Jack forced himself not to move, not even twitch as the footsteps came closer. He almost lost it when he heard a voice to go with the footsteps.
The voice sounded confused, and the words were almost incoherent...and filled with pain.
"No...no...no... I can't," the voice said, steadily getting closer to where Jack was hiding.
"Have to...really should have jum..."
The words were cut off by a cry of pain, followed by the sound of flesh hitting metal.
Jack couldn't stand it, that cry of pain and the painful sound of flesh hitting metal. He stepped out, ignoring his senses screaming at him that this was a dumb-ass thing to do.
All those things drained away when he saw the Doctor, crumpled against a large pipe, legs moving in a feeble attempt to get up.
"Doctor!" he cried and rushed over, and grabbed hold of the Doctor.
The growled words that came from the Doctor caused Jack to rock back on his heels.
"Stay away from me!" the Doctor growled, trying to scrabble away from Jack.
"Doctor, it's me," Jack said, hoping that would calm him.
It didn't have the effect Jack wanted, as the Doctor continued in his effort to scrabble away.
"Doctor?" Jack said again, this time reaching out and touching the only part he could reach, Doctor's foot.
The Doctor tried to twist away, letting out a string of what sounded like swear words, if they'd been in the human tongue.
"Doctor, no!" Jack said, sounding angrier than he wanted to.
He paid for it as the Doctor lashed out with his other foot and caught Jack a crushing blow to his knee.
The sickening crunch of cartilage giving way filled Jack's ears, and the pain exploded in it about thirty seconds later.
He fell back, an unsolicited grunt of pain escaping his lips, but he didn't let go of the Doctor's other foot.
This seemed to enrage the Doctor who for the first time since Jack had grabbed hold of him, turned to face him.
Jack almost lost his grip on the Doctor when he saw the Doctor's face.
His skin was almost translucent, and Jack could see what looked like veins standing out. No, not veins, they were the same colour as the thread that he'd seen on the scanner.
"Doctor, no!" he shouted, trying to look the Doctor in the eyes.
But the Doctor's eyes weren't their normal soulful brown. They were clouded, like they were covered by cataracts.
With a snarl that would have cowed most people the Doctor twisted and wrenching his foot free from Jack's grasp, launched himself at Jack.
Jack could nothing to defend himself, as the pain from his damaged knee was overpowering.
So he went with the speed and the force of the Doctor's attack, landing heavily on his back.
Quelling his rising panic, he focused on forgetting the pain in his shattered knee. He felt the pain dissipate to a dull throb, and with a snarl that equalled the Doctor's, he went on the offensive.
With a surge of adrenalin fuelled anger, he threw the Doctor off him and despite the pain scrabbled up, ready to defend himself again.
But the attack never came, as the Doctor hadn't moved from where he'd landed.
He was curled up again, head covered by his arms, whimpering softly.
Jack crawled over to the Doctor and cautiously placed a hand on the Doctor's back.
"Doctor, it's me, Jack," he said softly.
"Jack?" the Doctor whispered. "Help me...please."
Jack moved his hand to the Doctor's shoulder. "Doctor, you have to let me see."
The Doctor shook his head, unwilling to turn, guilt flowing freely at his attack on Jack. He couldn't stop the thing inside. It had overwhelmed him, taking advantage of his confusion caused by the fracture to his skull.
He had fought back, as best as he could, in his confused state, driving the thing back from the place he was hiding in.
He could hear the pain in Jack's voice, and knew he must have injured him.
"Doctor, please, I have to see," he heard Jack.
He wanted help, but he was afraid, afraid of what the thing could and would do, Rassilon he wanted help...but would Jack do it?
"Jack, help me...please."
Jack felt a wave of sorrow pass over him at the Doctor's words. "You know I will. We can go back to the Hub. Martha can..."
He was interrupted by the Doctor, who tried to shift away from him again.
"No...Jack...need you to...to," his words cut off by a groan of pain.
Jack tightened his grip on the Doctor's shoulder.
"Let me take you back, we can get what you need."
He tried to lift the Doctor, but the Doctor tensed and Jack suddenly found the Doctor too heavy to lift.
"No Jack...no Torchwood! I need you...need you to."
Jack was getting frustrated; time wasn't exactly on his side.
With a flash of anger mixed with a feeling of helplessness, he managed to haul the Doctor round.
He was surprised to see the Doctor's eye were no long covered by the milky film, but brown, although dulled by some pain. He also noticed for the first time, the dried blood that stained the side of the Doctor's face.
"Come on Doc, we have to go. I can't help you, Martha can."
No!"
The Doctor struggled in his arms, and Jack began to wonder if the Doctor was just reacting and not recognising.
"Come on, I really can't help you. We need to get out of here," he said, trying to put as much urgency in his voice as he could.
"No, you have to..." the Doctor said again, his face furrowed in what could have been pain or confusion.
"I have to do what!" Jack snapped, now acutely aware that they may soon be discovered.
The Doctor blinked and seemed to be making a huge effort to focus on Jack's face, and when Jack looked into his eyes, they seemed to clear, almost back to the bright intelligence and curiosity that usually shone from them.
"Kill me."