Rose Tyler cried in a darkened corner of her mind as the Time Vortex overwhelmed her, but no sound came out.
She remembered, suddenly, clutching the universe's secrets until welcome lips pried them away. The pain of every single death echoing throughout time blanked out her memories of everything but strong arms around her and a haunting song.
She knew now, as she heard it again, that it wasn't a song after all. Lifting her hands to block her ears wouldn't stop the splitting shriek inside her head.
Even that consuming noise didn't block out his voice. She was glad. It was comforting.
"Rose!" the Doctor called out desperately. Rose tried to tell him it was all right and failed.
It was probably for the best. The last words between them shouldn't be lies.
The Doctor knew what his Time Lord counterpart must have done to save Donna as soon as he and Rose were left behind. No human could survive the onslaught of that kind of knowledge. It was why he gave away a life without qualm to take the Time Vortex from Rose.
Somehow, though, even though he'd bet the other Doctor would have taken measures in case Donna ever remembered, he'd never thought to do the same for Rose.
He should have known the Time Vortex was too powerful and insidious to ever just completely release someone as special as Rose Tyler. A spark of life from a growing new TARDIS was all it had taken.
It was his fault. He'd wanted to show her the stars again so badly. Now she could see all of them, and they burned her.
He'd give his one life if only he could. But while he had the memories of a Time Lord, some powers were beyond him now.
"My Doctor," Rose said in a voice not quite her own. The words ended on a choked sob.
"Shhh," he murmured. "I'm right here."
No matter how much it hurt him, he'd stay with her. He'd make himself watch. He knew he couldn't save her, but he could do this.