"Sorry, my job was to get you downstairs without incident. Besides, it's not that bad, she actually took it as a sign that you notice how hard she is working to help you. That's not to say you won't have to pay for it later, but right now she thinks it was funny and is glad you can still have a sense of humor about things."

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't want to be on Jackie's bad side. He probably owed her more than anyone else here. "How much did she hear?"

"Not much, she heard the lamp fall and went to investigate. She heard you and Rose talking and decided not to interrupt."

"Or wait until just the right time to interrupt," thought the Doctor. He could kiss Jackie, her timing had been perfect. "I am glad she isn't upset with me."

"She isn't, don't worry. How does it stand with you and Rose?"

"Tense, but she will accept my help." The Doctor answered quietly.

"Why so despondent? Isn't it what you wanted?"

"It's not so much what I wanted, but what is needed." "I really hope I know what I am doing" he worried.

They reached the top of the stairs. "So do you still want that push or do you want to walk down?"

"I'll walk down; no sense both of us being in trouble."

"Good choice."

Tony was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. He almost knocked the Doctor over with his exuberant greeting.

"Hold on there," Pete admonished his son as he peeled him off the Doctor's leg. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Mum says Dockor sick. I hug Dockor, make him feel better." Tony declared.

"Well you need to be more careful. You could hurt him."

Tony looked up at the Doctor, his eyes sad, his lower lip quivering. "I hurt Doctor?" he asked.

The Doctor crouched down, putting him himself on eye level with Tony. "I'm fine Tony, just be careful. Ask me before you hug me alright?"

Tony nodded a worried look on his face.

"Good then, I'll have that hug now," The Doctor smiled at Tony and held his arms wide. Tony put his arms around the Doctor's neck, hugging him as hard as he could. The Doctor picked Tony up. "There now, that's better isn't it?" As he stood he realized Pete was looking at him, a concerned expression on his face.

"Sorry," He handed Tony over to his father. "I guess I should be careful too." He sighed. Pete didn't trust him to carry his child. He couldn't blame him. Being two months away from death didn't exactly inspire confidence in one's strength, but in fact he was weeks from being unable to carry Tony so long as Rose didn't fire the dimension cannon. He had to admit though, Tony's safety was more important than his pride.

He smiled at the young boy and reached out to ruffle his hair. "Let's go see what supper is shall we?"

Jackie smiled warmly when they entered the dining room, putting the Doctor at ease. "Come here love. I had cook make something special for you." she motioned him to a chair with a large bowl of soup in front of it.

The Doctor sat down and looked at the soup. It was a beef broth filled with vegetables, mushrooms and fungus, apparently native to every continent but Europe. "Thank you. I'm sure it's delicious."

Jackie was pleased with herself. She gave the Doctor a description of the soup while she settled Tony into his booster seat. "It's a special kind of Hot and Sour soup. It's supposed to boost your immune system and detox you."

"Just what I'm looking for from my food." the Doctor mused. He wondered if his every meal from now on was going to be some kind of phytopharmalogical experiment as Jackie and her herbalist tried every possible plant on the planet to cure him. He looked at the food the others had on their plate wistfully. Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roasted vegetables. He turned his attention back to his soup and resigned picked up his spoon.

"Don't worry. Once you finish your soup, cook will bring out the rest of your dinner," Jackie reassured him. "I noticed you've become awfully thin. It will take more than soup to put some meat back on your bones. I just didn't want it getting cold."

"Thank you, that's most considerate of you." He briefly considered protesting the need for the soup, but he owed Jackie for the crack about the tea and held his tongue. She wanted to help him and consuming an odd bowl of soup was a small price to pay for her support.

Surprisingly the soup proved to be quite good, spicy enough to clear the sinuses but not to the point of overwhelming the other flavors. Some of the fungi were a bit rubbery, but overall it was quite nice. Eating it was a pleasant experience, not the chore he had anticipated. He made quick work of it.

The Doctor nodded at Jackie gratefully. "Thank you, that was perfect."

"You could have some more if you want."

"No, no thank that you. I think it is best if I start the 'getting meat on my bones' part of the meal."

"Very well then." Jackie got up and took his bowl back the kitchen coming back with a plate over laden with food.

His nausea gone and feeling invigorated the Doctor dug into the rest of his meal. "Maybe Jackie was onto something with that soup." He thought. He would let her worry about his health. That meant he could spend more time on the real issues and who knows she might even be able to eke out a day or two more for him.

He looked up from his meal noticing that Tony was trying to get his attention. "Dockor, you want my veg? Mum says veg make you better." Tony offered up his plate, the vegetables untouched, in all earnestness.

The Doctor shook his head and laughed. "I think your Mum wants you to have those vegetables. Thank you though."

"His mum most definitely does," Jackie confirmed. "Now Tony, finish your food and leave the Doctor to his meal." She fixed Tony with a firm but motherly gaze. The little boy put his plate back down and reluctantly took a bite of carrot.

The Doctor loved these little family moments and the feeling of belonging he had when he was included in them. Tony could be such a scamp. Lovable and caring, but always looking for an angle, he was definitely Pete's child. Jackie would have her hands full with him as he grew up.

When the meal was finished, including all the vegetables, out came dessert, a lovely trifle. The Doctor could tell by the flourish with which Jackie set it on the table that its production had not been left to the cook. Instead it had been made by her own hands. Each layer had been crafted to perfection, the glass bowl it was in allowing full view of the artistry involved. It was almost seemed a shame to destroy the effect by serving it.

Jackie however had no qualms and dished out generous portions to everyone. The Doctor looked at his plate as Jackie put it front of him; by the size of his serving, she was serious about putting some meat on his bones. It was a good end to the meal. The trifle was delicious with a hint of sherry, just right, providing a pleasant background to the other flavors. He savored the different textures provided, the grainy sweetness of the sponge cake and jelly, the creaminess of the custard, the soft crunch of the fresh fruit that Jackie had used. It reminded him to enjoy to its fullest every sensation that life provided him.

Dinner over, the Doctor excused himself to his room. He wanted to look over his data and run a few models before he went to bed. He tackled the stairs a little easier this time. He was in his room about ten minutes, deep into his analysis, when there was a knock at the door. It was Jackie.

"I just wanted to take care of that bruise on your face," She explained. "You don't want to show up at Torchwood tomorrow and have to answer all kinds of questions about it."

The Doctor sat down on the bed, giving her easier access to his cheek. "Actually I was planning on staying home tomorrow. There is a lot of work I can do here."

Jackie took his chin in her hand, a serious expression on her face as she examined the damage. "That may be for the best then. This would be hard to hide tomorrow," She released his chin. "I'll have a talk with my daughter about her temper."

"Please don't, she let a lot out of her system with that hit. I don't think she will do it again. If you talk to her, it might stir everything up. Right now she is willing to let me help. If it took her hitting me to get that, it was a small price to pay."

Jackie fixed him with a hard stare. "I didn't ask your permission to talk to her. This is my house. She knew you were sick and she hit you anyway, quite hard apparently. I won't allow that. Don't worry; I saw her looking at you during supper. She couldn't help but see that bruise forming. I think she is a little ashamed of herself. I am just going to reinforce that for her."

The Doctor resigned himself Jackie's chosen course of action. That issue settled, she dipped into a tub of dark orange salve she had brought with her and proceeded to apply it liberally to the Doctor's cheek.

"What's that you are putting on me?" the Doctor queried.

"It's an herbal salve, wild yam based. It should draw out that bruise. It's safe around the eyes which is why I chose it. It also doesn't smell like some. You need your sleep. I don't want you up all night because of the stink."

The Doctor had to admit it did have a pleasant, almost soothing odor.

Jackie finished applying the salve and looked at him as if making up her mind. "Take you jacket and shirt off now."

"Why?" asked the Doctor, slightly worried as to where this was going.

"I saw you wince when you got up from your chair tonight. Your face didn't collide with that nightstand, but I am guessing your ribs did."

The Doctor relaxed and proceeded to do as he was instructed. "I was trying to go with the force of the blow."

Jackie was busy examining his side as she answered. "That might have helped your face love, but your ribs here are a bit worse for wear." She proceeded to slather the salve on his side.

The application of the salve finished, the Doctor reached for his shirt, Jackie stopped him. "You don't want to put that back on. This does stain. You have an old t-shirt you don't care about?"

The Doctor pointed to the dresser. "Second drawer, any of the plain ones. Won't this stain your sheets?"

"They're my sheets. Don't you worry about it," She answered as she handed him a t-shirt. "Now put that on and finish up what you were doing. I don't want you staying up all night playing Mr. Wizard. You need your rest." She started towards the door.

"Jackie?"

She turned to the Doctor. "What love?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything, for caring."

Jackie snorted. "With you, caring is the easy part. My daughter's a fool." With that she left the room.

The Doctor returned to his work. The results of the data models were promising. With careful planning this planet just might be able to avoid a catastrophe. He set some new models to running and made sure all the data feeds were still functional. Satisfied he prepared for bed.

He lay on the soft mattress staring at the ceiling in the darkened room. The lights from the various pieces of equipment providing an eerie green glow that peaked and ebbed with the changes of the data displayed. He pushed the events of the day from his mind and concentrated on the coral in his hand. This was a time they both looked forward to. He and the coral would pass energy back and forth, it felt good to draw it in, feel it flow through his body even if it left at the same rate as he passed it back to the coral. It provided him and the coral the illusion of taking in of the one nutrient this universe couldn't provide them. The sense of wellbeing he felt during the procedure he knew was false, but he craved it none the less.

The procedure also balanced the remaining energy between them, linking their fates. Ensuring neither would be left alone. They would end their life on this planet together.