Doctor Who fic: The Other Side of the World (29/31)
Title: The Other Side of the World (29/31)
Rating: PG
Characters: Rose, Martha
Timeline: Season three
Summary: Season three AU; After a fateful visit to Royal Hope Hospital, Rose finds herself lost in time and space with medical student Martha Jones. As they struggle to find a way home, they meet old friends, and old enemies, along the way...
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. Any borrowed dialogue belongs to Russell T Davies and the BBC.
A/N: A sequel to "The Other Side". It's not necessary reading; it just sets up the premise that it was the Doctor who was trapped in Pete's World, not Rose. And a shout-out to my awesome betas: joking and quean_of_swords. This story wouldn't have been posted without you guys.
Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve. Chapter Thirteen. Chapter Fourteen. Chapter Fifteen. Chapter Sixteen. Chapter Seventeen. Chapter Eighteen. Chapter Nineteen. Chapter Twenty. Chapter Twenty-One. Chapter Twenty-Two. Chapter Twenty-Three. Chapter Twenty-Four. Chapter Twenty-Five. Chapter Twenty-Six. Chapter Twenty-Seven. Chapter Twenty-Eight.
She threw open the door, running through the front foyer like she had done so many times in the past. For a second, she was eight again, returning home from school with her sister and brother in tow. Martha called out for her mother as she ran into the kitchen, finally home after almost two years of travel.
Francine Jones put down the cup of tea she had been nursing and met her daughter in a tight embrace. They held each other fiercely and Martha was almost afraid to let go, like she would drift off again if she did.
“Martha, where have you been? You’ve been missing for almost a week.”
She tried to answer her mother’s question but the words became lodged in her throat. Only a week had passed from her mother’s perspective, since the day Martha ran after a group of space rhinos. It was a comfort to know it hadn’t been longer, but the worry and relief in the mother’s voice held greater depth in her mind, like they truly had been apart for more than a year.
“I was-”
“Is that Martha? Is she back?” The door to back garden opened and her father stepped inside, followed by her sister and brother. They all looked relieved to see her, but she was more surprised to see her family together.
“We were all worried sick about you,” said Francine, letting go of Martha so her father could embrace her.
She hugged her father before moving on to Tish and Leo. It was beyond amazing. Her parents had put aside their squabbling, their common worry bringing them together. It was impossible to tell how long the civility would last, but Martha would take it, even if it only lasted a few days.
Her family was alive and well and whole. It was all she needed right now.
It felt like ages since Rose had walked on solid ground, the smell of Earth filling all of her senses. She was finally free to be herself and be among her kind once more. It was something she had looked forward to for so long, but now that the moment had come, it didn’t feel as fulfilling as she had expected.
Staring out the window of the hotel room in Cardiff that Jack had got for her, she felt isolated, like the people below were millions of miles away. None of them had suffered what she had gone through and none of them would ever know. Time had set itself right. But the year and a half she had spent with the Master still existed; it was a part of time now and something that couldn’t be reversed.
A soft knock on the door disturbed her from her thoughts and Rose turned from the window to answer the door. When she opened it, she found Jack standing out in the hallway, his clothes clean and his face scrubbed of dirt. He broke out into a grin, noticing she was wearing a simple dressing gown and nothing more.
Rose let him in, so familiar with his antics that she couldn’t help but smile as well. She had indulged in an extra long hot shower and though it had felt marvellous, it hadn’t done anything to wash away the melancholy that loomed.
“You doing okay?” asked Jack.
“I’m fine.” Rose tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair was long now, just as long as when she had first met the Doctor, but she didn’t feel any younger.
Jack didn’t buy the forced optimism in her voice. He reached out and took her hand. “Come on, you shouldn’t stay cooped up in here. Find some clothes. I’ll buy you dinner, treat you to a night on the town.”
She squeezed Jack’s hand. “Is he…?”
“Locked up tight in a Torchwood holding cell.” He let go of Rose’s hand and touched her gently on the side of her face. “He’s not going anywhere,” Jack said reassuringly.
She bit down on her lip as she felt her pent up tears well to the surface. It had been agony, being separated from Jack so soon after seeing him again. Rose enveloped Jack in her arms, pulling him close as she could. He embraced her, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
The kiss was like a catalyst. She tilted her head up and she kissed Jack passionately. Jack didn’t pull away and he returned her advances with equal fervour. Rose needed to feel connected to the world again. She needed to feel like a real person. No time machines, no Time Lords, no universal struggles.
And for one night she felt fulfilled.
Rose stared at the phone handset like it was some alien object. In truth, it almost was. During the year she travelled with Martha and the subsequent time she spent with the Master, she had no need to make any phone calls. Even before all that, she rarely had use for the phone in the flat. There were few people on Earth she kept in contact with and that had been her choice. Her life after the Battle of Canary Wharf just hadn’t fit with the life she had before meeting the Doctor.
But there was one person who would have noticed her absence, as minor as it seemed from an outsider’s perspective, and Rose felt an obligation to let her know she was all right. Pushing past her hesitancy, she dialled Sarah Jane’s number.
She shouldn’t have felt so awkward phoning, but once again, her world didn’t feel right. Sarah Jane would understand, of course, the complexities of time travel, but she hadn’t been through the nightmare of the Master’s reign. That timeline was gone and only a select few remembered.
The phone at the other end was picked up before Rose could change her mind. “Hello, Sarah Jane Smith’s residence,” greeted a vaguely familiar voice.
It took Rose a second to place the voice and when she did, it was the last person she expected. “Donna?”
“Rose?” replied Donna Noble, sounding just as surprised. The woman was so surprised, she dropped the phone. Or so Rose assumed when a loud clank and a screech of static travelled down the phone line. She cringed, but the noise passed quickly and she was left to listen to the commotion happening at the other side of the conversation.
“Why did you answer my phone?”
“It’s habit! You try ignoring a ringing phone after working reception.”
“Give it to me…” Rose heard footsteps then the receiver was put down. When the next voice sounded down the phone line, it sounded slightly hollow, like someone was speaking through a tin can. She hazarded she was on speaker phone. “Rose? Is that you?”
Hearing her friend’s voice for the first time in years nearly silenced Rose, but she swallowed back the rush of emotions. “It’s me, Sarah Jane.”
“Oh, Rose.” Relief flooded Sarah Jane’s voice. “You’re back.”
There was so much she wanted to say, but Rose found herself asking, “Why is Donna Noble answering your phone?”
Light laughter sounded from both women. “It’s a long story.”
“Where have you been?” asked Donna.
Rose sat down on the bed in her hotel room, her spirits slightly bolstered, but the dread of recounting her tale weighed heavily on her. She wasn’t quite ready to relive any part of it, but she had been avoiding the topic for a week now. Maybe now was finally the time. Why else would she have phoned Sarah Jane if not for a sympathetic ear?
“I’ve been… to the end of the universe and back.”
“Why Cardiff?” muttered Donna for at least the fourth time since they left London by train for Wales. Even after Martha had explained the best she could about the Rift, the woman still could not believe they had to head to Cardiff, of all places, to meet up with Rose.
Donna stared out the window as the train pulled into the station, looking as though she longed to be somewhere more exciting, like Paris or New York City. Martha had seen enough of planet Earth for a lifetime, but she could understand where Donna was coming from. After being in the TARDIS, it felt like you could go anywhere.
“You could have stayed in London,” suggested Sarah Jane.
“Are you kidding me? It was this or spending the weekend with my mother.”
They disembarked along with the rest of the train’s passengers and signs both in English and Welsh directed them off the platform. While Martha and Sarah Jane carried just an overnight bag, Donna lugged a large suitcase behind her, probably packing enough clothes to last her a few weeks. Sarah Jane had commented on the luggage the moment she saw it, saying Donna should have packed lighter, but Donna had insisted she wanted to be prepared for anything.
It was strange for Martha to watch these two women. She was a stranger to them, just the young woman who had gotten lost in space and time with Rose, but from her perspective, she knew them fairly well from the times they had plotted over the radio about bringing down the Master. An entire year of friendships and alliances were gone now. Sarah Jane and Donna had clearly gotten to know each other in the short time since they had met, but it wasn’t yet the easy friendship Martha had seen. She kept the thought to herself though. While Rose had explained everything they had been through, Martha felt she didn’t need to spout about things that would or would not be.
With Donna’s suitcase clacking nosily behind her, they made their way to the parking lot. Martha scanned the sea of vehicles and it didn’t take her long to spot their ride. Owen and Tosh were waiting outside the black SUV, happily chatting. “You two look cozy,” said Martha when she was close enough. She smiled at the pair. At least one relationship that had developed during the Master’s reign hadn’t ceased to be.
“You should see us when we’re not in public,” said Owen. Tosh’s face flushed at the comment and she elbowed Owen in the side. He grinned back at her and it proved to be infectious.
Martha was beyond grateful for everything Owen and Tosh had done for her. They had followed her without question, fading into the background so they would go unnoticed by the people fawning over the Famous Martha Jones, and when Martha asked them to destroy the paradox machine, they hadn’t hesitated. It seemed only right that the pair had ended up together.
After a brief round of introductions, they piled into the SUV and Owen drove them to the Bay area. Dropping their things at a nearby hotel overlooking the Plass, Martha and the others were taken to a rundown tourist information centre along the waterfront. The dank walls gave the room an unappealing air but it was quickly revealed that it was all just a front. The rear wall slid aside to expose a dimly lit concrete hallway. At the far end, they entered a lift that descended deep underground.
Martha was familiar with the Hub from the descriptions Owen and Tosh had given her during their travels, but hearing something be described was far from actually seeing it in person. When they stepped off the lift and the heavy circular door rolled aside, she was just as gobsmacked as Sarah Jane and Donna. That overwhelming awe of seeing something unbelievable, a feeling she hadn’t felt since first stepping inside of the TARDIS, enveloped Martha completely.
“Welcome to the Hub,” greeted Jack.
The Hub was bigger than Martha imagined and it was surprisingly well-furnished for an underground base. There were numerous high-tech computer consoles, a formal office at the back, and a small operating area off to the side. The sparkling spire that was the Water Tower above ground was the towering centre piece of the room. The fact that Martha couldn’t see the top of it told her how immense the room was.
Rose stood with Jack, Ianto, and Gwen around one of the computers and she broke out in a grin when she saw that everyone was here. Martha hung back as Rose introduced Sarah Jane and Donna to the rest of Torchwood and Jack responded with his standard flirtatious greeting. Sarah Jane seemed flattered but she casually blew off the advance. Donna on the other hand…
She flashed Jack a smile. “Got anything else impressive worth showing?”
“All kinds.”
Martha got the impression the two of them could have kept at this for days. Gwen helpfully nudged Jack in the shoulder and he reluctantly turned back to the reason they were here. Ianto, Gwen, Tosh, and Owen sat down at the neighbouring computer station, allowing everyone else to gather around the other computer. Finding a spot next to Rose, Martha asked quietly, “How are you doing?”
In their week since their return, they hadn’t spoken much. Martha was settling back into her life after their long absence and she felt slightly guilty she hadn’t been around for Rose. But her friend squeezed her arm reassuringly. “I’m okay.”
“I still can’t believe Harold Saxon is an alien.” Donna’s question shifted their attention back to the screen which showed security camera footage of the Master locked away in a cell somewhere in the Hub.
“What are you going to do with him?” asked Martha. Through the glass front of the cell she could see the Master scowling, like he knew they were watching him right that second.
“UNIT’s been demanding that we hand over the Master so he can be tried for his crimes.” Jack sounded less than enthused at the prospect.
“Locking him up didn’t work last time,” said Sarah Jane.
“You’ve met the Master?” asked Rose.
“No, but I heard about him when I was with UNIT. He hypnotized all of the guards to be under his command and then he escaped.”
Martha shuddered at the thought of the Master roaming free. “So if locking him up isn’t the answer, what is?”
“I’ve been stalling UNIT so far,” said Jack, “but they won’t hold off forever. If we want this done right, we have to make a decision now.”
On the screen, the Master paced the length of his cell. Martha knew she couldn’t condemn a man to death, no matter the circumstances, but she couldn’t speak for the others. She glanced at Rose, who stared silently at the screen. Martha wanted to believe her friend had the same sentiment, but there was something in her expression that made her think otherwise. A glimmer of uncertainty and hatred.
Despite her assurance, Rose Tyler seemed far from okay.
Rating: PG
Characters: Rose, Martha
Timeline: Season three
Summary: Season three AU; After a fateful visit to Royal Hope Hospital, Rose finds herself lost in time and space with medical student Martha Jones. As they struggle to find a way home, they meet old friends, and old enemies, along the way...
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. Any borrowed dialogue belongs to Russell T Davies and the BBC.
A/N: A sequel to "The Other Side". It's not necessary reading; it just sets up the premise that it was the Doctor who was trapped in Pete's World, not Rose. And a shout-out to my awesome betas: joking and quean_of_swords. This story wouldn't have been posted without you guys.
Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve. Chapter Thirteen. Chapter Fourteen. Chapter Fifteen. Chapter Sixteen. Chapter Seventeen. Chapter Eighteen. Chapter Nineteen. Chapter Twenty. Chapter Twenty-One. Chapter Twenty-Two. Chapter Twenty-Three. Chapter Twenty-Four. Chapter Twenty-Five. Chapter Twenty-Six. Chapter Twenty-Seven. Chapter Twenty-Eight.
She threw open the door, running through the front foyer like she had done so many times in the past. For a second, she was eight again, returning home from school with her sister and brother in tow. Martha called out for her mother as she ran into the kitchen, finally home after almost two years of travel.
Francine Jones put down the cup of tea she had been nursing and met her daughter in a tight embrace. They held each other fiercely and Martha was almost afraid to let go, like she would drift off again if she did.
“Martha, where have you been? You’ve been missing for almost a week.”
She tried to answer her mother’s question but the words became lodged in her throat. Only a week had passed from her mother’s perspective, since the day Martha ran after a group of space rhinos. It was a comfort to know it hadn’t been longer, but the worry and relief in the mother’s voice held greater depth in her mind, like they truly had been apart for more than a year.
“I was-”
“Is that Martha? Is she back?” The door to back garden opened and her father stepped inside, followed by her sister and brother. They all looked relieved to see her, but she was more surprised to see her family together.
“We were all worried sick about you,” said Francine, letting go of Martha so her father could embrace her.
She hugged her father before moving on to Tish and Leo. It was beyond amazing. Her parents had put aside their squabbling, their common worry bringing them together. It was impossible to tell how long the civility would last, but Martha would take it, even if it only lasted a few days.
Her family was alive and well and whole. It was all she needed right now.
It felt like ages since Rose had walked on solid ground, the smell of Earth filling all of her senses. She was finally free to be herself and be among her kind once more. It was something she had looked forward to for so long, but now that the moment had come, it didn’t feel as fulfilling as she had expected.
Staring out the window of the hotel room in Cardiff that Jack had got for her, she felt isolated, like the people below were millions of miles away. None of them had suffered what she had gone through and none of them would ever know. Time had set itself right. But the year and a half she had spent with the Master still existed; it was a part of time now and something that couldn’t be reversed.
A soft knock on the door disturbed her from her thoughts and Rose turned from the window to answer the door. When she opened it, she found Jack standing out in the hallway, his clothes clean and his face scrubbed of dirt. He broke out into a grin, noticing she was wearing a simple dressing gown and nothing more.
Rose let him in, so familiar with his antics that she couldn’t help but smile as well. She had indulged in an extra long hot shower and though it had felt marvellous, it hadn’t done anything to wash away the melancholy that loomed.
“You doing okay?” asked Jack.
“I’m fine.” Rose tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair was long now, just as long as when she had first met the Doctor, but she didn’t feel any younger.
Jack didn’t buy the forced optimism in her voice. He reached out and took her hand. “Come on, you shouldn’t stay cooped up in here. Find some clothes. I’ll buy you dinner, treat you to a night on the town.”
She squeezed Jack’s hand. “Is he…?”
“Locked up tight in a Torchwood holding cell.” He let go of Rose’s hand and touched her gently on the side of her face. “He’s not going anywhere,” Jack said reassuringly.
She bit down on her lip as she felt her pent up tears well to the surface. It had been agony, being separated from Jack so soon after seeing him again. Rose enveloped Jack in her arms, pulling him close as she could. He embraced her, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
The kiss was like a catalyst. She tilted her head up and she kissed Jack passionately. Jack didn’t pull away and he returned her advances with equal fervour. Rose needed to feel connected to the world again. She needed to feel like a real person. No time machines, no Time Lords, no universal struggles.
And for one night she felt fulfilled.
Rose stared at the phone handset like it was some alien object. In truth, it almost was. During the year she travelled with Martha and the subsequent time she spent with the Master, she had no need to make any phone calls. Even before all that, she rarely had use for the phone in the flat. There were few people on Earth she kept in contact with and that had been her choice. Her life after the Battle of Canary Wharf just hadn’t fit with the life she had before meeting the Doctor.
But there was one person who would have noticed her absence, as minor as it seemed from an outsider’s perspective, and Rose felt an obligation to let her know she was all right. Pushing past her hesitancy, she dialled Sarah Jane’s number.
She shouldn’t have felt so awkward phoning, but once again, her world didn’t feel right. Sarah Jane would understand, of course, the complexities of time travel, but she hadn’t been through the nightmare of the Master’s reign. That timeline was gone and only a select few remembered.
The phone at the other end was picked up before Rose could change her mind. “Hello, Sarah Jane Smith’s residence,” greeted a vaguely familiar voice.
It took Rose a second to place the voice and when she did, it was the last person she expected. “Donna?”
“Rose?” replied Donna Noble, sounding just as surprised. The woman was so surprised, she dropped the phone. Or so Rose assumed when a loud clank and a screech of static travelled down the phone line. She cringed, but the noise passed quickly and she was left to listen to the commotion happening at the other side of the conversation.
“Why did you answer my phone?”
“It’s habit! You try ignoring a ringing phone after working reception.”
“Give it to me…” Rose heard footsteps then the receiver was put down. When the next voice sounded down the phone line, it sounded slightly hollow, like someone was speaking through a tin can. She hazarded she was on speaker phone. “Rose? Is that you?”
Hearing her friend’s voice for the first time in years nearly silenced Rose, but she swallowed back the rush of emotions. “It’s me, Sarah Jane.”
“Oh, Rose.” Relief flooded Sarah Jane’s voice. “You’re back.”
There was so much she wanted to say, but Rose found herself asking, “Why is Donna Noble answering your phone?”
Light laughter sounded from both women. “It’s a long story.”
“Where have you been?” asked Donna.
Rose sat down on the bed in her hotel room, her spirits slightly bolstered, but the dread of recounting her tale weighed heavily on her. She wasn’t quite ready to relive any part of it, but she had been avoiding the topic for a week now. Maybe now was finally the time. Why else would she have phoned Sarah Jane if not for a sympathetic ear?
“I’ve been… to the end of the universe and back.”
“Why Cardiff?” muttered Donna for at least the fourth time since they left London by train for Wales. Even after Martha had explained the best she could about the Rift, the woman still could not believe they had to head to Cardiff, of all places, to meet up with Rose.
Donna stared out the window as the train pulled into the station, looking as though she longed to be somewhere more exciting, like Paris or New York City. Martha had seen enough of planet Earth for a lifetime, but she could understand where Donna was coming from. After being in the TARDIS, it felt like you could go anywhere.
“You could have stayed in London,” suggested Sarah Jane.
“Are you kidding me? It was this or spending the weekend with my mother.”
They disembarked along with the rest of the train’s passengers and signs both in English and Welsh directed them off the platform. While Martha and Sarah Jane carried just an overnight bag, Donna lugged a large suitcase behind her, probably packing enough clothes to last her a few weeks. Sarah Jane had commented on the luggage the moment she saw it, saying Donna should have packed lighter, but Donna had insisted she wanted to be prepared for anything.
It was strange for Martha to watch these two women. She was a stranger to them, just the young woman who had gotten lost in space and time with Rose, but from her perspective, she knew them fairly well from the times they had plotted over the radio about bringing down the Master. An entire year of friendships and alliances were gone now. Sarah Jane and Donna had clearly gotten to know each other in the short time since they had met, but it wasn’t yet the easy friendship Martha had seen. She kept the thought to herself though. While Rose had explained everything they had been through, Martha felt she didn’t need to spout about things that would or would not be.
With Donna’s suitcase clacking nosily behind her, they made their way to the parking lot. Martha scanned the sea of vehicles and it didn’t take her long to spot their ride. Owen and Tosh were waiting outside the black SUV, happily chatting. “You two look cozy,” said Martha when she was close enough. She smiled at the pair. At least one relationship that had developed during the Master’s reign hadn’t ceased to be.
“You should see us when we’re not in public,” said Owen. Tosh’s face flushed at the comment and she elbowed Owen in the side. He grinned back at her and it proved to be infectious.
Martha was beyond grateful for everything Owen and Tosh had done for her. They had followed her without question, fading into the background so they would go unnoticed by the people fawning over the Famous Martha Jones, and when Martha asked them to destroy the paradox machine, they hadn’t hesitated. It seemed only right that the pair had ended up together.
After a brief round of introductions, they piled into the SUV and Owen drove them to the Bay area. Dropping their things at a nearby hotel overlooking the Plass, Martha and the others were taken to a rundown tourist information centre along the waterfront. The dank walls gave the room an unappealing air but it was quickly revealed that it was all just a front. The rear wall slid aside to expose a dimly lit concrete hallway. At the far end, they entered a lift that descended deep underground.
Martha was familiar with the Hub from the descriptions Owen and Tosh had given her during their travels, but hearing something be described was far from actually seeing it in person. When they stepped off the lift and the heavy circular door rolled aside, she was just as gobsmacked as Sarah Jane and Donna. That overwhelming awe of seeing something unbelievable, a feeling she hadn’t felt since first stepping inside of the TARDIS, enveloped Martha completely.
“Welcome to the Hub,” greeted Jack.
The Hub was bigger than Martha imagined and it was surprisingly well-furnished for an underground base. There were numerous high-tech computer consoles, a formal office at the back, and a small operating area off to the side. The sparkling spire that was the Water Tower above ground was the towering centre piece of the room. The fact that Martha couldn’t see the top of it told her how immense the room was.
Rose stood with Jack, Ianto, and Gwen around one of the computers and she broke out in a grin when she saw that everyone was here. Martha hung back as Rose introduced Sarah Jane and Donna to the rest of Torchwood and Jack responded with his standard flirtatious greeting. Sarah Jane seemed flattered but she casually blew off the advance. Donna on the other hand…
She flashed Jack a smile. “Got anything else impressive worth showing?”
“All kinds.”
Martha got the impression the two of them could have kept at this for days. Gwen helpfully nudged Jack in the shoulder and he reluctantly turned back to the reason they were here. Ianto, Gwen, Tosh, and Owen sat down at the neighbouring computer station, allowing everyone else to gather around the other computer. Finding a spot next to Rose, Martha asked quietly, “How are you doing?”
In their week since their return, they hadn’t spoken much. Martha was settling back into her life after their long absence and she felt slightly guilty she hadn’t been around for Rose. But her friend squeezed her arm reassuringly. “I’m okay.”
“I still can’t believe Harold Saxon is an alien.” Donna’s question shifted their attention back to the screen which showed security camera footage of the Master locked away in a cell somewhere in the Hub.
“What are you going to do with him?” asked Martha. Through the glass front of the cell she could see the Master scowling, like he knew they were watching him right that second.
“UNIT’s been demanding that we hand over the Master so he can be tried for his crimes.” Jack sounded less than enthused at the prospect.
“Locking him up didn’t work last time,” said Sarah Jane.
“You’ve met the Master?” asked Rose.
“No, but I heard about him when I was with UNIT. He hypnotized all of the guards to be under his command and then he escaped.”
Martha shuddered at the thought of the Master roaming free. “So if locking him up isn’t the answer, what is?”
“I’ve been stalling UNIT so far,” said Jack, “but they won’t hold off forever. If we want this done right, we have to make a decision now.”
On the screen, the Master paced the length of his cell. Martha knew she couldn’t condemn a man to death, no matter the circumstances, but she couldn’t speak for the others. She glanced at Rose, who stared silently at the screen. Martha wanted to believe her friend had the same sentiment, but there was something in her expression that made her think otherwise. A glimmer of uncertainty and hatred.
Despite her assurance, Rose Tyler seemed far from okay.