Opening the door to the TARDIS, the Doctor stepped out into a small outdoor cafe. Various species sat at the round tables that decorated the simple concrete floor. None of them seemed to notice the appearance of the strange blue box as they continued enjoying their meals under the cool white sun in the sky. The day was overcast, though, with thin dark clouds against a light gray sky. A gentle breeze was gently blowing, but none of the patrons seemed to mind. The Doctor looked around the cafe wondering why the TARDIS had brought him there. He didn't have to wonder long as he spotted River sitting at one of the tables drinking from a straw out of a rather large cup. She was wearing a patterned red dress with a pair of black trousers with her hair up in a ponytail on top of her head to keep the wind from blowing it into her face. He glanced at her hand seeing that it was still wrapped in bandages indicating he was within the correct time line for her. Weaving his way around the tables, the Doctor took a seat across from her. She somehow knew he was coming because as he sat down a waiter appeared with another of the large glasses. The Doctor took it from him taking a small sip of the liquid. The taste of banana filled his mouth overwhelming his taste buds and almost concealed the burn of the alcohol as he swallowed. He moaned in happiness as he took another drink.
"Where are we?" He asked at last as he played with the straw.
"We are still on Verlor. I have been following leads to try to find the leader of the group Kampf," River answered him. She gestured with her head for him to look towards the cafe. Sitting at a small table not far away from them were two men dressed in black dress suits. The man on the left was heavy set and eating a rather large meal while the other man sipped a cup of coffee. "The man on the left is Simon, he is second in command of the group. The man with him I have only heard referred to as Butler. He is Simon's bodyguard. So far I haven't been able to figure out who or where the leader is and I have been following Simon for days."
"I could just ask him," The Doctor told her reaching into his pocket to pull out his psychic paper.
"You will do no such thing. You are too emotionally involved in this," River hissed at him softly.
"I am not being emotional," He argued thinking that their conversation sounded very familiar.
"Do you want to go ask Alex what he thinks?" River questioned. The Doctor sighed. Leaning back in his chair he took another long sip of the banana alcohol.
"I have to do something to help Jack. His vision is starting to come back and he is miserable because it is keeping him awake," The Doctor explained to her as he watched the two men.
"What about the box?" River wondered. The Doctor shook his head no.
"Every time I repair it, it overheats as soon as it is turned on. There has to be something I am missing but my mind is too thick to figure it out," The Doctor complained.
"We could go back to the cabin and look at the box again," River suggested.
"I can't keep going back to the cabin with the TARDIS. I might end up crossing my own timeline," The Doctor argued her.
"Who said anything about using the TARDIS?" River wondered. Lifting her wrist with the Vortex Manipulator on it, she pressed buttons inputting the coordinates for the cabin.
"River, we can't" The Doctor started. What the end of that sentence was going to be, River would never know as she took his hand and placed it on her wrist. The manipulator flashed a white light as it sent them on their way to the cabin. They landed just inside of the wooden structure a moment later. Even in daylight, the cabin was bathed in shadows due to the many trees that surrounded it. The woods outside the cabin held the chatter of birds and other animals, but all that was drowned out by the screaming that was coming from the basement. The Doctor couldn't stop himself from running to the stairs and then hurrying down them. Both his hearts broke as he saw his lover hooked to the horrible device. He reached into his pocket to pull his sonic out, his hand shaking slightly. He wanted more than anything to use the sonic to free Jack, but he couldn't disrupt Jack's timeline either. Changing the setting on the sonic, he moved closer as the screaming abruptly stopped. Jack went limp between the device and the electricity shut off. The Doctor resisted the urge to free him as Jack took in the first breath of life. The electricity immediately kicked back on and soon Jack was twisting against the restraints.
"Of course," The Doctor whispered to himself. Pointing his sonic at Jack, he ran it along his body gathering information. He saw that the electricity had already taken its toll on Jack's body rendering him deaf and blind. Except, now he knew how to fix it.
"Of course what?" River questioned.
"The box is only one part of the device being used to electrocute the victim. That is why it overheats ever time that I turn it on. The body is used to complete the circuit. They didn't know that Jack's body has Autron energy fueling it and ended up using that energy against him," The Doctor told her. He turned to look at her holding out his hand. "Take me back to Jack."
"You know how to help him?" River questioned.
"Oh yes." The Doctor grinned at her broadly. He willing took River's wrist as she reversed the coordinates to send them back to the cafe mere seconds after they had left. Upon arriving the Doctor jumped up, rushing to the TARDIS. He threw the doors open running inside and past her console to the medi-bay. Going to the wall, he opened one of the panels on the wall accessing her circuits inside. He connected several wires to the circuits bringing them over to one of the beds. Going to the medicine cabinet, he filled two syringes. One was with the mild sedative he had used on Jack earlier in the day but he filled a second syringe with the sedative that would suppress Jack's breathing. He made sure that he had everything set up before going to his room to get Jack. As gently as he could, he scooped his sleeping lover up in his arms and carried him to the medi-bay. He laid him down on the bed that he had prepared. In order to help Jack he was going to have to hurt him, only he couldn't stand to listen to him scream in pain again.
"What are you doing Doctor?" Martha wondered as she came into the medi-bay to find the Doctor attaching the wires to Jack's arms, and legs.
"I need to electrocute him using the energy of the TARDIS in order to restore the balance of the Autron energy in his body," The Doctor told her.
"Are you sure it will work?" Martha questioned going over to the bed.
"No, but it is the only chance he has," The Doctor answered her. Martha watched on as he finished connecting the wires. He then picked up the syringe with the mild sedative and injected it into Jack's arm. Martha checked his vitals for the Doctor before stepping back from the bed. The Doctor sent a telepathic message to the TARDIS and a moment later Jack began to jerk and writhe on the bed. It was horrible to watch, but a quick scan with the sonic revealed it was working. With Martha's help, he monitored Jack, pushing it as long as he could. Jack's body was already showing signs of healing as they disconnected the wires from his body. Picking up the second syringe, the Doctor placed it into the crook of Jack's arm emptying the entire syringe. Jack's breathing grew hoarse and finally he breathed out one last time. When he didn't take another breath back in, Martha pulled out her stethoscope placing it to his chest.
"He's gone," Martha told the Doctor softly.
"Now we wait," The Doctor replied. Climbing up in the bed he wrapped his arms around his lover, holding him close to his chest as he waited for him to return.