In Your Arms

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"What are you doing here?" Jenny asked, sounding more surprised than anything.

Cline was bent over, supporting himself with hands on wobbly knees. "I need your help."

Jenny opened her mouth, but Martha stood up, interrupting her, her "doctor" instincts kicking in. "You need to sit down."

Cline weakly waved her away, but didn't protest any further when she gently grabbed his shoulders and led him to sit down beside her on a bench. Jenny stood in front of him, face urgent. Martha seemed to notice the intenseness of the girl and gave her a warning look.

Cline was panting hard, hand clutching chest at his deep breaths. Martha murmured something to him and his breathing began to slow as he inhaled and exhaled deeply and slightly more calmly.

"Cline," Jenny said. Before, Rose hadn't exactly thought of Jenny as a military type person. She was always so gentle and considerate and young--at from what Rose had seen of her. It was sad to see someone who'd never gotten the chance to experience the joys of childhood. Now her whole body was tense and alert, face wiped of emotion.

"What is going on?"

"And how did you even get here?" Rose couldn't help asking. From what she'd discussed with the Doctor and Jenny, Messaline was a long ways from Earth and in a different century. And from what she knew, no space ships had been spotted recently around this time and place.

Cline whipped his head to her at the sound of her voice looking startled as if he hadn't noticed she'd been there. He lifted his left wrist. A brown leather material (that could easily be mistaken for a watch) was strapped on-on a very skinny wrist. In fact, his entire body looked unhealthily thin and malnutrition seemed like a rather obvious assumption to make. His cheeks were hollow, and his knobby knees protruded from the fabric covering them and still wobbled despite his breathing almost back to normal now.

"Vortex manipulator," Martha said with confused awe. "Wait, how did you even come across this? You shouldn't have."

Cline shrugged. "Found it. It was under very low security."

"Chances are," Rose began, only half-joking, "after you told Jack about Messaline, he used his to go check it out at some point in its time line."

Cline shifted impatiently. "Could we please focus?"

The former companion leaned back and nodded. Jenny looked at him expectantly.

He took a deep breath, looking at her. "Cobb has taken over Messaline--well most of it, anyways."

Both Jenny and Martha squinted in confusion. "What?"

"Was he not imprisoned after shooting...?" Martha trailed off, shooting Jenny a pitying look--which Jenny either didn't notice or chose not to acknowledge. Then anger bubbled in Martha. "If you chose not to because of that whole 'new world' thing--" her voice was accusatory, "The Doctor was devastated--!"

"Of course he was imprisoned!" Cline snapped. "He murdered someone!" Or at least attempted to.

Jenny's eyes widened slightly. "Cline, how did that happen?" she asked, voice hard.

His focus was returned to Jenny. "It's a long story."

"Then start telling."

"There's not time!"

"How can we help if you won't tell us what's going on?" Jenny asked, clearly agitated from stress.

Cline's jaw clenched and Rose put a hand on his shoulder in attempt to sooth the boy's anger.