Jack ran his hand soothingly along the Doctor's chest as they continued to relax in the warm water. It was a little cramped in the tub, but the Doctor didn't seem to mind. He also didn't seem to mind that despite Jack's best efforts, he couldn't keep his body from responding to the fact that he was holding the naked Doctor in his arms. He looked over the Doctor's shoulder, disappointed to see that the Doctor's own member remained flaccid. He leaned back further again wondering why he was surprised that the Doctor wasn't reacting when he had always seemed asexual to Jack. Jack desperately needed to think of something besides the cool bony body in his arms or he was going to end up embarrassing himself.

"Doctor?" Jack questioned not sure if he was lost in his own thoughts.

"Hmmm," The reply was slow and sleepy sounding.

"What made you change your mind about me?" Jack wondered. He had always cared about the Doctor, ever since he laid eyes on the short-haired northerner during WWII. He never thought that those feelings would ever be reciprocated, though. Now he couldn't help but wonder why the Doctor suddenly had feelings for him when he was just as bad as Martha when it came to restraining him for his own good. He had also held the Doctor still so that Martha could give him the injection he needed knowing the Doctor considered it a punishment. He was too worried that the Doctor was going to leave him once he was healed to be happy that the Doctor finally cared about him.

"I've always cared for you Jack," The Doctor answered him softly.

"Then why did you leave me behind?" Jack asked him. Even if it had been over two thousand years, he still remembered the last time he saw the northern Doctor aboard the Gamestation. He had woken up knee deep in Dalek dust to hear the TARDIS leaving without him. He thought that it had been some kind of mistake. That if he just waited there the Doctor would eventually return to him. As the days passed, though, his anger grew as he came to the conclusion that the Doctor had abandoned him. He wandered around the empty station looking for parts to repair his vortex manipulator while wondering what he had did that was so horrible that the Doctor felt the need to leave him behind.

"I always meant to go back for you," The Doctor admitted. Jack made a scoffing noise with his mouth and the Doctor turned his head to look at Jack through half-lidded eyes. "When I left I was in the process of regenerating and even when I make the choice to change it is a scary process. Some Time Lords can control their regenerations while I have to concentrate just to remain male. After I had regeneration sickness and Rose woke me before I was ready making it worse. By the time I was healed, I realized that I couldn't go back for you as I had always known where you were."

"What do you mean?" Jack wondered in confusion.

"Do you remember that day we spent in Cardiff before the Sleethen," The Doctor questioned. Jack nodded. "While we were there I had felt a strange anomaly in time. It was only after you changed that I realized it was you. Don't you see Jack, if I had gone back to you on the Gamestation, I would have changed your history. All the good that you did for the Earth would have been ruined."

"What about all the pain that I suffered? I have lost so many due this curse of immortality. I have nightmares about standing alone at the end of time, screaming into the darkness as everyone dies but me," Jack admitted before he could stop himself. The Doctor ran his hand gently down Jack's cheek.

"I promise, Jack, that you won't ever be alone in the darkness," The Doctor reassured him with a soft kiss on his cheek.

"How do you know?" Jack questioned.

"I just do," The Doctor answered vaguely turning to face forward again. It wasn't the reassurance that Jack was looking for but still it made him feel better. He held the Doctor continuing to relax in the tub for a bit longer as he heard the Doctor's breathing evening out. Jack knew that he had pushed the Doctor too hard today by letting him go for the walk in the rain while his body was still recovering from the three seizures. Still, it worried him when he was able to get out of the tub, lift the Doctor out and carry him to his bed without the Doctor waking. As quickly but carefully as he could, he dried the Doctor off and dressed him in one of the hospital gowns. He pulled the Doctor's blankets up over him, tucking them around him in an effort to keep him warm before leaving the room a moment.

He returned quickly with Martha following behind him. She wasn't as worried about the Doctor, but she still ran through his vitals in an effort to appease Jack. The Doctor's vitals were a little off, though, nothing that she was overly worried about. He had over exerted himself after having the seizures and his weak body was having trouble handling it. She advised Jack to take him on shorter walks or skip them all together the next few days to give him a chance to recover before going on her way. Jack knew she was right and took his seat next to the Doctor's bed reaching out to take his hand. The Doctor gripped his back briefly before a soft snore escaped. Still worried about him, Jack continued to sit by the bed waiting for any sign that the Doctor may need him.