Chapter Fifteen: Choice

The Doctor carried on singing for a long time after Jenny had fallen asleep, tears running steadily down his cheeks. He didn't care that the others were watching from outside the room, or that Jenny could probably no longer hear him. He didn't want to stop; afraid if he did, she would slip away.

Eventually his throat caught, sore from the singing, and he couldn't make it work again, almost choking. He looked down at his daughter; all wired up with tubes and machines, her chest rising and falling in an often-tempered motion; her pulse struggling on unevenly. He knew deep down that she wouldn't wake up again.

Not as a human.

He couldn't do this, he thought. Couldn't sit here and watch his daughter die when he could save her. When there was something he could do.

Sarah Jane was standing in the attic, watching Mr Smith as streams of data ran up his screen. Luke was sitting down, chewing a thumbnail and looking pensive.

There had to be a way. Had to be a way to save her. While the Doctor was looking into finding a non-existent cure, he had the Smiths trying to find a way to change Jenny back without the chameleon arch. It wasn't going well.

The process was interrupted by Rani's voice. "Sarah Jane?"

"Yes, Rani?"

The girl was a lot paler than normal, and her eyes were shining with tears. "She's … she's not …" Rani swallowed. "The Doctor wants to see you."

"Is she—" Luke asked.

Rani shook her head. "Not yet. But it won't be long now."

Sarah Jane nodded, gave Rani's shoulder a squeeze, and followed the maze of TARDIS corridors back to the medbay. Jenny was unconscious, white as a sheet, and if Rani hadn't said she was still alive Sarah Jane would have thought she was dead already.

The Doctor looked in terrible shape. He was sat by her, clutching her as if terrified of letting go. His eyes were red and his face was wet, his face filled with pain and fear. Sarah Jane had never seen him like this before.

He turned round, making eye contact with Sarah Jane, who understood and ventured towards him.

"Doctor." She placed a gently hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know this is hard."

"If it was Luke lying here," he said in a strangled voice, "what would you do?"

She didn't answer. The Doctor was rocking backwards and forwards slightly, still clutching Jenny's hand in both his own.

"I made the choice before," he whispered. "My child's life or save the universe. I made that choice and I know it was the right one but I have to live with that every day." He squeezed his eyes shut, but couldn't prevent more tears falling. "One life or many. I—I don't think I can do that again. Not her. I can't—I can't sacrifice my daughter." He took a shaky breath. "What would you do, Sarah?"

"I don't know," she replied softly. "I honestly don't know."

"I'm not strong enough to do the right thing this time," he whispered. "I can't go through it again. He knows it. He's counting on it. But I can't." He pressed a kiss to Jenny's hand, shaking from head to toe.

"I wish I knew what to say, Doctor." Sarah Jane looked down at the dying teen. "How long does she have?"

He shook his head. "Matter of hours."

"Then whatever you decide," Sarah Jane said slowly, "it has to be decided now."

The TARDIS landed in the middle of the Master's office, and the Doctor opened the doors, stepped out wheeling Jenny and closed the door behind them. The Master stood behind his desk, looking smug. "I told you you'd be back."

The Doctor felt an urge to throw the filthiest Gallifreyan curses at his former friend, but it would do no good, and Jenny's time was running out. "Let's just get on with this."

"By all means. You know I'm surprised you took this long; cutting it a bit fine aren't you? So we have a deal?"

The Doctor tossed him a key, and the Master caught it gleefully and stepped towards the ship.

"Oh no you don't!" The Doctor glowered at him from the doorway. "Fix Jenny, now." He wheeled the dying human teen out on her bed.

"Oh, fine." The Master pulled the fob watch from his pocket and tossed it to the Doctor. "Now move aside."

"Not till I know she's all right."

The Master rolled his eyes. "Should have guessed."

The Doctor opened the fob watch, and time energy poured out of it and into Jenny. She convulsed violently, then gasped and her eyes flew open. She pulled the mask off and sat up. "What's going on?"

"Jenny?" Careful not to move out of the Master's way, the Doctor examined her with his sonic screwdriver. "How do you feel?"

"Dad? Er … confused. What's going—" Her eyes fell on the Master and they widened. "Dad, no! You can't!"

"She's fine?" The Master pressed.

The Doctor nodded. "Clean bill of health."

"Then move aside."

"No!" Jenny jumped up, but the Doctor took hold of her firmly by the arms and pulled her to one side. "A deal's a deal. Don't give him any reason to hurt you, sweetheart."

The Master unlocked the TARDIS door and stepped inside. "Hah! At last, the TARDIS is mine!"

"Oh, Dad," Jenny said, tears pouring down her cheeks even as he clutched her close. "What have you done?"

"I had to," he whispered. "I'm sorry Jenny, I know you didn't want me to but I had to."

The TARDIS doors swung shut of their own accord, and the apologetic expression slid cleanly off the Doctor's face, replaced by one of grim satisfaction, with sadness thrown in.

"Doctor?" The Master hammered on the inside of the doors. "What are you playing at? What's going on? Let me out! DOCTOR!"

The Doctor ignored the Master's more and more enraged cries, just watched on as the TARDIS took flight and disappeared.

Jenny stared at her father. "What happened?"

"I invented a new key especially for the Master," the Doctor said. "I call it the Master key." He gave a faint smile at his own joke. "Basically, should anyone enter the TARDIS using one, the TARDIS will go into lockdown and drift through the Vortex for … well, forever. He can't get out, he can't fly her, he can't actually do anything. Well, within reason, the bathroom and kitchen and so on are still functioning, but the rest of her systems … The TARDIS is an inescapable prison."

"So … he's trapped in there?"

"Yep."

"And he can't hurt anyone in there."

"Correct."

"You tricked him," Jenny said in a dazed tone.

"Yup."

Jenny slowly smiled, and hugged the Doctor. "For a moment I really thought you'd put me before saving the universe."

"For a moment," he said, "I would have done."

TBC …

AN: Not the end! Two chapters yet.