When a child is born
Her footsteps echoed from off of the walls as she ran up the stairwell of the hospital, there were elevators yes, but she couldn’t wait for one, she just couldn’t, this was far too important. Her breath was fast and it made her chest burn for more oxygen, but she ignored it, she ignored everything, everything but her need to get up those stairs.
First floor, second, third, fourth… she stopped and pulled open the door’s, the sterile smell of the hospital filling her senses. How much time, was she too late, was everything alright?
She skidded along the floor, warn trailers with very little grip from too much running. Once the running had been fun, now it was more serious, almost every day she seemed to run for some reason, this was just another one. Down the corridor, through the double doors, an endless stream of endless doors and halls, one looks so much like the next. Coloured lines showing the path, red, blue, yellow, white. Follow the white it will show you the way, just like the rabbit, and Rose felt like she was chasing after it. She felt like she was looking for the rabbit hole, the entrance to Wonderland.
The nurse behind the counter frowns at her as she comes up breathless, her questions are misheard and sound more like the caterpillars over pronounced, “Who. Are. You.” When in fact she asked who she was looking for.
“Rose,” She turned, her eyes fell on the man who had become her father, he looked tired and a little shaken, a look that worried her all the more.
“Dad, how is she, is everything…”
“She’s resting luv, don’t worry, she’s just…”
“Mr Tyler, your wife is asking for you.”
“Rose I…”
“Go dad, give her my love.”
There he went, leaving Rose alone in the hospital waiting room, alone, unrequired by those whom she should feel needed by. The whole world needed her to help keep them safe, but those close to her had moved on, she had tried to, but she was still stuck, her heart felt lost in the void between this world and her own. Lowering herself onto the sofa she sat perched on the end, her feet bouncing just a little. Nerves, the hate for hospitals, the way people seemed to be looking at her as they walked past. The lonely lost girl, sitting all on her own, no one waiting with her.
Minutes turned into hours and there was still no word, Rose couldn’t help but worry a little, had something gone wrong, was her mother alright? She’d been down to cafeteria and bought herself something to eat and drink before coming back up to see if there was any news. There still wasn’t. Finding herself pacing she dropped back down onto the chair and pulled the soft brown bear she had purchased up and into her arms, holding onto it tightly. Why was this taking so long?
Eyes heavy, she slowly drifted off to sleep, her thoughts all jumbled up with everything that was, everything that is and everything that could be. The Doctor, the Earth War, Torchwood, Mickey, her Dad, Jake, Daniel, Grace, Henry…
“Rose.”
With a start she sat bolt upright, her eyes wide, ready for action. But tey softened a little when she saw him standing there, tired looking and yet like he had been given the world.
“Rose I…” A tear fell down his cheeks and he smiled, “You have a little brother.”
She’d never seen her father cry, at least not this man, and it tugged so hard on her heartstrings. “How’s mom?”
“She’s resting; it took a lot out of her but…” Pete held out a hand to her, “Come on, I think you should meet him.”
They walked to the room where Jackie was sleeping, a baby laid in the crib by the bed. There was a soft glow about her mothers sleeping form and Rose wondered if she had ever seen the woman look more beautiful.
“Rose, I want you to meet your little brother,” Pete turned and he held the small bundle in his arms, carefully moving towards Rose and he gave him to her to hold. “David Peter Tyler.”
Carefully she took her little brother into her arms; her brown eyes were wide and filled with tears when she looked back up at her father. Smiling a tear fell down her cheek and she looked back down at the baby in her arms. “Hello David,” she whispered ever so softly, “I’m Rose, I’m your big sister and…and I promise I will keep you safe.” Leaning down she pressed a soft kiss into the child’s forehead, “I’ll keep the world safe for you.”
Feeling Pete wrap his arm around her, Rose leaned back into him, smiling as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.
For the first time in a year Rose felt like she was part of a real family, she felt like her life was turning around and she really had a chance to live again.
First floor, second, third, fourth… she stopped and pulled open the door’s, the sterile smell of the hospital filling her senses. How much time, was she too late, was everything alright?
She skidded along the floor, warn trailers with very little grip from too much running. Once the running had been fun, now it was more serious, almost every day she seemed to run for some reason, this was just another one. Down the corridor, through the double doors, an endless stream of endless doors and halls, one looks so much like the next. Coloured lines showing the path, red, blue, yellow, white. Follow the white it will show you the way, just like the rabbit, and Rose felt like she was chasing after it. She felt like she was looking for the rabbit hole, the entrance to Wonderland.
The nurse behind the counter frowns at her as she comes up breathless, her questions are misheard and sound more like the caterpillars over pronounced, “Who. Are. You.” When in fact she asked who she was looking for.
“Rose,” She turned, her eyes fell on the man who had become her father, he looked tired and a little shaken, a look that worried her all the more.
“Dad, how is she, is everything…”
“She’s resting luv, don’t worry, she’s just…”
“Mr Tyler, your wife is asking for you.”
“Rose I…”
“Go dad, give her my love.”
There he went, leaving Rose alone in the hospital waiting room, alone, unrequired by those whom she should feel needed by. The whole world needed her to help keep them safe, but those close to her had moved on, she had tried to, but she was still stuck, her heart felt lost in the void between this world and her own. Lowering herself onto the sofa she sat perched on the end, her feet bouncing just a little. Nerves, the hate for hospitals, the way people seemed to be looking at her as they walked past. The lonely lost girl, sitting all on her own, no one waiting with her.
Minutes turned into hours and there was still no word, Rose couldn’t help but worry a little, had something gone wrong, was her mother alright? She’d been down to cafeteria and bought herself something to eat and drink before coming back up to see if there was any news. There still wasn’t. Finding herself pacing she dropped back down onto the chair and pulled the soft brown bear she had purchased up and into her arms, holding onto it tightly. Why was this taking so long?
Eyes heavy, she slowly drifted off to sleep, her thoughts all jumbled up with everything that was, everything that is and everything that could be. The Doctor, the Earth War, Torchwood, Mickey, her Dad, Jake, Daniel, Grace, Henry…
“Rose.”
With a start she sat bolt upright, her eyes wide, ready for action. But tey softened a little when she saw him standing there, tired looking and yet like he had been given the world.
“Rose I…” A tear fell down his cheeks and he smiled, “You have a little brother.”
She’d never seen her father cry, at least not this man, and it tugged so hard on her heartstrings. “How’s mom?”
“She’s resting; it took a lot out of her but…” Pete held out a hand to her, “Come on, I think you should meet him.”
They walked to the room where Jackie was sleeping, a baby laid in the crib by the bed. There was a soft glow about her mothers sleeping form and Rose wondered if she had ever seen the woman look more beautiful.
“Rose, I want you to meet your little brother,” Pete turned and he held the small bundle in his arms, carefully moving towards Rose and he gave him to her to hold. “David Peter Tyler.”
Carefully she took her little brother into her arms; her brown eyes were wide and filled with tears when she looked back up at her father. Smiling a tear fell down her cheek and she looked back down at the baby in her arms. “Hello David,” she whispered ever so softly, “I’m Rose, I’m your big sister and…and I promise I will keep you safe.” Leaning down she pressed a soft kiss into the child’s forehead, “I’ll keep the world safe for you.”
Feeling Pete wrap his arm around her, Rose leaned back into him, smiling as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.
For the first time in a year Rose felt like she was part of a real family, she felt like her life was turning around and she really had a chance to live again.