Josh dialled 009009009 and then every time he heard an automated voice message he hit the hash key and said 'Code 9' out loud as the Doctor had instructed the day before. As soon as a person answered Josh tried to lower his voice. "This is a Code 9. Connect me to Medical Director Doctor Martha Jones-Smith immediately." He crossed his fingers hoping that it was going to work.
"Yes Sir," the operator stated. "Your call is being forwarded."
He heard the phone click and then it was ringing again. It rang three times before it was answered. "This is Doctor Jones-Smith."
"Martha! It's Josh."
"Josh?"
"You've got to come quickly," Josh told her. "Something is wrong with the Doctor. I think he's really sick or something. The bed is full of blood and it sounds like he can't breathe. He's really sweating, but he keeps on saying he's cold. He tried to get up but he couldn't. I don't know what to do. I gave him a pillow and a blanket."
"Okay," Martha commented. "I'm on my way. I'm going to put you on speaker. You do the same okay?" she suggested. "Are you on your bed?"
"I got the crutches. I went outside to see if you were here. I didn't realise it was so early. There are no clocks in here."
"Don't worry about the time. First things first, there should be five lights running along the bottom of the display at the back of the bed. They'll be either green, orange, or kind of a pinky colour," Martha suggested him. "Can you tell me what colour they all are? And, if any of them aren't green let me know what the numbers are?" She suggested to him.
"There aren't any lights," Josh informed her.
"Where is he?" Martha checked. If he was on any of the beds the display would automatically come up so his stats were visible at a glance. He'd been green across the board previously, so something had definitely changed if he was as sick as Josh feared he was.
"He fell on the floor when he tried to get up," Josh commented.
"Oh, okay then, we'll do this another way then. Is the Doctor conscious?"
"I'm not sure."
"Ask him if he can hear you," Martha instructed. "You don't need to panic, Josh, the Doctor is tough. Put your phone on speaker so I can hear as well, and ask him if he can hear you."
"Doctor?" Josh lent over to him. "Doctor, can you hear me?"
"Josh…" the Doctor gasped on a shortened breath. "I'm… fine… go… banana a… minute."
"Did you hear that?" Josh asked Martha.
"I did. Is he close to his bed?" Martha asked.
"Yeah, he just kind of fell out of it," Josh informed her.
"Okay, that's good. At the back of the bed there is a plastic mask just hooked into the back of the bed. Can you see it? It's plastic. It's attached to the back of the bed with a long tube. Take the mask down and slowly extend it on the tube until it reaches him. It's going to be long enough even though he's on the floor. Put the mask over his nose and mouth and fasten it in place with the elastic. Be careful, he probably won't want to wear it, but he'll do it for you if you ask him," Martha suggested. "When it's in place you need to press the green button on the wall where the tube comes out. Don't press it until the mask is on though. The TARDIS will need him to breathe out into the mask first and then she will be able to monitor how much oxygen to give to him."
"I'll need to put the phone down."
"That's okay. I'm staying with you all the way in. I've got you on an earpiece now," she assured Josh. "I'm just getting my shoes on and I'll be on the way. Give him the oxygen and then I'll tell you what to do next."
Josh got the mask and pulled it. The tube kept on coming out of the wall until it reached the Doctor. "I need you to wear this, Doctor," Josh told him.
"No…" the Doctor moaned and tried to move his head out the way.
"Please, Doctor? For me? It will help you feel better and then I'll be able to go back to bed and put my leg back up," Josh suggested. Martha heard what he was saying to the time lord. That was impressive emotional blackmail. "It'll make you feel better. Please, Doctor?" Josh put the mask on him and fastened it in place. He hopped to the back of the bed again and pressed the green button. He heard something in the back of the bed clicking, then it whirred, and then there was a whoosh of air through the tube.
"I've done it," Josh informed Martha.
"Well done. Now, because he's on the floor the sensors in the bed won't be working. At the head of the bed, below where the oxygen line comes out, there should be two sensors. They look a bit like sticky pads with red dots in the middle. I want you to put one of them on the side of his neck and one in the middle of his chest, right bang between his nipples. I'm just getting into the car now, Josh, so I'm going to have to transfer you to the system in there. If the phone goes dead I am going to call you straight back. I have your number now."
"Okay."
Josh got the sensors. He didn't know how they were going to work. There were no wires or anything, but he got strange feeling that he was doing it right. The sensors felt a bit sticky on the back, so he put one on the Doctor's neck just below his ear. He had to move the blanket to put the one on his chest and the Doctor moaned with the cold. He seemed to be shivering and shaking more violently than he had been before and Josh could actually see the sweat on his forehead now.
"Are you still there?" Martha checked with Josh.
"I've put the sensors on."
"Okay, well done. The monitor nearest to the bed and a panel on the bed will automatically show you the five numbers now. Can you read them out to me?"
"Pulse 362, and then it's got brackets and it says (198/164) and then it says 65%."
"What does it say on the line underneath?"
"It says O2 85% and then it says 24 degrees Celsius."
"Did you just say 24 degrees?" Martha double checked.
"Is that his body temperature?" Josh asked. "That's really low. He's complaining he's cold and he's really shivering and shaking, but he's sweating badly, Martha. It's running out of him."
"Josh, his normal body temperature is a lot lower than ours. It should be between 16 and 17 degrees. That's high," Martha commented trying not to let Josh hear any kind of panic in her voice. "He's got a fever Josh. I know he feels cold to the touch and he's complaining of feeling cold, but his body temperature is lower than ours and he's feeling cold because he's so hot. We have to try and get his body temperature down. How are you doing on those crutches?" she checked with him.
"I'm okay," Josh commented. "Is he going to die?"
"No, he's not, but for his body temperature to be so high, he's pretty sick. I'm about 15 minutes away, Josh, so I'll be there soon, but it would be better if we can start to get his temperature down straight away. If you can manage it, at the far side of the sickbay there is a fridge. In the top of it you should find some ice packs. Don't risk falling over. If you're hurting or you feel unsteady just take the blanket off him. If you can manage it get some ice packs. If you can carry enough then you should put one to his forehead, one in each of his armpits, and one to the back of his neck. He's very hot and the ice packs are going to feel very cold to him, so cold that it might feel like pain, but we need to get his temperature down."
Josh went over to the fridge. He found the ice packs. They were made of gel but they weren't frozen. They were the same temperature as the fridge which was set to four degrees. He guessed that was what they were supposed to be. He put one in each of his jeans pockets, but then because he couldn't carry them in his hands and use the crutches as well he shoved two down the front of his jeans. He squeaked and gasped. They were definitely cold.
"Josh?" Martha heard him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Josh assured her. He went back over to the Doctor. "Can you still hear me Doctor?" Josh asked him. He only got a mumbled response that he didn't understand. "I need to take the blanket. I'm really sorry. I thought you were cold, but you're not, you've got a fever, so I'm going to swap the blanket for some ice packs. I hope you appreciate this because I carried them in my jeans and I think I just froze my willy," he told the Doctor.
"No wonder you squeaked," Martha commented on the phone. Josh took the ice packs out of his pockets and from down the front of his jeans and dropped them on the floor. He then balanced his crutches against the side and got down onto his backside next to the Doctor. The Doctor moaned as Josh took the blanket off him. When he put the ice pack against his forehead the Doctor tensed. The ice pack was sticky and it stayed in place. Josh put one under his arm and then tried to get it under his other arm. The Doctor writhed trying to get away from them.
"I'm sorry," Josh told him. "I need to do it, you're too hot," he told the Doctor. He wasn't sure if he was even conscious or not anymore. When he put the ice pack to the back of his neck the Doctor cried out. "Martha?" Josh worried. "It's really hurting him."
"It's okay, it's just because he's so hot. You've done really well. I'm not far away now," Martha assured him. "Just stay with him now. Can you see the monitors from where you are?"
"Yeah."
"Read them out for me again?"
"Pulse 379 (204/175) and 59%. Then underneath it says O2 is 92% and his body temperature has gone up. It's 24.6 degrees now."
"Have you got the ice packs right into his armpits?"
"Yeah."
"You're not giving him a cuddle are you?"
"No, I'd be like a radiator if I did that."
"Good thinking. I'm just pulling up. I'll be with you in 2 minutes," Martha assured him.