"Doctor...?"
"I'm here, Rose. Just stay calm; we'll get you out in a minute."
He fiddled a bit more and the wires embedded in Rose's flesh slid out, leaving a multitude of puncture marks. As Martha watched, the Doctor helped the other girl to sit up and wrapped his jacket around her.
"Rose Tyler I love you. I never managed to tell you and then you were gone before I could and I do. I do –" The words came out rushed and frantic, but all the more heartfelt for it. Creeping slowly over her face, Rose's smile lit up the room.
"I love you too. Forever, yeah?" she interrupted. Her voice was a little hoarse and very quiet, but it caused a grin to steal over the Doctor's face like a sunrise. He bent his head to quickly press his lips to hers before leaping to his feet and sweeping her into his arms.
Martha trailed after the Doctor as he strode, still carrying Rose, towards the TARDIS. The rain was beginning to taper off, but the streets were still mostly empty of pedestrians. She found that, to her surprise, she wasn't devastated. Seeing how unbelievably perfect they were, she had to wonder how she had ever thought to encroach on that perfection. She was sad, yes, and regretful of the time she had spent pining, but she wasn't heartbroken. And maybe now she was ready to move on with her own life.
The moment they swept into the TARDIS, the Doctor was babbling almost incomprehensibly to (at) Rose about recent events and seemed insistent on dragging her off to the infirmary for a complete check up. Recognizing the expression on Rose's face, Martha spoke up.
"Doctor, if Rose hasn't fallen over yet, I think she'll last for a little while longer. What she really needs is to get into some warm, dry, comfortable clothes. Then, she needs to eat some real food, yeah? Then, if she feels up to it, you can examine her. Come on, Rose."
Rose threw a grateful look to Martha and, after kissing the Doctor quickly, moved stiffly to her side. The two girls set off down the hall way.
In Rose's old room, handily moved closer by the TARDIS, Rose changed into a pair of worn flannel pyjama bottoms patterned with stars and a large black men's jumper.
"I'm glad he found you," said Rose abruptly, breaking the awkward silence. "I never wanted him to be alone. I mean, yeah, I'm jealous, but better you than no one, you know?"
Martha smiled. "Thanks. I was jealous of you," she admitted. "He was so moody about it all and he told me straight out 'You won't replace Rose' and I, well, I was already half in love with him and..."
"I understand. Now," Rose added with an impish grin, "I've gotta go find my alien boyfriend and give him a proper snog."
Martha laughed. "I'll give you a few minutes alone before I interrupt, but you really should eat and then get checked over. Trust me; I'm almost a doctor."
oO*Oo
When Martha walked (somewhat cautiously) into the console room, it was to find the Doctor sitting at a food-laden table with Rose on his lap, wrestling playfully with her in an attempt to feed the blonde despite all her protests.
Martha huffed in annoyance. Called himself a doctor!
"Doctor! Not too much: we need to allow her stomach to readjust to food."
He looked sheepishly at her, and then pouted. "It's not all my fault; the TARDIS supplied most of it. And I was just trying to be helpful."
Rose sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. Momentarily distracted, the Doctor turned to look down at her with a fond smile. Once again, Martha was struck by their...rightness.
Remembering the reason she had intruded in the first place, Martha spoke up. "If you're done eating, Rose, we should do that medical check. Let this big idiot prove he's a doctor."
"Oi," protested the Doctor, "I've saved the world – the universe, even! – and both your lives many times over! This is the thanks I get! See if I ever do it again. And – Rose!" He frowned at her. "Where did you get that jumper? That's one of mine, isn't it? When did yousteal that? Rose –?"
Martha (trying to figure out why the Doctor would feel so possessive of a jumper that wouldn't fit him properly anyways) and Rose, giggling together at his indignation, led the way to the infirmary.
oO*Oo
In the TARDIS' medical room, tidy and sterile unlike anywhere else in the time ship, the Doctor puttered around, operating esoteric machinery and glowering at the results.
Martha, unable to make heads or tails of the alien readings, contented herself with making sure Rose was as comfortable as possible. Using a damp cloth laid out obligingly on a counter, the medical student helped sponge away the blood dried onto Rose's limbs where the wires had slid out. Then, Martha frowned.
There were no scabs, no puncture marks, nothing marring the skin under the layer of blood. She checked again and met Rose's eyes.
"Doctor, come look at this." When he was by her side she continued, "Remember how those wires were inside her? Look; there are no marks, not even on her neck where that big one was. She couldn't have healed that well that quickly."
Rose interrupted the Doctor before he could say anything. "Before you start, I think that there's a story I need to tell. I'm surprised you haven't already asked, actually, because my being here, well it's supposed to be impossible, right? I've been thinking about what you said, and I think I've mostly figured out what happened."
