Rose opened her eyes slowly, wrinkling her nose. An all too familiar ache was waking her. Groggily, she laid a hand over her abdomen, sighing softly. It'd be that time of the month again, then. She stretched, hearing her back crack in two spots as she did so. The dull ache turned into a dull throb.
She closed her eyes and laid a hand just below her stomach. Note to self: don't do that again. There was no paracetamol in her room and wasn't really up for a round of the Doctor questioning why she wanted it. The bedside clock read 1:13.
Sleep lulled at the back of her mind, despite the discomfort. Maybe if she ignored it, she would fall back asleep. Rose closed her eyes tightly, rolling herself into a small ball in the bed, pulling the duvet up around her shoulders.
Within five minutes, she knew it wasn't going to work. If anything, the aching was worse. Her vest had become tangled around her waist and she straightened it, along with the sleep shorts.
She huffed softly, licking her lips. Tea; maybe tea would help. She pulled on an old, soft terry robe and padded down the hall in her slippers to the kitchen. After putting the kettle on, Rose sat down, her left hand propping her head up and her right gently rubbing small circles below her stomach.
The kettle whistled and she turned to get it when the Doctor strode in. He did a double take upon seeing her at the table.
"What you doin' up so late, Rose?" he asked, his brow crinkling. "You should have been in bed ages ago."
She poured a mug for herself, then reached up and grabbed a cup for him. He nodded slightly and she filled it, sitting both hot drinks on the table.
"I was in bed, but I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep. Thought tea might help," she said truthfully.
"Not tired, then?" he asked cheerfully. "I can take us somewhere- loads of planets out there, just waiting for us."
His blue eyes crinkled around the edges when he smiled so hard, she thought to herself.
She placed her hand on his leather jacket. "I should probably try to get a little more sleep first. I'm not really up for running for my life at the moment, Doctor." She smiled lightly, sipping her tea.
"Ahh." He said, simply.
She nodded.
They sat in comfortable silence for a time, each sipping their tea, Rose wishing the cramping would dissipate and the Time Lord contemplating the repairs he'd taken a break from on the TARDIS. Finally, Rose took the last sip of her drink and stood up, placing her empty mug in the sink.
Turning back towards him, she off-handedly remarked, "Do you happen to have any paracetamol on board?"
His eyebrows raised. "What's wrong? You're not feeling well?" he asked.
"'M okay, just could use a little paracetamol, if you've got any."
His face showed concern. "Is that why you're up? The pain was bad enough to wake you?"
She grimaced. This was not going well. Rose shook her head. "'S nothing, forget about it."
He stood up, his black leather jacket creaking slightly as he moved. Standing next to Rose, he raised his hand to her forehead. "No fever," he murmured.
She took two steps back. "Of course there's no fever. I'm not ill." She stood a little straighter, her abdomen aching in protest. "I'm just fine, see?"
He put his hands on his hips. "If you were fine, Rose, you wouldn't be asking for pain medication. Out with it. What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"No," she said softly. "I know what's causing it- 's nothing to worry about. I'm fine. Promise."
He took her wrist in his hand, gently resting his fingers along her pulse point. "Heart rates up a bit," he said with a small frown.
Rose jerked her wrist away. "Doctor. Look at me," she said, wincing slightly. "I. Am. Fine." She said, annunciating each word.
He huffed, scowling slightly. "You've said that a number of times, Rose. Can't help but think of Hamlet. The lady doth protest too much," he said, smiling tightly.
She turned and grabbed his jacket. "Hey. I'm okay, yeah? 'S just…just personal."
He turned his head. "Personal? Rose, what's the problem? Just want to help, me. Humans aren't the sturdiest lot out there. Wish you'd just come out with it and tell me, already."
She inhaled sharply, looking at the floor. "I know what it is. It's not serious."
He rolled his eyes and huffed again. "If you need medication, something's not right."
He picked up her hand and squeezed it. "Just tell me. I can help. You're probably right- it's probably nothing, but I'd rather know for sure. The TARDIS is pretty good at filtering things out, but you could have picked up something on a planet or…"
Rose sighed, and ducked her head down. "Doctor. I'm not sick. 'S just from my monthly. Just cramps…it's uncomfortable, is all." Rose looked up, her cheeks turning pink.
He sighed. "Well why didn't you just say so in the first place? Could've had the tablets taken and been tucked back into bed with a heating pad by now. Come on, med bay's this way."
Rose followed him down the corridor, dragging her feet; all this for a couple tablets. She bit her lip and walked into the slightly medicinal smell of the infirmary. The Doctor's boots thudded dully on the floor as she padded behind him in her slippers. He rummaged through a few cabinets before pulling out a heating pad. He slipped it under his arm while digging through the pockets of his leather jacket. The sonic appeared and he quickly changed the setting before aiming it at the heating pad.
"Here's this," he said softly. "I'll just get you the paracetamol and you should be feeling better soon."
Rose bit her lip; she thought he'd be upset about her inferior human biology or tease her for being female. He'd been nothing short of kind, respectful, and caring. "Thank you," she managed to squeak out before he turned his attention to finding the pain medicine.
He handed her the tablets and a glass of water. "Promise me you'll let me know if this doesn't help or if the cramping gets worse. I can always run a scan or give you a quick check if something seems off."
Her eyes widened and her face turned pink. "I'll be fine," she mumbled.
Obviously she wasn't comfortable with the idea, so he hastily threw in, "Or I can take you somewhere to have you checked. I don't want you to be afraid to tell me if something's wrong."
Still blushing, she nodded.
He sighed. Humans.
"Come on," he said wearily, "let's get you back to bed."
He followed her down the hallway. "I can make it back to my room just fine," she said teasingly.
She was rewarded with a grin. "I'd hope so, Rose Tyler." He grabbed her hand and squeezed. "'M sorry you're not feelin' well. I just want to help. I don't want you to feel like you can't come to me if there's something wrong- even if you're embarrassed or…
Rose scoffed a little. "I'm a big girl, Doctor. I can take care of myself. 'M not going to come running like a child every time I get a scratch."
He stopped abruptly. "You don't seem to understand… I mean what I said, Rose. Humans. You're so…so…"
Her face tensed. "Stupid?" she offered up bitterly.
He squeezed her hand. "Fragile," he replied softly. "I don't want anything to happen to you. C'mon- back to bed."
Her face fell and she felt ashamed. "Yeah, okay," she replied, following him.
The Doctor straightened the duvet she'd managed to twist around and helped her climb back into bed. He handed her the heating pad, which she accepted gratefully, laying it gingerly on her abdomen.
"All comfy?" he asked.
"Yes thanks," she replied tiredly.
He kissed her forehead and stood up, turning to leave.
"Doctor?" she said softly.
"Yes, Rose?"
"Thank you for… You know- caring and everything. And for the medicine." She paused. "And the heating pad."
He chuckled. "You're welcome Rose. Feel better."
The Doctor strode back to the console room, feeling more than a bit amused. Humans- such a self-conscious lot, and usually for things beyond their control. He slid under the grating, and started tinkering with the hydro-static mechanism in front of him.
The dull aching pain slowly melted away and Rose closed her eyes, drifting to sleep. She dreamed of warm sandy beaches, cold fruity drinks, and lying in the sand next to a certain Time Lord.
A/N: Just something sweet and fluffy I've been meaning to write for awhile but hadn't gotten around to until now. I hope you enjoyed this little story with Rose/Nine. Please leave a comment, if the mood should strike you. Have a fantastic day!