Part 02 - Chapter 19 - And Found
The TARDIS Verity has been frantically trying to get back to Woman Wept but no matter what she does it doesn’t seem to be moving her any faster to her goal. Panic has truly set in; she knows it has been close to three hours now since the sun set and all she can do now is hope that somehow her Theta has found a way to shelter their fragile human. She doesn’t know how, but she does know that if he hasn’t when she does get back it’s not going to be pretty.
Suddenly surrounding her is a sensation like every circuit in her body has been hooked up to high voltage. The only sensation that has ever even come close to this was when the White Guardian had come to her in those dark days immediately after the destruction.
Then everything is a mixture of color sensation and energy. She hangs, dazed, in space for long minutes after the intense disorientation. Seeing immediately when she comes to her senses what is below her. Rechecking her sensors she can hardly believe where she is; there below her is Woman Wept, somehow it seems so very fitting all of a sudden, crying in the darkness. What must her Theta think of her abandoning him and Rose to the darkness and cold? How is she going to explain to him her sudden disappearance when even she isn’t sure what has happened?
She can’t spend any more time worrying about what might have happened or what will happen, she knows she has to get down there and find out. From there she will figure out what to do next.
The Doctor gasps in relief as suddenly he feels Verity materialize close enough that he can feel her presence again and immediately shivers when he gets no response from his mental query. Moments later though he is washed with an immense relief that he knows isn’t entirely his. ‘Verity!’ his joy is immediately muted at the almost imperceptible noise Rose makes. Her body temperature has dropped dangerously low and not too long ago she reached the point where she was no longer even shivering in spite of his best efforts to keep her warm. The oxygen is also beginning to get very thin. He knows he doesn’t have time for any kind of reunion, happy or otherwise, until Rose is safely away from here. Very slowly he stands up and moves as close to the wall as space will allow. ‘Verity, these are the coordinates and dimensions of the space were in. Can you set down just in front me so we can get in the door?’
‘Yes, but it will be very tight, the risk of damaging your refuge will be high, I’m unsure how it will handle the additional shaking of the materialization.’ At her words she can feel his horror at exposing Rose to the outside cold no matter how briefly so she hurries on before that feeling can turn into full fledged panic. ‘Would it not be better for me to materialize around you?’ His relief at that suggestion is tangible and she immediately begins to act on the suggested plan.
Moments later the Doctor finds Rose and himself in the main console room of the TARDIS. Never has she looked so beautiful, in spite of the sudden strain on his eyes from going from the complete darkness of their underground space to the fully lit TARDIS interior. Noticing immediately the strain on Theta’s face she dims the lights, at the same time she is moving the med bay so that it opens directly into the console room, her every sense is telling her that Rose is in critical condition from both hypothermia and oxygen deprivation.
The Doctor doesn’t hesitate, moving to the med bay like death himself is chasing after him unconsciously warping the time in his direct vicinity. Ever so gently he puts Rose down on the first bed he comes too. The irony that it is the same one that she had pulled him too but a day and a half earlier is not lost on him, but it is ignored, as he moves rapidly, placing a warm steam vapor oxygen mask on her in order to help warm up her core temperature faster as well as increase the oxygen saturation levels in her blood. Next is to get most of the chilled clothes off; quickly he strips her down to her knickers, wrapping her ever so gently in the warmed thermal blankets that Verity provides. He watches her with a critical eye, as he threads an IV containing warmed fluids into her chilled arm. Between the head injury, the broken leg and her heat and oxygen deficits, fear still is still clutching at his hearts. He has to fight the fear that even after finally achieving the sanctuary of the TARDIS he will still lose her in spite of her improving color.
Moments later Rose begins to shiver convulsively. He so wants to hold her in his arms but knows that his own body temperature is still far to cold to provide any value to her. He recognizes and is glad for the extra warmth Verity has pumped into the room. As he too begins to shiver he finally has to acknowledge how cold he has become and grabbing another warm thermal blanket he wraps it around himself as he continues to work on stabilizing and treating Rose. Next is the head injury and he quickly retrieves the device that will repair the concussion she sustained. After setting and treating her broken leg all that is left to do is wait. He hates waiting.
For a long time he just stands there, just watching her, his amazing Rose. Never had he suspected that she was an empath but after her reactions when he had shielded her from his emotions there was no question in his mind that was exactly what she is. He knows he should have recognized it a long time ago, all the signs were there; the way she always seemed to know exactly when he needed to talk and when he just needed to think about something else, the way her moods so often mirrored his own. So many little hints and he had missed them all. He wonders if she even knows that there is a name for what she is. He also has to know how long Verity has known.
In response to his unspoken question she replies, ‘I have known since that very first trip.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘She didn’t want you to know; she was afraid. She didn’t know how you would react.’
“Doctor?” Rose’s quiet call ends the discussion.
“I’m here Rose, you’re safe now.”
“You’re hurt.”
Thinking she is confused he says “No, you were hurt Rose, remember you hit your head when you fell,” he says ever so gently.
“And I broke my leg too, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but that’s all better now, you will just need to go gently for a couple of days,” trying to make light if it he says, “So that means no climbing walls, running away from bad guys or jumping rope okay?”
“’k.” She says with a weak smile “But you need to take care of yourself.”
“I have, see, nice warm blanket. Nice and toasty now,” he said gently, flapping the blanket he has about his shoulders.
“Don’t avoid the topic, Doctor, you know that’s not what I mean. I mean those,” she says, slightly irate, pointing to his face.
Confused he reaches up to touch his face, only to wince when his fingers come in contact with a number of small cuts.
“See, you’re so busy saving the world you can’t take care of yourself.”
Quietly he replies avoiding her gaze, “Guess it’s a good thing you’re around then.”
Responding cheerfully and emphatically she says, “Guess it’s a good thing then you’re stuck with me then.” At the enthusiasm in her voice he can’t help but look up at her beautiful beaming smile nor can he help but smile himself in return.
“All right you big lug, enough delaying, go get the dermal regenerator.”
Chapter 20 - Coming to Terms (PG) or (R)
Moving Forward Index 1
Suddenly surrounding her is a sensation like every circuit in her body has been hooked up to high voltage. The only sensation that has ever even come close to this was when the White Guardian had come to her in those dark days immediately after the destruction.
Then everything is a mixture of color sensation and energy. She hangs, dazed, in space for long minutes after the intense disorientation. Seeing immediately when she comes to her senses what is below her. Rechecking her sensors she can hardly believe where she is; there below her is Woman Wept, somehow it seems so very fitting all of a sudden, crying in the darkness. What must her Theta think of her abandoning him and Rose to the darkness and cold? How is she going to explain to him her sudden disappearance when even she isn’t sure what has happened?
She can’t spend any more time worrying about what might have happened or what will happen, she knows she has to get down there and find out. From there she will figure out what to do next.
The Doctor gasps in relief as suddenly he feels Verity materialize close enough that he can feel her presence again and immediately shivers when he gets no response from his mental query. Moments later though he is washed with an immense relief that he knows isn’t entirely his. ‘Verity!’ his joy is immediately muted at the almost imperceptible noise Rose makes. Her body temperature has dropped dangerously low and not too long ago she reached the point where she was no longer even shivering in spite of his best efforts to keep her warm. The oxygen is also beginning to get very thin. He knows he doesn’t have time for any kind of reunion, happy or otherwise, until Rose is safely away from here. Very slowly he stands up and moves as close to the wall as space will allow. ‘Verity, these are the coordinates and dimensions of the space were in. Can you set down just in front me so we can get in the door?’
‘Yes, but it will be very tight, the risk of damaging your refuge will be high, I’m unsure how it will handle the additional shaking of the materialization.’ At her words she can feel his horror at exposing Rose to the outside cold no matter how briefly so she hurries on before that feeling can turn into full fledged panic. ‘Would it not be better for me to materialize around you?’ His relief at that suggestion is tangible and she immediately begins to act on the suggested plan.
Moments later the Doctor finds Rose and himself in the main console room of the TARDIS. Never has she looked so beautiful, in spite of the sudden strain on his eyes from going from the complete darkness of their underground space to the fully lit TARDIS interior. Noticing immediately the strain on Theta’s face she dims the lights, at the same time she is moving the med bay so that it opens directly into the console room, her every sense is telling her that Rose is in critical condition from both hypothermia and oxygen deprivation.
The Doctor doesn’t hesitate, moving to the med bay like death himself is chasing after him unconsciously warping the time in his direct vicinity. Ever so gently he puts Rose down on the first bed he comes too. The irony that it is the same one that she had pulled him too but a day and a half earlier is not lost on him, but it is ignored, as he moves rapidly, placing a warm steam vapor oxygen mask on her in order to help warm up her core temperature faster as well as increase the oxygen saturation levels in her blood. Next is to get most of the chilled clothes off; quickly he strips her down to her knickers, wrapping her ever so gently in the warmed thermal blankets that Verity provides. He watches her with a critical eye, as he threads an IV containing warmed fluids into her chilled arm. Between the head injury, the broken leg and her heat and oxygen deficits, fear still is still clutching at his hearts. He has to fight the fear that even after finally achieving the sanctuary of the TARDIS he will still lose her in spite of her improving color.
Moments later Rose begins to shiver convulsively. He so wants to hold her in his arms but knows that his own body temperature is still far to cold to provide any value to her. He recognizes and is glad for the extra warmth Verity has pumped into the room. As he too begins to shiver he finally has to acknowledge how cold he has become and grabbing another warm thermal blanket he wraps it around himself as he continues to work on stabilizing and treating Rose. Next is the head injury and he quickly retrieves the device that will repair the concussion she sustained. After setting and treating her broken leg all that is left to do is wait. He hates waiting.
For a long time he just stands there, just watching her, his amazing Rose. Never had he suspected that she was an empath but after her reactions when he had shielded her from his emotions there was no question in his mind that was exactly what she is. He knows he should have recognized it a long time ago, all the signs were there; the way she always seemed to know exactly when he needed to talk and when he just needed to think about something else, the way her moods so often mirrored his own. So many little hints and he had missed them all. He wonders if she even knows that there is a name for what she is. He also has to know how long Verity has known.
In response to his unspoken question she replies, ‘I have known since that very first trip.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘She didn’t want you to know; she was afraid. She didn’t know how you would react.’
“Doctor?” Rose’s quiet call ends the discussion.
“I’m here Rose, you’re safe now.”
“You’re hurt.”
Thinking she is confused he says “No, you were hurt Rose, remember you hit your head when you fell,” he says ever so gently.
“And I broke my leg too, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but that’s all better now, you will just need to go gently for a couple of days,” trying to make light if it he says, “So that means no climbing walls, running away from bad guys or jumping rope okay?”
“’k.” She says with a weak smile “But you need to take care of yourself.”
“I have, see, nice warm blanket. Nice and toasty now,” he said gently, flapping the blanket he has about his shoulders.
“Don’t avoid the topic, Doctor, you know that’s not what I mean. I mean those,” she says, slightly irate, pointing to his face.
Confused he reaches up to touch his face, only to wince when his fingers come in contact with a number of small cuts.
“See, you’re so busy saving the world you can’t take care of yourself.”
Quietly he replies avoiding her gaze, “Guess it’s a good thing you’re around then.”
Responding cheerfully and emphatically she says, “Guess it’s a good thing then you’re stuck with me then.” At the enthusiasm in her voice he can’t help but look up at her beautiful beaming smile nor can he help but smile himself in return.
“All right you big lug, enough delaying, go get the dermal regenerator.”
Chapter 20 - Coming to Terms (PG) or (R)
Moving Forward Index 1