Author's Note: Wow, this chapter was REALLY SHORT! As much as it seems like it could be, this is NOT the final chapter, so make sure to follow this story (PLEASE?- *hopeful smile*) to get an update when the final chapter is posted. How long it will be until that happens, I don't know, because those of you who have stayed with me through this whole thing (Thank you very much to those people!) know that it took FOREVER for me to get the second chapter up, but this one followed quite quickly after. So I really have absolutely no idea when I'll get the chance to write and post the next chapter, but hopefully I'll be able to get it up soon. I've been working very hard on this story lately, so hopefully you'll enjoy it! Well, I can see that this author's note is really very long and you probably want to read the actual story now, so I'll just close it by stating that although its very short, I put a lot of work and thought into this chapter, and wanted to capture the Doctor's emotion in just the right way without inclining that there was romance between the two (because while I love a good romance fic between Ten and Rose as much as the next girl, I just really wanted this story to be a friendship only), but the Doctor is such a mysterious character, and no one really knows what is going on inside his head, so I just did the best that I could with what I had and hopefully you'll think it's okay! :D So on that note, without further ado, here is chapter three of Thorns (Don't forget to review)!
The Doctor rubbed his thumb against Rose's abnormally cool hand, looking intently at her face. Thoughts of nothing but worry for his companion were clouding his mind. Even if the walls started coming down to pieces around him, as long as Rose was safe, he probably wouldn't even notice. She was lying so still… But the monitor hooked up to her was beeping steadily in time with her heartbeat, telling the Doctor that she was still hanging on.
The Doctor found it absolutely agonizing to simply sit and wait for his home-made antidote to take action. There wasn't a time he could remember that he hadn't been able to do something to help his companion. Never had Rose been clinging to life with her fingertips, on the verge of slipping away forever. The thought of losing her sent shivers down his spine and made him tighten his grasp on her hand, though he knew he couldn't physically keep her from dying.
The TARDIS attempted to comfort the Doctor with gentle, soothing hums, but nothing could take his attention away from his companion, lying lifelessly on the medical table. The Doctor wanted nothing more than to get up and do something-anything- but there was no way he was going to let go of Rose's hand. Watching her so weak and vulnerable… He couldn't believe he had let this happen to her. He had no idea if his cure would work… If Rose would live to see another day… If he would have to go tell her mum and boyfriend that she was dead…
No. He forbade himself to think like this. Of course his cure would work. It had to. After all, he was the Doctor, wasn't he? It had to work, or else… Or else nothing. Because it was going to work.
The Doctor went on thinking like this until he was snapped back to the presence by a slight stir of his companion. A human probably wouldn't pick up something so small like it, but a Time Lord who is concentrating very closely on something will definitely notice a tiny flutter of eyelashes and the twitch of a finger.
The Doctor let out a breath he had been holding for at least ten minutes. Rose was not going to die. Granted, she was going to be a little weak for a bit, but at least these tiny movements assured him that her brain was responsive and the poison was being dissolved by his antidote. He leaned back in his chair, relief flooding him. A small chuckle escaped him. He was just so unimaginably happy. It was as though a huge weight had been lifted up off him, and he was as light as a feather.
"Oh, Rose," He whispered, "Oh, Rose."
That was all he said, and for the longest time just sat there waiting, but no longer feeling as though his very best friend in the entire universe might disappear with the blink of an eye, and he would miss it and never get a chance to say goodbye. He reached out and stroked her hair affectionately. Everything was fine. Rose was going to live, and he was never going to let her out of his sight ever again. But there was still one question that remained unanswered, that was pounding at the back of his mind, demanding to be figured out (Because Time Lords simply cannot stand being deprived of knowledge).
"Oh, Rose." He said with a smirk and a little smile, "You're going to be in big, big trouble."
Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! Please review, and follow for updates. Next (and last) chapter coming soon!
