Work Text
Chapter 1It happened late one evening, in an alleyway Martha had no right to be in. She and Mickey had been celebrating. That’s what this weekend was about; celebration. The kids were at mum’s house, and she and Mickey finally had time to themselves. They were exploring their old stomping grounds. It was a good time.Until it wasn’t.And now here she was, standing alone at the end of an alleyway while Mickey was off helping UNIT with something (their lives could never just be simple, could they?). And in front of her, of course, was not just any weird bloke wandering creepy alleys at night. Oh no. It was an alien.And because her day couldn’t get any worse, this alien had a sword for an arm. And weird glowing eyes, like a cat’s. And a human hostage.There was a reason Martha had enjoyed working in a quiet hospital before all of this. And right now she was being strongly reminded of it.“Let him go,” she said, trying to sound all tough and commanding while her hands were shaking. She even had a laser gun; one of UNIT’s secret weapons, but it didn't help her confidence at all. If anything, it made her feel sort of queasy. After all, she’d taken an oath to heal people, not hurt them.At least the Doctor wasn’t here to see her now.“You really don’t need to protect me,” the human hostage said. He sounded almost cocky. Did he want to get captured by an alien? Actually, given that he was the kind of bloke who wandered London’s most dangerous neighborhood in the middle of the night, maybe.“Let him go,” she repeated, if only to shut up the man she was trying to save. The alien laughed; at least, it sounded like a laugh. Then it shoved the man away.Martha breathed out, relaxing the white-knuckle grip she had on her weapon.The alien laughed again. And then swiped at the man.He doubled over, falling to his knees with eyes tightly shut. Martha felt every ounce of adrenaline her body could muster rage through her system. It drowned out everything. It made her feel sick; or maybe that was the raspy laugh that came from the alien again, or the sight of the man dropping bonelessly to the ground with a red line torn into his shirt.Martha stuttered forward, unsure what to do. She usually knew what to do. But right now, she had absolutely no idea. What was she supposed to do?Luckily, the alien seemed to decide for her. It ran off, hopping over a short brick wall, and then sprinted off to God-knows-where. Martha briefly contemplated chasing after it. Until she remembered the man lying on the ground in front of her.“I’m here,” she cooed, letting her weapon slip out of her fingers as she went to his side.He looked about sixty; not a great age to be taking a knife wound to the abdomen. And his skin was already very pale, contrasting sharply with his dark clothing. Martha shut up the calculations in her head. She’d beaten the odds before, and she could beat the odds again.“Sir? Hold on for me, okay? I’m a doctor. And I’ve got backup coming. We’ll take care of you.”She said all of this as her shaky hands reached into the medical bag that had become a part of her in these past few years. She’d healed worse than this before, and she could certainly do it again.Biting her bottom lip, she set a patch on top of the wound, adding pressure with both of her hands. The man cried out, expectedly, but then muffled his voice as if embarrassed.“You’re gonna be alright,” Martha assured.She didn’t mind a bit of optimism now and then. Always made it feel like she had more control than she actually did.The man’s eyes opened, tears shining in the glow of the streetlight.Then his eyes widened.“Martha…” he gasped.“Have we met before?”It was certainly possible; she’d been all over London throughout her life. He could be an old neighbor. Or someone who’d gotten into trouble with aliens before. He definitely seemed the type; ready to sass her when she tried to save his life.But he simply smiled, a look in his eye that was both foreign and familiar. She couldn’t place it, and didn’t waste time trying. His breathing was starting to sound struggled.“Sir, I’m going to listen to your chest real quick; make sure everything is alright.”It was very possible this kind of injury could throw his body into shock; she’d seen it enough times. And shock brought heart issues that much closer, along with a million other things Martha didn’t care to consider.She reached one hand into her bag again, keeping the other firmly on top of his injury, and pulled out a stethoscope. It took some awkward maneuvering, but she got both her earpieces in and then took hold of the bottom piece.Then she noticed how stiff he’d become.“Sir?”He looked fearfully at her stethoscope for a moment.“It’s alright. Just need to listen to your breathing and your heart. Okay?”He paused, and then nodded.“Only with you...Martha.”His voice slurred so badly it sent shivers down Martha’s spine. Her team had better get here quick…She set the device on his chest and her eyes widened. She’d heard that rhythm before. One beat seeming to overlap another. She pulled the stethoscope away and stared at the man beneath her. Then, without uttering a word, she set it on the other side of his chest.Another beat pulsed.“Oh my God,” she breathed. Quickly, she stashed the stethoscope back into her bag. “Hello Martha Jones,” he said with a slanted smile.“Doctor…” she shook her head with a beaming smile, lost for words. “You’ve gone grey.”He rolled his eyes, laughing, until his body shuddered in pain. Martha’s smile faltered.“Shh...it’s okay.” She rubbed his arm. One of her hands was still held fast over his stomach, though the med patch was already soaked through. “Kate should be here soon.”She said it as if to calm him, but really she was trying to calm herself more. Her brain had short circuited the moment she had heard the second heartbeat, and now it was slowly catching up to a few things.Her best friend, whom she hadn’t seen in what felt like forever, was here. He also had changed his face and his accent and everything else about himself.And he was losing blood faster than anyone ever should. Not to mention the speedy, arrhythmic pounding of his hearts.The Doctor had found her again at last. But he was in a dangerous place if her team didn’t get here soon.“Clara,” the Doctor said suddenly. His eyes were closed now, eyebrows drawing together every time he winced. “I need...Clara.”He shifted beneath her, as if trying to get up. Martha put a hand on his shoulder to steady him.“Okay Doctor. Just lie still.”He swallowed painfully, and opened wet eyes again.“Shouldn’t have come without her,” he slurred, head lolling back.Martha rubbed his arm briskly.“Shh, shh. Don’t try to talk. Save your energy.”Martha looked up at the sound of a siren, but it passed them right by. It was a blessing, she guessed. Hell of a thing to explain to a police officer. ‘My alien buddy here got stabbed by a different alien and now we’re waiting for our friend, the leader of the alien-watching organization secretly based in the Tower of London.’ Martha almost laughed at the thought.Then she looked back at the Doctor and found him breathing shakily, like a frail old lady she looked after once during her training days. Tears blinked into her eyes. The Doctor wasn’t meant to be frail. Nor bleeding onto her hands. Nor fighting for his life in a dark alley.“I’m gonna get you back to Clara. Don’t you worry, Doctor.”His head lolled again at the sound of her voice, but otherwise he didn’t respond. Martha pulled another patch from her bag and pressed it to his stomach. He hardly flinched this time, bleary eyes locked on the sky above as his throat worked soundlessly.“Where are you, Kate?” Martha murmured.As if in answer to one of her numerous prayers, a UNIT ambulance suddenly pulled into the alleyway. Squinting, Martha just made out Kate sitting in the passenger seat, jumping out of the vehicle as soon as it was stopped.“What happened?” Kate asked, concern leaching into her usually steady voice.“The, er, alien sword guy...hit his torso. No sign of internal bleeding, but he’s lost a lot of blood. I think he’s starting to go into shock.”Kate knelt on the opposite side of the Doctor and looked at Martha’s hands, still pressed firmly into the wound.“I think you’re going to go into shock soon,” she said quietly. “Martha, do you want Dr. Ryans and Dr. Yates to take over?”Martha blinked hard, only now realizing that she could hardly feel her hands. Now that Kate was here, the adrenaline was suddenly flooding out of her system, leaving her weary and light-headed.“Okay,” she relented. Dr. Ryans swooped in and gently removed her hands, then placed his own onto the med patch.“Sir? I’m Dr. Ryans. Can you hear me?”The Doctor’s only response was to murmur something unintelligible under his breath.“Doctor?” Kate tapped the side of his face with an open palm, stirring him only enough to turn his blank expression toward her. “Stay with us, okay? You’ve lost a lot of blood.”Martha joined Kate on his other side, letting the other doctors work. She took a hold of his clammy hand as Kate stroked his hair.“You’ll be alright,” Kate said, more of a command than a hope. “He mentioned a woman named Clara,” Martha said quietly.“I’ll get in touch with her.”Martha nodded, staring at the Doctor. He hadn’t stirred in a few minutes, just lying there as the new doctors shifted him onto a stretcher.Martha had seen this situation so many times before, she thought she was immune to it. But not when it was someone she knew. Especially someone she hadn’t seen in so long. Especially the Doctor.She wiped away a few tears and found Kate’s hand on her shoulder.“He’ll be okay,” Kate said sternly. As if saying it would make it so. “I hope so,” Martha whispered.She leaned her head on Kate’s shoulder and let the woman comfort her for a few minutes, as the doctors worked on her old friend and the night wind blew cold on her wet cheeks.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
UNIT was quiet when they arrived. Until they arrived, that is.The ambulance ride had gone quickly and relatively smoothly. But now the Doctor was on one of the medical beds and he was wearing a breathing mask because he’d lost a dangerous amount of oxygen. And Martha could hardly keep track of all of the doctors and nurses bustling around to fix his wound and give him the proper replenishing blood he needed. And all the while, she kept waiting for this woman called Clara, and wondering what on Earth to say to her when she did arrive. Whoever ‘Clara’ was, her best mate was hardly breathing and looked paler than ever, if that were possible. Even Kate looked worried, biting her thumb as she surveyed her employees’ work.Martha took hold of the Doctor’s hand, making sure she was out of the way of the doctors who were actually working. Should she be working? Perhaps. Perhaps not. She wasn’t in the mind to, anyway, even if she wanted to. All she had the energy to do was sit here in this uncomfortable hospital chair and hold her friend’s--that is, this new version of her friend’s hand, praying that his condition would improve soon.She felt utterly useless. And like she very missed her home.Mickey was still out with some of the UNIT guys, patrolling the streets to look for that arsehole with the sword arm. She knew he’d return safely. That is, she didn’t have the energy to imagine otherwise.And so, Martha Jones sat by the Doctor’s bedside, watching the frenzy of doctors whirling around them. The stream of medical personnel slowed throughout the evening, until it finally steadied to a stop. Martha suddenly found herself sitting alone with him in the quiet, the only sounds his heart monitor and the rush of air going through the cannula in his nose.She adjusted his blanket, then took hold of his hand again.“I’ve missed you, Doctor,” she whispered to her sleeping friend. “Though this isn’t exactly the reunion I’d hoped for.”She tried to chuckle, but found she could barely force a smile. The sounds and smells of medical equipment that usually gave her a sense of calm felt a lot different tonight. They were unfamiliar, and frightening.Perhaps even ominous.Martha shivered, squeezing the Doctor’s hand. “Is Clara who you’re travelling with now?” She asked, knowing he wouldn’t respond. “You’re always pining after a girl, aren’t you?”A sudden thought came into her head.“How long has it been since you last saw me?”Suddenly, footsteps and hushed voices echoed from the hallway. Martha turned to the door to find a short, wide-eyed woman standing in the threshold, followed by Kate.“Are you Clara?”It took the woman a moment to process the question, standing frozen at the door. Then she nodded, and hurried to the bedside opposite Martha.“Oh, Doctor,” Clara murmured. “He was asking for you. In the alleyway,” Martha said. Truthfully, she still hadn’t worked out what she wanted to tell this woman. But she still had to try.Clara looked up, and Martha noticed the tears in her eyes. She also noticed that the woman was wearing pajamas.“I should’ve been there,” Clara said brokenly, shaking her head. She took hold of the Doctor’s hand and eased into a chair Kate had brought over for her.“I wish I could have done more,” Martha said, looking at the floor. “By the time I got there…”“I’m sure you did everything you could.”Martha shrugged.“The others really saved him. I was useless after they got there.”She didn’t know why she was saying all of this. It didn’t exactly inspire confidence; and it certainly didn’t make her look good.Kate was there to help, anyway.“I told Clara what you did. You saved his life, Martha,” Kate said, resting a hand on her shoulder.Martha looked back at the Doctor. He looked almost as bad as he had in the alleyway, even with his bandages hidden beneath the blanket. Skin ashen and hair matted with sweat.Clara sniffed, and wiped at her face.“Sorry,” she said after a moment. “I just...he’s not usually…”“I know,” Martha said, reaching across the bed. Clara took her hand.“I...used to travel with him,” Martha blurted out. Clara’s eyes focused on her.“Years ago. That’s how I got this job, actually. He put in a good word for me.”There was a moment of silence, as Clara simply stared at the Doctor and listened to the heart monitor.“What made you stop?” She asked suddenly.Martha thought about it for a moment.“I needed to get back to Earth. Literally and metaphorically.” Martha smiled.Clara smiled, too.“I don’t think I could ever go back.”Martha shrugged.“Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll know either way. You’ll be sure of it.”Clara met her eyes again with a smile.“Thank you, Martha. For everything.”“It was just my job.”“Still. Thank you.”Martha smiled.“Anytime.”Suddenly, the Doctor’s heart monitor picked up, his fingers twitching. Clara squeezed his hand in both of her own.“Doctor?”She smoothed back the fringe on his forehead, and his eyes struggled open. He still looked exhausted, but his expression lit up at the sight of his companion in front of him.Kate said, “I’ll go let Dr. Yates know he’s awake.”Martha nodded as Kate hurried off, then she turned back to the Doctor.“Doctor? You’re at UNIT. Try not to move too much yet.”He made a face at that, which Clara countered with an equally powerful eyebrow. He relented immediately, resting with his eyes closed again.Clara kissed the top of his knuckles and held his hand a bit tighter. “Clara,” he said quietly, opening his eyes again.“Hello,” Clara smiled. “How do you feel?”“Thirsty.” His voice sounded hoarse, like he hadn’t spoken in a month.Martha reached over to the table and presented a cup of water in front of his face, setting her other hand on his back to steady him.“Drink this and see if you feel better.”The Doctor turned to her sharply. Then a soft smile broke through the harshness of his features.“Martha. Good. I thought I’d imagined you. Not going loopy, then.”Clara nudged his shoulder.“You’re always a bit loopy.”She smiled, and laughed, as Martha helped pour water into the Doctor’s greedy mouth. But Martha could see how tired Clara was underneath it all. Her eyes were puffy and the pajamas she still wore looked hardly slept in.“Clara, are you sleeping over at UNIT? I can find you a room...?” Martha suggested, setting the empty cup back on the table.Clara nestled in closer to the Doctor, scooting her chair up.“I think I’m gonna stay here for the night. Need to keep an eye on this one.”Martha closed her eyes with a smile.“Totally understand.” She stood slowly. “If you two are alright, I’d best be heading off. I need to find my husband and see out what we’re doing tonight. Well, what’s left of tonight, I guess.”The Doctor’s eyes brightened.“Wait, Martha.” He swallowed. “Never said. Thank you.”Martha kissed the top of his head.“It was just my job, Doctor. But you’re welcome. Goodnight, Clara.”The women waved goodnight, and Martha exited the room as quietly as possible.. . . . . .The next day, Clara woke to the sound of the Doctor’s voice. She had been dreaming deeply, curled up on the uncomfortable chair beside the bed. She had no idea what time it was, and her clothes were wrinkled like nothing else. But that weight that had sunk into her chest late last night, when she’d gotten that call from Kate, was receding. And as she opened her eyes completely, it disappeared entirely.The Doctor was leant up on a mound of pillows, looking much better than last night, but much more grumpy. “Doctor?” She asked, wondering what he’d said to wake her.“I’m famished,” he whined, a hand on his stomach, delicately touching the thick bandages wrapped around his torso. He seemed to suddenly realize he was shirtless in front of Clara, and his frown deepened.“They want to run some more blood tests, remember?” Clara repeated. She remembered having this conversation with him sometime last night. Or had it been this morning?“Humans can’t do blood tests without starving their patients? What good is that?”Clara rolled her eyes, but leaned over and kissed his cheek. The worry of last night had removed all possibilities of him annoying her. For now, at least. She rested her head on her hand and watched him for a long moment.“What?” He asked, brows furrowed.Clara shook her head.“I’m really glad you’re okay.”He seemed about to say something clever to that, but thought better of it. Instead, he merely smiled a shy smile.“So am I.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 3“Hello again, Doctor,” Martha said, carrying a large stuffed bear into the room. “The crew wanted to give you this. We all signed it.”She placed it on the Doctor’s lap with a playful grin.“Ah, yes; what every 2000 year old high ranking Time Lord wants.”Clara’s palm smacked against his head the second the sentence left his mouth. He threw her a quick glare, which held almost no power while his fingers stroked the teddy bear’s arms and soft fur.“Sorry, Martha; I think that’s the closest to ‘thank you’ we’re going to get today. I brought him a cup of yogurt and he was even worse.”“Yogurt is just stuff with bits in it. It’s not even considered food on ten planets.”Clara shook her head, standing.“I’m gonna run to the coffee shop. Want anything?”“Nah, I’m good; thanks,” Martha replied, taking over the watch-the-Doctor chair beside his bed.“You behave,” Clara told the Doctor sternly.“Yes ma’am.” He mocked a salute, making Clara roll her eyes as she left the room.Martha smiled to herself, leaning her hands on the bed railing.“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Doctor,” Martha said, turning downward. “You, er, worried me for a minute there. In the alley.”The Doctor was silent, staring blankly at the teddy bear still on his lap. Then he turned to her with a small, genuine smile.“I’ll always pull through in the end, Martha. As long as you’re there to save me.”She lifted her head with a smile of her own.“Don’t make a habit of it though, eh?” She nudged his arm.“I won’t.”Martha suddenly reached over and pulled his blanket down, exposing his midriff.“Oi!” The Doctor squeaked. “This body doesn’t like being all exposed like that.”“Did your old body like that?” Martha asked playfully.The Doctor sighed and leaned back as she examined the bandages.“You should probably stay here a bit longer. Maybe another day or two.”He looked utterly deflated.“Two days is practically two years,” he whined.Martha creased her eyebrows.“Er, no it’s not actually. And anyway, this is the only hospital you can go to on Earth. We’ve gotta make sure you’re alright before you go running off adventuring or whatever.”“Marking papers.”“I’m sorry?”“Clara and I, last night, we were going to mark papers together. And then I got the call from UNIT and...you know the rest.”Martha pondered over that for a moment.“What?” The Doctor questioned.“Nothing. I just never imagined you helping mark papers. It’s very...domestic.”“Domestic?”Martha laughed to herself, fixing the blanket again. She gave the Doctor a kiss on the cheek and then sat back in her chair.“I’ve missed you, Doctor,” she said, taking his hand.“You didn’t want to travel anymore,” he said, eyebrows drawing together as he stared at their hands.“You can miss someone and still let them go on without you.”He thought about that for a moment. “I’ve missed you too, Martha. Especially your doctor skills. Do you know how many times I’ve caught my finger in the TARDIS door?”Martha laughed again.“Doctor?”“Yes?”“Promise me you’ll never change.”The Doctor gave her a strange look.“I’ve already changed. More than once, actually.”Martha picked up his teddy bear and motioned with it.“No; you haven’t really. Not where it matters.”They shared one last smile before Clara entered the room, latte in hand.“Hi; sorry, the line was super long.”She set her cup on the table and took the seat opposite Martha.“What did I miss?”“Martha’s making me stay here another day or two.”“Good,” Clara said simply. “Thank you, Martha.”“Anytime.”The two women shared a smile, as the Doctor cast a look from one to the other.“I don’t stand a chance with both of you here.”“No,” Clara said, kissing him on the cheek. “You really don’t.”