Broken Boys 3
Got a lump in my throat when I wrote this. Which is a bit like laughing at one of your own jokes. Cheer up emo me!
Here are Part One and Part Two. One more installment to come. Part Four will be set after the end of Reunion.
Jack still wore the innermost part of his spacesuit, a form-fitting garment padded at the joints. It was perfectly modest. He was perfectly immodest. Why did he turn away from her, curling around himself?
'It's me, Jack,' she said softly. 'It's Rose.' He didn't answer. 'Can I come in?'
Still no answer. She picked up a chair, looked around awkwardly, decided the best place to sit was at the foot of the bed.
She'd been terrified he'd have some horrible scar on his face. He looked completely normal, unhurt, except for the way he was doubled up. She had never seen him look anything but poised. Ready for action - of one kind or another. Now he looked like his body didn't fit him any more.
Had the Doctor been wrong? Had the Vampire done something else to Jack? Could that probe thing really have been powerful enough to do this?
His face, his beautiful face was a mask of pain.
He wouldn't even look at her.
'I'll go if you don't want me here,' she said quietly.
Jack swallowed. He didn't look at her, but he said, 'They gave me a shot of something. Something they give their soldiers. It prevents - shellshock?'
She'd seen a documentary on this. 'Post-traumatic stress disorder?'
'Right. They said it would help my brain heal itself. Until then, I can't think about anything else. God.' He put his face into his shaking hands. 'That - thing - nearly tore the Doctor in half.'
'The Doctor's fine. He's just banged about a bit. He's resting.'
'Oh God. It's like it's still happening. It's happening right now.' He pushed his fists into his eyes. 'It's happening right in front of me and I can't stop it. What's the matter with me? Why can't I stop seeing it?' His voice slid down into a hoarse whisper. 'Why have I got to be such a coward?'
'No - it's not that - it's because of the probe,' realised Rose. 'Because of how it affected your brain. Jack, that's why you need the drug.' She was out of the chair, standing by the bed, desperate to touch him but not daring to. 'It's not you. It would have done the same thing to me. To anybody.'
'Rose... Rose. I don't want to talk about it any more.'
'You've got to believe me,' she said. 'It's not you.'
'Please,' he said. 'I can't talk about it any more.'
Outside, the medic put her hand on Rose's arm. 'This will pass. He will be all right.'
'How can you be sure?'
'Because I had almost exactly the same conversation with him an hour ago.'
Here are Part One and Part Two. One more installment to come. Part Four will be set after the end of Reunion.
Jack still wore the innermost part of his spacesuit, a form-fitting garment padded at the joints. It was perfectly modest. He was perfectly immodest. Why did he turn away from her, curling around himself?
'It's me, Jack,' she said softly. 'It's Rose.' He didn't answer. 'Can I come in?'
Still no answer. She picked up a chair, looked around awkwardly, decided the best place to sit was at the foot of the bed.
She'd been terrified he'd have some horrible scar on his face. He looked completely normal, unhurt, except for the way he was doubled up. She had never seen him look anything but poised. Ready for action - of one kind or another. Now he looked like his body didn't fit him any more.
Had the Doctor been wrong? Had the Vampire done something else to Jack? Could that probe thing really have been powerful enough to do this?
His face, his beautiful face was a mask of pain.
He wouldn't even look at her.
'I'll go if you don't want me here,' she said quietly.
Jack swallowed. He didn't look at her, but he said, 'They gave me a shot of something. Something they give their soldiers. It prevents - shellshock?'
She'd seen a documentary on this. 'Post-traumatic stress disorder?'
'Right. They said it would help my brain heal itself. Until then, I can't think about anything else. God.' He put his face into his shaking hands. 'That - thing - nearly tore the Doctor in half.'
'The Doctor's fine. He's just banged about a bit. He's resting.'
'Oh God. It's like it's still happening. It's happening right now.' He pushed his fists into his eyes. 'It's happening right in front of me and I can't stop it. What's the matter with me? Why can't I stop seeing it?' His voice slid down into a hoarse whisper. 'Why have I got to be such a coward?'
'No - it's not that - it's because of the probe,' realised Rose. 'Because of how it affected your brain. Jack, that's why you need the drug.' She was out of the chair, standing by the bed, desperate to touch him but not daring to. 'It's not you. It would have done the same thing to me. To anybody.'
'Rose... Rose. I don't want to talk about it any more.'
'You've got to believe me,' she said. 'It's not you.'
'Please,' he said. 'I can't talk about it any more.'
Outside, the medic put her hand on Rose's arm. 'This will pass. He will be all right.'
'How can you be sure?'
'Because I had almost exactly the same conversation with him an hour ago.'