A/N: Woo, exams over!

Chapter 17 - Antidote

Brax thought for ten, long minutes. Then he walked to the console room.

He activated the controls and setting off. As soon as the TARDIS were in motion Jackie was there, hands on her hips.

'Where the 'ell are you goin'?' she wanted to know, annoyed. 'You should be in the infirmary!'

'Ugala Galactic Pharmacy,' Brax responded, moving slowly around the console. 'They'll have the antidote.'

Jackie stared at him, at least until the TARDIS jolted and she had to grab onto a support strut to keep upright. 'There's a cure? You said he was dyin'...'

'It's not a cure,' Brax stressed. 'It's just an antidote. It's up to his body to overcome the effects.'

'But…' Jackie began, until she was interrupted by the TARDIS landing with quite a jolt. She quickly moved to him, grabbing his arm. 'Why didn't you do this straight away, eh?'

She was angry. Brax took a deep breath, before turning to her.

'Alex is a very weak, sickly child. I don't think he can be saved,' he said honestly.

Jackie's eyes narrowed. 'Don't you dare.'

'Pardon?'

'Don't talk about 'im like that,' she spat.

'I'm sorry, but he's not going to survive this.'

Suddenly Jackie raised a hand and before Brax could even process it, she slapped him straight across the face. He reeled in alarm.

'He's your nephew!' Jackie shrieked. 'Don't talk about 'im like he's already bloody dead!'

Brax stood there, stunned momentarily with a hand on his cheek, which was quickly turning red. Jackie visibly took a few deep breaths, clearly calming herself.

'You can't do that,' she continued. 'You can't say there's an antidote and not believe in it. Either you don't do anythin' and he's dead, or you do somethin' and you'd better bloody believe it's gonna work.'

He gazed at her. She was right, of course. Not that it changed his opinion. 'I'm sorry,' was all he responded.

'Well if you don't believe it, I do. You're gonna save Alex or I'm gonna make sure my son-in-law knows you let my grandson die cos you didn't believe in 'im.'

'It's just the facts of the matter,' Brax muttered, purposely shielding himself incase she slapped him again.

Jackie harrumphed. 'That's the problem with you aliens. You're too busy being bloody logical. Do you 'ave any 'ope? Do you even feel it?'

'It is not appropriate here.'

'Oh, is that your excuse?' Jackie snapped. 'I guess humans are stupid cos we hope even when it's not appropriate!?'

He didn't know what to say to that. So he just stood there, staring at her, speechless.

'You're gonna try and save 'im cos you think he'll survive, or you're gonna let 'im die. There's no other option,' Jackie grated, then abruptly turned and left the room before he could even begin to form an answer.

Jack's talk with Spleen had worried him. Although the alien had seemed convinced of the Doctor's subservience eventually, he had shown far too much interest in how Jack apparently controlled the Time Lord. He had expected it really. The thought of a subservient Time Lord was a bit more tempting than any high-class criminal could endure. He had to talk to the Doctor.

The problem was, Spleen was now intent on learning more about the Time Lord – hanging around him. There was only one way, Jack realised, to get the Doctor on his own. And he was going to enjoy it.

Jack swallowed nervously, assumed the appropriate stance, and entered the deck. He saw Spleen across the room, staring at the Time Lord. Jack glared at the Doctor, who was sitting at the table eating.

'Did I say you could eat!?' Jack yelled angrily.

The Doctor looked up, realising immediately. He quickly pushed the food away. 'Sorry, Master Jack.'

'Get up.'

The Doctor didn't move, just staring at him.

Jack's eyes aflamed. 'Get. Up.'

The Doctor still didn't move.

Jack launched forward to him, grabbing his arm and wrenching him to his feet. He then slammed the Doctor against the wall, with such ferocity the Doctor cried out. Jack then leant forward and violently snogged him.

'Is this how you want it!?' Jack shouted in his face when he pulled back.

'No, no, Master Jack, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…'

'Sorry ain't fucking good enough!'

'Please don't, Master Jack, please don't…'

'I don't see any other way to get it into your thick skull!'

'Please,' the Doctor begged. This was too real. Jack hated this...

'If I hear one more word outta you then I'm gonna rip you apart. Are you forgetting who saved you!?' Jack screamed, hearing the Master in his own voice.

'Please, Jack…'

Jack pretended to ignore him, casting a glance at Spleen. He winked at the draconian, and pushed the Doctor through the door to the toilet. He locked it behind him, turned, and immediately sagged.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' Jack whispered.

'It's okay,' the Doctor assured him.

'Rose, I'm sorry…'

'She says it's fine,' the Doctor replied quickly.

'No, no, fuck, no,' Jack said quickly. 'That was way too much like… you know.'

The Doctor just nodded to acknowledge that, and suddenly whacked the toilet with his fist, crying out.

'What are you doing?' Jack asked quickly, taking the Time Lord's shoulder carefully.

'He's listening,' the Doctor muttered, hitting the seat again and simultaneously shouting. 'What did you want to talk about?'

'It's Spleen,' Jack told the Doctor.

'What about him?'

'He wants you. He's going to try and take you when we land, I'm counting on it. He keeps asking about how I control you.'

The Doctor whacked the seat again. 'No, please, Master Jack!' he gasped out. 'Don't worry, take this.' He reached inside his pocket and drew out a compact needle gun, handing it to Jack. 'I was going to use this on myself in New Shada, but we can use it on him. When we land, dose him and we can get out.'

'What is it?'

'Just a barbiturate. He'll get knocked out.'

He whacked the seat again, emitting a shriek that chilled Jack's blood slightly.

'Let's not do this again,' Jack said seriously, staring at him.

'Sorry,' the Doctor said, and this time whacked the seat three times, letting out the most harrowing scream. He then ruffled up his hair and loosened his clothes. He looked at Jack. 'Be brave,' he told him with a ghost of a smile. 'We're recon professionals.'

Jack couldn't help but smile, pulling him into a hug. Then he let go as the Doctor stepped back, and pointed at his own face.

'Hit me,' he order Jack.

Jack flinched. 'What?' he asked dryly.

'Hit me,' the Doctor repeated.

'But…'

'C'mon.'

'I don't need to…'

'We have to convince him I'm your slave,' the Doctor insisted. 'If he is planning to take me then we need to make him focus on you, not on me.'

Jack swallowed. He knew he was right. So Jack drew back a fist and hit him without much force. The Doctor fell back slightly, but not a lot.

'Harder than that,' the Doctor told him.

'This is…'

'Master Jack, please don't!' the Doctor screamed.

'Fuck,' Jack swore, quickly psyching up before obediently punched him again, square in the jaw. This time the Doctor fell back, tripping over his own feet and hitting the toilet seat with quite a bang, ending up on the floor. It quickly became clear as he laid there that he'd knocked himself out on the way down.

Jack edged forward, whispering his name. He wasn't responding. Internally cursing himself, he quickly checked there was no lasting damage before steeling himself and stepping out of the door, meeting Spleen who approached him immediately.

'Did you just…?'

Jack gave him a look, but that was all before he headed to the cockpit to check how long the appalling journey had remaining.

Spleen looked towards the direction of the toilet the human had abandoned. He could see the Time Lord's foot sticking out beyond the door. He waited until Jack left and approached the room, where he saw the Doctor lying there on the floor looking decidedly dishevelled; unconscious.

'Pathetic,' Spleen muttered.

He moved to the Doctor, and just stood over him until he came to. He blinked, dazed, looking up at Spleen.

Spleen didn't say anything. He simply knelt down and pressed a hand to the Time Lord's chest, moving it over each heart. Definitely a gallifreyan, he mused, as the distinct thuds of two hearts beat against his hand. He fitted the description of the Doctor too. It had to be him.

He stood up again, the Doctor still on the floor. He then sharply kicked the helpless man in the side. The Doctor yelped, coughed and jolted. Spleen kicked him again. As the Time Lord cried out again, Spleen decided that he could get very used to this.

'What the fuck are you doing!?'

Spleen turned to see the human striding towards him, absolutely furious.

'What?' he asked innocently, but the human didn't stop walking. He grabbed Spleen around the neck, clutching tightly.

'You don't touch him. He's my property,' the human hissed.

H-hey,' Spleen choked out. 'I was just having fun!'

'He's not your fun to have,' the human grated. 'He's mine, nobody else's.'

Spleen quickly nodded, and the human finally let go. The human then moved to the Doctor, helping him up.

'Okay?' he asked.

'Yes, Master Jack,' the Doctor responded, slightly out of breath.

The human glared at Spleen. 'Get out,' he grunted.

Spleen rolled his eyes, and left.

Brax stepped into the Ugala Intergalactic Pharmacy, where several Ugalan lifeforms were buzzing around in their day-to-day business, with patients waiting in chairs. He already had his plan firmly in his mind. He had to get the antidote and get out. Not that he ever thought it would work. He couldn't take Alex to a hospital, he would receive far too much attention, and due to Alex being a weak-hearted hybrid there were only two people in the universe who would be able to treat him with much confidence. Theta or Koschei.

He walked straight up to the counter to the receptionist, a tall Kiroian with tentacles. 'Good morning,' he said. 'I would like an antidote to Creipian spider poison for an infant construct seven lifeform.'

'Do you have a prescription?'

'No.'

'I'm afraid we can't give out drugs without prescriptions,' he said apologetically.

Brax internally winced. 'I cannot move him, he's too sick.'

'We can put him straight into emergency care for passage to the Ugala hospital,' the receptionist replied quickly.

Brax sighed a little. He wasn't getting anywhere with this. 'Okay,' he said, and quickly went back into the TARDIS. He moved straight to the console and programmed her eight hours ahead. She landed, and he stepped out again.

It was dark, the pharmacy closed. Without hesitation he walked out to the staff access door to reception, and placed three very forceful, precise kicks to the bottom left of the frame. The door stuttered slightly, and eventually rolled open.

He stepped inside the reception, then moved to the pharmacy section. Luckily some employee had left their badge on the side, so he picked it up as he walked to the dispensing area. He ran the white pass card through the lock, and finally he was inside the medicine area.

He painstakingly searched along the shelves one by one until he found what he was looking for – a small packet of intravenous solution. He took a few packs just to be safe, before heading back to the TARDIS.

Jackie was by her grandson's side when Brax appeared in the doorway. She stood up immediately, but said nothing as he walked to her and Alex with something in his hand. He simply retrieved the needle gun and attached the liquid to it, then administered it to the boy. Jackie watched as the liquid disappeared from the needle gun into Alex.

'That's it?' she ended up asking.

'It's a start,' he told her.

Jackie nodded. 'What'll you do next?'

Brax sighed, looking at her. 'Alex is a weak-hearted gallifreyan human hybrid, he needs a hybrid specialist who is versed in gallifreyan biology and human biology. There are only two people I know of who are.'

'Who?'

'Theta, and Koschei; the Master.'

Jackie stared at him, wide-eyed. She wasn't well-acquainted with the Master, but she had heard enough about him to know that would be a terrible idea. 'Then find the Doctor,' she said.

'It's not as easy as that,' Brax muttered.

'You've got a time travel machine, dontcha? Go and find him! If you can't find him now then go do your time thing and find him somewhere else!'

'It's very-'

'Stop makin' bloody excuses!' Jackie snapped. 'It's like you want him to die!'

Brax stiffened. 'Don't say that.'

'Well right now it looks like it!' Jackie shot back.

Thick silence hung in the air for a moment. 'I'm sorry,' Brax muttered.

'Stop bloody saying sorry,' Jackie grated. 'I'm sick of it.'

Brax sighed heavily, looking at Alex, who was living entirely on life support. He could find Theta. He could find him quite easily. Although it would break about 50,892 laws of time, he doubted anyone would be much inclined to care.

If Alex didn't improve within twenty-four hours, he would have to find Theta, preferably somewhere in the future.

A/N: And while I was writing this chapter, I had the small realisation that Jackie has never met the Master. Now, that's a hell of an idea, isn't it? Lol!

Thanks for sticking with me! :) I feel like I haven't review replied for an age, so I will do it now! Yey! :o