The Doctor felt a bit odd in his position. They had wrangled up some quilts for him so he could stack them together and make a sort of mattress out of them. It wasn't really uncomfortable, in fact it was the complete opposite. His uncomfortable feeling stemmed from the fact he was on the floor...right next to Rose's bed... He wasn't quite sure why this felt so odd, wasn't the first time he'd flopped down in some form beside her. And this wasn't even really 'beside' her. Had to be the fact he was in her actual bedroom that was driving him to an intense sense of anxiety. Adding to the fact that, he didn't really sleep much, so he was awake most this time thinking about it. And the fact his hearts were beating so loudly didn't help the fact either.
It was only about now that he realized Rose was poking her head over the edge of the bed, staring down at him with an amused look on her face.
"...what? What is it?" He asked with a quirk of his left brow.
"You look so uncomfortable there, yeah."
"I'm just fine." "No, I mean...you look about ready to bolt. What's up?"
"Used to being by myself at night I suppose."
"More like not used to being in a women's room."
For a moment he hesitated, trying to make sure the way he put things in his head came out of his mouth the same way. "Suppose so, yes. Not really my place to be in other peoples rooms really."
She nodded, accepting his explanation. "So, can I ask you something then?"
"Go ahead."
She shifted so she was propped up on her elbows now, looking down at him. "We still had plenty of time after you got the supplies together, why'd you decide to wait before going into the sewer? You usually jump right in to these sorts of things."
"Like you said before, we don't know what we're up against yet. And the sewers too confined of a space to be making mistakes in."
"...you sure that's all it is Doctor?"
"Positive. You should try to sleep now."
"Finding it a bit difficult to actually." She said as she flopped down on her back.
"Want me to move to the couch...? Is this uncomfortable for you?"
"No, I don't mean like that. I mean...this is bringing the nightmares I had as a child back again is all."
This time it was the Doctor who sat up, bringing a leg up to rest his arm on his knee. "Are you sure you're alright with going through this? I really won't mind if you want to sit this one out."
"No...I need to do this Doctor...I need to...keep this from being a living nightmare."
He nodded slowly, turning his head to look out the window, falling into silence again.
Rose rolled over on her side to watch him, starting to worry about him a bit. "Doctor? Are you sure you're alright? I mean...you've been quiet a lot lately, yeah..."
As he was known to do quite frequently, he dodged her question and countered with one of his own. "You know the stories about this thing? So do you know what they think it looks like?"
She gave a long drawn out sigh before propping herself up again. "Well, they say it looks like an Octopus or something. Think someones been reading to many Lovecraft novels in my opinion. Then again...not sure how far back that description goes so..."
"Octopus you say?"
"...Doctor? Is that something you heard of then?"
He didn't turn to regard her, didn't move much in any way other than to shake his head slowly. Lying to her again. That was becoming too common a trait as well. She huffed a bit and got up, heading to her door and stepping out without another word.
The Doctor finally turned around as she left, knowing it was one of those moments where he pushed her patience a bit too far. Sighing lightly, he got up to follow her, finding her digging through the fridge. "...I'm sorry."
"...seems to be your favorite words, that. 'I'm sorry.' I understand you have things you like to keep to yourself but...is this really the time to? Especially if it has to do with whats going on?" She was looking at him now, eyes hard but with obvious hurt in them as well.
There was silence between them for what seemed like forever. He was contemplating, she was waiting for any sort of answer. And finally he gave it, motioning for her to sit at the table. She shut the door and did so, keeping her eyes on him as he took a seat across from her.
"I'll tell you then. Surely it's not the worst thing I've seen but...it was bad enough. Bad enough that I don't care to remember it. I've seen a lot of tragedies Rose. But for the most part a lot of the deaths were quick and just...no emotions were to be shown on the dead's faces...this was different." He stared down as he brought his hands up to temple in front of him, thinking.
She was quiet for a moment,but finally she slowly got up. This drew his attention back and he had an almost panicked look on his face.
"It's alright. Just making a bit of tea, might help."
He nodded slightly. "Good ol' British. Face anything better as long as they have a good spot of tea."
"Calming effects, yeah. Sure that's how you'd put it?"
"As I surely would." The silence began again as the Doctor waited for the tea to finish, taking the time to continue to run over things in his mind.
He smiled gently when Rose set the mug in front of him, taking a seat with her own. He took a quick sip before beginning again. "I landed on a planet called Nassaroo, and it just...it just...felt off soon as I stepped out of the TARDIS. This...impending sense of dread...and the utter silence. The first town I stumbled upon was completely empty. Not a person in sight. Just looked like they all just picked up and left. And you know me, can't just leave a mystery hanging. So I climbed up high for a better view, looking for any light to signify another city close by...nothing. So I jumped back in the TARDIS and did a scan."
"...and what did it say?"
"...nothing...there was no energy signatures, not beyond the natural sources and left over man made interference. No massive spikes. Checked for life signs after that, only got animal life for the most part. Till I found a small patch of humanoid signature. I took the TARDIS out that way...wasn't ready for what I found...the smell was the first giveaway. You couldn't mistake what that was...death...this city wasn't empty, it was filled with the dead. Bodies scattered about...frozen in fear. Eyes nearly falling out of their heads, they were so wide. This entire planet was dead...except for this small pocket of humans that were holding out here, and animal life of course. I knew I had to find them, get them out. The extent of things there...I knew it was beyond trying to stop what was happening. It was too far gone. But by Rassilon if I'd known..."
"...Doctor...?"
"People do anything to survive really...anything. The survivors...had been sacrificing other survivors. I walked in on them right as they were about to hand over a family. The group just fled...they weren't being malicious...not in a sense of wanting to be anyway. They were doing it to keep themselves alive. They were spineless and so fled right off. Creatures came out soon after...started attacking straight off. They just wanted their...food, didn't care for much else. And they were so quick I couldn't react fast enough. They all died...and for whatever reason they left me...and went back to the water. I was right there...and I failed them...I actually...froze up...and they died. I've never froze up before. That shouldn't have happened."
Rose stayed quiet for a few moments, staring down into her mug. She knew she could go on and on how this wasn't his fault, because even though he still kept himself stone faced; she knew he was thinking it. But he would only just bury what he felt deep down again and for the most part shrug off whatever she said to him. It was another thing about him that bothered her immensely. So, knowing she'd lose the battle, she just continued onwards. "Could that be whats going on here then?"
"Not likely." He said, shaking his head. "There would be a lot more deaths, and they wouldn't be centered in one area. Possible a ship crashed on the way to a planet. As centered as the reports are, good chance that means most of them died."
"...so this is a personal thing then, yeah?"
"I can't let it turn into that. It wouldn't bring any of those people back anyway. I can only save the people here. Besides...the more people avoid the building...the more the...creature...will move elsewhere to hunt. It's probably been living off other aquatic creatures but, humans...and humanoid types, seem to be it's main prey. It'll go back to it."
"So at any moment...it could just decide to pick a new hunting grounds?"
The Doctor slowly nodded. "Octomencapis, species of the aquatic planet of Halothin-9. Sister planet in orbit of Halothin-7, a desert planet home to a Silurian species. It's better known in short as Octopis, pronounced Octo-pez. A species not known for just...walking away"
"Right...so...what do we do about it?"
"Don't know. One of my off the top of my head moments I suppose." He frowned a bit and finished off his tea, getting up. "Should try to sleep then..."
"Yeah." They both put their mugs in the sink before making their way back to the bedroom, a worrisome look still stretched across the Doctors face.
Come morning, they both exited the room looking like zombies scuttling about looking for prey. Neither in any way being awake, an odd look for the Doctor.
"Well look at the lot of you. Thought you'd sleep all day at this rate." Jackie said as she settled down with a cup of coffee.
"Why? What time is it?" Rose asked, perking a bit.
"Passed noon."
"Bollocks." She grumbled, looking at the Doctor.
"Blimey. We better get moving."
"Where you off to then?" Jackie asked, her voice raising a few octaves.
"Um...just a bit of a walk." Rose said quickly.
"Sure you are. I swear Doctor, anything happens to my Rose and I'll make sure you get whats coming to you. Like one of those American alien autopsy videos."
"Sure, right Jackie. Later then!" He tugged Rose along and they were out the door long before Jackie had time to complain more.
"Oi! Didn't get a chance to change!"
"Wake up a bit more there Rose. You have clothes on the TARDIS remember?"
"Oh right..."
He unlocked the door to the TARDIS and stepped in with her, running over to the equipment they had piled up. "...your mum does know those videos are fake right?"
"Obviously not. Even though she did for a while believe the moon landing was fake."
"Oh believe me, that was real. So's their reasons for not going back."
"...which is?"
"Another time Rose Tyler! Off you go! Change so we can get going!"
She huffed slightly before heading off down a corridor.
The Doctor's face fell a bit as Rose disappeared from view. He was still contemplating finding some way to keep Rose out of it. Send her off to do something away from the target area.
But over time she got smarter than that. She was always cautious when he sent her off, especially when he sent her to the TARDIS in the middle of things. Always looking over her shoulder to be sure he hadn't diverted his path while she wasn't looking.
It always hurt him to send her away like that, but her protection, her safety was high priority to him. All his companions had been. Though he had to admit he always managed to find the most stubborn ones ever.
But he had found quite a companion this time around. Rose Tyler. Not only stubborn as hell, but a fighter. When he first met her the first thing they did was run. He always put expression on the word 'run'. But it hadn't taken her long to run towards things rather than away from them.
She was something special this Rose Tyler. He had always managed to be cautious with each and every one of his companions, but he slipped here. Somehow he let her break down the boundaries he had set up for himself. That was not a safe place to be. For at least two reasons he hoped she understood.
And understand he was sure she did, or things may have progressed further into the danger zone already. Everything screamed at him to send her off now while he could, but his wish for her to stay was stronger. So he knew when the time came...it was really going to hurt.
"...um...Doctor? Are you just gonna keep standing there and staring at the console then?"
"Hm...what? Oh, right, sorry bout' that. Didn't hear you come back."
"Obviously...whats got you so distracted then?"
"Nothing..."
"Doctor..."
He turned from the console to gather up the supplies. "We have work to do Rose, no time to dilly dally around."
"I'm not the one lost in a time vortex in my own head right now."
"...getting right better at your quips then...alright, lets be off then."
She only crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a look.
"...what? What is it?"
"How lost in your own head are you? You wanna carry all that there then?"
"...oh...right...would be simpler to use the TARDIS then wouldn't it?"
"Seriously, why are you so off lately?"
"It's nothing Rose...alright?"
"...alright then. I'll drop it." She moved around and plopped down on the little couch, crossing her arms again. She wasn't pouting or anything, but she did look right hurt. He'd done it again.
With a sigh he walked over to her, taking a seat beside her. "Rose, please. You know I just want to keep you safe. I don't...keep all these secrets to hurt you or to be a general...arse."
She raised her brow a bit, a bit surprised at his raising of his standard swearing bar.
He didn't regard the look and just kept going. "The lot of you, everyone who's ever traveled with me, always disregard everything I say it seems. And when they do they get in some form of trouble. I understood it, but it annoyed me as well. Dangerous thing to do and they nearly paid with their lives many a time. And some...well some did...I don't want that to happen to you Rose."
"...Doctor...you know I'm not...easy to kill. You know that. I've been through so much already and I'm still here."
"Everyone thinks when they keep surviving over and over that they're untouchable. That's not true...everyone's luck runs out Rose. I just do my best to make sure that doesn't happen. I know everyone gets angry with me, maybe even hates me for pushing them away. But I only do it for their safety. I only do it when it looks like there's no way out. The last thing I want in the universe...is people dying because of me."
Rose softened her look a bit, getting up. "And you forget Doctor, we make our own choices too, yeah. You invite us along but it's our choice to stay. Our choice to fight. I know with all you must have seen over the centuries...you just want to see peace. For people that just live a day to day life...well to some of us there'd be no other way we'd rather go out, then while saving lives."
The Doctor sighed a bit, getting up. "I should know better than to argue with you Rose Tyler."
"Damn right you should." She said with a grin.
The Doctor just smiled a bit, shaking his head. "Well, shouldn't be putting this off any longer then should we? Let's go do some fishing."
With a bit of pressing of buttons and flipping of switches, the wurring of the TARDIS started up, and they were off.
Having scouted out a good source of entrance earlier on, the Doctor landed the TARDIS nearby, both changing into their gear. Their gear mostly consisting of tall boots that went up passed the knees and thick gloves, the Doctor carrying further things in a pack on his back.
After they had all they needed, they stepped out and headed for the entrance. They slipped inside and starting making their way down the tunnel, pulling out torches as they got further in.
"You do know where we're going then?" Rose asked in a hushed voice.
"I do. Plotted it all out last night."
"When did you have time for that?"
"After you went back to sleep."
Rose tilted her head a bit. "Do you sleep at all?"
"When I really need to. Which I did a bit last night. Or tried to at least. Sometimes sleeping helps me come up with ideas...not always though."
He lead her down the left hand tunnel, keeping his eyes open for anything that may be off. But even a Timelords eyes can be put off a bit by light causing shadows to play tricks on your eyes. Something he had always been quick to dismiss.
But having Rose with him, everything was a threat. He took a deep breath, trying to center himself. Rose could take care of herself, he knew that. So after a few deep breaths, he relaxed enough to look at his surroundings UN-impeded.
They stayed in relative silence a good portion of the way, the dripping of water from the ceiling and the sloshing of their feet below the only sounds. He was hoping against hope that the noise they were making wouldn't attract any unwanted attention sooner than he was ready for. Because there was no way it wouldn't. The trek seemed endless to Rose. They took turn after turn, sloshing their way through god knows what. Every so often her torch would catch the glimpse of some odd thing painted on the walls. Typical teenagers. Have to draw on just about everything they can find. She stopped abruptly though in front of one bit of art.
"Doctor?"
He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder, quirking his brow a bit. "What is it?"
"I think you should take a look at this."
He tilted his head to the side a bit as he walked back towards her, looking where she was shining her torch. "Oh...well then..."
"Looks like the kids around here know about whats down here more then anyone, yeah."
The Doctor took a deep breath, shaking his head. "Any kids missing by chance?"
"Kids go missing all the time Doctor. Hard to be sure if it's from this...thing."
"And that's just the point. Remember what I said? About it finding another source of nourishment? That'd it'd go back to humans after most likely? I may have to modify that assumption a bit..."
"...what do you mean?"
"It might have still been feeding on humans...just not mature ones..."
"...you think it's eating children?"
The Doctor screwed up his face a bit, staring at the picture. Thing about creatures was it didn't always matter what it ate, as long as it ate. And not many species throughout the universe looked highly on humans. They were always seen more as a primitive pest than anything. So of course it wouldn't matter if it was a man, woman, or child. It would just feed.
"...it makes sense really. Adults do search these sorts of things out, but just as many adults are superstitious. Even if they don't believe in something they do it out of a 'what if' attitude. Or because it almost becomes something ritualized in society. So less adults might come looking. Children on the other hand...always looking for exceptence. Always taking up a challenge so they won't look like...a wuss? I think is the word you lot use? The young always look to do things the elders know better than to. And above all...easier hunt. Less struggle..."
"My god..."
"...we've got to end this now. No one else dies, especially not a child."
"Whats the plan then?"
"Well, I was going to make another check of the building but...now that I think of it, that's probably pointless. No ones reported much anymore because I doubt it goes in there much anymore...this last bit could have been an isolated case."
"..they do still see ghosts..."
"Trick of the mind most likely. The way a shadow gets cast, stories they're told, things like that."
"...can you accept that sometimes things can exist that you think don't?"
"...I have to think up a new plan here. If it's staying in the sewer systems it can go anywhere."
"...ignoring me again."
"Rose, not now, please?" He said as he turned to face her. "Yes, there's still so much I find hard to believe. And so many times I have seen people pretend to be gods to influence things in their favor. And all that is a story for another time because we have something to do right now."
"...sorry...I didn't mean to..."
He sighed softly, turning about to continue onward again. "Maybe we can have this talk one day...maybe. But now isn't the time for questions."
"I'm sorry, yeah? I just...stuff just seems to build up with you and they just come out at bad times is all. I apologize. So that now aside, how do you want to go about things when we find that..octo thing?"
"Problem is I still don't know. But I know it...won't be a good ending. But we'll figure that out when we get to it. If it is moving about down here then it has to have a centralized area where it rests. And if kids are spray painting depictions of it on the walls...it has to be around here somewhere."
"You're sure of that then?"
"Yeah." He said with a nod. "Means they probably spot it a lot around here."
Not another word was spoken as they continued down tunnel after tunnel, keeping their eyes open for any sort of sign. No more pictures showed up on the walls and in fact, any sort of graffiti disappeared altogether. Which meant they were either pretty deep in or...no one dared to come to this part of the sewer.
Eventually the mucky water thinned out and then disappeared altogether, revealing the dried concrete below. Everything from floor to wall was dry in fact, meaning water hadn't flushed through there in some time. And this caused that tiny alarm in the back of the Doctors head to go off. He had gone over the whole set of schematics and not one part of it said any part of the system was UN-used. So there should be water throughout. But there was nothing. There was a slight gleam to the walls though, enough to trick the eyes through the faint torchlight. But the Doctor knew better, he knew this wasn't water.
"Rose...hold up a bit..."
She slowed up a bit as he stepped to the side, examining the walls.
"...Doctor?"
"...it's that same slime...that mucus substance from the basement. I think we're on the right track..."
"...but why would that show up in a dry part of the tunnels? It'd stay close to water, yeah?"
"Of course. But there's a good chance it just blocked the waters flow. Make a pool in it's living area."
"Waltzing on in there can't be the brightest idea in the world."
"No. Not without knowing exactly what we're up against. I've seen how it kills but that can be one way of many. We can try to draw it out though. Shouldn't be too hard seeing as it's favorite prey just comes stomping on in."
"Only one way to figure that out though..."
"Yes...go stomping in. Weeeelll, in a matter of speaking anyway. Stay close...try not to make a sound."
She nodded slightly as she followed him forward. They didn't have to cover too much more distance before they encountered a steel door with a hatch turn on it. The Doctor examined it a bit, knowing regardless of what he did the metal was going to scrape when turned.
"You sure it's in there? I mean, the door..."
"Octopi are very intelligent creatures Rose. Whether it's your octopi here or an alien species. They can use tools so there'd be no problem with learning how to turn a hatch lock."
"True."
With slight hesitation, the Doctor slowly took hold of the metal wheel and turned it, releasing the hatch lock with a grinding screech. He winced intensely, not moving for quite a few moments before pulling the door open.
As soon as the door opened a horrible stench flowed out, causing them both to slip an arm up over their mouth and nose, gagging a bit. The same slimy substance covered the walls inside, but this time in massive amounts and thickness. A pool of blocked up water sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by bones of various varieties of previously living creatures, human included. Various other items were scattered about as well, presumably personal items from the dead. Both the items and the bones had been used to create the dam that held the water in.
They moved about quietly as they could, mindful of the obstructions scattered about. They stopped at the pool, looking down into it. The water wasn't the same murky consistency as the water running in the sewers, but completely black. Looking more like tar or oil.
"That ink?" Rose asked quietly.
The Doctor nodded slowly. "How they hide."
"Or escape." Rose added.
"Neither of which is good for us. Because that means regardless of what it intends, we can't see it. Could be right below us...waiting."
"...we should step back then, yeah?"
"...yup, that would be wise."
Both stepped back in unison, still being mindful of the items scattered about. All they'd need is to send something rattling about to bring attention to themselves, if attention wasn't already present.
"Smells really getting to me...feeling sick."
"Got masks in the bag." He said as he bent down, pulling the pack from his back and rummaging through carefully, pulling out two respirators. "Probably should have had you put one on before hand, with all the stuff floating around down here."
"Wasn't moving about that too terribly long to do much damage I think."
He nodded and handed her one, putting on his own as he stood, shrugging the pack back onto his back.
"Doctor?"
"Hm?" He questioned as he turned around.
"Are you my mummy?"
He chuckled under his mask, sounding low and husky. "Don't even start."
She only grinned under her mask as they began to move carefully forward again.
They continued to look about but really found nothing else other than a trail of the slimy substance leading out a door to the back of the room. But that was far from fresh, so that exit hadn't been used in some time. Further exploration of the chamber proved that other then the door they entered through and the one in the back...no other door existed.
"...either it left a while ago...or it is still in here..." The Doctor mumbled, eyes scanning the room as he spoke.
Rose did the same, the tension building up quickly inside her. Two ways out of the room, and she only knew the way through one of them. If they had to for any reason, have to use the other door, she risked getting lost if separated.
But she could see the Doctor's mind was turning, coming up with multiple possibilities in a manner of seconds. Deciding which could work and which wouldn't. She really did envy him for that ability.
Both their thoughts ended abruptly as they heard a single drop of something hit water, then another. Both turned to look back at the pool in the center of the room, seeing the blackness was slowly rippling. They waited, staring, waiting for anything more to happen. But as the moments ticked by, the water settled and there was nothing more.
"...I think we should...move back to the tunnels and regroup a bit...least we both no our way about out there." The Doctor suggested.
She nodded slowly, glad she wasn't the only one thinking of the possibility of her being lost.
They both backed up slowly, not taking their eyes off the pool. But it stayed quiet, no further rippling to be seen. The only movements were their own, the only sound also their own as a foot skidded here or there or clothes rustled slightly.
But then another sound joined theirs. Another drip...hitting concrete instead of water. They both turned in the direction of the sound but still found nothing. It was when a drop hit the Doctor on the shoulder that the realization dawned on both of them.
He started to slowly look up above them, but only managed to do so halfway as Rose plowed into him from behind, knocking him to the ground. He turned beneath her, about to ask what she was on about, when he saw the thing standing behind her.
It had begun to drop from the ceiling as he was looking up and had Rose not tackled him, it would have leveled him to the ground. It propped itself up with a few of it's tentacle's, the others slowly flailing about. It was a dark black creature, it's glowing red eyes being the only source of bright color. Both could hear the clacking sound of it's beak beneath, opening and shutting.
He mumbled a quick thank you as he slid out from beneath her, pulling her to her feet and running for the exit with her.
They could hear it moving quickly behind them, it's many tentacles smacking the concrete as it chased them. The Doctor pulled his sonic out with his other hand and leveled it on the door, forcing the hatch to unlock. He forced it open with one swift kick as they continued into the tunnels.
The Octopis still well on their tails, refusing to give up. They turned back into the flooded tunnels and back into a major disadvantage. Not only would the water slow them down, but it would speed up the creature. The ledges on either side of the water were just too thin to run along. Walk, maybe. But running, they'd just keep slipping off. All they could do was make a mad run for it.
It wasn't long before they heard the splash behind them as the creature hit the water, it's speed would now be increased. Deciding they had no other real option, the Doctor opted for the tiny ledges along the water. They didn't have a lot of space to run, and the chances of slipping were great, but they could pick up a little more speed that way. He still pulled Rose along behind him, urging her along as she began to tire. He'd get her out, he had to. They'd make their way out, it wasn't far now. He could see the small glimmer of light towards the end of the tunnel. They were almost there.
Until...
"DOCTOR!"
He had little time to reacted as she was ripped from his grip. He turned around only to see her pulled down into the muck, her whole form disappearing before his eyes. "ROSE!"
There was no hesitation in his actions as he jumped in, knowing it would have skirted backwards as soon as it grabbed her. It would drag her back towards it's den or maybe another area since they knew the dens position. And in the time it would take to do that, it would be drowning Rose the whole way.
He scanned the water as he moved forward, screaming her name at the top of his lungs even though he knew it was pointless. She couldn't hear him under there. He could only hope he would get some sort of sign where they were. And shortly after he got one as Rose flung a hand through the surface, trying her best to show where she was.
He dashed forward at that point, flinging himself down at the spot and landing right on the creature beneath. The Octopis was quite obviously taken by surprise and it's grip on Rose faltered for a moment, allowing her to tear free and lunge above the surface. She clambered to the ledge on the side, pinning herself as close to the wall as she could get, watching the spot where she surfaced from.
It was quiet for the longest time, an agonizing time. "DOCTOR!
He broke the surface right after, scrambling up next to her as the Octopis lunged above the surface as well. The Doctor acted on instinct and just kicked out with his foot, nailing it in the face. His foot sunk in a bit, a slimy squishing sound emanating from the creature as it's face buckled in. He was in no way hurting it, but it was enough to make it decide it wasn't worth all this. Slowly it slid back into the water and disappeared.
The Doctor risked no more time, ignoring the shock of it all as he grabbed her hand again, pulling her along. His grip was much tighter on her this time, so much so that it hurt a bit. But he wasn't risking her slipping from his grasp again.
They emerged from the tunnel to the sharp sting of the sun, but even now he didn't waver. He kept up their speed and pulled them both into the safety of the TARDIS, only now allowing them both to drop to the floor. They breathed heavily, exhausted.
It was a long while before either started to strip off the protective gear, Rose tossing the respirator to the floor. She was actually quite grateful to the thing now, as it caught some of the filth that had been in the water. She started to slowly get up, only making it halfway before her knees faltered. She didn't hit the floor though as the Doctor took hold of her and held her up.
"We should get cleaned up, you especially. I can handle whats in the water better than you can. After you're done I'll run you through a De-toxifier, should take care of anything else you picked up."
She only nodded slowly, still quite obviously shaken.
He helped her down the corridor to her room, getting her as far as her bathroom. "You can handle it then? Not gonna fall on me huh?"
"I'll be ok Doctor, just...don't be too far, yeah?"
He nodded slowly and let her make her way into the bathroom, turning away as the door closed. He got about as far as her bed before he flopped down, burying his face in his hands. This had been the very thing he was trying to prevent. He nearly lost her down there. He really needed to think this through a lot better before trying that again.
After a few moments of allowing himself to settle, he got up and headed to his room. He started stripping down as soon as he walked in, heading straight through to the bathroom. He stepped in and left the water cold, needing something to shock him back.
He stood under the spray for a bit, not doing much of anything as he replayed it over in his head. There were quite a few things that needed to change. One, they needed to keep the fight well away from water, two...he had come to the conclusion killing the creature was the only course of action. Though his issue with that stemmed from the fact he wasn't sure if it was the only option or because he was angry about it almost killing Rose.
He shook his head, beads of water scattering. He'd deal with that later. No more today. He just quickly finished up with his shower and changed into his blue suit before heading back towards Rose's room.
He stopped outside her door as he could hear her moving about inside. He knocked gently after a moment. "I'll wait out here for you."
"...thank you." She said, a bit muffled. Whether because of the door or from her own volition he didn't know.
After a few more minutes she did eventually emerge, leaning on him as soon as she stepped out.
"...come on then...lets get to De-toxifier and then we'll get you back home."
She gripped his arm tightly as he started to move along with her, slowing him a bit. "Don't...I know what you're thinking. I know this scared you. Don't...leave me behind please? Don't leave me because you think it's for my own good. Please?"
"...I won't leave you Rose...I promise...besides...you'd find some way to track me down again wouldn't you?"
The ghost of a smile crossed her lips for a moment but was gone just as quickly. "I mean it..."
"I mean it too. I won't leave you."
Satisfied, she loosened her grip a bit but still didn't let go as he lead her down the hall.
