Chapter 5
The first three hours of Clara's watch had been uneventful. She'd even considered sleeping at the end of the second. But as the fourth rolled around, the Doctor suddenly showed signs that he was not as alright as he had seemed earlier. His body was shaking and shivering, though Clara only found it to be a little bit nippy. At first, covering him in her jacket seemed to suffice. Then his face paled further, teeth chattering. Worst was when Clara nudged his uninjured shoulder. His only response was some incoherent muttering and a few breaths of visible air.
"Doctor?"
When he failed to respond, yet again, Clara lay next to him, getting closer to his body than he'd ever allowed her. Gently, she brushed a finger through his hair.
"Doctor, wake up."
He made a soft noise from deep in his throat and then stammered. Clara had to lean close to hear him. "C-cold."
Her heart broke to see him so in need. Carefully, she wrapped an arm around him, trying to share as much body heat as possible. But the Doctor's shuddering and teeth chattering only got worse, until it almost seemed like he were having a seizure. At this point, Clara shook Danny awake.
"He's way too cold, but I don't know what to do for him."
Danny wakened instantly, going to the Doctor's side and checking him over. Luckily, the diamond wall was still shining brightly above. "Do you have any other blankets?"
Clara looked herself over and shook her head, passing off her jumper and then shivering herself. "I didn't wear a whole lot of layers."
Danny placed the sweater over the Doctor's torso, but it didn't seem to do much help, the Doctor still shivering beneath it all. Danny shook his head. "I don't know what to do. Tea would be helpful. Or a full blown hospital; staff included."
Clara had almost forgotten Danny wasn't actually a doctor, he'd played the part so well. She came beside him and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Thanks to you."
Danny smiled infinitesimally. "We had to learn basic first aid for combat. Never thought I'd use it again."
Clara noted the 'again', but released Danny from her hold with a yawn. He nudged her shoulder. "You should get to sleep. It's time for my watch."
She took even more convincing that he had, but eventually he got her to lay down and fall asleep, curled into herself to protect from the chill that was setting in. Danny leaned back against the wall of the cave and looked over the Doctor once more, adjusting one of the sweaters so that it covered his arm more completely. Suddenly the Doctor's head shifted.
"Danny."
"Oh; not P.E. any more?"
The Doctor opened his eyes and looked up at Danny, who hovered over him checking on the wound beneath the bandage. It seemed alright enough, clean as could be expected when they were stuck in a cave for the night.
"Danny...thank you."
Danny chuckled. "Now I know you're not feeling well."
The Doctor returned the smile, but soon shut his eyes as a wave of pain washed over him. Danny set a hand gently on his arm. "You should rest."
The Doctor opened his eyes one last time, exhausted but determined to say one last thing. "Thank you for protecting Clara."
"Thank you for protecting both of us."
The Doctor drifted off to sleep as Danny sank back against the wall, keeping one hand on his patient as he gazed into the shadowy cave, trying to find shapes in the patterns of diamonds on the opposite wall.
The next morning, Clara woke to a much different scene than she'd fallen asleep to. The cave was brightly lit from outside, and Danny was nowhere to be seen. She got to her knees beside the Doctor and checked his even breathing and steady pulse before looking up at the mouth of the cave. She was about to go off on some kind of search for her boyfriend when his voice entered from outside. She could hear the smile from here.
"Remember how I told you about the wells I dug?"
Clara's face split into a grin as Danny entered the cave bearing a large bucket of water in one hand and three cups in the other. "Found some supplies at the festival. And the well. I didn't actually dig this one."
Clara scooped some water into her cup and took a sip. Water had never tasted to sweet and pure. "Danny, this is amazing. You're amazing."
Danny smiled, but instantly went to work filling his and the Doctor's cups with the healing liquid. Clara traced a thumb across the Doctor's eyebrow, happy to see him stirr and open his eyes.
"Clara," he said, his voice thick. Danny put a hand behind his head and brought the cup up to his lips.
"Drink this. It'll make you feel better."
Danny tilted the cup up, and most of the water dripped through the Doctor's greedy, parched lips. Clara wiped up any accidental spills on his chin with the back of her hand. When he was finished, his eyes looked brighter, but a sudden pain lanced through his chest. The Doctor groaned and shut his eyes.
Danny rubbed the Doctor's shoulder, well above the injury, and watched as the man composed himself, murmuring soothing words as the Doctor's breathing hitched. "Easy. It'll pass in a minute."
Clara smiled as she watched the two connect so well, a complete 180 from just 12 hours ago. Then she, too, ran a hand up and down the Doctor's arm, soaking up what would hopefully be the last time he was disoriented enough to let her touch him when he wasn't wearing anything other than her jacket still blanketed over his torso and a slew of bandages on his chest.
The Doctor calmed and slowly made to sit up, succeeding in doing so only with the help of his two friends. "We should get back to...TARDIS."
Clara peered outside the cave. "It's still early. There's plenty of time. You just rest until you can walk properly. I don't think Danny wants to carry you two miles through the forest."
Danny smiled. "I don't think I can carry myself that far right now."
Clara smiled softly, and the trio all leant against the wall beside each other, trying not to think about the last night or the long journey ahead. Whenever the pain in the Doctor's shoulder flared up, his companions were there to help him through it. At one point, Danny even fashioned a homemade sling which he set the Doctor's arm into.
"Keep your arm still for as long as you can so you'll heal. I don't want you ruining all the work I did yesterday."
The Doctor smiled faintly, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. Then they all fell asleep, partially leaning on each other, as they waited for the temperature and their own energy levels to rise enough for the long trek home.