Martha had been checking the Doctor's IV when his eyes snapped open and with a snarl went for her.
Only her training with UNIT and the skills she'd acquired in The Year That Never Was saved her as she back-pedalled; the Doctor's hand just missing her arm.
The Doctor's impetus carried him forward and a tray containing equipment crashed to the floor. He fell off the bed and landed heavily on his knees.
He was up in seconds and Martha found herself facing and confused and angry Time Lord.
"Where is Seska?" he snarled.
"He's safe," she said in what she hoped was a calm and soothing tone.
"Liar!" the Doctor spat at her and she flinched at the venomous way he spat the word at her.
All the time, she'd been inching her way towards a hypo-spray that she'd left on another tray.
"Where is Seska?" the Doctor repeated.
"Like I said, he's safe," she said and moved another few inches.
The Doctor followed her movement but didn't move; he looked unsteady and kept a hand on the rail attached to the side of the bed.
"You shouldn't be up, you've had a serious blow to your head."
"I'm fine...where is Seska?" the Doctor said again, then swayed and Martha could see his grip of the rail tighten.
She moved again but this time the Doctor moved but stumbled and fell heavily.
Martha closed the gap. "You are not fine."
"Don't diagnose me, Martha Jones," the Doctor growled as he saw Martha move closer.
He grabbed hold of the rail and tried to haul himself up but failed...his legs wouldn't obey him.
He growled in frustration and tried again. He didn't want to show weakness, especially in front of this human.
He tried again and succeeded in pulling himself up...fear and concern for Seska overriding the possible damage.
"I'll ask again, where is Seska?"
"I said he was safe, "Martha answered.
He let out a bitter laugh. "You mean he's locked up."
"For his own safety," Martha said.
"Am I a prisoner too? Did you cripple me to keep me 'safe'?"
The look on Martha's face told him she had not; but still he didn't trust her or any human...not anymore.
"I'm a doctor first," she said. "It's not my job to judge you. If you can walk, the door's that way. I won't stop you."
He narrowed his eyes, suspicious of a trap and with supreme effort he let go of the rail and stood. He willed his legs to move and took a step and crashed to the ground.
Martha was at his side in an instant, but he shrugged off her hand.
"Let me help you," she said and held out her hand.
He studied her face for a few seconds and he made a decision...he was incapacitated and until he got his legs back, he wouldn't be able to get away. So he reluctantly took the pre-offered hand and with Martha's help found himself back in the bed.
"Why do you want to help me?" he asked as Martha reattached the IV.
Martha looked at him. "Because you're hurt and medicine shouldn't take sides and perhaps a little guilt."
That surprised the Doctor. "Guilt?"
"Yes, guilt. They did something horrible and I did nothing to stop it, even after I found out I was ret-conned. Taking your children was bad enough, but to hide them from you for three years...that's unforgivable."
"Yes, it is," he said. "But these last twenty years... you should hate me."
"Why, you never pulled the trigger and what reason did you have to want to save us? I was told what happened to Tejhan, I'm sorry."
He looked away then, so she couldn't see the sadness in his eyes and took a breath before looking back.
He looked at Martha properly and she had that look he'd seen on other humans; weary and sick of the war...the Master had been excessively cruel for the year after Tejhan had died and New Gallifrey was still young.
But he'd been drowning in grief, and he had withdrawn from caring for anything and anyone, even little Ashena.
They said that time heals all things; how wrong they were.
His grief had turned to rage and the human race had become the target for his rage and he built machines...toys he'd called them...things far worse than the Toclafane, soulless killing machines that decimated the human population.
Then the war had started as human did what they did best...they fought back...fought for survival.
Then Seska had been born and some of his rage had abated but by then the war was unstoppable and it had descended into kill or be killed and maternal instinct drove him on...to lose would mean the death of his children and that fear had increased again when Jakaar had come along.
His hearts fell when he thought of little son...oh how he wanted to be back at the palace now; safe and warm with the Master and his family.
Martha interrupted his thoughts when she said. "It's not too late. You could stop this...stop the Master."
He looked at her and shook his head. "No, too much has happened...too much blood has been spilt. No, Martha Jones, the cards are dealt and only death holds the winning hand. I don't expect to leave this camp alive."
Martha shook her head. "Not if I can help it. Let me examine your legs."
He hesitated and then chided himself...she had been a companion and if he couldn't trust a companion, then who could he trust.
He nodded his assent and lay back whilst she did her examination and as she did the adrenaline he'd been running on ran out and he fell into an exhausted sleep and never noticed Martha leave.
Jack and Silas were making their way back to the med-unit when the group of riders galloped into the compound...Ianto and Gwen had arrived.
After several minutes of gratuitous hugging they turned to more serious business.
"You're kidding...you have the Doctor and one of his children?" Ianto said.
"How?" Gwen said as they sat at a table and ate.
"Saskia's men ambushed them and the Master, thought they were rich collaborators. I had to buy them...you know what she would have done otherwise."
They both nodded and then Ianto said. "Do the Council know?"
"No and I want to keep it that way. You know what they'll do and the Doctor alive is a better bargaining chip than a dead body and with one of his children as extra insurance the Doctor won't be going anywhere."
"You're right about him not going anywhere, but it won't be just because you're holding Seska hostage," a voice said.
They looked up, it was Martha.
"How is he?" Jack asked.
"Like you really care," she retorted. "If you really want to know, he woke up for a while but he's not going anywhere."
"Why?"
"He has deep and severe bruising to his spine, he's paralysed."
The Doctor woke suddenly and blinked a few times to clear the fog of sleep. He woke fully when he heard someone clear their throat.
"Hello Doctor," a voice said, one that he hadn't heard in twenty years.