THE HIVE

Chapter Thirty Four

All night long, Rose went back and forth between the Doctor and Julian and Jack and Ianto, checking to make sure that Ianto was alright and didn't need any help. He had given Jack some sedatives so Jack was now semi-conscious and she could tell Ianto was distressed at that since Jack seemed to be mumbling incoherently to him. The fourth time she came into the room; she brought him some tea and sat it down on the table while he sat in a chair beside the bed. Jack's skin was now starting to turn yellow and there were two bumps on his forehead where she knew the antenna were starting to come in. She took a cup of tea over to him and he gratefully accepted it.

"How is he?" she asked Ianto.

"Muttering something about his childhood back on the Boeshane Peninsula. I can't make out half of what he's saying. Something about him and his brother, Grey. I don't think he even knows where he is right now," Ianto said as he took the cup from her. "Thank you."

"S'alright, I needed a cuppa as well," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I hate those wasps more than ever now," Ianto said as he kept his eyes on Jack. "I hate that Queen for mutating the Doctor and now Jack is forced to change because of her. I'd love to go find the bitch myself and pull her appendages out one by one."

"You too?" Rose said.

Ianto laughed in spite of himself and Rose kissed the top of his head.

"I thought that there was no hope left and then you lot found Julian and it's because of him that the Doctor has his mind back. Even if he doesn't change back completely into the man he was, at least he's free from the Queen's control."

"And he can bring Jack's mind back as well," Ianto said, nodding. "Still, I wish he didn't have to do this."

Rose nodded. She felt the same way. Bad enough she had to watch the Doctor transform in front of her eyes, now she had to go through it all over again with Jack. At least this time he had someone who could give him sedatives and make him comfortable. But Ianto wasn't the only one who was upset. The other members of Torchwood were pissed off, Owen especially. She didn't know them that well but she could tell that Owen was a hothead and he was the one who was the most vocal about what a mistake it was for Jack to transform.

"We need him here... in human form," Owen said to Tosh and Gwen. "Bad enough the whole world's turning into one big bloody wasp nest without him joining the ranks."

"It's his decision, Owen," Gwen said.

"I realize that but it doesn't make the situation any better," Owen said. "I just hope he knows what he's doing because the last thing I want is for our fearless leader to be a bloody great insect."

They shut up when the Doctor walked up.

"Is Rose here?" he asked them.

"No, I think she's with Ianto and Jack," Tosh said. "How are you feeling?"

"I've seen better days," the Doctor said. "Still, better to be this way than to be constantly sedated. How are you lot holding up?"

"We're worried about Jack," Gwen said.

"Yeah, so am I. I don't like that he did this but he's an adult and it's his decision," the Doctor said. "I wanted to find Rose because we need her help again. I think we are close to making a full antidote. Our research synchronizes up very closely and I think we just might have found the cure."

"That's wonderful," Tosh said. "So if Jack does this, he really could have a weapon to throw into the hive?"

"I think so, yeah," the Doctor said, nodding. "We're working as fast as we can so we can have something for him before the change is complete. There's not much time between the time he'll get his wings and the time the Queen can possess his mind so we need to be quick about it. And on that note, I'm going to go see about Rose. We'll let you lot know what's happening, just stay positive."

They nodded and the Doctor walked away. The three of them waited till he was out of earshot before they began talking quietly.

By the time, the Doctor found Rose she had taken Ianto's place in the chair while he rested in the bed opposite Jack. Ianto had giving him another dose of sedative and he was now fast asleep. Rose raised her head when the Doctor entered.

"Need your help," he said softly. "I think we're nearly done now. We just need an extra pair of hands to complete it."

Rose nodded. She got up and before the Doctor could do anything, embraced him.

"Ianto's worried sick about Jack," she whispered while the Doctor held her. "I told him to get some rest and I'd watch over Jack but if you need me, I'll come."

"I think Jack'll be alright for the moment," the Doctor said softly. "It's still early in the transformation. His antenna haven't even come in yet. Ianto needs to rest, you did the right thing. If he wakes up, I think he'll understand if you aren't here. In the meantime, I need your help."

Rose nodded and the Doctor gave her a soft kiss on the forehead while his antenna felt her cheeks. He sensed the wetness there and held her tighter.

"It'll be alright. Things are changing for the better now. We're close to a cure and the Queen will soon be defeated, just don't give up, yeah?"

Rose nodded and the Doctor hugged her tightly before she took his hand and followed him out of the room.

The Queen had finally had enough. She had been unable to locate the Doctor's mind and her patience was at an end. She was going herself to the Torchwood Hub with an army of her children, break in there and kill everyone before she took back her prize. She wasn't sure if the Doctor was in there or not but she was going to start there and if he wasn't there, at least she would eliminate all the thorns in her side. Buzzing angrily, she rose from her rock perch and called to thirty of her children to assist her in her siege on the Hub. Thirty wasps instantly swarmed around her and when she flew away, they followed her. Once they were outside the cave and above the trees, they formed three rows behind her. The Queen telegraphed that they were to sting anyone they found, either to kill or transform; it didn't matter anymore to her. All that mattered to her was the Doctor and she was determined to get him back before it was too late.

Working feverishly, the Doctor and Julian finished making a viable antidote while Rose assisted them. She split her time between helping them and running back to check on Jack. Once Gwen learned about Ianto resting, she took over for him and kept an eye on Jack but Rose still wanted to check, both for herself and to update the Doctor on what was going on. After four hours, the Doctor announced proudly that they thought they had a working antidote as he pointed to a large beaker that held a clear liquid in it.

"Now, all we have to do is convert it to gas for Jack to carry into the hive," the Doctor said. "Actually, we should make half gas and leave the rest in liquid form just in case, don't you think, Doctor?"

"Yes," Julian said. "We need some on hand just in case we capture some of the wasps," Julian said.

"And right now, we need a test subject to try the serum on so we can be sure. Problem is, the only two subjects available are Jack... and me."

"Doctor," Rose said, putting her hand on his arm when she realized what he meant.

"I have to do it, Rose. I have to be the guinea pig. We have to know if it works or not," he said to her.

"And if it works, you return to normal?" Rose said.

"Yes. I'll become a full Time Lord again."

"And if it doesn't work?" Rose said, dreading the answer.

"Then I suppose I regenerate and I become a full Time Lord anyway," the Doctor said. "I can't wait around for us to catch a wasp. I need to do this now. Julian, could you pass me a syringe?"

Julian handed him a syringe and he stuck the needle in the antidote. He pulled up the plunger and the syringe filled up with the liquid. He cleaned off the needle to get the excess liquid off it before laying it on the table. Rose passed him a tourniquet and Julian tied it around his right upper arm while he felt for his vein. Finding his vein close to his elbow, he took the syringe and slowly put the needle into the vein. He glanced at Rose and smiled when she mouthed I love you to him. He nodded and depressed the plunger. Rose watched as the antidote went into his arm and prayed that the cure would work. After it was done, the Doctor disposed of the needle and took off the tourniquet.

"Right, now we wait to see what happens," he said. "In the meantime, we need to start making more of this and turning what we have into gas form and..."

They spun around when they heard a klaxon sounding. Owen ran to the lab door, a tranquilizer gun in his hand.

"They're back," he said grimly, "and this time they brought the Queen."

Back                         Home                              Doctor Who Main Page                          Next