He knows you.
You're going to lose him.
He knows you.
You're going to lose him.
Thoughts echoed around his head, bouncing around like rubber balls, rubber balls that never lost their speed or force. Instead they just continually bounced, making him want to forget more and more by the moment, but he knew he never could.
Order. He needed order. If he dealt with them, sorted through them, they may not haunt him as badly.
The traveller that had come through here knew him. How had he known him? Was it someone he had met before? Jack perhaps? No... No it couldn't be Jack. Jack should be somewhere in this time, but he was serving as a soldier. He wasn't hopping about the times, he was stuck, if the Doctor recalled right, in the time stream, going through time as any other human being would.
Eilam? He had only met the young Time Lord once, and that was nearly four years ago. Eilam had remained quiet about who he was, and where he'd been. Was it possible that he could have come here, to this time? Normally, the Doctor would have said yes, but something about the memory didn't seem to fit right. Eilam hadn't struck him as the kind of person who'd rush off into battle. In many ways, he saw himself reflected in the young Time Lord; he seemed the type to think things through, and find other solutions besides violence. Then again, everyone could be full of surprises, so yes, it could have been Eilam, but it was unlikely.
Gabriel? His son, from the future in a time where he was grown? The Doctor liked this idea because it meant he was successfull in protecting his baby boy. This again seemed unlikely. Eilam had come from a time in the future, that was clear. If he had come from there, then he surely knew what was coming. That something wasn't good for his son. Gabriel was an unlikely choice just because of the future that already lay out for him.
But could he change this future? Keep Gabriel safe so he can grow up?
The Doctor looked at his sleeping son through the dim light. Why would anyone want to hurt something so sweet and precious? Gabriel's mouth was open as he took deep, restful breaths. His tiny hands were curled up into fists by his face. The boy had an innocent look to him, which he still was at such a young age. To his proud and worried father, he looked just like what he had been named for;
An angel.
Who could hurt an angel? Why?
You're going to lose him.
"No," the Doctor spoke aloud. "No I won't. I can't."
"Daddy?" Gabriel asked drowsily, waking from his sleep and blinking to focus his eyes.
"Hey Gabey," he smiled, trying to wipe any trace of his thoughts from his face. "Did I wake you up?"
"Mhm," the boy answered, rubbing his eyes with both of his fists. "You were gone a long time."
"Was I?" The Doctor asked with a small laugh that he prayed his son wouldn't know was half forced. "Yeah, guess I was. I'm sorry."
"It s'okay," Gabriel mumbled, evident that he was on the verge of falling back asleep. "Don't go away that long again."
"I won't, Gabey, promise," he meant it as he leaned over to kiss his son's head. "You go back to sleep now."
"Kay." Almost at once, his small eyelids fluttered shut. The Doctor smiled sadly and pulled the blanket up higher.
"I won't lose you," he whispered to the boy. "I won't let that happen."
You're going to lose him.
"What do I need to know, Doctor?" Jacob asked. A few hours sleep seemed to have done him wonders. He looked better then he had, ready to accept the fact that this was not an enemy he had ever seen, ready to accept that it wasn't even human.
"The aliens we're dealing with are called Laemosia, and they're cowards," the Doctor explained, pacing across the dirt floor. "The way they kill is to get the victim's species to kill their own."
"By believing their own is dead," Jacob surmised mournfully. "Like I would have done."
"You didn't, so let it go," The Doctor warned. "If you let it haunt you, you'll lose your mind."
Reluctantly, Jacob nodded and rubbed his forehead. "How do we stop them?"
This was the hard part. "We have to find them. The good news is they only send in one at a time so they don't cause suspicion."
Jacob sat up more, leaning his elbows on his knees. "What's the bad news?"
"They disguise themselves as part of the species they're attacking," the Doctor told him gravely. "They get close to win trust."
The light bulb switched on in the young man's mind. "Are you saying it's one of my men?"
The Time Lord nodded slightly. "I'm afraid so."
"No!" The blonde man rose to his feet as though offended. "I trust those men with my life!"
"That's the point," the Doctor told him quietly. "The more you trust them, the easier it is for them to strike."
The distraught captain shook his head in disbelief, and the Doctor wouldn't help but feel sorry for him. He was involved in a nightmare to begin with, and in a matter of hours the nightmare had turned from worse to hell. Trust was the only thing these men had left, and even that had now been ripped away from them.
"How do we know who it is?" The young captain sounded numb, but he pressed himself on none the less.
"There's no easy way to tell," the Doctor wished with everything he had that there was. "We're going to have to catch him in the act."
"More will end up like this?" The man yelped, and the Doctor nodded.
"But not many if we work together!" The Time Lord assured him. "The thing with this disease is that it has to be transferred by a physical touch. It can be as simple as brushing against someone's hand by accident, but as long as they can touch your skin, you're infected. Once you're infected, you'll just drop, anywhere from one to five hours later."
"You...you should go check on your son," Jacob said darkly, turning away.
The Doctor started to speak, but decided against it. Nodding, he turned and let the brooding captain be.
Though the Doctor tried to enter quietly in case his boy was asleep, he was heard by the young Time Lord who had been playing with his toy screwdriver. His eyes lit up the moment he recognized the footsteps.
"Daddy!" Gabriel squealed, holding out his arms and running to his father as fast as he could.
"Hey, Gabey!" The Doctor laughed, bending down to scoop up his young son and swing him around. "Did you miss me?"
Gabriel grinned but shook his head, his shaggy, mouse-brown hair covering his eyes. "No."
"No?" The boy giggled. "You didn't miss me?" The Doctor asked, pretending to be hurt. "Guess I have to put you down then."
"No!" Gabriel cried, throwing his arms around his father's neck and holding on tightly. "Don't want down. I missed you," he added sweetly.
"Good, I missed you too," the Doctor hugged him close and caught the look on the face of the watching soldier. The man was clearly displeased, and he made no attempt to hide his feelings. "What's on your mind, private?"
"It's just... When I signed up for this, I did not think I was signing up to be a nursemaid," he said bluntly, looking away from the two.
"Oh, Gabriel's not that bad, is he?" The Doctor asked, looking at Gabriel accusingly, but he quickly shook his head in denial.
"I'm good!" He insisted with the utmost urgency.
"He's fine," the soldier agreed, "I don't care for children. I want to be out there, doing something," he pointed out the door to the distance where the gunshots could be faintly heard. "I want action!"
"Your day will come," the Doctor told him somberly. "Enjoy the life you have now, for you might not have it tomorrow."
The soldier snorted. "At this rate, I'll have it until I have lived one hundred years."
"I wanna be a hundred!" Gabriel exclaimed. "1-0-0!"
The Doctor just smiled and bounced the boy, wishing his son would get his wish.
A/N: I hope you all are enjoying this story so far :D Gotta say, I think it's my favourite thus far. Thanks for the kind reviews left so far :D I'd love to hear opinions, comments and theories! Seriously. I live for feedback.