Hello, my beautiful/handsome readers!

Thank you for tagging along on this story, reading/reviewing/faving. You guys make my day. :)

ANYhoo, enough of my ranting. Let's get on with the next prompt, shall we?

God bless and have a great day (or night)!
ThePro-LifeCatholic

ErinKenobi2893: Thank you sooo much for your awesome reviews! I sat down and saw all of these reviews to ALL my stories (OK, maybe not all of them, but you get the idea). You don't know how happy it made me.

So, yeah. I'm going to write your prompt for this chapter…I may change some things, but I'll try and keep it as true to the prompt as possible.

Also, I always love meeting a fellow Catholic; it seems hard to find any in the world of internet. I'll be keeping you in my prayers, if you do the same for me.

DON'T WE ALL WANT ROSE BACK?!

I do that too, actually; watching just one scene over and over and over again. Usually, it's the painful ones…you know, where the Doctor or a character I like is in mortal danger, or hurt, or dying…don't know what that says about me, but there you go.

Writing Prompt #19: A Living Nightmare

Characters: Captain Jack Harkness, 10th Doctor, mentions of Martha Jones

Shippings: Well…it's Jack. I'm not sure if I need to say anything else. There's obviously going to be some flirting, and perhaps mentions of one-sided Jack/Doctor…but that's just because I'm trying to keep people as in-character as possible. There's no serious relationship going on between them.

Genre: Humor/Friendship

Rating: K

Summary: The Doctor (Tenth?) doesn't get colds. Only he has one now. And who else but Captain Jack Harkness to the rescue?
This is the worst day of the Doctor's long life.

Prompted by: ErinKenobi2893, aka AnotherBook

Note: There are probably going to be some OOC (Out-Of-Character, for those who don't know) moments. It's sort of intentional.

Jack Harkness decided to forgo this particular TARDIS stop.

After their most recent adventure on the planet Farnian, the Doctor was dropping a still-sleeping Martha Jones off at her house. Captain Harkness reclined on the white couch of the Doctor's bigger-on-the-inside spaceship, taking a breather.

Farnian had been a nice planet; the only downside was that the inhabitants were a suspicious bunch. According to their religion, anyone with black hair (seeing as it was so rare on their planet) was considered a witch/diviner/bewitcher of sorts. The brown-haired Doctor was left alone, and Jack managed to hold his own rather well. Martha, during a hectic moment that involved a group of black-cloaked strangers nearly getting hit by a runaway cart, had been captured by a group of radicals and poisoned. So their "pleasant" outing turned into a mad scramble to find the antidote as Martha spiraled to a painless death.

But they had found a cure, managed to bring the radicals to justice, and the Doctor had begun a revolutionary spark on Farnian.

"The color of someone's hair doesn't determine who and what they are!" had been his parting words.

All in all, Jack considered it to be another normal day on the TARDIS.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, the wooden doors swung open, and the Doctor bounded up the ramp to the console. Jack looked to the alien questioningly.

"Did you tell her mom?" he asked.

"Didn't see a need to," the Doctor replied, pressing some buttons. The TARDIS engines began to wheeze as the ship was catapulted into the Time Vortex. "She didn't die, just needs to rest up from the trip." The Doctor sniffed loudly several times. "What didn't happen doesn't need to be addressed. She'll be fine; that's all that matters."

Jack nodded. He watched the Time Lord stab at more buttons and flip some switches.

"Now, Jack, where are you headed?"

"I was gonna meet up with my team," Harkness replied with a fond smile. "You should introduce yourself. They've been crazy to meet you ever since I told them about you."

The Doctor grinned at nothing in particular as he typed in the appropriate date. "Maybe someday," he responded vaguely. His grin bent into a grimace as he coughed (rather violently) into his pinstriped sleeve.

Jack arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. In fact, the rest of the trip would have been in silence if the Doctor didn't keep coughing and sniffing.

When Captain Harkness had gathered enough pluck to ask the Doctor how he was feeling, the TARDIS jolted to a halt.

"Off you go, then," the Doctor stated, hands in his pockets. Jack opened his mouth, closed it, and shrugged.

"See you around, Doc."

The Doctor rolled his eyes in return. "There's no getting rid of you, is there Jack?"

"Nope. So don't even try." Captain Harkness spun on his heel, marching smartly to the wooden doors. He froze in mid-step when he heard someone blowing their nose. Wheeling around, Jack Harkness marched back up the ramp and planted his feet in front of the Doctor.

"Are you alright?" he queried. The Doctor lurched back, surprised by the sudden confrontation.

"Yeah, course I am! What made you think that I…ah…ah-" Whatever the Doctor was going to say was lost in a gigantic sneeze.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that you were experiencing a cold," Jack probed.

"Superior Time-Lord biology," the Doctor waved him off. "I don't get colds. You know when we arrived on Farnian, and we had to undergo that mandatory health-check?"

"Yeah…"

"We-e-ll, the vaccination they gave has different effects on different species. You and Martha got off pretty well, but me…" he pulled another tissue from one of his many pockets and blew into it. "…The side effects manifest themselves as cold-like symptoms." He growled in annoyance and plopped down on the couch. "Harmless, but very annoying."

Jack considered the predicament before him. Then, with an easy grin and a chuckle, he made up his mind.

"I'll stick around until you're feeling better."

"What?!" The Doctor sprang to his feet. "No way, Jack. Your team needs you."

"We're in a time machine," Jack pointed out. "And nothing you're gonna say will convince me to leave. Consider yourself stuck, Doctor." Jack patted the Doctor on the shoulder. He was remembering way back, when his own mother would care for him when he had the slightest of illnesses.

"You just get yourself comfy somewhere, Doc, and leave the rest to me."

Jack strutted from the room, humming snatches of 51st century songs. The Doctor watched him go, then buried his head in this hands. A huge sneeze burst out of him, sending him falling back on the white cushion.

This was going to be the worst day ever.

5 minutes later (after getting lost in the TARDIS hallways)…

Jack walked back into the console room to see the Doctor fiddling around with a handful of wires.

"I have brought you a gift," Jack began, bowing low and displaying a bundle of fabric. The Doctor glanced up at him, one eyebrow nearly touching his hairline.

"Here," the captain dumped the blanket and pillow unceremoniously on top of the Time Lord.

"What's this for, then?" the Doctor questioned, kicking it aside.

"The best cure for any illness is rest."

The Doctor huffed. "Since when did you become an expert in medical training?"

"After I met Martha."

The Doctor didn't have anything to say to this retort, so he merely shook his head. "I don't need to rest."

"Right-hand shelf in the kitchen, the far left corner. Secret panel on the back wall," Jack recited. The Doctor blinked.

"What?"

"That's where you keep your emergency banana stash." Captain Harkness crossed his arms. "Now you. Rest."

The Doctor opened his mouth, and promptly shut it. Snatching the blanket and pillow, he stalked out of the room, grumbling.

Jack Harkness wandered around the TARDIS corridors. He was trying to get to the kitchen; the sentient ship seemed to have other ideas.

"Listen, I just want to make him some soup or something," Jack nearly pleaded. The TARDIS' thrumming response rippled through the walls. He could have sworn that she was laughing at him.

The Doctor had set himself up in a spare bedroom. There was a television set, a fold-out couch, and a coffee table from the 76th century (which was actually made out of dried and preserved coffee beans). A box of tissues was on the table, within easy reach. The Time Lord himself was lying on the couch, blanket pulled up to his chin.

"DOCTOOOOOOOR!"

A drawn-out sigh escaped the Doctor's mouth as he kicked his way out of the soft folds of fabric. With soft steps, he shuffled through the ship's maze-like interior, trying to locate the captain.

Several minutes of yelling later…

"Oh, there you are." Jack examined the Doctor's outfit. "I didn't know you wore pajamas."

"Of course I wear pajamas! What else would I wear when I was trying to get some rest?" The Doctor sighed. "What do you want?"

"Uh…I don't know where the kitchen is."

The Doctor rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "This way. Come on."

Jack eyed the Doctor's footwear. "I didn't know you wore slippers."

"They were from Jackie. I couldn't refuse them."

"Oh. Who's Jackie?"

"Don't even start."

"There you go. Kitchen." The Doctor sneezed and turned to the doorway. "Now don't bother me again."

"Thanks again, Doctor!" Jack called after the retreating figure.

The Doctor settled himself on the couch. He kicked off the slippers, pulling the blanket around him. Now that he was physically lying on a comfortable surface, he was reminded of how long it had been since his last actual rest…

"DOCTOOOOOR!"

He groaned and sat up.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!"

"HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN SOUP?"

Instead of replying, the Doctor slammed his head into the pillow.

When Captain Harkness finally found the Doctor's room, the said alien was stretched out on the couch, eyes closed. He looked a lot younger (and more attractive), with his face relaxed. The pillow was on the floor, and the blanket was tangled in his legs.

"Doctor," Jack hissed, setting a hot bowl of ramen noodle soup on the coffee table. The Doctor cracked open one eye, fixing it on Jack.

"What?"

"I made you soup."

The Doctor buried his head in the couch cushion. "I don't want any," he maundered.

"And after all the work I put into it, too!" Jack declared, feigning despondence. "How about a story?"

The Doctor mumbled something into the cushion.

"What?" Jack put a hand up to his ear. "You want to hear about the dashing Captain Jack?"

The Doctor burst into a coughing fit, Gallifreyan spewing out along with the hacking.

"Alright, then." Jack paused, hands on his hips. "How about a movie?"

The Time Lord considered this. "Fine," he conceded. "Just don't have it up too loud. I'm trying to rest."

"Yay!" Jack cheered as he ran from the room.

A couple hours later…

Martha stepped into the TARDIS. She was feeling much better, and couldn't wait to get back to adventuring with Jack and the Doctor.

"Doctor? Jack?" she called. "If you're ready to go, then we can-"

"Shhh," a voice rasped. Martha jumped and turned to see the Doctor standing by the console. He was feeling much better, the symptoms nearly gone. He could've slept a bit longer, but he was perfectly fine for now.

Seeing his companion's questioning look, he directed her to a TARDIS room. She peered inside, grinning at the sight. Jack Harkness was fast asleep in front of the television, his head resting in a half-eaten bowl of popcorn.

"Adorable," Martha noted. "We should get a picture of this." She turned to see the Doctor disappearing down the hallway. "Where are you going?"

He looked over his shoulder, mischief sparking in his eyes. "To find a marker," he replied.

Whew…that was long. Really long. I hope you enjoyed this, especially ErinKenobi2893.

See you guys for the next prompt!