Dazzling sunlight shone down, the pale yellow orb high overhead in the clear blue sky. Waves of heat shimmered in front of her eyes as they walked towards the immense brick structure. Rose took in her surroundings, admiring the lovely homes as she hastened to keep up. Her boots clicked on the sidewalk as she followed the Doctor's brisk pace.
The Doctor had suggested a trip to the World's Fair in 1862 and she had jumped at the chance. She hadn't seen Victorian London and was excited at the prospect. Upon landing, however, it was clear that they were not in London- or even England. The TARDIS had overshot by twenty years or so, and they ended up in America; Louisville, Kentucky, to be more precise. Odder still, they were only a block from Southern Exposition.
"Still part of the World's Fair!" he grinned, and ushered her out the door.
The instant she'd stepped out of the ship, she knew it wasn't going to be nearly as much fun as she'd hoped. It was August- and America was hot. The warmth was intensified by layer upon layer of clothing- drawers, chemise, petticoats, a corset, a bustle, stockings, boots, and a dress over it all. She sighed softly, pressing on. If other women had done this, she could too. It was only for a day.
The Doctor had even given up his jacket and jumper for the occasion and looked rather dapper in a charcoal gray suit and white dress shirt. She smiled when she saw him.
"You look very handsome, Doctor," she'd teased, poking her tongue through her teeth as she giggled.
"Oi. I'm dressed appropriately for the period, Rose." He looked down, brushing at the arm of his jacket.
She smiled.
~OOoOO~
They paid the nominal fee to get through the gate and filed in with the other guests. The brick building was brightly lit by row after row of incandescent light bulbs. She listened as the crowd oohed and ahhed over the electric lights, marveling at the sight of so many in one room. The hallways stretched out to the right and left, as well as straight ahead. Despite the size of the building, the incandescent lighting mixed with throngs of people left the place stifling hot. Rose pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her brow. Sweat trickled down the back of her neck and she felt slightly breathless from the corset.
The Doctor smiled. "Which way, then, Rose?" he asked.
"Um, straight ahead?" She tucked her handkerchief back into her pocket.
"Well then, off we go!"
After an hour of milling through the hallways, they stepped out into one of the four main courtyards. The sun still glared overhead, but a light breeze was blowing and she felt the tiniest bit better. The sound of running water made her turn around and an immense and rather glorious fountain made her smile.
"Can we?" she asked, pointing towards the spray.
"Getting too warm?" he asked, concerned. "Your cheeks are red."
She shook her head. "I'll be alright. But can we?"
"Lead the way."
She stood at the edge of the fountain, cool water lightly misting her face. The tiny droplets did wonders to boost her morale. After fifteen minutes of pure bliss, she turned and smiled, ready to go back.
It was nearly four in the afternoon by the time they'd finished walking through and viewing the different displays. Rose had enjoyed the art exhibit the most, spending far too much time studying the paintings and sculptures. The milling had been interesting, but very noisy and incredibly hot. By the time they'd surveyed the entire 13 acre complex, she felt off. She huffed a little and dabbed more at her face. Her handkerchief was damp from use.
"You feelin' alright, Rose?" the Doctor asked, his forehead crinkled.
She hated seeing him worried about her. She'd be alright- just as soon as they got back to the ship she could remove all the layers and she'd be back to normal. "Just warm, yeah? I'll be fine."
"Sit down over here for a minute. I'll get you a drink."
She shook her head. "Don't bother, Doctor, I'll be alright."
He placed his hand on her lower back and guided her to a bench. "Sit down. Rest for a bit." He gently pressed a hand against her cheek. "Your temperature is up, Rose. Stay still. I mean it. I'll be right back."
She watched as he strode away in the charcoal suit and wondered if he was angry that she was ruining an otherwise lovely outing. The bright electric lights overhead buzzed quietly and she could feel heat pouring off of them. The crowd had thinned considerably, likely due to the intensity of the sun. She'd overheard a man say it was 93 degrees…she wasn't sure what the translated to in centigrade, but it didn't matter. It was hot; sweltering hot and humid. Despite the Doctor's request, she had to get up and move. The corset was impossibly restrictive, and sitting down made it worse. She stood quickly and panicked slightly when her vision started to double. It passed after a minute and she walked over to the wall, bracing herself with her hand for support.
"I told you to stay sitting down," the Doctor said, walking up behind her.
"Sorry…sorry. It's just hard to breathe in this thing," she said, indicating her abdomen.
"What thing?"
She sighed. "Forget it."
He pressed a cup into her hands. She took one sip and pushed the glass away, wrinkling her nose. It was lemonade: lukewarm, sickeningly sweet, and not at all fizzy.
"'M sorry, but I can't drink that."
He took an experimental sip. "It's not that bad, Rose. C'mon, you need to drink something. It's hot- you need to replace fluids."
Sighing heavily, she picked up the glass and took another sip. Nausea added to the dizziness and she felt faint.
"Can we go back to the TARDIS?" she asked softly.
When he agreed, she sighed in relief. With a renewed sense of purpose, she closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and slowly started walking behind him.
Ten steps, Rose. Ten steps to the door. You can do that. Good. Now, ten more…ten more to the front gate. Focus. Focus. You'll be home soon and get out of this get up and be fine. Now, keep up, stay with him. Don't let him suspect anything is wrong. You'll never hear the end of it.
She managed to keep up with him for half of a block before she grew too dizzy and her steps faltered. Her hands flew out for purchase, but nothing was to grasp hold of. Her vision darkened around the edges and her heart was beating so fast, she wondered if it would burst. She tripped, her vision blurred, and the world went black.
The Doctor spun around just in time to see his companion fall to the ground.
"Rose?" He knelt down to where she lay on the sidewalk. "Rose? Are you alright?" He touched her cheek and sucked in a breath. She was hot- so very hot.
A passerby stopped. "Everything all right, sir?" he asked, concerned.
"She's fainted," he said quickly. "I don't know how I could have been so stupid and kept her out in this blasted heat so long."
"There is a hospital- four blocks that way," he said, pointing to the left. "I could summon a carriage?"
The Doctor shook his head. "I'm a physician. I just need to get her home. It's not far." He picked up Rose off the sidewalk and gave the man a smile. "Thanks."
"I do hope she will make a full recovery," he said softly, as he turned away.
He smiled and gave a nod. "Thank you."
Turning back to Rose, he touched her cheek again- temperature was right around 40; dangerous. He sighed and scooped her up in his arms. Her eyes opened just as he picked her up.
"I'm taking you back to the TARDIS, Rose. You'll be feelin' better again soon."
"'S hot," she mumbled. "Can't take a good breath."
She was in and out of consciousness as he walked the block back to the ship. The TARDIS opened the door as soon as he approached and he thanked her, carrying Rose to the infirmary.
The cool air of the ship hit her and she gave a contented little sigh when he carried her in. He put her down on an exam couch and turned away, searching for a pair of shears.
Rose opened her eyes. Bright lights shone overhead, but the air was cool. How long had she been on the ground? She pushed herself up, swaying back and forth. Her vision still grew dark at the sides, but the air was cooler, anyway. She wished he was there with her. She loved it when he held her hand.
He'd just pulled what he needed out of a drawer when he heard her stirring behind him. The Doctor slid the scissors in his pocket and walked back to Rose. "Just stay still. I'm going to get you cooled down, Rose."
"You're here. I thought you weren't." She paused a moment. "I need to get changed."
He licked his lips nervously. "Yes, I'm right here. C'mon. Let me help you."
"'Kay."
Carefully, he pulled out a pair of trauma shears from his pocket and cut the beautiful lawn dress off of Rose. It fell softly to the floor. He cut away two petticoats and a wire bustle, tossing the ruined garments to the ground. Heat radiated from Rose's body and he groaned when he saw the corset.
"Why did you wear this bloody contraption?" he asked, astonished. It was no wonder she hadn't been able to breathe. In fact, it was a miracle she hadn't overheated sooner.
She didn't respond, and when he looked up, her head was lolled to the side. She'd lost consciousness again.
Quickly, using the trauma shears, he cut the corset strings in the back, freeing her body from the constricting undergarment. Her chemise was sweat-soaked underneath. She was in real danger. He removed her boots and stockings and turned around, striding over to the bathing area. Within five minutes, the tub was full of cool, but not cold, water. He picked up her limp body and carried her over, submerging her in the bath, camisole, bloomers, and all.
Her eyes flew open and she gasped.
"It's alright, Rose. You're too hot and I have to cool you down."
"We're not outside," she choked out.
"No, we're back in the TARDIS now."
The water was cool; delightfully cool. She closed her eyes and leaned against the porcelain. "Okay."
He watched her carefully, pulling her out of the bath after twenty minutes or so. Her heart rate had slowed and her temperature had dropped to just under 38 degrees. She would be okay; this time.
~OOoOO~
Rose woke in a strange bed, dressed in a cotton nightgown that she knew she hadn't put on. She blinked, trying to remember what had happened. An IV bag hung above her head and she watched it drip steadily for a time before turning her head.
The Doctor was sitting beside her, back to his jumper and leather jacket. She smiled. He looked much more himself this way.
"You're you again," she said softly, running a finger along the lapel of his jacket.
He smiled. "Jumper?" he pulled on the green v-neck, "jacket? Daft old face? Yep. Must be me."
She smiled. "I like your face."
His thumb stroked her cheek. "And I like yours."
"So…so I'm okay now?"
He sucked in a breath. "Will be. I started an IV to help fight off dehydration. Your temperature is slowly dropping. You'll need to stay in bed for a few days." He raised an eyebrow. "No arguments on that one."
She felt exhausted. "'S fine."
"I'm sorry."
"Why?"
"I didn't notice how warm you were. We were walking around all that time in the heat, and I didn't think twice about it. Bit thick, me."
"But that's not your fault," she argued. "You couldn't have known."
"Yes," he said seriously. "Yes, I could. If I'd stopped starin' about at everything and draggin' you from place to place, this wouldn't have happened. I'm sorry, Rose."
She scoffed. "I should have told you how dizzy I was getting…and that things were starting to go dark around the edges. It's more my fault than yours."
He squeezed her hand. "You scared me. I could have lost you today…"
She licked her lips. "But I'm still here. Right here with you, Doctor. 'M never leaving you."
He kissed the top of her forehead. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that, Rose Tyler."