Chapter Nineteen
Warmth wrapped itself around him, and it felt good. He shifted, trying to pull the blankets closer to himself...wait a minute, blankets?
Jack opened his eyes and blinked several times...this definitely wasn't the sea it.
"No!" he shouted and tried to sit up, but a hand on his chest stopped him, and pushed him back down.
"Don't even try to sit up," a familiar voice said.
A familiar face swam into view. It was Ianto, a frown of concern creasing his face.
Jack pushed against Ianto's hand, determined to get up, he had to go back, back to the water...the Doctor.
But Ianto pushed back and Jack gave him a warning growl.
"No Jack, he's gone," Ianto said, ignoring the warning from Jack.
"Ianto, let me up, he's not gone, he's not."
Ianto let out a long breath before getting up turning away, and picking something up, then turning back.
Jack took in a sharp breath; it was a tan coat...a tan coat he recognized.
"I'm sorry Jack, but they said no-one could survive that long in the water, and his body could have been swept hundreds of miles, or be at the bottom."
Ianto laid the coat on the bed and stepped back as Jack picked it up.
"I had it dry cleaned, it was ...it smelt of...I'm sorry, I know how you..."
"Get out!" Jack snarled.
Ianto blinked. "Jack..."
"Just get out!" Jack roared.
Ianto flinched and without being told again, he backed away and left, closing the door behind him.
Jack pulled the coat close to his chest, even though it had been dry-cleaned, he could still smell the Doctor's unique scent...honey, almonds, ginger and something he could never recognize, something uniquely Time Lord.
He couldn't be gone, he would feel it if he was gone...surely?
He felt the sudden hot prickle of tears and he broke down, crying silent tears into the soft wool of the coat...realizing that for once his Doctor may not have survived.
The sailor on watch held on tightly to the railings, the boat was rolling violently in the storm. If he was captain, he would have stayed in port, not even the hundred thousand pound cargo they had caught would have made him brave this storm.
He was about to turn away and go back into the warmth of below decks, when he thought he saw something...something in the water.
He shook his head, went to move but then stopped and looked again...there was something in the water...it looked like...a body!
"Man overboard!" he yelled as he ran into the mess deck, startling the others, before running out again.
He was leaning over the railing when the captain joined him.
"What do you mean 'man overboard'...?"
"There!" the other man said, pointing.
The captain looked in that direction...he was right, just off the ship's bow was a body.
"Get the spare net...now!" the captain bellowed.
For some reason an old Gallifreyan song echoed in his head, one he'd heard a long time ago.
"The sea it took my love today, wrapped him in its cold embrace. The sea it took my hearts today, today it took my love away."
He jerked awake when he felt something warm against his forehead.
The person who had pressed the warm cloth against the still unconscious man's forehead jumped when he jerked awake.
"Well that was unexpected," he said calmly, placing the cloth back into the bowl of slightly steaming water.
The person tried to sit up, but flopped back onto the bed, a grimace of pain on his face.
"It's best not to move, you took a nasty crack to the old noggin. It'll be a few hours before we can reach port, so rest, get some sleep."
The person looked at him, a frown on his face. "How did I...?"
"That can wait until you get to the port, you need to rest. I've left you some water, you're dehydrated."
The man stepped away and turned the light off as he left, leaving the cabin door slightly ajar to let a small chink of light into the room.
The Doctor looked at the open door, listening intently, waiting until he could no longer hear the footsteps of the man.
He threw back the covers and sat up, ignoring the pain and the dizziness. The thing inside him was still very much alive.
With a sad exhalation of breath he stood, which was probably a mistake as a wave of nausea roiled through his stomach...the fracture to his skull, it wasn't get any better.
Slowly and a little more carefully than he normally would, he padded across the floor, noticing for the first time that he was barefoot and not in his suit.
Shrugging, it didn't matter, the fish wouldn't care if he was well dressed or not.
He'd only got half-way along the small passage way when the boat suddenly lurched, and the passage way went dark.
White Coat watched the sonar ping off the shape on the surface. He wasn't about to attack a possibly armed to the teeth UNIT ship if his property wasn't on board.
He was waiting, waiting for one of his toys to finish its job, only a few more moments. He looked at the hand-held scanner and second later...yes there it was, the distinctive double heart beat of his property, and it was not a UNIT ship.
"We have confirmation, retrieve my property captain."
The Doctor was stuck between the exit to the deck and the darkened passage way. He could hear the shout of the crew of the boat, and he could feel the boat start to become un-balanced...it must have been hit by something.
He flinched when he heard the sound of gun-fire.
"No, no, not again...please!"
More innocent people dying because of him...he had to get off the boat.
He stepped out of the exit door and only made it a few steps before he was stopped by a group of armed men.
The Doctor watched the trawler sink beneath the water from the inflatable craft as it sped away.
He looked away and towards wherever the small craft was going.
His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw... was that a submarine?
The boat glided up to the side of the submarine and the Doctor was pushed up the ladder and down into the innards of the sub.
He was pushed along the narrow corridor to what looked like a control room.
Someone was sitting in a chair, its back to him.
The occupier of the chair stood up... and the Doctor paled, as he recognized the now very familiar white jacket.
"Welcome back, that was a very stupid thing to do, you could have damaged yourself."
White Coat moved closer to the Doctor, who was suddenly paralyzed by fear.
He flinched when White Coat ran a finger down his cheek.
"I see you've managed to resist the virus, no matter, it needs to be removed. But that's not your concern. Now I have you back, I'm going to make sure you never do that again. Put him in the brig."
With that he turned away and ignored the Doctor as he was dragged away.
"Back to the base sir?" the captain asked.
"Yes, back to the base."
The Doctor huddle in the corner of the small cell, now realizing that he was never going to get away from White Coat...unless.
Wearily he closed his eyes and reached out, searching for the thread that bound him to his protector and constant companion...his home.
Where was it, why couldn't he find it...no there, but it was so faint, so far away.
He felt the TARDIS answer his call, could hear the desperate tone to its voice as it tried to strengthen the bond.
Blinding pain suddenly ripped through his head and he cried out.
"I can't...it hurts!" he cried. "Please ...you have to... go...to him...he can...please!"
The pain became overwhelming and he clutched his head, as if trying to shut out the pain.
He felt more than heard the reluctant compliance and broke down as he felt the bond between them cut, and for the first time in his nine hundred year existence, he felt alone.