NINE

The Doctor was checking Martha's pupils when there came a bang at the bedroom door. He had no sooner awakened his lovely than the action began again.

The two of them looked at each other worriedly. "Wait here," the Doctor whispered. He was worried that she might be too weak to fight, or even run, if worse came to worst. He grabbed a small marble bust of Winston Churchill to bash an assailant over the head, and then carefully opened the door.

It was Feeno, dragging Jack by the collar.

"Feeno!" the Doctor cried out, dropping Winston and bending down to help. "What the hell happened?"

Breathlessly, Feeno answered, "They wanted Captain Jack to bring a message to you, Doctor, but he refused. So they killed him. I believe they used a Incendo-Particulator to do the job."

Martha had arisen and crossed the room to assist. She had picked up his feet, though was having some difficulty, as she was feeling weak. She knew that it wasn't simply from having been sedated, because she also felt feverish, but she said nothing. She did not need to alarm this lot – not just now.

"They used what?" she asked.

"Class 3 or class 4?" the Doctor asked Feeno.

"Class 4, I think I heard Jack say."

The Doctor exhaled with a bit of a whistle. He was amazed, a bit in awe. He told Martha, "It's a 32nd century model of a disintegrating gun. It takes flesh and burns it to ash in a matter of seconds."

"But Jack did not turn to ash," Feeno said, not daring to broadcast his hope that his friend might still be okay.

"Oh don't worry about Jack, he'll be back 'round in a minute," the Doctor said, matter-of-factly, beginning to pace. Feeno's face lit up, and he felt immensely relieved.

"So wait aminute. They wanted him to bring a message to the Doctor?" Martha asked. "And he refused?" She sounded just a bit incredulous.

"Yes, Jack refused. But I agreed," said Feeno, unsure of whether to deliver the news apologetically or proudly.

The Doctor stopped pacing. "So? What is it? What's the message?"

Feeno glanced at Martha uneasily. This was not lost in the Doctor, who prodded, "Feeno, it's okay. I won't kill the messenger. I just need to know what they want."

Reluctantly, Feeno confessed, "They said 'come to the control room, or the negress dies.'"

Martha shouted,"What? Well, that's rubbish, isn't it?" She looked at the Doctor imploringly. "Isn't it? I mean, I'm in here with you. They can't get to me... can they?"

The Doctor stared at her – she didn't like it. A realisation had dawned upon him, and he was reluctant to voice it. She always hated those few moments in which he kept her in the dark, before he decided to tell.

"Stop looking at me like that," she demanded. "Just tell me what's going on."

"They injected you with something that will kill you if I don't give them what they want," he said.

She gestured to the books. "Okay, so we figure out what it is, and we try to fight it off," she said, a little to lightly. She crossed to the Doctor and put her arms around his torso. "You and I, lover, we're a clever pair. We can do anything."

He smiled at her. It was a sincere, but reserved smile. It reflected how she felt as well. He kissed her, and then clapped his hands and announced, "Right then, research again."

As if awakened by the loud clap, suddenly, Jack intook a huge breath, coughed a few times, and then sat upright. Feeno was more demonstrative than most Roy-Lemans, but he did not display human-levels of visible emotion by any means. However, now, he was so thankful, he actually fell to his knees beside Jack, and hugged him. "I'm very relieved, Jack," he said, his voice tinged with emotion.

As Jack caught his breath, he patted Feeno's arm, currently wrapped tightly around his neck and chin, and said, "Hey, it's okay. No need to worry anymore. I'm a tough one to pick off, you'll find."

They smiled at one another in recognition of a deepening bond, and then Jack asked, "So... what's happening?"

"Martha's been poisoned," the Doctor told him, beginning to pace again. "Welcome back, by the way."

"Thanks," Jack said, getting to his feet. "Martha's been poisoned? You mean, like, more than the rest of us?"

"The rest of us were sedated, Jack. They gave her something else, and they relayed a message to me that I should come to the control room or she dies," the Doctor explained, still pacing, his words coming out more and more machine-gun-style.

"You brought the message?" Jack asked Feeno. "What are we, their secretaries?"

"They killed you! What was I supposed to do?"

"I gave my life trying to hold our position, and you just cave?"

"You didn't give your life! You're standing here talking to me," Feeno insisted.

"Neither here nor there. Well, how long did you wait before bowing down to them? Five seconds? Half an hour, what?"

"What does it matter?"

"Look, enough!" the Doctor shouted. "We've got bigger problems now. We need to find out what kind of biological weapons the Namuh Gnieb use, so that we can figure out how to help Martha, and can avoid futher becoming their... secretaries." He squirmed a bit as he pronounced the word secretaries, as though the thought of that was so hideous, he could barely stand to say the word aloud.

"Doctor, excuse me, but did you say Namuh Gnieb?" Feeno asked cautiously.

"Yes," the Doctor said, looking anxious. One eyebrow up, his teeth showing. "Why?"

"I have heard of them," Feeno told them. "They are very dangerous, indeed. I know because I studied them in some of my upper-level personology courses. They are the anti-human."