THE ADVENTURES OF THE DOCTOR'S AMAZING HAND
Chapter Eleven The Master whistled cheerfully to himself while he strolled down the hallway towards the torture chamber. He had Rose in his possession. Now all he had to do was torment the Doctor for awhile and taunt him before the big reveal and reunion. He thought about all the possible things he could do to the couple. He had his tissue compression eliminator in his desk. He considered shrinking Rose down and killing her after torturing her in front of the Doctor. He figured his enemy might like his girlfriend shrunk down to doll size as a memento of their relationship. He was still going over possible things to do when he was suddenly stopped several feet away from the torture chamber door. A guard came up to him. "Yes?" the Master said, slightly annoyed. "Sir, we have information on Martha Jones and her possible whereabouts." The Master perked up at that. "Really? " he said. "Yes, sir. Johnson has the full details. He sent me to fetch you." "Very well, lead the way," the Master said, following him. The Doctor crept down a corridor, figuring any moment he would be nabbed by a guard and sent back to the torture chamber. He quicken his pace as much as he could, although the long walk was taking a toll on his fragile body and he was beginning to get tired and winded. He could hear the joints in his knees creaking and he cursed the Master for making him this way. In a way, he was glad Rose hadn't seen him. He was terrified of what she would say or do when she did see him. He was planning to become young again, that was all part of the plan he had in mind, the plan Martha was a part of but still, at this moment he felt embarrassed that even though he was far older than Rose now he actually looked it. He reached the end of the corridor and peeked around the corner. His eyes widened when he saw what was at the end of this one. Jack Harkness was standing on a platform, his arms jutting out on either side, held in place by manacles around his wrists. The Doctor's hearts nearly stopped with anguish, seeing what the Master had done to his friend. He swallowed hard and crept forward, keeping his eyes open for any guards. There didn't seem to be any so he made his way over to Jack who was somehow fast asleep even though he was in an uncomfortable position. Once he reached him, he looked around and then tapped him on the shoulder. "Jack," he hissed in his ear. "Huh?" Jack murmured in his sleep. "It's me, the Doctor. Wake up," he hissed. Jack slowly opened his eyes. "Doc?" he murmured. "Yes, Jack, it's me," the Doctor said in a loud whisper. Jack opened his eyes all the way and stared at him. "Still old, I see," he said to him. "Yeah, well, I haven't found a way around that yet," the Doctor said. "Are you alright?" Jack cocked his eyebrow. "Do I look alright?" he said, jerking his head towards his right wrist. "Apart from that, has he done anything else to you?" the Doctor whispered. "You mean all the times he's killed me for shits and giggles?" The Doctor's throat went dry. "I'm sorry, Jack." "For what? This isn't your fault, Doc. I chose to follow you. If anyone's to blame, it's me so don't start beating yourself up. From the looks of your face you've been beaten up enough already without that. Have you heard from Martha lately?" He shook his head. "No, I have no idea where she is. Do you know if her family's alright?" "As far as I know. I don't see Clive or Francine but Tish feeds me every morning and she looks fine to me. Actually…she looks very fine, come to think of it." The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not interested in hearing about flirting with Martha's sister," he said. "I came to tell you we have a complication now." "You mean, we didn't have a complication before?" Jack said in disbelief. Unconciously, the Doctor raised his hand to run it through his hair and then remembered he didn't have much hair left. He lowered his hand. "The Master used the paradox machine again," he whispered to Jack. "Why?" "To bring someone else over into this time period." "Who?" The Doctor sighed. "Rose. Rose is here," he said. John lay beside Rose, keeping his eyes on the door while he listened to her soft breathing. She'd been asleep for a couple of hours and in that time, no one had come to the door and nothing had happened to them. He began to wonder what the Master had in store for Rose. He figured perhaps he was back in the torture chamber beating on the Doctor and the thought of that made him angry beyond belief. Twenty minutes later, he heard a tiny yawn and saw Rose slowly open her eyes. She rose up on her elbows and looked down at him. "Hello, um…Hand," she said to him. John got up on his wrist. Call me John, he signed to her. "Okay, John. I s'pose that's better than calling you Hand," she said, sitting up. John came to her side and Rose rubbed his back affectionately. "What's going to happen to ya?" she asked him. John got up on his wrist. How do you mean? He signed. "I mean, are you going to stay a severed hand forever?" Rose said. "No offense but I don't think that's much of a life, yeah?" Not sure, I have dreams but… "But what?" Rose said. I dream that I'm on another Doctor's hand, a duplicate. But I don't know if that's a dream or a premonition, John signed. "You dream?" John nodded. "About me?" He nodded again and Rose smiled while she stroked his back. "I s'pose I should be flattered that the Doctor loves me so much his body parts feel the same way," she said to him. John quivered with laughter and then quickly signed out what he was doing since he knew the Doctor had been confused about that. Rose grinned. "You're so cute, you know that. You're a hand but in many ways, you're like a person. I'm glad you came in here with me because having you here makes me feel less afraid." Good, I'm glad to hear that because the Master is more dangerous than anything you've ever faced and you have every right to be scared. "How'd ya mean?" Rose said. He's a Time Lord, Rose, like the Doctor and just as cunning as he is but he's completely insane and he won't hesitate to hurt you to make the Doctor suffer. Rose felt her blood chill at that. "Do ya know if there's a way out of here?" Rose said. Not sure. We're high in the air on a huge airship called the Valiant. I don't know if it has escape pods. The Doctor and me haven't had much time to look. But I will try to protect you as much as I can and I know the Doctor will too and so will Jack if we can find him. "Jack's here?" Rose said in disbelief. John nodded. "He was kidnapped by the Master?" Not originally. He found the Doctor with my help and was with him when the Master captured him. He was traveling with a woman named Martha and her family members are prisoners too. "Martha? He was with another woman?" Rose said. He was traveling with her. He wasn't with her in the way you're thinking, John signed. "I wondered. I mean, I didn't want him to be alone. I never wanted that. I just…I wondered if he'd forgotten about me." No, he didn't. Neither of us could ever forget you, Rose. Rose smiled at that and stroked John's back. "It's nice to know that I have not only the Doctor but you lookin' after me as well," she said to him. "I never thought when I saw you fall off the Doctor's hand that we would meet again but here we are. It's strange but I'm beginning to see you as more than a hand now. I hope the Doctor thinks the same." I think he does, John signed. "Good because if he doesn't, I'll use you to smack him upside the head." John quivered at that and Rose picked him up and held him to her while she sighed. "I hope the Doctor's alright. I hope Jack's alright," she said while she rubbed his back. "And this Martha, whoever she is, I hope her family's alright as well. If he's as dangerous as you say then I'm hoping everyone comes out of this alive." John wished the same while he lay against Rose's chest. She held him there for awhile, stroking his back and then suddenly, they heard voices outside her door. "Oh God," Rose said in a hushed voice. John wriggled out of her grasp and tried to get in the pocket of her jeans but they were too tight for him. He tried her purple leather jacket but the pocket wasn't big enough. Unlike Rose, the Doctor's pockets were bigger on the inside so he had no trouble getting in. Thinking fast, he went up inside Rose's shirt and grabbed on to her bra. Rose closed her jacket over the shirt and zipped it up hoping that would conceal him. She stood up and looked down; there was a slight bulge but nothing that would suggest she had a severed hand underneath. Knowing John was there and would be with her, filled her with courage and she gathered that courage and prepared herself for what lie ahead as the door opened and two guards came into the room.
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