Chapter Three
"Breathe for me, sweetheart, that's it! That's good, yeah! Come on, easy does it..." Jackie was on the floor, hand on John's forehead, trying for all the world not to sound like a birth coach...all this while poor Pete was holding the bowl. Neither of them had liked the way he'd looked when he'd come down that morning, but this was, shall we say, overkill? The demented, helpful darlings. If John Smith had been a violent man, he would have wanted to strangle them. But dash it all, they were being right angels! Not good for his image, he decided, and bent down for round two at the chuck bowl.
Sucking air between his teeth, he groaned. "Rot. I am sorry for putting the two of you through this, I just don't understand why it had to come on so strongly...it's never done before."
Pete thumped him gently on the back, which brought up more bloody discharge. "Might be the half-human bit, mate. We're pesky like that."
John smiled at him, still feeling dizzy after the last go. "No, I didn't mean that. I meant before today. Hope my Other Self isn't feeling this...could be dangerous, for him."
"What? Oh sweetheart, why didn't you say?" Jackie insisted, stopping with a fresh, cold washcloth halfway to his chin. "And don't you go apologizin' ta me for bein' in this state! Weren't your fault, leastways!" Her fingers slowly crept up with the rag in tow. It was like watching a slow motion car chase. Or a comedy show, the way her mouth just, sort of, kept moving but never really said anything.
No. Wait. It wasn't that she wasn't speaking; it was that he couldn't hear her. Sounds were weaving in and out of focus, like a dirty spyglass in a storm... "Damn." He managed faintly, shoving himself to his feet and nearly knocking over the bowl filled with red spew. "Microphasic temporo-spatial dysplasia! Bollocks! I must be the thickest fruitloaf on this bloody planet! Jackie! Pete! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but...consider this a complication." He said triumphantly as he swayed. Then he toppled forward like a rotten redwood, straight into Pete's waiting arms.
"Ohhhh! He's unconscious again... Oh love, what're we gonna do fer him?" Jackie moaned as she dabbed at the sweat pouring off John's face and neck. "We can't take him to Hospital! Like Rose said before, they'd dissect him! His blood could..."
Pete had no time to respond, as the front door opened wide and a lone figure in a black Victorian gown edged in cream lace stood motionless in the doorway. It was Rose, their lovely Rose. She was so beautiful, Peter thought to himself. She must have gone and dressed up especially for John on her way back from the Zeppelin Port. How terrible to come home to something like that, expecting to find your Family, your Lover, waiting for you when you got there.
Pete stood up and went to her, taking her shoulders and guiding her to where Jackie was rubbing John's hands, hoping to rouse him for Rose. "Rose, no time to explain! John is pregnant, she's yours, and it could happen any moment now. He said something about spatial distortions and phase imbalances affecting both him and his clone, all this centering on the baby because of what happened on the Dalek Ship. Does that mean anything to you, Rosie?"
Rose Tyler blinked, then, she shrugged off her father's loving arms and went to kneel beside her lover. "I'm back, love!" She whispered, taking his head into her lap. "And guess what? I bought this just for you, so...unless you want me to return it, you'd better open your eyes." With meticulous care, she removed the silk gloves from her hands, then traced his forehead with a naked finger. "Our baby...never thought I'd say that. An' it's a girl! That's, that's great! Do you think she likes banana candy drops? Knew you would, so I brought some from France. See?" She brought out a small confection wrapped in yellow foil, unwrapped it slowly. "It's made with banana mash and green tea. Good for the synapses, remember, on Christmas? Chock full o'antioxidants?" No response, save for a weak cough, barely a brush of his thin lips, and that followed only by a pensive little moan that only just registered to the ear. "All right then, so much for easy..." Rose quipped, her brown eyes draining tears across her cheeks. "Come on, open your mouth for me." Then, Rose Tyler forced John's mouth open with both hands and set one of the pale little sweet drops on his tongue. "Down the hatch!" She said, and planted a kiss on his bluish lips.