The Assassin of Madness

Chapter 19

Rose's back arched as she cried out in pain, the shock hitting her painfully.  Her hands gripped into the Doctor's arms, a sob tearing at her throat as he stared over her shoulder at her back.  He held her up, his hands clutching at her more than holding her as he looked at her in horror.  Jack's face drained of all color as he looked between the now dead Emperor and his friend collapsing in the Doctor's arms.  The Doctor was panicking a bit, his fingers grappling at the bottom of Rose's shirt, as he called out her name, trying to keep her to him.

"Rose!" Jack shouted, and started stammering over a tearful apology, not knowing what to do.

"It's not your fault, Jack," The Doctor said, his hand fluttering over the knife in Rose's back, not sure what to do.  His eyes never moved from her face.  "We have to get her to the med bay."

"Can we make it back the TARDIS?"  Jack asked anxiously.

"We have to try."  The Doctor scooped Rose up into a bridal carry and she screamed, fisting her hand in the lapel of his jacket.  Jack watched as the Doctor's eyes brimmed with tears and he gazed down into Rose's contorted face.  "I'm sorry, I know it hurts, but you might lose too much blood if we take it out." 

"I know," the words coming from her sounded barely human as she buried her face in his chest.  He let the tears spill the second she wasn't looking and nodded towards the door.  Jack unlocked it and flung it open, and the Doctor ran forward, pushing past his friend like a man possessed.  Jack was hot on his heels, following as he choked painfully on his own guilt.  

They weren't too far down the first hallway when red alarm lights dropped from the ceiling and started spinning and flashing wildly, accompanied by a loud blaring sound.  The Doctor swore loudly, running faster, trying to get Rose to the TARDIS faster.  

"Doc, got a gun in those pockets?" Jack asked, knowing the answer full well. 

"For the first time in all my lives, I wish I did," the Doctor shouted over his shoulder.  Jack knew that both of them were blatantly not addressing the fact that their only weapon was lodged in their best friend, who was now passed out in the Doctor's arms, hanging limply.  The Doctor was trying to blink back all his tears, still murmuring to Rose, words of comfort and encouragement, trying to keep psyche with him.  

The guards started coming in, shouting and confused.  One man shouted out "There!  They killed the Emperor!" and they all started screaming, shaking weapons at the three before chasing them.  Jack knew exactly what he had to do.

"Take her and run," Jack shouted, "I'm going to try to hold them off!"

"You can't!" The Doctor shouted back even as the guards started to gain on them.  

"They can't take me!" Jack yelled, hinting at his little 'condition'.  Of course, no one would be able to truly kill him, even if he left this planet battered and decidedly less pretty, it would be worth it.  To save them both.  

They managed to run faster than the guards until the exited the palace, all of them catching up in one horrible moment.  Jack turned around and punched one of the guards square in the face.  This distracted the rest of the guards and one of them speared him through the side.  Jack cried out and the Doctor squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying not to focus on the sound. He kicked the door of the TARDIS open, apologizing telepathically to her.  The TARDIS forgave him frantically, filling with concern as she felt Rose's pain through the wink telepathic link she shared with the girl.

"Med bay, please!" The Doctor shouted out loud, his voice strained and hurt.  He kicked open the first door the TARDIS showed him to, which was the med bay.  He laid Rose on her stomach on the examination table, wincing at her moan of pain.  He stroked her hair back and murmured an apology before stumbling over to his computers, hoping to find out what to do.