Martha stared dully at the T.V. in front of her, absentmindedly flipping through channels before she finally settled on the news. She knew it didn't really matter what she left it on because she wasn't really watching it. She had been home now for just a little over 24 hours and she was already bored. She hadn't been traveling with the Doctor long, so she was particularly surprised to find how quickly life with him had made life on Earth dull in comparison. She hated to admit that in such a short time here she already missed him and regretted having asked him to bring her home for a visit.

She wondered in the back of her mind if he would come back for her. She had made it very clear that her request to go home was to be temporary; all she wanted was a visit, not a permanent stay. But she still had her doubts as to whether he would keep it as one. She hadn't been angry at him for lashing out and she didn't want to end things between them. But she had been hurt by it and only wanted some space. She didn't know what he had feeling about it all and she wondered if this would be the point where he would call it quits with her. She had always known her spot on the TARDIS was a temporary one. He'd always made that abundantly clear. He kept reminding her she was not a replacement for Rose and her traveling with him was not to be permanent. She lived in fear of when this arrangement would end because she'd already become so fond of this new life.

She kept remembering their fight and having mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, she knew she shouldn't have pressed him. She never got too close to those personal feelings for the very reason that she feared it would push him away forever. She knew that trying to get him to talk about Rose was a mistake and that he would fight it. But on the other hand, she knew he was being unreasonable. He was clearly in pain. He'd been hurting from his loss of Rose ever since she'd known him. He may be afraid of the grief he felt but the only way to heal was to go through it. It was just stubborn of him to think he could ignore it and it would go away. He may not like it but one day he would have to face it.

Her intentions were good even if maybe her way of going about it hadn't been. She knew she had been right but she sighed in defeat anyway. She wasn't sure doing the right thing was worth losing her chance to travel with him. She may have had his best in mind when she had tried to help but that didn't mean he would see it that way. She could see now that he wanted to keep his pain buried at all costs and she thought it was very likely that the cost of her trying to pull it up might very well be the privilege of traveling with him. She had very legitimate concerns that he would not want to face her again after she had crossed that line she knew he'd drawn.

She turned the volume up on the T.V to cover the sound of her mum's droning coming from the other room. Martha hadn't been gone very long, especially where everyone else around her was concerned. The Doctor had been mindful to return her to a time that would not allow her absence to have been noticed. But even though she'd been gone a very short time in Earth days that hadn't given her mum a shortage of insignificant things to go on and on about. It all seemed so petty and in her current forlorn mood Martha couldn't help but feel it was all ridiculous. She knew that one did not have a conversation with her mum; her mum had a conversation at them. It had always irked her that her mum could go on and on about things, most of which were silly, not even bothering to let anyone else participate in the conversation. But Martha still hoped this cynical mood would pass. She'd always been maybe a little critical of her mum but she had never been mean-spirited which was what she was now on the brink of becoming. If she really was to be stuck here permanently she hoped she wouldn't always feel so negative about life on Earth.

She focused her attention back on the T.V. in an attempt to escape these troubling thoughts and she noticed that there was actually a strange story being covered at the moment. She turned the volume up so she could hear better what they were talking about when she noticed the title of the story at the bottom of the screen. The news reporter was standing outside of a hospital in London where a local professor had been brought following his death. The man in question had only last year been named one of the world's most intelligent people. He had also received many awards and honors in his field, where he was considered to be a leading expert. According to the report he had died in his sleep but the initial autopsy had revealed no cause of death.

Martha thought that was rather curious. What was even stranger was when the reporter said that the death was considered highly suspicious and was being treated as a murder. Martha soon learned that this case was the fifth in a line of similar deaths that had all investigators involved stumped. In the past week, there had been four other people who had died in their sleep from unexplainable causes. Each of the people who had died was a notable figure; all were recognized to be some of the brightest and most innovative people on Earth. The victims were from different countries all over the world but they were all considered to be linked because of their high profile status, the same but unexplained cause of death and the short amount of time they had all taken place in.

Investigators believed the death of the most recent victim to be caused by the same person or persons responsible for the other four from the past week. But as of now they didn't have an explanation for what had happened. All the victims had been fine and none had been known to have any untreated health conditions. They had all gone to bed one night and had been dead by the next morning.

Martha was so engrossed in the strange story that she didn't even hear the Doctor approaching her until he spoke.

"Good. You're caught up," the Doctor said excitedly looking at the screen in front of her.

Martha jumped, surprised to find the Doctor next to her. "You scared me," she said holding a hand to her chest and taking in several breaths. But once the surprise of his appearance had started to subside she felt it being replaced with happiness that he was there. He had returned after all.

"Sorry," he said quickly before moving on again. "But it's strange don't you think?" he asked pointing towards the T.V.

When she looked at him she saw he had a smile on his face and that look that said he was on to something. It was a terrible news story but he looked like a kid on Christmas. There was something going on and he couldn't wait to investigate.

"Yeah," she said trying to contain a smile of her own; it hardly seemed appropriate to smile about such things. "I've never heard of anything like it. Seems everybody's stumped by it."

"Not everyone," he said a large grin breaking out on his face.

"You think it's alien?" she asked.

"Weeelllll I think there's a good possibility," he said rocking back and forth on his feet his hands deep in pockets, practically jumping with energy. "You want to go and check it out?" he asked nonchalantly.

Martha couldn't keep from smiling now, whether it was decent or not, and stood up quickly. It was amazing how fast she was already itching to get back out there as well. "Mum, I need to get going. I'll call you soon, alright?" she called out already following the Doctor out the door and on to their latest adventure.


"So, do you know who's responsible?" Martha asked later once they were back in the TARDIS.

"Not exactly," the Doctor said staring at a screen on his console, scrolling quickly through information in a language that Martha couldn't read. "But after talking to a few people at the hospital where the last victim was brought I have a few ideas."

"You just went to the hospital and started asking questions?" Martha asked surprised.

"How else was I supposed to get information?"

"But they don't just let anyone in to start asking questions."

"I am a Doctor," he said turning to her.

"Yes," she said. "But it's not exactly the same thing. You don't work there and so that would generally be considered as breaking in."

He grinned. "Does that surprise you? It's how we met."

"It shouldn't surprise me," she said with a smile. "So, what are your theories?"

"Well, I'm not sure exactly who is behind this but I have a few species in mind. After my own investigation I believe all of the victims were killed by a telepath of some sort. I only know of a few species that would be capable of that strength but none of those species have ever proven to be the violent type. I feel it must be one of them but I can't narrow it down to one based on past behavior."

"Why would they do this? You think it's for information?"

"Yes. Considering all of the victims were considered to be great scholars, if I had to guess what the motive was I would say it was a greed for knowledge."

"But why kill them?"

"It would be the only way to get the information for themselves."

"How would they do that?"

The Doctor's face was solemn when he answered her question. "The mind of the most recent victim had been completely wiped cleaned like someone had gone inside and just taken all of his thoughts until there was nothing left."

Martha grimaced. "That's actually possible?"

"Unfortunately, yes. But for all the telepathic species I know, including my own, doing something like this is considered the greatest crime someone could commit. I just don't know who would be doing this."

Martha could easily see that an offense, especially of this nature, made the Doctor incredibly angry. Something about it hit close to home for him and she could see the effect of it was greater than anything else she had seen him go through before. She could almost see that his mind was in the past, thinking about his own people again. But considering their recent argument she knew better than to ask him about that right now. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she offered instead.

"No. There really isn't anything that can be done until I realize who it is that we're dealing with. I'm going to have to do some more research before I can understand what we're up against and what would be the best way to approach this. Why don't you get some sleep for now; it is getting kind of late."

For a moment Martha felt a bit torn about what to do at his suggestion. She wondered if she was meant to stay here or if he meant for her to go back home. "What do you mean?" she asked casually so she didn't reveal her own nerves. But at the same time she hoped he would elaborate on what he meant.

"I mean you can go and get some sleep. In your room. If you want," he said. There was an air of what was surely meant to sound like calmness in his voice but he looked down when he said it and that showed Martha that he was just as unsure and nervous as she was.

"O.K." she said and he smiled in return. That seemed to be all he needed to hear and the end of their conversation so Martha turned to leave and head for her room.

"Martha," the Doctor called out to her just as she was almost out of the room.

"Yeah?" she asked turning around to face him.

"Are we…alright? Me and you?" he asked nervously.

Martha smiled slightly. It wasn't often that she saw the Doctor like this. She knew he had a lot of emotions but he hardly ever let her see them. So to see him now, feeling so vulnerable and allowing himself to be honest with her really meant something to her.

She had been upset with him before. She'd been more hurt than angry from his outburst against her the yesterday. But it was these moments, when she just barely got to see behind that heavy veil he wore, that gave her the most hope. He was damaged but he was also a work in progress. He was stubborn in his ways but he wasn't unchangeable. "Yeah, we're good," she answered quietly.

He smiled and she could tell he was relieved. She felt a prick in her heart to see it. So much of the time she felt she didn't matter to him at all but right now she could see that she did. He didn't always show it but it was there. "Good night, Martha."

"Good night, Doctor." Martha left the Doctor to his work and walked to her room. She felt good knowing that things had been resolved between them and she knew she would sleep well knowing there was peace between them and knowing that her place was still here.


When Martha woke the next morning she was surprised to find that the Doctor wasn't in the console room. He almost always was there to greet her whenever she woke up and walked in ready for the day. She sat on the jump seat and decided to wait on him. She figured that he was probably off somewhere gathering some sort of information or resources for his research and she eagerly waited for him to return. She felt particularly good this morning since her and the Doctor had gotten past the fight they'd had two days ago and she was ready to be moving on.

A while passed before her excitement to start the day made her restless and she decided to go looking for him. She checked the library, several labs and the infirmary but to her surprise she didn't find him in any of those places. There were many more rooms in the TARDIS but she didn't know any more of them and wouldn't know where to start looking for him among them. It was only then, with dread hitting her heavily, she realized there was one place she knew of that she hadn't looked. It was the one place she should have looked first.

As she ran down the corridor she berated herself for being so stupid that she hadn't thought of it sooner. Given what had been going on lately and the nature of the case they were investigating she should have thought to check his bedroom first. Maybe subconsciously she had been so afraid of what finding him there might mean that she hadn't even let herself think of it.

She arrived at the Doctor's bedroom door and took a deep breath before she knocked on it. She felt adrenaline and dread coursing through her and growing stronger every second that passed without his answering. All the hope she'd had that she had only been jumping to the worse conclusion were gone in a matter of moments as her knock went unanswered. She knocked again, harder this time, but this knock also went unanswered.

She was fearful as she reached for the doorknob knowing that she had to go in and check but tears were already filling her eyes as she thought about what she would find. She turned the knob and opened the door holding her breath and feeling as if even her heart paused in anticipation and anxiety.

The room was dark but it was easy to see at once that the Doctor's still form was in the bed. A strangled sob left her mouth. "No," she whispered.

Her legs felt numb and so heavy as she drug them slowly over to the bed. It was hard to see him in the darkness but she was too afraid to turn on a lamp and look at him in the full light. She closed her eyes and bit her lip, already feeling like she wanted to cry. She had to confirm her suspicion but she didn't want to. Right now she could still believe this was a bad dream and hold on to that hope even though everything else was pointing against it. After she checked she would have to accept the truth no matter how dreadful it might be.

Why hadn't she thought to warn him? She kicked herself for leaving him last night. She should have stayed with him; she should have made sure that he had stayed awake. He had been investigating this thief who stole minds and it made perfect sense that the telepath responsible would have found out and come after him. Why hadn't that even occurred to her?

Her hands were shaking as she reached them out to him but she knew she had to have the courage to do this. She placed her fingers at the side of his neck and she let out a cry. It was followed by several more, happy ones, because she felt a pulse. She checked again to make sure and found that both of his hearts were beating. They were weak and when she placed her hand in front of his mouth she found his breath, though shallow, was undeniably there as well.

She reached to turn on the light now that she wasn't as afraid as she had been before. The Doctor looked like he was asleep but his face was twisted in a way that made it seem like he was in pain. "Doctor…Doctor," she called, not so loudly that it would startle him but loud enough to wake him.

He didn't stir and she tried again louder this time. "Doctor!"

But again he didn't move. She reached out and gently shook him but this also didn't seem to have an effect on him. After she had shaken him as hard as she dared and he still slept she knew she had to face the facts: He wasn't going to wake up.

It would just be too much a conscience to assume that the Doctor being unable to awake now and the recent unexplained deaths were not connected in some way. They were so alike they had to be related and yet they were also very different. All the other victims had gone to sleep and were gone by the morning. But the Doctor, while he appeared trapped in sleep, remained alive. She didn't know how that was possible or what this would mean for him. She didn't know how much longer he would have or how or even if it was going to be possible to wake him. But he was still alive and that gave her every reason to hope.

She was so happy she'd gotten here in time but she found herself starting to cry again. "I'm sorry, Doctor," she said. She still felt like she should have prevented this in some way. The Doctor was so reckless these days he just didn't take care of himself. He didn't seem to think of the danger he might be in at all anymore. She knew that and she knew she had to keep an eye on him because of it. But she'd failed to do that in this instant.

She wiped her tears and resolved to figure out what was going on. She may have failed to prevent this but she was going to do everything in her power to try and fix it.