Taken from Email
Jack didn't have the faintest idea what to do with that, and it showed - in his expression and the silent pause. He cleared his throat. "I'm not trying to claim I'm fine - that'd be dumb, even for me - but I'm not real sure how much 'help' there is. On the other hand time really does heal all wounds, and if there's one thing I've got a lot of, it's time." There was another short pause before he added. "And such as they are isn't half-bad, you know."
The Doctor smiled at Jack fondly. "Time does help, in my experince. Me, I'm also a big fan of having a hand to hold. Doesn't fix everything. But makes things a little easier, while the time is passing to get to better." He ducked his head, almost shyly. "Good to know. The not half-bad part."
"Yeah," Jack asked. He lifted one eyebrow and one corner of his mouth quirked up with it, into a lop-sided smile. "I've found quite a few things to hold that makes things easier. Sometimes they're hands."
The Doctor snorted. "I bet. I'm a fan other things to hold onto, too," he acknowledged, struggling not to smirk.
"Mm. Especially things that are attached to the Master. You sure you want to go loaning him out?" His teasing was mostly just exhausted habit. The very slight edge was just, well, pushing at the Doctor. Because he had to, because he was tired, because the Doctor was the Doctor and because Jack was -testing. Even after his ranting earlier. He was pushing to see just how stable the Doctor was. It was a pretty direct corrolation to just how safe Jack felt with him.