The next four days ran together as the Doctor moved to the second bathroom and stayed there curled on the floor not wanting to move. His body ached and his head was pounding even in the darkened room. Every hour, Jack would make his way up the stairs to check on the Time Lord and would receive a groan in reply or he would be yelled at to go away. As long as he answered, Jack didn't force the door open leaving the Doctor to be miserable in peace as Jack tended to their daughter. He tried to keep Emily away from it as much as possible by still sending her to daycare and letting Martha or Gwen take her for the afternoon so she would just come home to sleep. The only real-time the Doctor spoke softy during those four days is when Emily would knock on the door.
"Are you feeling better?" Emily would ask through the door at Jack's urging.
"A little," The Doctor would reply.
"Uncle Jack says you need to try to drink water," Emily then would tell him.
"I'll try." Always came the answer. On one occasion the faucet turned on after the promise but usually it remind quiet beyond his answers.
"I love you." This part didn't require any prompting as Jack stood there with her.
"I love you, too, Kui'la. Sleep well," the Doctor would then reply. It was only after this exchange that Emily finally allowed Jack to carry her to her room and tuck her in.
It was on the fifth morning that Jack woke up that he noticed a change. Sometime during the night the Doctor had finally made his way out of the bathroom and was currently curled up on his side of the bed sound asleep. Jack took a moment to look over the Doctor noting that he was far too skinny and that his skin was pale and sticky from sweat. His hair too was greasy and he was still in the same pajamas that he had been wearing when the major withdrawal symptoms started. He looked a mess but at least he was resting. Jack was careful as he got out of bed going to fetch their daughter before she was able to see her daddy. He helped her to dress then made her breakfast and was just helping her to pull on her shoes when there was a knock at the door.
"Martha's here," Jack informed his little girl. She ran to the door and opened it smiling up at her aunt.
"Ready to go?" Martha asked. She nodded happily and rushed past her towards the open door of the SUV. "How is he today?"
"He is currently in bed sleeping. Once he is away, I will see about getting him into the shower and then getting food into him," Jack updated Martha.
"Make sure you start with something easy on the stomach like bread or porridge. He hasn't eaten for almost five days now and it will be hard on his system if the meal is too rich," Martha advised.
"I will," Jack promised. He waved them off then went back in the house to make toast. While he was positive the Doctor hadn't eaten in the last five days he had heard the faucet running on more than one occasion so he was fairly sure that he had managed to get water into his system. How much he kept down was another question, though. Still, Jack made him a cup of tea with a little sugar then took everything upstairs. "Wake up, Doctor. You need to try to eat something now."
"No," the Doctor whimpered as he curled further into himself.
"Then at least try to have a drink of tea," Jack told him as he set the offering on the bedside table.
"I can't," the Doctor whispered, his voice harsh.
"You have to try unless you want me to call Martha to place an IV to provide you nourishment," Jack threatened. The Doctor groaned forcing his eyes open. They were bloodshot making his brown eyes stand out clearly. His hand was shaking as he reached for the tea and he spilled some as he brought it to his mouth. He took a small sip making a face at the lack of sweetness.
"It's nice," he informed Jack as he took another sip. He set it back down collapsing back on his side of the bed. "I just need to sleep now."
"Fine. I will let you sleep but I expect you to try to eat again later," Jack informed him. He turned his back on the Time Lord heading towards the door.
"For what it's worth. I am sorry," the Doctor apologized quietly.
"Yeah." Jack acknowledges not accepting or denying him. Instead, he headed back down to his office going back to work. The day passed slowly as he worked remotely between checking on the Doctor. At his lunchtime, he hauled the Doctor out of bed helping him to shower and change into a clean pair of pajamas. The Doctor would have happily collapsed back in bed after but Jack made him come down after to sit on the couch. Not that it stopped the Doctor from falling back asleep immediately after he was comfortable. His body was exhausted from not sleeping for the last six nights and while he didn't need as much sleep as a human usual the withdrawal was wreaking havoc on him. All he could think about when he was awake was how much he wanted to get a hold of another bag. He would mix a full dose and hide in the sweet relief of the dreamless sleep it offered. The only thing that kept him from seeking that relief was Emily. He was doing this for her, he would remind himself as the cravings become overwhelming. Emily didn't need a drug addict for a daddy and she wouldn't understand if he refused to get off of them when he wasn't allowed to see her until he was clean.
Asleep, though, nightmares plagued him and he was forced to watch himself lose everyone he ever loved in the horrible war that ravaged the universe. He had fought on the front line during it, saving countless lives but that didn't change the fact that he couldn't save his own people. And in his dreams, he lost not only them but all of his companions and everyone else he ever met until it was just Jack and Emily standing alone at the edge of the universe. He tried desperately to get to them in his TARDIS as he listened to them scream into the never-ending night but no matter what he did, he couldn't reach them.
"Emily," the Doctor screamed upon waking. He coughed gagging as he proceeded to throw up the little bit of tea that he had managed to drink.
"She's still at daycare, Doc, but she should be home within the next hour," Jack reassured him from the door to his office. The Doctor looked over to see Jack staring at him with the confusion clearly in his eyes.
"Fine," the Doctor mumbled. He rolled over as carefully as he could turning his back to the room. Closing his eyes he waited for his daughter to get home.