Hell of a Shock

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Her condition… Her condition! Oh, so she mentions that she has a memory problem and suddenly it's all, 'oh you must be cared for and treated specially'. God, it was bad enough back home!

Still, at least it had scored her this comfy mattress. Most people didn't even have a blanket to lie on, but people had been more than willing to give one of their few luxuries up to her. All night people were being so helpful to her when she was probably better off. Did she have a sigh pinned to her saying 'give special treatment' or something?

Still, if felt nice to have the comfort. She was rather tired of late and her muscles ached. Peacefully she placed her hands on her stomach, swayed yet again by the disorientating feeling that they were resting higher than what she could see. Hmm, it was strange that she could feel so peaceful amidst the horror here. It was as if that empty place insider had had nearly filled. She had always felt so hollow back with her mum and dad and Mickey. Like she had been an extra piece in a puzzle box that just wouldn't fit anywhere, but someone had tried to squeeze her in anyway. Here it was like someone had finally put her back in the right puzzle box.

But at the same time as peace, she felt nauseated. And it wasn't the same nausea she remembered from a while ago, where she though she might have thrown up everyday. It was a nausea as if some part of her was wrong. She could feel it in her mind. A small connection to something was broken or mangled, making her feel terrible.

She felt a stab in her gut. Ugh, she needed some water. And wasn't there something she had to do? She went to sit up, but yet again was unable to push herself all the way up. It was like something was in the middle, preventing her from curling up properly. God, she must be getting weak if she didn't have enough muscle strength to sit up!

She heard a chuckle as she tried repeatedly to sit up. "Would you like some help there?" someone asked. She looked up to see a boy of thirteen, he looked so innocent and unsure. That look coupled with the dirt and bruises that marred his skin made her feel rather sorry for him. It was sad that someone so young would have to see such horrors. She was only nineteen when she had seen hers… Nineteen? Where had that come from?

She reached up and gratefully accepted his hand. Smiling he helped her up and she could finally stand. She placed her hands on her back, behind her stomach, to relieve it of a little pain. It took the pressure off a little.

"Thanks," she said, sheepishly. "I must look like a completely useless idiot."

"No, it's understandable," the boy laughed. "What with 'that' and all." When he said 'that' he'd nodded down at her tummy. She looked down at her perfectly flat stomach which was draped in clothes that were far too loose for her. She hated that her mum had gotten them for her… but her normal size didn't seem to fit. "I'm Luke," he smiled at her. "Luke Smith."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. "I seem to know a lot of Smiths!" she joked. "I have this friend called Mickey Smith… And I'm sure there are others. J… John Smith? Erm, someone beginning with 'S'. I don't know, I can't remember. My memory is as good as a gold fish's these days." She laughed humourlessly. "Anyway, I'm Rose," she held her hand out to him. "Rose Tyler."

Before the boy could reach for her hand, the small group of people near them parted and a startled woman burst through. She looked to be in her mid fifties, Rose couldn't quite tell. Her reddish brown hair was a mess and her hazel eyes were wide with shock at the sight of her.

"Rose!" she cried, suddenly hurling herself at the girl in a tight embrace. "Oh Rose! I thought you were dead! I saw your name on the list after Canary Warf. What happened? Are you alright?" The woman pulled back and looked at her in concern.

"Um…" was all she could say. She winced as she felt yet another stab in her gut. "Hi… yeah, hold on a second. Sorry, my memory's really scrambled. You look really familiar; just let me put a name to the face…"

The woman looked at her in bewilderment. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

Before her she saw the same woman, perhaps a year or two younger. She saw them arguing and bickering. She saw them laughing. She saw them hugging and talking quietly to one another.

"Do I stay with him?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes," the woman replied. "Some things are worth getting your heart broken for." She embraced Rose. "Find me," she said kindly, her eyes full of understanding. "If you need to one day. Find me."

She saw her talking to that same mysterious brown eyed, brown haired, brown suited man. She saw them smile at each other and felt the stirs of jealousy.

"Oh! Well, he's never mentioned you," she said snippily.

"Oh, I must have done," said a beautiful, rather sheepish voice that even the memory of made her shiver. "Sarah Jane Smith. Mention her all the time."

"Wait…" she pretended to think. "Sorry, never," she said slightly sarcastically, with the intention to hurt. Who was this woman to come waltzing back into his life and start insulting her like SHE was the one invading the relationship?

"What, not even once?" Sarah Jane Smith said in hurt disbelief, sounding rather annoyed. "He didn't mention me once!"

Rose couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as she slipped out of her reverie. Sometimes she slipped so far into the memories that she got lost in them. It was a little disorientating coming back to reality.

But as she looked back up at the woman who she now knew that she knew (and liked), but could only just remember, she smiled. "Sarah Jane Smith!" she grinned. "Ha! I remembered! It's so good to see you."

Sarah Jane smiled, though she was still very concerned. There were so many things wrong with this situation.

"So… Sarah Jane Smith, Luke Smith… Related or just another coincidence?"

"He's my son," Sarah Jane smiled, placing her hands on the boy's shoulders. But the smile felt from her face as Rose's screwed up in pain.

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Suddenly that same stab in the gut came again, more painful and insistent this time. She felt something burst and liquid ran down her legs. "What the hell was that?" she gasped.

"Oh god, your water broke. Someone get that doctor!" she called out to anyone who was sanding near by. One woman saw what was happening and ran downstairs.

"My what?" Rose cried in alarm.

"It's okay, Rose, stay clam. You're going into labour," Sarah Jane tried to sooth her.

"Labour? What do you mean my water broke? I'm not pregnant!" Everyone around her looked at her as if she were mad.

"Then how do you explain the very big baby bump?" Sarah reasoned calmly as she could. If Rose didn't know that she was pregnant, then something was very wrong.

"I don't have a baby bump! Look!" she cried. She looked down at her perfectly flat stomach and watched as she placed her hand on it. Yet again she got that strange disorientating feeling of her hand meeting something solid before it should have and the feeling of her hand being out further than it should be. Like there was something there that she wasn't seeing.

Panicking slightly, she lifted the bottom of the loose flowing top and looked down at her stomach. It was still perfectly flat, but as if there were some sort of illusion, it flickered for a moment. For a quick millisecond, she saw a large, round ball of a stomach. The next she saw the same thing, but she was focused on a dark flat sticker looking thing that was stuck to the belly in front of her. She lightly put her fingers where the image of the dark sticker had been and she felt the raised edges of some sort of plastic.

Seeing what she was doing, Sarah Jane reached forward and touched the piece of plastic. Before her eyes, Rose's pregnant belly flicked between visible and non visible. Quickly, she ripped the thing off. Rose squeaked in surprise as the large belly became solid and real.

"Some sort of very strong perception filter," she mused. Why would anyone want Rose not to know that she was pregnant?

Rose gasped as another contraction clenched through her. "What the hell is going on!" she cried in panic. The poor girl's eyes were wide and frightened and confused. "Oh god, Doctor!" she cried out in alarm. Mickey had mentioned someone called the Doctor, but she still didn't know who he was. But she clung to his name like a hope and a prayer.

She winced again at the next contraction, just as that woman came back with Tom in tow. He took one look at her and sprung into action.

"Right," he said in a commanding business like tone. "Sarah Jane, take her into the next room and clear everyone out."

"I'm staying to help," she told him adamantly.

Tom nodded and turned to the room. "Someone go to the supplies room. We're going to need a tarpaulin, some towels, a little bit of string, any spare blankets and pillows, diapers and a small bucket of some kind. And can some one please heat up some water."

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People rushed into action and before she knew it she was set up on the tarpaulin in a small room alone with Sarah Jane and Tom, ready to give birth. She sucked in air sharply as she was hit by what must be the hundredth contraction.

"They're only a few seconds apart," Sarah Jane said in alarm. "She only went into labour fifteen minutes ago!"

"Then it's going to be a quick birth," Tom said as Rose gasped again. "Okay, she's fully dilated. I can see the head. Rose, you need to start pushing."

"Come on Rose, you can do it," Sarah Jane encouraged, taking her hand. Rose did as she was told, trying her hardest not to cry out - and with the lack of pain relief she wasn't doing too well. Sarah Jane used one of the hot facecloths to wipe at her sweaty brow. Two minutes later Tom was passing a tiny baby off to Sarah Jane, who wrapped it in a towel and gently cleaned it with a tender smile. "Look Rose," she whispered. "You've got a little boy."

"Hold on," Tom said as - instead of relaxing - Rose had another contraction. "There's another one. It's twins! Come on Rose, one more time."

Rose whimpered, but complied. Pushing with all her might. Another few minutes later a second small cry filled the room and the second child was passed to Sarah Jane to care for. It was even tinier than the boy. She collapsed back against the pillows, completely exhausted. Tom tended to her while Sarah Jane passed the baby to one of the other woman who had been a nurse and stayed to help. Then she began stroking the damp hair off her face.

Tears slowly streaked down her cheeks. She was surprised how happy she was. An hour ago she hadn't even known she was pregnant and her mind was a mess, but she had never been happier.

"Good Job, Rose," she smiled. "It's over. Just relax." Rose looked towards the two little bundles in the nurses arms. Sarah Jane took the hint and grabbed the babies from her and passed them to Rose, gently resting one on each arm. Two tiny heads rested on her chest and two sets of blue eyes looked up at her. One pair startling and clear, the other bright and the colour of the sea. "A little boy and a little girl," Sarah Jane told her.

Rose didn't need to be told which was which. She knew that the absolutely tiny one with sea blue eyes was her beautiful girl. Looking at her little boy a name came into her head. The startling blue eyes reminded her of someone. She didn't know who he was, but the name came unbidden to her lips. "Jack," she whispered tiredly, kissing him on the head. Sarah Jane smiled at her.

Now she needed to name her daughter. Lots of names popped into her head. Jackie, Shareen, Victoria, Lynda, Margret, Jabe - no Jade, Flora, Gwyneth, Nancy, Cassandra, Harriet, Renette, Suki, Rita, Scooti, Ursula, Chloe, Ida, Yvonne, Gallifrey. Wait, Gallifrey wasn't a name… was it? But it did sound beautiful. And it was unique. Rose grinned, knowing just what to call her.

"Gallifreya," she smiled. "Freya for short…" Sarah Jane blinked in surprise before grinning, tears brimming in her eyes.

"You're naming her after Gallifrey," she said softly.

"I don't even know where it came from," she admitted. "But I like it."

"The Doctor would love it," she told her.

"Sarah Jane," Rose whispered. "The Doctor… Who is he?"

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Yeah, I can imagine that would be a huge surprise. Good on those of you who picked up on the clue in the flashback of the twins. Speaking of flashbacks, I'm having lots of fun writing them. There's another clue in the first flashback as to why she's confused. and there's one coming up.

Also, if you're wondering about when and how the tins happened, I tend to lead all of my Rose is pregnant stories back to my story 'Greatest Desire'. It doesnt make sense to me that they would sleep together and not really acknowledge it as a relationship. it's better if they had no clue it happened... much more of a surprise.