Rose turned the key in the lock and opened the TARDIS door slowly. All of her brain power was willing the Doctor to be ANYWHERE but the control room. She couldn't look at him right now. She didn't think she could look at him ever again. If he knew what had just happened, she'd be staring up at the Powell Estate towers with her ass and backpack on the ground so fast she'd see stars.
"Rose! Have a good time?"
Damn it, she thought. I have to get to my room…. now. "Yup! Great. Shareen was a bit knackered, so we came home early. To be honest, I'm a bit tired myself. Off to bed!"
"Alright, off with you. My tinkering will take the night. Pleasant dreams!"
Rose practically ran up the ramp, across the console room and down the hall. What she didn't see in her rush was a leather-jacketed man turning toward her quickly-retreating form, staring a crystal blue stare.
The door slammed and Rose sighed in a huff. She struggled to pull off her denim jacket, skirt, tank top and tights. Forgot to take her shoes off first and nearly fell over. Get it together, Tyler. Focus. Her thoughts became more and more fragmented, and she clung to her shoes, standing in the middle of the room. A shower, she thought. Just need a shower. Finally taking the remainder of her clothing off, she turned the taps on for the tub and flipped the lever for the shower head. She stepped in slowly; When did I start shaking? Going through the motions of washing her body and hair, images of the evening flashed in her mind. She stumbled out of the shower and flung the toilet lid back. I'm going to be sick. Oh God, why now? Why did I let this happen?
She didn't show up in the morning for breakfast, and the Doctor made a face at the empty kitchen. This was not like her at all. She had kept a habit back from her Henrik's days, waking at 7:30am for her first cuppa. Her blessed little ape brain needed a sleep schedule, and she stuck to it. But now it was nearly 10am. He put on the kettle and sought out 2 mugs in the cabinet. Popping a teabag in each, he thought about the next place to which they could travel.
A watched pot never boils, he thought, and walked down the hall to Rose's room. He knocked and waited for Rose's response. Nothing. Knocking louder the second time, he called out "Hey sleepyhead….Time to make the life-threatening adventures!" He laughed to himself. Dunkin Donuts had the best coffee in three galaxies.
Still there was no response. He was worried now. Throwing caution to the wind, he risked her wrath and pointed his sonic screwdriver at the door. It opened. No Rose. The bed was made, her things were gone, and there was a note on the bed.
Dear Doctor,
I can no longer travel with you. I'm no good to you or anyone.
Rose
He distractedly shoved the note in his never-ending pocket and sucked in a huge breath, respiratory bypass be damned; now his stomach turned in knots and his hearts beat out of rhythm. This couldn't be. Please, not Rose. Of all the wide Universe, he couldn't lose this one human girl. He looked around the room for any sign of where he could find her. Had she left anything behind? The bedroom yielded nothing. He looked to the bathroom next. Her toiletries and copious piles of cosmetics were gone, but the trash bin was overflowing. The shoes, skirt, tights and top she had worn last night were all there, even her bra and knickers. Why would she have left these things specifically? He ran out of the room and set the console controls for the Powell Estates.
"Get the hell away from me, wanker!"
Rose lifted the shot glass to her lips, both relishing and grimacing at the alcohol burning its way down her throat. The last 18 hours were quickly becoming a blur, and she relaxed on the inside after screaming at the unwelcome bar patron, warding off his feeble attempt at a chat-up. Thank God for pubs; they specialized in the Hair of the Dog. She had no intention of leaving her barstool anytime soon. She had left the Doctor. She had left her mother. She had left her comforts of home, both Estate and TARDIS. And she would never go back to any of them again.
Her brain practically ached at the thoughts of what had happened the previous night. But even more than that, she was reeling at the realization that she had not done a single thing about it. She should have fought more effectively. She should have told someone. She should have gone back and found the motherfucker who hurt her, pointed the Doctor's sonic at him, and melted his bits right off.
Instead, she had run away. After retching into the toilet for what felt like a century, and finishing her shower on the TARDIS, she packed her bag, slung it on her back, and waited. She knew the Doctor would take a "tinkering break" to read in the swimming pool (What a place for a library!) at 3am. When she listened at the door, she heard those footsteps pass by and fade down the hallway, and she booked it. She slipped out the front door of the TARDIS and hopped a bus across the city. She sat down in the first pub she found and ordered herself a whiskey. And another….and another….and another…..
"Jackie! Jackie! Open the door!"
"Keep your knickers on!"
Jackie Tyler opened her apartment door, and a Time Lord burst inside.
"Amazing. A year ago, alien invasion of my flat would have seemed odd."
The Doctor ignored her and went directly to Rose's room. "Rose, what's wrong? Where're you hidin?"
"Doctor, she's not here."
"Did she come by this morning?"
"No, she said she'd be with you the next bit of time."
"I found this. I don't know what she means."
Jackie read the note and paled. She spun to stare at the Doctor and whispered, "What did you do to her?" Her hand had crumpled the paper and was already raised to strike. He backed off a step.
"Jackie, she went out with Shareen last night. She didn't get back very late, and seemed fine. Just tired." He didn't add how worried he had been as he watched her walk off to bed as though the Devil was chasing her.
"Well, explain this then, you alien bastard! You don't seem all that concerned."
The Doctor stopped dead and locked his icy blue eyes on her face.
"I made a promise to you, and I will keep it. Jackie, there is nothing on this ridiculous planet that can keep me from finding Rose and why she ran off. Concerned? I'm not concerned. I am hell-bent."
He stalked down the hall and the toe of his boot pushed the cat door. He took a brief second to remember Rose's face on the other side of that little flap not so long ago. "Stay here, Jackie. If she comes back, I want you to keep her here. But I have a feeling I may have to drag her back. Never underestimate the power of a Tyler female when she's made up her mind."
Rose couldn't stop laughing. Her steps wandered all over the pavement and she just kept going, throwing her blonde head back and guffawing. The part of town she had ended up in was not the most posh, but it suited her just fine. She was damaged goods, and now her surroundings reflected her wretched insides.
Where was she now? Away, away, far away, she sang in her head. When had her thoughts turned into music? And who really cared? The liquor coursing through her veins almost made her feel invincible. She forgot, for entire seconds at a time, what had happened to her just a day before. In the next few days she would need to start a new life, with new people, far away from her wonderful London. And there would be no more blue police box to swan off in. It was time to grow up, and forget about the Doctor. She did not know how she would do it, but there was no choice. Her damaged body would only slow him down. She smiled as she thought of his grabbing her hand and whispering "Run!" in that wonderful Northern accent. Now she had to run, and she hadn't the slightest idea where. For the next moments she pondered this, before the alcohol took even greater hold of her system. She fell over something on the pavement, right into an alley. She felt a snap and intense pain before she blacked out.
The Doctor slammed his hand against the console and blew all the air from his lungs. How the hell would he find her? And how would he get into her thick skull that she would NEVER, EVER be worthless to him? What the hell had happened to her? He stopped thinking of all the possibilities long enough to pull his jacket off and throw it over the jump seat. Right on top of a hooded sweatshirt that belonged to Rose. He blinked ferociously for a moment, as there seemed to be something irritating in his eyes. Yes, that was it. There was something in his eye.
"Help me… please," he whispered to no one and everyone in the Universe. Well, he thought, time to do this the old-fashioned way. Sliding his jacket over his shoulders, he walked down the ramp, out into the afternoon haze. It was time to find his Rose.
Hours passed, and he was still on the hunt. He asked about her in a number of shops she had frequented on other trips home. He called Mickey and Shareen, who could offer no help, but set out in other parts of the city to help look. Jackie called every 3 seconds to see if any progress had been made. The Doctor was seriously considering turning the bloody mobile off, except for the fact that Rose might call. So he kept answering, kept reassuring Jackie, and kept wishing it would be the younger Tyler calling. He made his way through posh and not-so-posh neighborhoods, and finally, when he started to think he may need to pull the TARDIS apart for more answers, and abandon his current search, he saw a little bit of blonde hair poke out of an alleyway. Running to the entrance, he saw his beautiful girl lying on the ground, unconscious.
He couldn't believe his luck. It almost made him believe in all that Fate rubbish. He fell to his knees in the alley and looked down at Rose. She reeked of alcohol, sweat, and fear. He didn't think twice, but scooped her up into his lap, cradling her head at his shoulder, her shoulders down his bicep and in the crook of his elbow. "Rose? Rose, can you hear me?" She was out cold. He was frantic to know what was wrong with her, other than obvious inebriation, but he took one small moment to relish the feeling of her human warmth in his arms. He looked her up and down, noting her baggy clothing and crumpled ponytail. Finally, he saw her arm hanging at an odd angle. It was certainly broken. She needed medical attention this moment. He hefted himself off the ground, trying not to jostle her too much, and took off for the TARDIS. As he ran, he knew how suspicious he already must look, and hailed a taxi. As the car neared, he threw an indiscriminate amount of cash at the driver and yelled an address. It would take them at least 10 minutes to get to the TARDIS in its Powell Estates location. He willed the driver to use the gas pedal liberally.
Given the time available to him, he pulled out his sonic and waved it carefully over the length of Rose's body. She had a broken arm, and a slight fever, most likely from the lack of treatment to the arm. He'd need to be particularly vigilant about infection. Luckily it was a closed break. He pulled her sleeve back down over her arm and held her close. The sonic seemed to confuse itself briefly, picking up more than one set of DNA, but after a shake it righted itself. No matter. He would give it a once-over when Rose had been attended to. Nothing else mattered. He looked down at her face and frowned. She was obviously pissed for a reason, and was willing to drink herself to the point where she could pass out and break her own arm without realizing. Unless…. Did someone break her arm? Was she attacked? How would he ever get her to talk to him? He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled Rose even closer to him. Each time his brain thought of another horrible scenario concerning her, he held her a little tighter. He would give anything to look into her eyes and see her smile. He hated how quiet the cab was. He hated how frantically his mind wandered and assumed the worst. He took to stroking her hair with his free hand, and squirmed in his seat. Would they ever get there?
He got her into the TARDIS easily enough, and set his sights for the medical unit onboard. His eyes adjusted to the dim light, and soon he had her down on a medical couch. He set her in a sitting position, holding her torso up as he pulled the loose hoodie carefully from her body. She was still unconscious. He thanked whatever deities were on his side, keeping her from feeling the pain of her broken arm being jostled as her baggy t-shirt came off as well. She had no visible injuries other than her arm. His hands and crooked elbow guided her down in a lying position, and he set her arm quickly. There would be no need for those daft plaster casts, but a sling would most likely be a good idea. As he put it in place, looping it over her head and tightening it against her abdomen, she started to come to. He braced himself for the onslaught of Tyler fury, and set his face in a concerned stare.
Rose groggily opened her eyes and noticed the tears flowing down her face. She was in so much pain, but God only knew where it was coming from. Her whole body ached, her stomach roiled, her arm was on fire. She tried to sit up, but felt a large hand hold her still. This caused her to thrash and turn away from the hand that held her.
"Rose! Rose! Stay still, I've only just set your arm. Don't want it to break again."
She turned to look at the owner of the voice, and immediately felt some calm return. It was the Doctor. But then... GOD NO! It couldn't be him. She had left him, left Mum, left everyone behind. How had she even gotten to this place? She looked to her left and right and saw the TARDIS medical room. He had found her and brought her here. She had to get out.
"Doctor, please give me my shirt. I need to go. I can't stay here."
"Why? Why on earth did you leave without a word? Why did you not tell your mum where you were going? Or me? I don't understand. Just tell me what's wrong!" His eyes flared bright blue as his frustration began to show itself.
"Doctor, you have no idea what you're talking about. I don't want to see you or my mum ever again. You don't know what I am. You don't know what's happened... I can't... I just..."
Rose began to weep in earnest, and sat up, pushing his hand away. As the Doctor moved to put an arm around her, she hopped up from the medical couch onto her unsteady feet. She flinched and started to wobble. She was going to be sick, she was dizzy, and she could barely see in front of her own face. She fell into a pile of limbs on the floor, fainting. The couch was in the way, and so the Doctor watched helplessly as Rose lost consciousness again. Livid, he ran around to the other side of the couch, looped his arms behind her neck and under her knees, and hauled her back upon it. He sighed and did what he hoped he wouldn't have to. He thrust a hypo of a mild sedative against her arm and pressed the button. Once he was sure she wouldn't move for the moment, he grabbed the mobile phone with his other hand from his pocket. It was time to call in Jackie.
Jackie hauled herself across the estate lot and banged on the TARDIS door. It clicked open, and she ventured inside. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen; the traveling capsule had known to let her in itself, and lit the way to her daughter's side. The med bay was cool and quiet, and Jackie soon saw a quietly breathing lump that she assumed was Rose. The lump was not in and of itself Rose-shaped, but it was firmly attached at the hand to a sleeping leather-clad Time Lord, and so it could only be her. As she neared her daughter, the Doctor stirred and gave a small close-lipped smile, acknowledging Jackie and trying to give some semblance of reassurance.
"Rose? Rose, it's me. It's your mum. Can you hear me?"
"Jackie," the Doctor offered, "she may not be able to hear you quite yet. I gave her a bit of a sedative to stop her moving while her arm is so newly set."
"Alright, I'll give it a bit of time. What did she say to you, Doctor? Did she tell you anything that happened at all?"
"No, Jackie. I'm hoping she'll let you in enough to tell us both. She didn't seem to want to even be near me."
"Alright, well, cheer up. She tells you everything, probably more than me nowadays. We'll figure it out, all together." At this Jackie and the Doctor briefly smiled at each other.
The lump moved on the bed, and both Jackie and the Doctor drew was close as they could to the bed. Jackie held the hand not taken up in a sling, and the Doctor stood to her side, down near her knees. Rose immediately tried to move away from them both.
"Oh, Rose c'mon, tell mum what happened. Why do you want to be away from us so badly? No matter what it is, you can tell us, and we will never stop caring about you. I love you, Rose."
"Mum, don't you see? That exactly why I can't stay. You'll love me anyway, and I don't deserve it. I've failed both of you."
The Doctor walked to the door of the medbay, made sure it was shut, and whirled around on the two Tyler women. "No one moves until I hear this story. Rose, you left to see Shareen. When you came back, you made for your room like the armies of Napoleon were on your heels." Rose squirmed uncomfortably; she didn't think he'd noticed. The Doctor continued, "Then you take off for parts unknown with a note telling me you're no good. Now that's a stupid-ape comment if I ever heard one. You're not one for guilty statements like that. So what's happened? And why was getting blind-drunk and breaking your arm in the process the only course, huh?"
Rose sat dejected on the couch, and her look turned between her mother and her Doctor. "My Doctor," she thought. "He won't be anymore by the time I'm done." She sighed, knowing that the faster she told her story, the faster she could leave.
Rose squeezed her eyes shut and spoke. "I was out at a club with Shareen. There were some boys there who she thought she remembered from a party she'd been to last month. They were chatting us up, and one of them was flirting with me." The Doctor tensed, and his fists squeezed. "The club was getting really crowded, and we all decided to go find some chips. As we left, he pulled me aside, to one of those little loading dock places, and he tried to kiss me. I pushed at him and laughed. I wasn't interested."
She opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor, who just stared hard at her, and her mother, who nodded for her to continue, concern in every bit of her face. "He...he wouldn't stop. I've dealt with boys like that before, and usually they get annoyed and leave me alone. He didn't. I was about to give him a good swift knee to the groin when he pulled out a knife." Jackie gasped and moved toward her, the Doctor rooted to the floor in horror. Rose shrunk back and continued, "Mum, don't. I have to just say it... He held the knife on me and he raped me. It...it makes me so sick to think of." Rose was sweating now, her mind reliving it. She began to shake and whispered "I know they always say that it's not your fault, that you didn't want it to happen. But all I feel is stupid...empty...it's my fault, and I didn't stop it." Tears fell from her eyes, and she held her good arm over her midsection, willing herself not to throw up.
Jackie stood and a small wail left her lips, "Rose, darling, why didn't you come to me right away?! Why didn't you tell the Doctor? My God, we need to tell the police!"
Rose shouted back, "NO! Don't you see, Mum? It's my own fault! I don't even know his name! I'm such a whore. And what happens to girls who report these things? Girls from the Estate? If they're lucky they get a court date, and the charges get tossed! I could never go through with that. All those people blaming me with their eyes, knowing that I had it coming! Isn't that what Jimmy always told me?"
Until now, the Doctor had been silent. His eyes had filled, and he blinked the water away more than once. At the mention of Jimmy, his head snapped to and he walked from the medbay door to Jackie.
"Jackie, I'm going to do a quick exam here, make sure Rose's arm is ok. Would you put on the kettle?" Jackie spun around and was startled by the kindness and age in his eyes. As much as she wanted to talk some sense into her daughter, something in the Doctor's face told her that she would do better to leave. She nodded and put her hand on his leather jacket as she passed him and walked out the door. Squaring her shoulders, she gathered the courage to go find the kitchen.
The Doctor grabbed his sonic screwdriver, and its whirring seemed to calm Rose a small amount. He ran it up and down her arm while his thoughts shattered into tiny pieces. His precious girl was broken, in mind and body, and he didn't know how to fix her. Rose's voice brought him out of his frantic reverie. "Think my arm's been scanned enough? You've been doing it now for a full two minutes."
The screwdriver found its way to the Doctor's pocket, and he turned to her. His voice was low and gentle when he murmured "Please don't leave. Not yet. Let me help you. Please." He stared into her eyes and willed her to see his love and admiration for her. It was something he'd always felt, but would never dare admit.
"Rose, I can help you. I can find whomever did this. I know I can." His hand slid over to hers, squeezing.
Rose looked at their hands, and seemed to weigh her options. She wanted nothing more than to fall into her Doctor's arms and sob. She wanted to let him fix it. But could she reconcile this to herself? How could she ever live with this?
Jackie lifted the kettle and poured 3 mugs full. Her mind was full of horrible pictures, and she shook her head. She wanted to find the trash that did this to her little girl and make sure he never walked again. Castration was a must. She didn't want him to die, oh no, he should live out his days in the same grief and terror her baby endured.
She found herself imagining this man's torture, with the kettle hanging in mid-air. Putting it down, she almost smiled. They had the Doctor on their side now. If anybody could help Rose see reason and find this... thing, it was the Doctor.
"Rose, please." Rose pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and winced at the pain on her other side. Her broken arm still smarted, but she didn't dare tell him that. He would give her more medication, and she needed her wits about her now. She was full of torn emotion, pulling her in every direction. She wanted the Doctor to help her, but she also wanted to run and keep her mother and him free of the chains of this. She knew her life would never be the same. She decided to do something revolutionary... she would tell him the truth.
"Doctor, I don't know what to do. There is a part of me that wants to run, and make sure you and my mother don't have to look at my face ever again. That part of me is huge right now, it's trying to take over. But there is still a little bit of me that wants your help. That wants Mum's love and support... that wants..."
"Rose, let me in. Let me be the help you need. Being on your own in't going to do anything good. It'll only lead to more heartache for you. Let us help you. Your mum loves you, you know that well and good. And..."
Rose sat very still, willing her brain to hear and see everything. Could he know how she wanted to hear that he loved her as she loved him? But how did she love him? Like a friend? A brother? A father-figure? Or something more? She pushed her silly schoolgirl thoughts to the side. The last thing she needed right now was to sound like she'd been reading one-too-many of her mother's romance novels. She wanted to hear what he was going to say.
"Rose, I know you're afraid. I know you're confused. This is all very new, for all of us. But I won't give up on you... you've never given up on me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."
"You see, that's what I mean, Doctor! You wouldn't be dealing with a ridiculous situation like this and having to stop your work for a bleedin' idiot like me!"
"No, Rose. I wouldn't be here at all. You saved me."
She was stunned. What in the world...?
The Doctor flexed his hands and looked down at her. He couldn't help but move his hand to the side of her face, where the same lock of hair had poked out again from behind her ear. He played with the piece, it's bleached blonde color making him quirk a one-sided smile.
"I was wandering without any real purpose. Life didn't mean much, after the war. That day when you kept asking me questions in the car park at the Estates, remember that? You were so curious and forthright. You went and looked for more information about me. Met that Clive bloke who's been following bits of me around here on Earth. You actually wanted to know me. You wanted to know more. I felt like I mattered again."
Rose kicked her feet slowly under the medical couch, back and forth, back and forth, like she was a little girl. She started to process what he was saying, and made another decision.
"Doctor, you're right. You let me in, and I need to do the same."
The Doctor exhaled swiftly. His respiratory bypass had seemed to have taken over without his noticing. He supposed he had been holding his breath. He looked directly into her eyes and spoke.
"Rose, I am sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe. But I promise, I absolutely promise to you that I will from now on. You are too precious to me."
He pulled her against him, gingerly putting one arm around her broken side, and fiercely gripping her uninjured side with his other. He buried his face in her messy hair and breathed a few deep breaths. She snaked her arms around his middle and pulled hard. Her face was hot against his jumper, and she breathed him in. They both stayed still and strong, holding each other, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Rose still wasn't sure how either of them felt, but for now, it was enough that he was there. And he wasn't leaving her.
The Doctor had convinced Rose to head back to her room for a bit of rest. He helped her into the room, and she headed over to the bathroom to change into pajamas. She still couldn't quite believe she'd agreed to stay. Her mother was off making a cuppa, and she had no doubt the Doctor would find her a place to sleep while they figured things out. Jackie wouldn't want to go far.
As she came out of the bathroom, she saw the Doctor near the bed, pulling a chair close. The covers had been pulled back, and she slid in, a questioning look in her eyes.
"I'm not leaving your side, Rose. Your mother should be here with tea in a moment."
"That's not necessary, Doctor. I can sleep on my own." She turned to her side, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes again. She was already so sick of all the crying. He saw her trying to hold things together, and sat on the bed next to her.
"Rose, look at me please." She reluctantly turned back to where he was sitting. He took hold of her hand. "What has happened has changed you, and there's no telling how long it will take to feel yourself again. And when I say 'yourself', I don't mean that you'll suddenly forget this week and act as though it never happened. I mean that over time you will feel as though you can do things on your own. You won't feel like crying all the time. But that time hasn't come yet. I'm sticking by your side because I know that you need the support of your...friends." He wanted so much to tell her he loved her and would always be there, but she wouldn't be able to take that right now. Rose let the tears freely flow down her face, squeezing his hand.
"Thank you, Doctor. I hope you're right. Right now, it feels like I'll be broken forever."
"I know it does. Although I have never been assaulted as you have, I know what it's like to feel as though you're breaking apart at the seams. And as you have helped me, I swear I'll help you."
There was a knock at the door. The Doctor opened it, and Jackie came in with a tray. "Here we are, love. A nice cup of tea and we'll figure out what's next."
Rose took a mug and cradled it, watching her mother and the Doctor sipping their own tea. Here they were, in her room on the TARDIS, and nobody was yelling at each other. Amazing. She nearly smiled as she drank her tea. Her mother looked like she couldn't be any more uncomfortable, but she smiled at Rose nonetheless. The Doctor put his mug down and shrugged his leather jacket off.
"Jackie, I'm going to take this first shift of watching over Rose while she sleeps. There's a room two doors down on the left for you to sleep in. Get a few hours rest, and we'll discuss things in the morning."
"Are you sure? Don't you think we should get this wanker as soon as we can?"
"We will, Jackie. But right now, Rose needs sleep."
Rose smiled genuinely, thanking the Doctor in her head.
"Really, mum, I should probably sleep now. I can barely keep my eyes open."
Jackie rather unwillingly picked up the tray and walked up to Rose. "I love you, my girl. Sleep well."
"Love you too, mum. Thank you."
As Jackie left, the Doctor sat in the chair by the bed. Rose turned on her side again, and suddenly felt a weathered hand rubbing her back. Within minutes, she was asleep.
The next morning, Jackie and the Doctor both rose early. If they were being honest, neither had slept a wink. They were both thinking of ways to help Rose. The Doctor was tinkering at the TARDIS console, and Jackie found herself pacing Rose's room while she still slept.
"No! God, no help! Someone please help me!"
Jackie ran to the edge of Rose's bed, shaking her awake and pulling her close. Rose sobbed into her mother's shoulder and tried to shake the dream from her mind.
"It's alright, Rose. I'm here."
"Oh Mum, it was just so horrible. The whole thing was a nightmare. No one had ever kissed me like that before. It was as if he was trying to hurt me just by kissing me. He was so strong; I couldn't stop it. Why couldn't I stop it Mum?!"
"I know, Rose, I know, but you must remember that none of this was your fault."
Jackie was about to speak again, but didn't get the chance. The Doctor burst through the bedroom door, sonic out and ready.
"Rose! Rose, are you alright? I heard you scream. Please tell me what happened."
Jackie spoke up: "A nightmare Doctor. It'll be ok."
Rose looked hard at the Doctor. He actually looked tired. He never looked tired. She felt concern for him, but kept quiet. She didn't know how her mother would react to her asking how he was. She'd probably just yell at her.
"Mum, I'm going to get up and get dressed. Can you both give me a minute?"
The Doctor lowered his arm and spoke. "OK, I'll get some breakfast going for us all, and then we can talk about what's next. We are going to find the... creature... that attacked you."