Let me look after you

Rose wandered into the TARDIS control room, to see the doctor bashing the console with a hammer,again! "Doctor..." "Ahh, Rose!" exclaimed the doctor, "there you are! You know I sad I'd take you to Zorrillax- best music festivals this side of the universe? "

"Doctor...." " Today, we're going! Well, I say we're going. We'll go if the TARDIS decides to pull herself together... Where's the hammer? " "Doctor......" Rose said again, little louder. "Rose, have you seen the hammer?" the doctor asked, whirling around trying to locate it. "DOCTOR!" Rose said, louder still. This time, the doctor heard the strained urgency in his companion's voice and turned to look at her. "Oh, Rose! What's the matter?" She was wearing her dressing-gown and her voice cracked as she spoke. She was as pale as a ghost. "I don't feel well...sorry" she said, softly. "No, no! Don't be sorry!" The doctor took hold of her arms. "let's sit down.." he kept hold of her and walked her to the TARDIS' jumpseat. "Doctor" Rose whimpered. "...I want my mum" The doctor frowned. "Ok, it might take a while, I think the TARDIS is playing up- but we'll get you there" he say down on the seat next to Rose and held her hand.

"...we'll get you there."

The doctor had no idea where- if anywhere- they were, but he wasn't going to leave Rose. She, it seemed, was gradually getting worse, and he had no clue what was wrong with her. She was now curled up- almost in foetal position- and when he touched her she was radiating heat. She seemed to drift in and out of reality, and occasionally she murmured. "shhh.." said the doctor. "oh...mum.." mumbled Rose fretfully. She tossed and turned, her hair strewn across the chair's bright orange fabric.

The doctor sung to her. He sung to her in old, strange and beautiful words. A Gallifreyan lullaby. As he sung, Rose slowly drifted to sleep- her head in the doctor's lap. He smiled down at her, and stroked her hair. He tried to think what might be wrong with his poor Rose. "what I need" he told himself " is my medical dictionary".

But he couldn't move until Rose woke up. He needed to be there for her.

Half an hour later, Rose stirred. She woke and managed to sit up. "Hullo" the doctor said, supporting her with his arm. Rose smiled sleepily. "Rose? I need to go to the library to get my medicine book. I'll be right back, ok?" Rose half-nodded. The doctor made sure she was supported by the chair, and got up to leave. "Don't go!" shouted Rose. She got up, But wasn't strong enough to stand. She ended up slumped on the floor. " Oh, Rose!" the doctor ran over to her. He couldn't leave her, and she obviously wasn't able to walk. He had only one option. He tucked one of his arms under her knees and the the other around her back. "I'm gonna lift you up, ok?" he said. She nodded in reply. "Then you're coming with me" He gently lifted her up, and she wrapped her hands around his neck. " Thankyou" she mumbled into his hair. "you're welcome" he smiled, and walked with her into the TARDIS library. When they got there, he layed her down on one of the old, brown leather sofas. He found the book he was searching for on the first shelf he came to (the TARDIS could be helpful like that) he reached up for it and brought it to Rose. "Now, Rose. Let me look after you" Rose's eyes fluttered underneath her closed eyelids, and she smiled.

The doctor sat cross-legged on the sofa, Rose's head once again on his lap. He looked through the big book, finding Rose's symptoms and linking them together. He did most of this himself, but occasionally he would ask her a question, which she answered in her sleepy, cracked voice. The whole process took about 15 minutes, and-at the end- the doctor slammed the book shut, and almost yelled AHA! Before remembering the sleepy Rose, and turning it into a whisper. He talked quietly to her. "Rose, what you have is a reaction to that flower we saw- on Behedron? It was a while ago, I know, but it takes a few days to show itself. AND, the tricky thing is- it reacts differently depending on who you are. That's why it's so hard to detect. Yours, Rose, seems to be presenting itself rather like flu. So, you need some medicine; I have to go and get you some, and you must stay here. Ok?" Rose nodded. She was still tired, and most of his words had gone right over her head, but she knew the doctor was looking after her.

He re-appeared a short while later, carrying 3 blankets, 2 cups of tea, and some sort of squeeze bottles. "Here we are" he handed one of the teas to Rose, and perched on the sofa arm next to her. "Better drink this first, though. Open wide!" he shot Rose an apologetic look, as he took one of the small bottles and squirted the contents into her mouth. "Yrnnggnh" spluttered Rose, and she pulled a face. "Sorry 'bout that" The doctor frowned.

"let's just hope it works!" Rose said.

The doctor stayed with Rose through the night, waking her to give her more medicine. Sometimes, she would wake by herself, and then she was hot and fretful. The doctor sung to her. He told her stories- old, Gallifreyan fearytales to replace her nightmares. he even brushed her hair. But he never once left her side.

When Rose woke up, she found herself staring into the doctor's face. "Good morning!" he grinned. "...hello" she replied, sitting herself up. She touched her head.

"-Did you brush my hair?" The doctor just smiled and waved a medicine bottle at her. She raised her eyebrows, but drank the liquid obligingly. " feel any better?" the doctor asked. "Yes, much--Thankyou." The doctor stood up, and helped Rose to her feet also. "Well, I think the TARDIS has repaired enough for me to take you to your mum's, if you like" He flicked her nose gently. "umm, Doctor... Do you mind if, maybe I stayed here?" the doctor grinned his trademark 100 watt grin. "No, I don't mind atall!"