The Doctor bolted upright with a harsh inhalation, relaxing a few seconds later as he recognized the TARDIS's medbay. "Rose?" he gasped.
A rather irritated looking ex-Time Agent nodded toward the next bed, where Rose lay, asleep or unconscious, her hands encased in mitts filled with medicinal gel.
The Doctor glanced wildly around the room again, as if to reassure himself of their location. "How?" he rasped out.
"Rose went back for you," Jack informed him grimly. "She clawed her way through the debris with her bare hands until she found you, and dragged you halfway back here."
"Halfway?"
Jack filled a glass with water and extended it, none too graciously. "I went back for her."
The Time Lord gulped down the water. "Thank you."
"Don't do that again."
"I needed to know that she was safe."
"Then say that. Don't try to trick her or push her away."
The Doctor sighed and slid down from the medical bed. "How is she?"
"Exhausted, mostly. You're no lightweight, you know. Her hands were scraped pretty raw, but the gel should fix that right up. I need a shower," Jack continued, gesturing to the grey dust streaking his clothing and hair. "You need to think about what you want to say to Rose when she wakes up. I'd suggest groveling."
The Doctor nodded, then he turned to the sink, and tried to scrub some of the filth from his hands. He moistened a flannel in warm water, then began to gently sponge the dirt from Rose's face. He pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "My precious girl. I only ever wanted to keep you safe, but I cocked it up, didn't I? D'you think I could try again?" The words were whispered into her hair, and he didn't notice that her eyes had fluttered open.
"Only if you promise never to do that again," Rose murmured.
"I can't. I promised your mother that I'd keep you safe. And…I can't lose you. Can't."
Rose tried to raise her hand, then let it fall back to the bed in frustration. "Don't you understand? You're precious to me, too, an' I'll never leave you."
He parted his lips to tell her that never was a very long time, but there was a certain stubborn gleam in her eyes that made him wonder just how much Rose Tyler might accomplish through sheer force of will.
It was some time later, and the healing gel had worked its medical magic, and Rose had bathed away the grime of the day. She was tucked up beneath her pink satin coverlet, golden hair spread across her pillows. The Doctor thought she looked like an angel. He knew then that keeping her safe was more important than anything else - even keeping her beside him. He could go on, if he knew she was safe and alive somewhere. Her death would break him. Mouth set in a grim line, he silently left her room, contemplating the words of the message he needed to record.