The Doctor couldn't remember a time that he ever felt so sick in the past. Normally when he was this sick and injured he would slip into a healing coma while his body repaired the damage. Only he couldn't due to his low energy levels from lack of nutrition on this horrible planet so his body made him suffer every moment of the injury. His arm burned and the medicine he received only calmed the fire but didn't get rid of it completely. His head was pounding and he was constantly thirsty even if his stomach ached while threatening to dispel everything he put into it. He was both hot and cold at the same time and just generally miserable. Sleep was a welcome relief, so he slept as much as he could for just a moment of peace from the miserableness that he was feeling.

When he awoke again, he was tucked underneath the blanket. Jack had warmed up a couple of stones placing them at the bottom of the bed and the heat from them made the bed nice and comfortable. The Doctor didn't open his eyes as he lay listening to Jack coo at Carys softly across the room. The Doctor could hear the love Jack felt for her in his tone as he told her a story about one of the many beach planets, promising her that he would take her to see the sun one day.

"Jack," the Doctor called out softly as the Captain went quiet.

"Daddy's up," He heard Jack tell Carys. A moment later, Jack appeared by his side with the infant in her carrying pouch. She was currently feeding and content with moving around as long as she didn't lose access to her food source. "I was beginning to think you were planning on sleeping the night away as well. How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," The Doctor responded as he didn't even bother to try to sit up.

"I will grab you a bottle of water," Jack told him. He disappeared from the Doctor's vision again returning a moment later with the water. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he took off the cap. The Doctor sat up a little so that he could drink and Jack held the bottle making sure the Doctor didn't spill it all over himself. The Time Lord didn't think about the fact that they didn't have running access to water as he drained half of it. His stomach was unhappy with the amount of liquid and he laid back down with a groan. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No, I just need to go back to sleep," The Doctor answered. He was too sick to pretend that he was all right and resort back to his normal answer of I'm fine.

"Do you want to hold Carys for a minute first?" Jack wondered as she finished eating. The Doctor nodded and Jack handed her down to him. The Doctor turned on back, laying her on his chest. She was awake but happy at the moment from her last feeding. He kissed her on top of her tiny head as he breathed in her unique scent. She smelled of sour milk and clay from the cast on her leg. Her cast needed to be changed but he was too sick and weak to do it at the moment so it would need to wait a few more days until he was better. He cuddled her closing his eyes and quickly drifted back to sleep.

-DW-

For the next few days, Jack and the Doctor were given rations without having to work. Jack was still suspicious of the village, but grateful that he was allowed to care for his lover without being forced to work like in the other village. Jack was still unhappy with the fact that he was lactating but grateful that he was as he kept Carys feed and happy. She was growing stronger every day and was turning into a healthy plumb infant not showing the signs of starvation like everyone else on the planet. The Doctor though was growing skinnier as he was out of consciousness too much to care for her or himself. Jack worried as the Doctor slept more than he was awake, occasionally calling out in his sleep for Jack or moaning incoherently. Twice Dustin came to check on the Doctor's shoulder and make sure that he was still healing

The first time Dustin came, he checked the bandages and cleaned the Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor flinched, crying out against his arm being touched, but quickly drifted off back to sleep afterward. The second time he came the Doctor was more coherent and managed to keep from crying out as Dustin tended to him. Though his arm still hurt from being touched. The shallow cut had healed over but the deeper one was going to take longer. Jack was instructed to change the bandage out daily, something that he had already been doing as he didn't want the infection to get worse.

"How long until the poison clears his system?" Jack wondered as he gently ran his fingers through the Doctor's hair providing him comfort while Dustin worked. The Doctor was obviously having a reaction to it and Jack felt helpless. He had to watch his lover hallucinate and sleep all day while refuses to eat. The Doctor normally snacked daily and wouldn't turn down the offer of a banana but he had only eaten half of one in the last week. Jack feared he was going to starve to death if he didn't eat soon.

"I have never seen anyone survive the poison before," Dustin answered truthfully.

"He isn't like most people," Jack responded. Dustin picked up his things and Jack showed him out of there home. Trying once more to get the Doctor to eat he made a simple meal for himself then used some of the bones from the meat along with a few carrots he made a simple broth for the Doctor to drink. The Doctor scrunched up his nose at the offering but he managed to drink it without getting sick immediately afterward. It wasn't much but at least it was a start on the road to his recovery.