctor lay on the floor, ears ringing, in silence.
"Martha?" he called out. No reply. "Martha! Luke?" The blinding lights flashed on again, and the Doctor was alone. "Oh."
Luke rolled to the side, still screaming.
"Luke!"
"Whu!" He smashed into the wall and groaned, head throbbing. His vision swaying he looked up. "Mum?"
"Oh my God, Luke!" It was Sarah-Jane. Tears swimming in her eyes, she hugged him close to her, rocking him gently.
"Mum! You're alive!"
"So are you!" She rested her chin on his head and smiled. "I've missed you so much."
"How did you get here?" A pretty, dark haired woman Luke didn't know was approaching him. "Are you all right?" Luke nodded earnestly.
"The Doctor," he said. "He brought me here?"
"Oh no," wailed Sarah. "That man… what did he think he was doing, bringing you into the danger? Now you've been got too."
"I'm happy," said Luke honestly. "I know you're ok. How's your leg."
"Painful," she admitted. "But I count myself lucky."
"Luke," said Jack urgently. "Does the Doctor know what's going on? Martha could be in danger, that man said guilty by association. Chances are they'll go for her next."
"The Doctor saved her," said Luke. "Sort of… Mum it was horrible."
"There, there honey," said Sarah, kissing his forehead.
"What happened?" asked Ianto.
"There was this party she was at, on Friday, three days ago, and her sister was killed and Martha says she witnessed her murder and it was Damien Lee, Tish's fiancé and her body was thrown in the lake, and she was in catatonic state for ages then the Doctor gave her some kind of drug, a mood he called it, to make her sleep and she fell asleep then she woke up in hysterics 'cause she had this nightmare about something and she was screaming and I don't know where she is now, but she's looks like death, she's getting thin and she looks ill and the Doctor is devastated…"
"He would be, he loves Martha," muttered Jack. "Luke, how was Tish killed?"
"I don't know," said Luke quietly. "Her tongue, he cut out her tongue…"
"He cut out her tongue," whispered Sarah-Jane. "Oh my God…"
"What else Luke," said Jack, his voice level. "Tell me."
"Gouged out her eye, sliced her open with a knife."
"I think we know the killer," said Ianto. He moved aside to reveal the slumped body of a stranger. His lips were parted, a dribble of dry blood in one corner of his mouth, and no tongue inside. He only had one eye.
"Who is he?" gasped Luke, backing away. Gwen turned to look at him, a tear forming in her eye.
"His name was Mickey Smith."
Martha yelled as she was thrust against the metal mesh floor and catapulted into some stairs. Shaking slightly, she checked herself over for damage.
"Are you okay, darling?" She yelped in shock and scrambled to her feet.
"Who is it?" she asked, fighting the stubborn tremor in her voice. "Show yourself!" A figure moved from the shadows. He was shaking violently, sobbing and muttering quietly, his hands clenching at his dishevelled hair. It was Tom.
He looked up at her with sunken eyes and offered her a sad smile.
"They got you too then," he rasped.
"What are you playing at?" she demanded, feeling a slight twinge in her cheek. "Get away from me." Tom sank to the floor, his cries of grief echoing in the empty space of the basement.
"You have to help me, Martha," he said. "They found me. And hurt me. And tortured me." Martha pressed her back against the wall.
"Why are you here?" she asked
"If I had a choice, I wouldn't be! They stole me, kidnapped me! They assaulted me, Martha!"
"What? Tom I don't know what to do."
"I'm so sorry Martha," he husked, tears trickling from his eyes. "Back on earth, I thought I owned you, but you were so strong and independent and that scared me. I could feel control slipping away from me so I… look what I've become Martha! A monster. A vicious, cold hearted monster. And you were my prey. You were my prey because you were brave and fearless. Everything I'm not. I can't take what I've done… remorse, Martha. You're a good person, you never felt remorse."
"I have," she said. "I regretted leaving the Doctor. I feel guilty sometimes when a patient dies under my care and there may have been a way to stop him. I felt guilty when I let you hurt me and I wasn't strong enough to do anything about it."
Tom fell forward, a wail pulled from his lips.
"You haven't felt remorse as I have!" he screamed. "I hurt you, the best and most beautiful thing ever to come into my life! You gave me your love, we got married and I beat you up! I abused you! Now, I can't live with myself. You were right all along." Martha crouched down by him and laid an apprehensive hand on his back, rubbing it in comforting circles.
"It's ok," she said. "I understand." He shook his head desperately.
"And now you hate me!"
"I don't hate you, Tom," she replied. "Come on, look at me honey. Get up." He looked up at her obediently.
"Martha…" She pressed a finger to his lips.
"I don't blame you for anything Tom," she said. "I love you remember? Look." She waggled her wedding ring at him. He attempted a small smile.
"You can't forgive me?" he asked.
"I forgave you a long time ago," she said. "None of it was your fault. If it was anyone's, I blame myself. You did what any man would have done. I forgive you."
"You forgive me?"
"Of course. Let me help you up." Tom staggered to his feet on his own and regarded the tiny woman before him nervously. Martha smiled softly and opened her arms. He scooped her up in a passionate embrace and kissed her cheek gently.
"I love you," he mumbled.
"I love you too."
"I'm going to sort this out for us Martha. I swear. For you and me. I'm going to straighten this out."
"I trust you. We just need to find the Doctor. He's nearby, I think."
"No! I mean, we don't need the Doctor. I can fix this on my own, baby. You trust me, don't you?"
"I do. I really, really, do. Come on, Tom. I'll get your coat for you. Lead the way."
"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it love. I got you."
"No. I got you."
"Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa!" The Doctor jumped up and rubbed the creases in his tight shirt. "Rough way to travel."
He looked around curiously. "Martha? Luke?"
"You're alone." The Doctor jumped backwards as a figure emerged from the shadows. He was a tall, toned man of about thirty with knowing dark eyes. He waved his fingers. "Apart from me, of course."
"Wait a second, I know you!" The Doctor scrutinized the man's flickering eyes and twisted, sneering smile. "Damien Lee."
"You got me, Doc. Yes, I is Damien Lee. I killed little Tish Jones, the very girl I was too marry, the crime of passion and love."
"You bastard," he hissed. "You did this to her… to them. You are this close to getting your face punched in you son of a bitch."
"Oh, I killed Mickey Smith too."
"You bastard." The Doctor launched forward… and landed at the feet of Captain Jack. "NO!" he shouted to the air. "You bastard! You vicious, murdering piece of shit! Don't you dare! Don't you bloody dare! Take me back!"
"Doctor? Doctor, calm down!"
"No, he killed Tish, and Mickey. Shit, he killed Mickey too. God I could actually rip his head off the bastard… oh my God he's there…" The Doctor walked towards Mickey's body in a daze.
"Doctor, where's Martha," asked Jack. "Is she ok?"
"Frankly, no," he cursed. "But I promised I would look after her and now she's lost and alone and I failed her."
"Yeah." Damien kicked down the door of the cell, throwing Gwen to the floor in the process. "Yeah, you did. Anyhoos, you horrible lot are needed elsewhere. And believe you me…" he paused to raise his eyebrows threateningly. "This is where it gets worse."
