The gold light played around his fingertips as he staggered back inside the TARDIS. His whole body was on fire, a stick of dynamite lit from both ends and just waiting for the right moment to explode. His skin was far too tight, head too heavy, eyes itchy and raw as he clung to the console for support, the unbearable pressure inside his chest building and building.
He lifted his head slightly, pushing away from the console, and saw— no, it couldn't be. He'd just seen her, she was still outside with her mother…. but there she was, right in front of him.
"…Rose?"
At the very back of his mind he knew it wasn't uncommon to hallucinate during the late stages of regeneration - but the rest of his mind told that part to bugger off. After everything, he needed this one little lie.
Rose's lips curved into a small, sad smile, one hand reaching up to cup his cheek, and he could've sworn he almost felt her touch.
"I'm here. It's okay, s'just you an' me. Like it should be."
He drew in a shaky breath, tears of pain and loss and fear stinging at the backs of his eyes.
"I don't wanna go," he told her, eyes wide and terrified.
"Shhh, now," she told him, voice slowly soothing away the pain. "Time to sleep."
He threw his head back, and the two of them were engulfed in gold light.