So why'd you come home to this faithless town...?

[thatsortofaman]

Sam and Tosh are both in Sam's room. The door is open in case someone needs either of them (mostly Sam), which somewhat defeats the purpose of separate quarantine rooms, but Torchwood is above such things. Or, more to the point, the plague's almost been sorted out and if anyone upstairs had it, they probably would have noticed already

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[belle_heaven]

A very bored Rose is very quietly, and very slowly, sneaking down the hallways of the basement in order to let some very protective angels get some much needed rest without stirring every bloody time she coughs (which is fairly frequently). Yes, this may be exhausting to her, and yes she may hate having to stop every minute or two to lean against the wall and breathe but she hasn't been out of bed in awhile and she's just going to try and find a book or something to read.

She knows she could have asked either Mat or Nate to borrow a video game but really...Those two boys need some sleep and she's about to scream from boredom. She's fairly sure she'll stumble across someone if she needs them. She's just refusing to admit that she needs any help. At all. Cause she's Rose, and Rose just is annoying like that.

[thatsortofaman]

The Doctor sees Rose halfway down the hall, and speeds his pace to bounce toward her, grinning brightly. "Rose! Good to see you!" He pauses, as he realizes she's leaning against the wall, and raises his eyebrows. "Are you supposed to be out of bed?"

[belle_heaven]

Rose gives a start when she hears the Doctor and looks up at him. Her face is pale, her PJs hang on her a bit, and there is still enough of a fever that her eyes look a touch too bright. But she looks much better then she did a day ago.

"Doctor!"

She flings her arms around him in a massive hug. She's heard that every last one of her boys was alright, but hearing it and seeing it are two totally different things. He's here, and he's okay. Her limited emotional reserves (some of those hallucinations put her through the wringer, ya'know.)were already strained and seeing one of her boys safe and sound was enough to reduce her to relieved tears.

"Oh thank god! I was so worried about you, Doctor. I kept thinkin' you weren't gonna come back! I'm so glad you're alright..."

[thatsortofaman]

He throws his arms around her - well, one arm, as the other's still holding the cooler - grinning even brighter, if that's possible.

"Of course I came back. Why wouldn't I come back? Not even a little sniffle from me, alright?"

And she says he worries too much...

[belle_heaven]

She laughs a little, and tightens her hold.

"They told me it was just dreams I was havin', from the fever, yeah, but they were bad Doctor...And you left and didn't come back. And Lily got the plague and everyone either left or died till I was all alone."

The explanation is reasonable, but slightly off. She did have some impressively realistic nightmares.

"'M alright now, though. Lily is back home, safe with mum and everyone is okay."

Her definition of 'okay' is kind of...well...open to interpretation.

[thatsortofaman]

"Right. And I'm not going anywhere. As a matter of fact..." He takes a step back so he can wave the cooler in her face. "Five doses of the cure, right here. And one of them is just for you."

[belle_heaven]

Her eyes lock onto the cooler and her mouth winds into a small smile.

"You've made a cure? Brilliant you lot are. But I'm gettin' better, aren't I? Do I need a cure? Aren't there other people who need it more?"

Rose has no idea how this plague works. She just knows it saps her strength and that her fever will still spike after she's done too much. But she does sorely want to be well again, and its hard suggesting he give the cure to someone else first if her body is fighting it off decently, but she would hate to be the cause prolonged suffering.

The effort of walking, and the excitement the Doctor's caused is enough of a strain that Rose has to lean against the wall, her breathing a bit heavy.

"After all, I'm doin' okay, ain't I? Didn't die or anythin'."

[thatsortofaman]

"You're leaning against a wall," he points out. "Anyway, the cure's contagious. Give it to you, it spreads to anyone you touch, anyone you're around for any length of time, all that."

He pauses, frowns at her, and then adds, "And you really should be lying down. At least for a little while."

[belle_heaven]

"You'd be leanin' against the wall too if you'd been sick. Recuperatin' and whatnot, thats all."

There is a touch of her old tone in her voice as she glances up at him.

"Not like you ever get sick, Doctor I'm-An-Advanced-Time Lord. Well except for when you regenerated but thats not quite right."

When it registers in her mind that the cure is contagious she smiles again, her voice very quiet as she says, "Brilliant. Bloody fantastic, you are."

The offer of laying down is starting to sound really good to Rose, which just annoys her cause she's just escaped the bed and the fluttering angels what kept an eye on her. She's sure they're not getting enough sleep, and its not good sleep since at least Mat has been staying in her room and she wants them to rest, relax, and all that.

"Can't go back to bed. I left someone sleepin' in my room and the poor boy needs some rest. The two of them have been keepin' an eye on me, you know, so I wouldn't have to be alone."

[thatsortofaman]

"Which is exactly why you don't need to worry about me. You, on the other hand..." He steps forward and takes her lightly by the arm, moving so he can support her. "We've got the medical room, the recovery room, my room... Take your pick, but you're lying down."

And then he's going to get a doctor, they're going to give Rose and four other people the cure, and everything will be fixed. At least, everything relating to the plague...

[belle_heaven]

You never quite forget to lean on someone who keeps saving your life, so when the Doctor tugs, she follows. Its just how it goes. Letting some of her weight rest on the Doctor, Rose obediently walks with him.

"Your room. Less likely to have people pokin' their heads in and stabbin' me with needles while I'm sleeping. I dunno why they think attackin' me in my sleep is a good idea, but it isn't. Let me tell you, it is a horrible idea."

She yawns widely, which sets off a bout of coughing, which makes her nose run and her eyes water and she takes a second to just be annoyed.

"Have I mentioned, I hate plagues? Cause I do. I bloody well do."

[thatsortofaman]

"They were trying to help," the Doctor points out as he leads her down the hall to his room - thankfully, it's not far at all. "I'm not inclined to argue with them if it's keeping you alive... but I promise, no more plague. This'll make it better."

[belle_heaven]

She shoots the Doctor an evil look when he takes the side of the evil doctors of mean. Really, how could he do that? This, in Rose's mind, is a huge injustice.

"There is nothing good or helpful or nice about sneaking up on a sleeping girl to stab her with a needle when she already feels horrible. They could have warned me, you know. If I'd any idea who they were I'd give them a piece of my mind!"

But she gives up her grumbles over the 'evil doctor folk' and keeps pace with the Doctor obediently.

[thatsortofaman]

"Well, there is the part where, again, it keeps you alive..." The Doctor reaches his room, realizes he can't open the door without releasing Rose's arm or setting down the cooler, and debates this for a second before gently releasing Rose for just a second, long enough to open the door and shoulder it open. He takes her arm again and guides her inside, then pushes her gently down on the bed, giving her a warning look that's accompanied by pointing at her with one finger, as that always gets across his point. Or so he'd like to think.

"Stay here. I'm going to get a doctor for you. They're going to poke you one more time, but that's it, I promise. Alright?"

[belle_heaven]

Rose rolls her eyes and heaves out the most exasperated sigh.

"I told you. I'm fine with the shots, so long as they warn me first, not sneak up on me while I'm sleeping!"

She settles back onto the bed with a much quieter, relieved sigh. She was exhausted.

"I promise, I'll be right here. But if I fall asleep you wake me up before they give me a shot, or so help me I will hurt you bad enough that all your regenerations will feel it. You hear me?"

[thatsortofaman]

He snorts a little and smiles at her, giving her a quick, ironic little salute before bounding toward the door. "Yes ma'am. Understood." He's not really that intimidated, but he can pretend!