A/N: Hello everyone! I've been working on this little story for about a week and am finally getting around to posting it up on here. It's been a bit of a slow writing season. The plot bunnies are not as plentiful as I would like. At any rate, I do hope you enjoy this little 3 chapter story featuring the 9th Doctor and Rose.

Chapter 1

The Doctor walked confidently back into the village along with the group of men from Intrez. The townspeople crept from their homes cautiously, unsure what news the officials would be bringing back. A general cheer went up when the appointed elder held up the new peace treaty with a large smile. There would be no war with the neighboring village.

They'd landed three days earlier, the Doctor intent on showing Rose the interesting geographical features of Lestlin. The cave systems were spectacular, the mountain vistas majestic, and the beaches on Moninestra would be the highlight. A natural mixture of algae in the water combined with trace elements in the beaches and surrounding rock cliffs made the sea water a bit thick. Swimming there was rather like lounging in partially set jelly. He wasn't sure whether Rose would love or hate the sensation, but knew she needed to try it, just the same.

Of course, they'd only taken a few steps from the TARDIS when the sound of men shouting at each other had stopped the Doctor dead in his tracks. They wandered over to the ruckus, uncertain what they would find. The elders of the village were trying to figure the best course of action against the closest village- a lively argument had ensued. The next few hours were spent learning about the culture of the Intrez village and why they were fighting with the neighboring Ritshome people.

After a bit of talking, the Doctor left with the elders of Intrez, set on finding a peaceful way through their troubles.

After speaking with both parties, it wasn't hard to get to the heart of the matter- it boiled down to fear on both sides. The Intrez were worried the Ritshome were over-farming the shared land, stockpiling rations and holding back any excess from their citizens because the Ritshome were planning to invade and overtake the smaller village.

The Ritshome, on the other hand, were suspicious of the opposing village- after all, it was only logical that their village, with an ample supply house, keep the extra food for both villages. Why should the Intrez question this, unless they planned to revolt against the larger settlement and claim both towns as their own?

Within hours, the Doctor had everything smoothed out between both sides. The Intrez and Ritshome elders were equally relieved that the tension which had hung so thick between the neighbouring villages had been dissolved. In only a few short hours, a new peace treaty was drawn up, and a two-day celebratory feast ensued.

~OOoOO~

Rose stayed behind- not by choice, but because only men were permitted at official meetings. The Doctor had given her a smile and a wink and she'd grudgingly smiled back, knowing she'd be stranded for however long it took them to sort out the mess.

In the meantime, she'd found the local people charming and friendly- the hostility shown to the neighboring village was only out of fear. The residents themselves were kind.

Moments after the Doctor left, she began chatting with a lonely widow, who invited her to share a meal in her home. After following the sweet elderly woman to a tiny dwelling made of clay bricks, Rose helped her prepare the food. She ate a lovely array of sautéed vegetables with a dark brown sauce that was tangy and savoury. After eating, Rose insisted helping with the clean-up, encouraging the elderly woman lie down on her cot for an afternoon nap. With the clay plates and cups washed and put away, she excused herself while her new friend slept.

Rose wandered back out into the settlement, looking for a way to help. Most of these people seemed very poor- everything they used from cooking tools to water delivery, was crude. Their homes were made from dried blocks of clay and mud, the buildings long and low. Many homes seemed to have raised flooring. A few, such as the widow's home, had tightly woven mats made of grass and straw which functioned as a floor covering similar to stiff, scratchy carpet.

The village was small, with a single trail that went in and out of town. There were no roads Rose could see- the locals walked if they needed to travel anywhere. The Doctor hadn't mentioned any dangers before he'd left, so she felt free to explore the new surroundings. She meandered through the little village, hoping to interact with the local population, and perhaps, lend a hand.

Eventually, she found her way to a small and very rustic medical facility. The building was low and sprawling, much larger than any of the other structures, but in poor repair. Clay bricks were crumbling in the walls and the roof sunk low in more than one place. She cautiously entered, unsure what she would find.

A woman sat at a small table, grinding a bitter mix of herbs with a mortar and pestle. Intent on her task, she did not notice Rose when she entered.

"Um…hello?" she asked, uncertain.

The woman, clearly startled, jumped up from her seat and offered up an apologetic smile. "Forgive me- I didn't hear you come in, young one. What is your need?"

"Oh. Um, I didn't…that is, I don't have a need- I just wanted to know if I could help. Maybe visit with folks? Change bandages? 'M not a professional or anything, but 'm happy to help with anything."

The older woman tilted her head slightly, as if trying to understand why Rose would be offering to help. After a moment she excused herself, stating, "It is best that I get the healer."

The healer was procured from one of the patient rooms and Rose repeated herself, stating she only wanted to help if she could. It took a bit of piecing together, but she finally understood that no one interfered with the work of the healer. Even the assistant was only there to grind the herbs and provide support to him. Rose assured the healer she would not get in his way, only wanting to help the patients. In the end she was permitted to stay as long as she would not interfere with their treatments.

.

Rose licked her lips and tied on the soft gray apron that the assistant had given her. Twelve clay rooms which held a variety of illnesses were laid out before her. Oddly, she noticed none of the rooms had either woven grass mats or the more expensive wooden flooring she'd seen in each home. Perhaps the hospital was too poor to afford them, she reasoned. Indeed, entire sections of the roof drooped precariously in some of the rooms. Still, the place was relatively clean; the front desk had been, at any rate. Hopefully the structure was sound enough. She straightened her apron and set out, unsure what she would encounter.

After a few hours, it was blatantly clear that this wasn't a true hospital in a sense, for a hospital would have Doctors and nurses and medicine. This place had none of that. She picked up a cup made from clay and walked out to get a bit of cool water to drink. Rose closed her eyes, wishing the Doctor was here. He would know what to do.

It was upsetting to see how the sick and dying suffered. Medical knowledge was scant and other than roots and herbs, no medicine was available. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor if they could help- if not giving them medicine, at least pointing them in the right direction. These people didn't even have pain relievers or fever reducers. Surely the Doctor could sort that.

Rose set her cup down and reentered the building, wandering in and out of the different spaces, trying to comfort those who were conscious and take care of those who were not. After a time, she came to an exceptionally small room. She peeked in, and her heart sank, for the room housed two children. Deciding then and there that she wouldn't leave their sides, Rose focused her attention on these frail little flowers, both trying so very hard to overcome sickness. She tended them lovingly, trying her best to offer support and reassurance. They burned with fever and cried as she tried to comfort them, swabbing their foreheads with damp wet cloths and speaking softly.

The healer came in once, giving a spoonful of the bitter herbs to each child. "They'll sleep now," he assured her.

"What's wrong with them?" she asked.

The healer shrugged his shoulders. "I give them this to help make their recovery more bearable."

"They'll recover, then?" she said, sceptically.

He nodded. "Of course. Children become ill, but they almost always recover. They are strong."

She looked dubiously at the boy and girl on their rickety cots, but didn't say anything to the healer. The Doctor will come back, she told herself. He will fix this.

The sun slowly sank in the sky and the moon rose, bright and shining, its dim glow casting ghostly shadows on the mud walls. Rose remained in the children's room, watching them sleep. Despite the sun going down, the building was stuffy and warm. She found herself removing her hoodie, thankful for the short sleeve cotton blouse she'd put on this morning. Tired and ready to rest, Rose curled up on the earthen floor and lay down to sleep, her hand reaching up to stroke the arm of the five year old girl who lay on her cot. She drifted off, the long day finally catching up to her.

She awoke to a startled gasp, and then a short wail.

"What- what are you doing?" the assistant asked, visibly shocked.

Rose stretched and turned around. "Sorry- was I not allowed to stay here?"

She stared, mouth agape before raising her hands to her face. "How long were you down there?"

She shook her head, trying to rid the cobwebs that lingered. "What?"

"Get up, get up!" she exclaimed, motioning for Rose to stand. "The filaria! Didn't you know?"