Hello everyone! Sorry, this latest chapter isn't that long. I promise the next one will be longer.
Enjoy!
Chapter 49
She didn't stay there on the ground for long. Not this time. She knew she needed to be stronger than the last time. She needed to press on. Just like the Doctor would. He wouldn't let himself wallow in misery. He was out there right now, travelling again and finding new adventures. And so shall she. So, she allowed one last sob before pulling away from Rose and wiping all evidence of tears from her face. Her eyes still might be red and puffy, and her voice hoarse from her sorrows. But she would carry on, ready to continue with this new life she led. Though she would never allow herself to forget the Doctor. She would keep his memory close to her heart and treasure it always. For as long as she lived, she would love the Doctor.
"Are you going to be alright?" Rose asked her softly as they stood up together.
"I will be. I promise," Madison replied in return, seeing how worried Rose looked over her wellbeing. She felt a pat on her back, looking over her shoulder to see Andy giving her a similar expression of understanding as he had when she first grieved.
"You can grieve again when we get home if you'd like," he offered in suggestion. "I know I had to do so longer than what the ritual calls for. There's no shame in it."
"No, I think solitude is the last thing I need for a time," Madison sighed, feeling a few more tears break free and escape down her cheeks. She was quick to brush them away. Another sigh, and she was ready to leave this place. Its beauty was now lost, becoming tainted by the anguish she felt. "Time to go home, I think," she whispered, looking at Rose when feeling her friend grasp her hand tightly.
They remained silent as they began to walk away, heading for the jeep. But, just at that moment, Madison halted when she felt a strange sensation beginning to course through her body. Rose and Andy stopped with her, turning to her in question. It started up slowly. Building and building. But soon, the sense of warmth was beginning to cascade over her. Then, the melody finally, abruptly, spilt into her mind as the Siren sang to her. Madison gasped, her breath lost as she felt this pull back towards the cliff. The Siren was trying to guide her, to move her, as her vision had golden edges to it. Rose yelped, letting go of her hand while staring wide-eyed at her. Andy blinked in shock, mouth opened in surprise. Others by the jeep were also staring in awe, frozen in place by the sight of the golden glow around Madison.
"Maddie? What's happening?" Andy asked quickly.
"Is it the Siren?" Rose questioned in concern.
Madison looked at her hand, flexing her fingers as she watched the glow around her shift. "It is. The Siren, she's trying to tell me . . ."
Madison turned around quickly, facing the tree once again. She hurried over to it, feeling the tug on her body as the Siren pulled her close to where they were needed. It was there, hovering in the air at chest level and right where the Doctor had been, a shimmer of light sparkling in the sunlight. Something that she had not seen before. Most likely no one saw it. It was only with the Siren's help that finally it was visible. She reached for the light, feeling its warmth against her skin. The shimmer fluctuated, coming in and out of existence. The Siren's melody strengthened. Almost as if by a magnet pull, or simply instinctual, Madison pressed both of her hands into the shimmer. With a grunt, she slowly began pulling apart the light. It was a struggle. It was a great force against her, trying to close again. But she wouldn't allow that to happen. Not now when she was so close.
Finally, through sheer will alone, she shouted as she ripped open the light, leaving behind a halo of light now clearly shining for all to see. It wasn't a perfect circle as it hovered in the air before her. More of an oval as the golden light ebbed and flowed. Rippling as though a rock falling into still water. It was the same size as Madison. And through the centre of the oval, she could no longer see the sea which was just on the other side. Nothing but blackness as far as she could tell. Surely though, it was a portal. It looked like a portal. Must be a gateway of some sort. Almost like something out of a movie.
"What is that?" Rose questioned, coming up beside Madison. Both the girl and Andy stood close by, though not so close as to be near the hole in the universe. Both of them were gazing at the portal in awe.
"I think . . . it's a portal. The Doctor mentioned a small gap still between universes. It was how he reached out to me in the first place," Madison explained, putting the pieces together to this strange puzzle. "The Siren must have opened the gap wider. It makes sense. If there's a connection to the Time Vortex from our universe here, then it would have given the Siren enough power to come back to life and do something."
"But if that's a portal, what does that mean?" Rose asked, frowning thoughtfully.
Madison looked at her friend. Eyes alight with true hope for the first time since being here. "I think it's my way home."
Shaking her head, Rose could only frown. "But is it safe?"
Madison stared at the portal again, alarmed when seeing it was beginning to gradually shrink in size. "I don't know, but I have to try to get back to the Doctor. It's my only way," she spoke in a rush, turning to Rose swiftly. "I love you, Rose. You're my best friend. Don't ever forget that." The two hugged quickly.
"I love you, too. Now go find him and give him a hug for me, yeah? Keep him safe."
"I will." They pulled apart and Madison turned to her father. "I love you, dad," she said as she hugged him.
Andy held her hard against him. "I love you, too, sweetie. Promise your old man you'll be safe?"
"I promise." Once she moved away, she looked back to the others still standing by the jeep. "Goodbye!" she called to them, waving an arm in farewell. She saw Jackie and Pete smiling and nodding kindly. Mickey gave a salute. Maddie slowly nodded, mouthing 'May the tides carry you home'.
With that, Madison turned back to the portal, took a breath, and effortlessly stepped through it.
XxXxXxXxXx
The moment she stepped through the portal she was falling. The light had snapped away once she stepped through and she kept plummeting. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't see. There was nothing around her. Just emptiness. Had she misunderstood the Siren? Had that portal not led to her universe? Was this the Void? No, the Doctor said there was no up or down. Then why did her body feel as though it were falling? Yet, there was no air to be felt as she tumbled head over heels. Not even a breeze. No sound whatsoever. That is . . . until there was sound. A sudden eruption of different melodies, sounding unique and individual from each other. Then came the light—a swirl of different colours all around her. The falling sensation slowly stopped and she realised with a start that she hadn't been falling. She had been floating. Her body stopped tumbling as well, her arms held out to correct herself and remain upright. Suppose there was even an upright. It was hard telling in the swirling tunnel of colour all around her.
She still couldn't breathe . . . but that didn't feel necessary. Her lungs didn't burn from lack of air. She felt fine, safe even within the light. But she should be frightened, shouldn't she? This had to be the space she was in, right? Was she in some sort of nebula, with clouds of dust and gas all around her, doomed to float forever into emptiness? Though she didn't think space had tunnels of light swirling around like a funnel. What was this? She was startled when she saw a flash of golden light pass by her side. A yelp would have escaped her if sound could be made. She felt her vocal cords move and vibrate, but nothing came forth. Even when she tried again. Another jolt came when something else flew past her. Another golden light. Then there was another. And another. And another. Soon, there were wisps of golden light all around her. And the melody . . . like the Siren's . . . it was coming from these lights. The lights began to take shape, take form, becoming humanoid. There was a head, torso, arms and legs. But at the ends of the arms and legs were just points. As though the light could not quite form hands or feet. There were also no facial features or features of any kind. Just a blur of golden light with the centre of their being shining the brightest.
The figures of light seemed to be regarding her. Even with no eyes to speak of, she could feel their gaze on her. She could see them looking at one another, speaking to each other through their melodies. One figure in front of her moved closer to her, floating so near that she could feel warmth again. Their light must burn quite a bit if she felt this in space. If that was where she even was. The figure hovered in front of her, seeming to be assessing her. Slowly, she tilted her head, curious about what this creature of light was. Gradually, it too tilted its head, seemingly copying her. She straightened her head again, watching as it did the same. Carefully, with some hesitation, she began lifting her arm, holding up her hand outstretched towards it. The figure once again copied her, pressing the point of light up to her hand. The warmth grew stronger, sending soothing waves through her. All the panic that she had felt since stepping through the portal vanished in an instant.
She and the figure pulled their hands away. But then the figure lifted its sort of hand once again, taking its pointed arm towards her face. It brushed against her cheek, almost in a caress of sorts. She closed her eyes, not certain what was happening, but in awe of the peace she felt. She opened her eyes again when hearing all the figures' melodies start up again, growing almost excited. She tried to understand what was eliciting them so when she happened to glance down at herself and saw that she was glowing. The same golden light as the rest of them. The Siren's melody came forth, heard loud and clearly for once outside of her mind. The figures all drew closer then to Madison, touching her all over in happy gestures. Of course. The Siren had told the Doctor she had sisters back in her realm. The realm within the Time Vortex. Was this it? Was this tunnel of light the Vortex and these lights the Siren's sisters? It must be. It was the only logical thing Maidson could think of. Yet now was the question of how she was surviving at all through this.
Suddenly, the figure who had interacted with her first, grabbed her hand with both of its arms, carefully pulling her forward. She relaxed her body, allowing the figure to pull her along as they floated through the Time Vortex. All the other figures floated close by, following along after them. Soon, Madison began to worry. She noticed they were beginning to go faster and faster through the nebula of light. She could feel the force of the momentum on her body as they went. The figure who was pulling her along was speeding up as though flying swiftly through space. Then, the light of the figures around her began to grow brighter. Increasing in intensity to the point she could barely see. She had to close her eyes from the shine of them. And still, she felt the warmth and tranquillity of their touches on her. Their melodies were calming, soothing her as they travelled. She knew she needed to trust them. They were helping her. How that is, she had no idea. She only knew that, somehow, they were trying to get her home.
Eventually, the golden light was so luminous that she could even see it behind her eyelids. Their warm bodies were pressed all around her, their melodies vibrating her skull. And then, just as she wondered if perhaps it would never end, their light and melodies suddenly snapped away in an instant. Then came the weight on her body that pulled her down onto a hard surface beneath her hands and knees, with a rough texture that hurt. Next came air. She gasped as her lungs filled with real air, coughing and heaving as if she had been suffocating. Then, came the sound. Noises of cars honking, murmurs of people chatting, and a soft hum coming from beside her. She managed to open her eyes, seeing she was in an alleyway of some kind. It was night judging by how dark it was. A neon light hummed in the background, hanging far above her and giving her some light to see. Though her vision was blurry, it was hard to make out anything. Was she near some sort of club? She could hear pounding music coming from the building that must be right behind her.
There came the sound of a metal door opening. Then talking as it seemed a few people were exiting the building she had arrived by. She looked over to where the people were, but could only see vague outlines of them. But they must have seen her clearly as she heard them all abruptly stop talking and came to a halt close to her.
"Oh, gosh. Are you okay?" came a woman's voice.
"I'm fine. Just catching my bearings," Madison replied weakly, feeling woozy and disoriented still. Her body was drained of all energy. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she felt that she might be on the verge of passing out.
"Um, lady, I'd hate to break it to you, but you're bleeding from your eyes and nose," said a man.
Madison sat there for a moment, quiet as she tried to process what had just been said. "Oh . . . Yes, that does tend to happen sometimes. Perhaps I am a bit worse for wear." With that said Madison felt her eyes roll up into the back of her head as her entire body collapsed to the cold, hard ground.
There came gasps of alarm. Followed by a rush of voices that sounded distant. People questioning what to do and who to call for help. Meanwhile, Madison felt herself slipping in and out of awareness. It was becoming increasingly difficult to remain present in what was happening. More and more of her mind seemed to be ebbing away. Her heart stuttered as well, having difficulty staying in rhythm. Oh, dear. Was . . . was she dying? Was this it? It felt like death knocking on the door. She was feeling colder and colder as time ticked on. Her body became more numb as she heard a siren in the distance. Hazily she felt hands on her. Someone was turning her over onto her back.
"I've got a pulse, but barely," came a voice.
"Any signs of trauma?" came another.
"Nothing external. Maybe internal? Concussion maybe?"
"Never seen a concussion that causes bleeding from the eyes." There was a pause. "Get a monitor on her. Her pulse is fading. And her pupils are dilated."
There was a rush of movement then. But Madison could barely hear them anymore. She could tell their voices were urgent, but nothing of what they said made sense to her. She felt herself beginning to drift away, falling into the darkness. Almost as though she were falling asleep. If she was truly dying . . . then she was glad that at least she had tried. She had tried to find the Doctor again. In knowing that, she knew she could die in peace. There were still regrets. Regrets things she had done and how she could have lived her life better. But she lived it to the best of her ability. Maybe, in the end, that was all that mattered.
All of a sudden there came a flash of golden light. A scream of some kind. Followed by the sound of a melody. The Siren's melody. Warmth spread through her body in a rush, flaring dramatically to chase away the cold. Her heart began to speed up, going back to a normal rhythm. As the light and melody both vanished, she felt more like herself now. No longer drifting away as she had before.
"What the hell was that?!" came a cry.
"I don't know," muttered another. "But her heart rate is stabilising. We should . . ."
What these people should or shouldn't do went unheard by Madison as she felt herself fading away again. Though this time she knew it was in a deep slumber.
XxXxXxXxXx
A steady beep was heard close to her right. Rhythmic in a way she breathed evenly in and out. The air smelled bitter, with undertones of an artificial fragrance. There was some sort of itchy, stiff fabric on her. Under her as well from how it felt judging by her twitching fingers. She knew she was lying on a bed, though it felt like the fabric. Overly firm and not all that comfortable. But she has slept on worse. At least it wasn't the floor. With a sniff, she soon opened her eyes. Her vision was hazy at first, but it cleared for her to see a plain white ceiling above her with a square filtered vent to the side of her vision. She turned her head carefully, trying to fight through the dizziness she was experiencing. More white had been painted over the walls of the room she was in. She was beginning to dislike white after that horrible day at Torchwood.
She continued to search around her. There was another bed in the room, separated from her by a beige curtain. A large window by the empty bed, looking out into a blue sky with some hazy clouds lingering about. An ensuite was off in the corner of the room. The slim door was open, allowing her to see a toilet and sink just within. There were monitors of all sorts all around her, with one clearly keeping track of her heart rate. An IV was hanging on the other side from the heart monitor, dripping steadily down into a tube. She finally noticed the discomfort in her arm, seeing how she was connected to the IV. She was also apparently wearing a paper-thin gown as well, with a white sheet and blue blanket tucked around her and up to her chest. Finally, to her left, there was an open door, leading outside of her room. She could hear all sorts of noises coming from the hallway with a multitude of people walking past her room. She sighed heavily, staring at the ceiling once again.
So . . . she was in a hospital. One of the few places she tried to avoid at all costs. Though she had only been to a few in the past by no choice of her own, she knew what any hospital of the 21st century looked like. Sterile and plain. That was the motto of most medical facilities. And of course, filled with medical personnel who would just love to discover a new species to dissect. She shook her head, trying to dismiss this thought. No, no. Doctors were better than that nowadays . . . For the most part, at least. She doubted anyone who even knew she wasn't human. Her blood was red. Her organs were about the same. She looked and sounded the part. She would be fine. Her old fears of experiments and torture would have to be pushed aside.
She heard a knock on the door to the hall, making her swiftly look over to see two women walking into the room. One was wearing pale green scrubs, while the other pink scrubs and a white coat. The woman in the scrubs had a kind round face, with greying hair. The woman in the coat was lanky, with a more pointed face and straight blonde hair. Both seemed surprised to see her awake but were soon all smiles as they walked over to greet her.
"Hello. I'm Doctor Landry. How are you feeling today?" asked the woman in the white coat, walking over to stand beside Madison. "Are you in any pain?"
"No . . . Just sore and dizzy," Madison answered truthfully. She didn't want to lie and say she was completely fine. If she pushed her body too much, it might just lead to having to come back to the hospital again. Not something she wanted. Best get a clean bill of health before leaving.
"What feels sore?" asked the doctor politely. "Any pain in your head? We were concerned you might have suffered a severe concussion."
"No, my head feels fine. I'm just weak at the moment." She glanced at the woman in green scrubs, seeing how the woman was looking over the IV tube. "I'm sorry, I don't really know where I am. Can you tell me what happened?"
"You're in the Royal Hope Hospital. You've been admitted yesterday and have been under observation after a traumatic event. I'm sorry to tell you, but your heart stopped for three minutes before the paramedics were able to resuscitate you."
It took a moment before Madison registered what the doctor had said. Her heart had stopped? Completely? For that long? She remembered the darkness and the cold . . . A shudder went through her, making both women give her looks of sympathy. "Well . . . I hope to send my gratitude to the ones who saved me someday."
The doctor smiled kindly, pulling off her stethoscope that was around her neck and began listening to Madison's chest. "Can you tell us your name?"
"Madison Baker."
"Good. Now, Miss Baker, do you know what year it is?"
"Yes, it's 2006." She hoped that was correct. Time travel sort of messed with her a bit and Pete's world was ahead in years, but she had been in 2006 the last time she was in this universe so her only wish was to be in the same time as the Doctor had been last. She worried though when Doctor Landry shared a concerned glance with the other woman.
"Actually, it's 2007 now," said the doctor, moving back and placing her stethoscope around her neck once more. "Do you remember that?"
"Oh, yes, I misspoke. Sorry. Time flies far too quickly for me at times with my occupation." Madison gave them both an awkward smile, hoping this answer would ease them.
"What's your occupation?"
"I travel for humanitarian purposes. All over the place. Without computers or phones on me most of the time, so nothing to keep track of the year. Or even which day I'm on."
This seemed to satisfy the women as they nodded. "Do you normally have high blood pressure?" asked the doctor. She pulled out a pen and a small torch from her pocket as she gazed at Madison.
"Not that I'm aware of. Why?"
"You were bleeding from your nose and eyes. Now while a nosebleed isn't necessarily something to be concerned about, my main worry is from the eyes. Rare cases of high blood pressure can cause bloody tears and yours was recorded high after being brought to us. Though it's been normalised since then. Have you been bleeding from your eyes often?"
Unsure of how to answer, Madison shook her head. "No, that was the first time for me. Though nosebleeds are an occasional occurrence I have to deal with." The woman in the green scrubs reclined the bed, making Madison now sit more upright for the doctor. Doctor Landry soon used the pen for Madison to follow with her eyes and shined the torch to check her pupils.
"Pupils are dilating normally. Eye movement is stable as well," muttered the doctor to the other woman as they seemed to be marking things down on a clipboard. Madison wondered if that was her chart. The doctor asked some more questions, seeing how Madison could move her hands and legs. Though with no standing at the moment as the doctor was concerned about her dizziness.
"I would expect you to have some side effects after going through such an event as you did. But so far, there are no signs of a concussion. You were greatly dehydrated when you came to us, so I'll have you on an IV until tonight when you can be reassessed," explained the doctor as she looked over the chart the other woman handed her. "I'd also like to do an MRI scan. There might be another underlying issue with your head that we're not seeing."
This made Madison uncomfortable. She didn't like the idea of them doing scans or tests on her. If they somehow did find out she wasn't human . . . Well, better medical practices or not, she knew what humans could be like and she wasn't going to give them the chance. "May I decline the scan?"
"You can, but I would highly recommend otherwise."
"I appreciate your recommendation, but I'll have to decline for now."
The doctor nodded, placing the clipboard on the end of Madison's bed. "Alright. Then I would like you to remain under observation at least until tomorrow afternoon. I don't want to take chances in case you have another medical emergency."
"I can agree to that," Madison replied with a nod.
"Alright, then, Miss Baker. I'll be with other patients today. If at all you change your mind about that scan, please don't hesitate to let the nurse know. Also, if you have any more concerns or questions, I promise to try to have more time for you."
"Thank you, Doctor Landry." Madison watched as the doctor left, leaving her alone now with the other woman.
The woman smiled politely at her with her hazel eyes warm in colour. "I'm Lisa. I'll be your nurse for today. I'll be bringing lunch around soon. If you need anything before that, just let me know."
"I will. Thank you," Madison responded, smiling politely as well. She watched the nurse walk away, leaving her alone once again. With a sigh, she leaned back into the bed, thinking of what to do next. She was back on Earth at least. And she knew Royal Hope Hospital was in London. Given the year as well, she was indeed back in her universe. Or . . . had she travelled back in time and was still in Pete's world? No, she had to trust that the Siren's plan had worked. They were both back and closer to the Doctor than ever before. Speaking of the Time Lord, she wondered how she would get in contact with him. She didn't have her phone that he fixed up for her. So she had no way of contacting the TARDIS. That meant . . . she was again trapped in one place and time without being able to reach him. So close . . . yet still so far. But that didn't matter. She would find him again. If she could cross between whole universes, then finding a phone to contact him would be simple enough.
XxXxXxXxXx
Time passed slowly for her in that hospital. She had no way of telling the time given that there was no clock in the room. There was a radio off to the side that gave some sense of time with news broadcasts and discussions ongoing. However, they began to repeat after a while to the point that Madison was growing tired of hearing the same name 'Saxon' over and over again. Lunch came and went without much drama. It was a plain, bland diet for her ordered by Doctor Landry. Nothing which most people would enjoy, but to her it tasted amazing. After living with months of the aftertaste of brine with everything she had back in Pete's world, anything would taste wonderful here in her world. After lunch, she was quietly contemplating her options. Eyes gazing out to the window, wishing there was more than just sky for her to see. She could almost feel time ticking on as she sat there, twiddling her thumbs edgily and wishing she hadn't agreed to stay. What if she was missing her chance to find the Doctor sooner? What if he was right outside just now and they missed each other entirely?
After a long exhale, she leaned back into the still-upright bed, wishing she could just sleep and make time go by faster. But she wasn't tired in the least. The more she sat there, the more energy she felt building up inside her. At least her body was no longer dizzy. She still felt sore all over, though that could be handled well enough. She was alerted then when she heard voices coming close to her door. More urgent than normal. Sitting up straight, she tilted her head to listen carefully.
"I don't care who you are. That woman is our patient and she's just had a traumatic medical emergency recently. She needs to rest and not be disturbed," came a strict voice. Madison recognised it to be Lisa the nurse.
"Ma'am, we're here conducting official government business. You've seen our credentials. We've got every right to complete our investigation," came a stricter woman's voice. One which Madison did not know.
"And what organisation did you say you're from anyway?" demanded Lisa.
"We're from Torchwood, ma'am. You wouldn't know us."
At the name of 'Torchwood', Madison sat up straight, eyes going wide in alarm. Torchwood. They found her. She had hoped after that battle between Cybermen and Daleks that maybe the group had learned their lesson and disbanded. Apparently, she had expected too much of them. In a panic now, her mind worked rapidly in trying to find a way to escape. Her only option was to rush out of the window, but she was far too high judging by what she could see. Could she hide in the ensuite? Lock the door and wait for the nurses to escort Torchwood away. That was only a temporary solution.
"Well, I've never heard of ya," said Lisa firmly. "How do I know you're not making it up? I should call security on you, that's what I should do."
"Now, there's no reason for that. We're only here to ask your patient a few questions. If you'd like to remain in the room with us to keep the woman calm, you're more than welcome to," came a male voice. One which made Madison halt from getting up. Wait . . . that voice . . . It couldn't be.
"Jack? Jack Harkness? Is that you?" Madison called out then, knowing she was right. A Mer's hearing was far too good at recognising voices. Even from ones not heard in a long time.
There came a moment of quiet. Then the sound of hurried footsteps. Around the corner came Jack. His blue eyes widened upon the sight of her sitting there beaming at him. His face grew into a wide smile of delight as he laughed. "Mads!" he exclaimed, rushing over and giving her a large hug. She tried her best to hug him in return. "Mads, I can't believe it! I thought you were dead."
"I thought you might be as well," she replied, remembering for a while the Doctor stopped doing any more searches for Jack. The thought that maybe the Captain had returned to his original time had crossed their minds. The two pulled away from their hug, smiling happily at one another. "Look at you! All dressed like an old soldier. It's a nice look for you."
"You think? I have been trying my best to stand out and look good," Jack responded slyly, smirking as he showed off his 1940s chic. She recognized a military trench coat from the war. Now where he'd gone and found that? It looked old but kept in good condition. Did he jump around different time periods and land in the war era again?
"Oh, you always look good, Jack. And don't let that go to your head," Madison teased him, loving to see his flashy grin again. It was then that the nurse and another woman came into the room. Lisa seemed just as annoyed as she had sounded before. While the other woman—wearing mostly black clothes, dark-coloured hair, and hazel eyes—seemed surprised by Jack's excitement. She looked at Madison then curiously. Meanwhile, Madison was startled by the woman's appearance. She looked almost exactly like Gwyneth from 1869. It was uncanny.
"You know her, Jack?" asked the woman.
"Yeah, Maddie is an old friend of mine. We go way back," Jack explained offhandedly.
"Miss Baker, are you alright with these people being here? I can have them escorted out if you wish for some peace," Lisa spoke up then, earning their attention.
"No, no. That won't be necessary. Jack is a good friend and I trust him. They can both stay," Madison assured the nurse. Seeming sceptical, Lisa eyed the two for a moment longer before eventually leaving the room. The woman with Jack was quick to close the door. But she paused when Jack spoke.
"Actually, Gwen, leave us a moment. I'd like to catch up with Madison on my own," Jack said then, sounding rather firm.
"But I thought we were here to investigate the—," Gwen began to argue. But there was this sharp look from Jack and the woman sighed. "Fine. Alright. Leave me out of everything then." Gwen then went out of the room, shutting the door sharply behind her. Only muffled noises were heard from the other side now.
"Who is she? A friend of yours? And are you really with Torchwood?" Madison asked rapidly, wanting to know everything. Now that the shock of Jack being alive had died down, she was concerned over the matter of him claiming to work for Torchwood. Had that been a cover?
"That's Gwen Cooper. She's working under me. Still sort of recent to the group," Jack explained, sitting on the edge of Madison's bed. His face was grim as he grimaced. "And yeah, I work for Torchwood."
Madison shook her head in disbelief. "But why? You know how terrible they are. I'm sure you've seen it for yourself."
There was clear shame in his eyes as he nodded. "I know. I know it looks bad. But I swear, it's changing now. After Torchwood One went down, I took control with Torchwood Three. We're fighting to undo everything the organisation has done over the years."
Still uncertain, Madison kept her gaze steady on him as she saw it just there. A guilty eye about him. "But how long have you been with them? How long did you look the other way while they continued to spread their hatred?" She received her answer when he remained silent. With a slow shake of her head, she closed her eyes briefly as she let out a heavy sigh. "Jack . . . I can't lie. I'm disappointed with you at the moment."
He sighed as well. "I know. I'm disappointed with myself. But, I swear, I had no choice. It was the only way to find you and the Doctor again."
"Why didn't you work with UNIT? They could have led you to the Doctor."
Jack was tight-lipped, seeming to struggle with something. "They . . . wouldn't accept me. Not after working with Torchwood for so long."
Thinking over it, she began to see where Jack was coming from. If he was desperate to find the Doctor again, she knew his options in this time period were limited. If Torchwood had tempted him with this promise, then of course he would assume it was his only option. In the end, all that really mattered was that he was alive and well, trying to remake Torchwood into something better. Just as she had been trying in the other world.
"I am glad that you're trying to make the organisation into something better. That's truly something you should be proud of. And, after everything, I'm just happy to see you again. You have no idea how sad I was when I thought you were lost to us," Madison finally said.
Jack smiled again, seeming more at ease. "I never gave up hope. I knew I'd find you again. My little mermaid."
Madison shook her head, glancing edgily towards the closed door. "Hush. Careful. Someone might hear you."
"Don't worry. I have a device which puts around a radius of quiet sound which muffles conversations I want to keep private," Jackie assured her, pulling out a small silver device from his pocket. He showed it to her, allowing her to see a series of tiny flashing lights on the device. Soon, he placed it away again, staring at her curiously now. "I really did think you were dead. You were listed under the dead after the Battle of Canary Wharf."
"'Canary Wharf'?"
"It's where Torchwood One was located."
Madison nodded thoughtfully. She never had a chance to find out where Torchwood had been located. She could tell, at the time, it was a skyscraper, but not the actual name of the place. At least now she knew. "I was there with the Doctor and Rose and a few others, in the fight against the Cybermen and the Daleks. It had been . . . a challenging day to say the least."
"Rose is listed as dead as well."
"Oh, no, she's alive. Her, her mum, and Mickey. They're all alive and well, living in another universe." Madison then began to explain everything, going into great detail of what had occurred on that day and the aftermath.
Seeming greatly intrigued, Jack gave a small tilt of the head. "So, you were trapped in another universe and somehow found your way back? But how? That should be impossible." Jack listened as Madison then recounted what had happened at the game station, explaining the Siren and her abilities. "Let me get this straight, you have an infinitely powerful entity living inside you from the Vortex? Guess that explains all the Dalek dust lying around in the station when I woke up."
Madison nodded lightly. "Yes, though the Siren isn't as powerful as she once was. After the Doctor removed most of the Vortex energy from us, she can only use some powers in bursts when it comes to emergency situations. And even then it's limiting what she can do. My body cannot handle the energy she exerts, so she can only do so much." Now, she tilted her head as she stared curiously at Jack. "What about you? What happened after the game station? We did go back once the Doctor had healed, but you weren't there."
"Yeah, you mentioned the Doctor was hurt after taking away the Vortex energy. How bad was he?" Jack asked instead, seeming to bypass her question.
Madison gave a sad sigh. "He was dying and he . . . had to fix himself. But by doing so, he had to change and for a while went into a coma. It's something Time Lords can do, apparently. It's called regeneration. So don't be surprised when you see him again that his face and personality are different." With a shake of her head, she got back to her own question. "But, Jack, really, what happened to you? Where did you go? The Doctor did try tracking you down, but he just couldn't get a pinpoint on you. At least, that's what he told me."
There came a short laugh from Jack, sounding rather unimpressed. "Is that what he told you?" He gave a long exhale, seeming to be thinking carefully for a moment. A sense of weariness within his tired eyes. Eyes which Madison was just now noticing appeared . . . different. Like that of an elderly man.
Jack began to explain, "As soon as I saw the TARDIS leaving that day, I used my manipulator to track the Doctor down. I got somewhat off course of where I was aiming, so I ended up having to wait a while until I knew when I'd end up with the right version of the Doctor."
A wave of guilt hit Madison then as she stared at Jack in sympathy. "Oh, dear. I do hope that you didn't have to wait long. I know all too well what that's like. I had to wait five years for the Doctor myself in 18th century France, living alongside Madame de Pompadour."
There was a short blink of surprise from Jack before he lightly grinned. "Now that sounds like a story I'd love to hear."
There came a knock on the door, followed by Gwen poking her head inside. "There's a rogue Qarzit down in Belgravia. Apparently, it's making a bit of a ruckus. Tosh just called it in."
Jack gave Gwen a quick nod. "Alright, tell her we're on it." Once Gwen left, closing the door behind her, Jack turned back to Madison. "Sorry, to cut the reunion short, but duty calls."
"I understand. Just be careful on your mission." She watched as he stood up, feeling a twist in her gut as she feared again losing touch with him. "How will we contact each other again? I don't want to lose you like last time."
"Don't worry. We were here under investigation of a strange sighting on the CCTV of a mysterious woman coming through a wall with a flash of 'golden light'. Eyewitnesses reported the woman glowing again a while after. I'm guessing that was you?"
She gave a small chuckle and nod. "Guilty."
Jack grinned again. "Figured as much." He then proceeded to pull out a slim, silver phone and handed it to her. "This phone has all my contacts in it. I'm stationed out of Cardiff. Been living there for a while in hopes that the Doctor would need to refuel again sometime. I could have Ianto collect you tonight and take you to where I'm staying. That way we can work together to track down the Doctor."
Madison shook her head while taking the mobile phone from him. "No, I'm meant to stay here until tomorrow afternoon. I'd rather remain here as per the doctor's instructions. I can call you once I'm discharged and meet you then."
"Sounds like a plan." With a wink and click of his tongue, Jack walked to the door. "Be seeing you around, Maddie. Can't lose my little mermaid again, now can I?"
"And I can't lose my flashy Captain," Madison responded smoothly, giving him a wink. She smiled as she earned herself a chuckle from him, followed by a small salute. She settled down back into her upright bed once again after he left. Her thumb caressed the soft metal of the phone in her hand. The smile wouldn't leave her face, elated to have found her friend again. And maybe, with Jack's help, the two of them really could find the Doctor again. Together.
XxXxXxXxXx
It was towards the evening, close to where Madison knew Lisa would be bringing dinner along. Things had settled down after Jack and Gwen's arrival. There were some anxious moments when Lisa (a kind, yet feisty woman) noted the dry patches on Madison's legs when the nurse had helped her walk around the room to test whether or not her dizzy spells were debilitating enough to keep her bedridden. So far, Madison was sturdy enough on her legs to walk on her own. But the nurse eyeing the cracks on the back of her knees, on her knees, and in between her toes made her wary. She brushed Lisa's worries away, explaining how she had problems with dry skin on occasion. This much was true given how dehydrated she was coming into the hospital. Her body was craving the soothing waters of a bath. It made her wonder if this was the effect of almost dying or the effect of travelling through the Time Vortex that had set her body into being so dry. It was almost as though her body was reacting to it all in a way that normally only happened if she was away from water for a few days.
In the end, Lisa agreed to merely give Madison some medical lotion to help with the dry skin. Upon applying the lotion, she actually did find it soothing, helping her skin to feel better. Perhaps she should remember to keep something like this on her in the future. It might come in handy. Shaking her head, she came back to the present, listening to the sounds of the busy hospital outside of her room. She sat up in alarm when her door suddenly opened. But she relaxed when she saw it was only Doctor Landry. Another woman wearing a white coat like the doctor came in alongside. It was a younger woman with dark skin and hair up into a half-ponytail, wearing business casual clothing instead of the scrubs noted on everyone else. She gave Madison a kind smile which was returned gratefully.
"Hello, again, Miss Baker," greeted Doctor Landry, ever so much in her polite way. "Just wanted to make one last observation today. Lisa noted cracked skin on your legs. I'd like to take a look at that before I leave." The doctor then gestured towards the other woman beside her. "I also have a medical student shadowing me today. Is it alright if she sits in with us during our visit?"
"Of course," Madison replied with a nod. The two then came over to her, with the doctor pushing back the blankets to take a look at Madison's legs. Once the doctor deemed the lotion would be a good enough treatment, the woman looked to the medical student.
"Martha, this gives you an interesting opportunity for discovery. Why don't you listen to Miss Baker's heart?" Doctor Landry nodded her head towards Madison, taking a step back. The medical student, Martha, then stepped forward to be closer. She leaned down, getting her stethoscope ready.
"Hello, Miss Baker, it's nice to meet you," greeted Martha, her kind smile still ever-present.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Martha," Madison responded with a polite nod of the head as she too smiled. Madison held still, not wanting to mess anything up for Martha. She watched as Martha frowned thoughtfully, moving the stethoscope around for a moment before finally reaching Madison's right side of the chest. The student's eyes widened in delight.
"Oh! Dextrocardia situs inversus. That's really rare, isn't it?" Martha wondered aloud, moving back and hanging her stethoscope around her neck once more.
Doctor Landry smiled and nodded. "Right, you are. I discovered Miss Baker's heart position last night when we tried to put the heart monitor on her. And her heart stopped for three minutes, brought back by emergency medical staff. We had to compensate for that as well." Doctor Landry continued to give a sort of small lesson as she showed Martha the monitors over Madison.
Madison somewhat listened, already knowing what they were discussing. She remembered looking up the scientific name for her heart position out of curiosity ages ago. As a Mer, the heart was in a different placement than for humans, being on the right side of her body instead of the left. She was only grateful that other humans had a similar condition with mirrored organs and such. This way no suspicions would be on her for being abnormal.
"Do you suffer from any medical conditions because of your heart?" Martha suddenly questioned Madison, pulling the Mer back to the present. The student seemed highly curious, eyes bright with the motivation to learn. "I read people with your condition are prone to a number of bowel, oesophagal, bronchial and cardiovascular disorders."
"None of that for me, no. I've had a clean bill of health for a long while now," Madison told her, smiling in amusement at Martha's bright-eyed look. It was endearing to see such a young, sharp mind eager to learn. It reminded her . . . of the Doctor. The sudden thought of her partner made her smile lessen somewhat. Saddened still in being separated from him.
"Miss Baker is still young. Normally those sorts of conditions are either present at a rather young age, or begin to show themselves when the person is older," Doctor Landry explained, looking directly at Madison again. "It is something to think about with what happened to you, Miss Baker. Perhaps a trip to your primary doctor for further evaluation is in order."
A small nod was given by Madison. "Yes. You're most likely right, doctor."
"When did you discover that you've got a mirrored heart? Are all your organs mirrored as well?" Martha suddenly asked, still appearing rather happy to discuss such rare medical anomalies.
"Oh, I knew since I was little. Both my parents had the, um, condition as well. Just by chance, of course. And yes, the rest of my organs are mirrored also." Madison decided to give most of the truth, though she did hope it wasn't too strange. Though, judging by Martha's thoughtful frown, maybe she should have gone with just saying her mother had the mirrored heart condition.
"That's strange. It's so rare. What are the odds of both your parents having it? Do you think that maybe it can be a trait that's passed down from—"
Eventually, Doctor Landry cut their conversation short. "Sorry, Martha, but I'll have to stop you there. This is my last patient for today, and any further medical analysis will have to be looked into before we make any judgments. Tomorrow, Mister Stoker will be back from his holiday and you'll be under normal supervision with him and the others." Something about Martha's twitch in her face seemed to be amusing to the doctor as she chuckled. "Yes, I know. Not a fun prospect." The doctor then turned to Madison one last time. "Have a good night, Miss Baker. I'll see you one last time tomorrow before you're discharged." With that said, the doctor left.
"Thanks for allowing me to ramble a bit," Martha said then, a light blush dusting across her face.
With a quick shake of her head, Madison gave the student a reassuring smile. "Nothing to be ashamed of. It's always wonderful to discover new things, isn't it?"
There came an enthusiastic nod from Martha. "Oh, it's amazing. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place." They both looked to the open doorway when hearing Martha's name called. "I better get going. It was nice meeting you again, Miss."
"Nice meeting you as well. And good luck on your studies." They both gave each other bright smiles before Martha parted ways, leaving Madison alone in her bed in contemplation.
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Until next time!