Hours later, Rose returned to the Doctor's room to find him back in his pajamas, underneath the covers. It was early evening, and he had been sleeping since after lunchtime. This caused Rose to worry. It was beginning to look like the Doctor was improving but now he was relapsing. What was the cause?
Rose's thoughts were interrupted by a dark eyed stare from her Doctor.
"Hi," he said with a weak smile.
"Hello," Rose greeted back. "How are you feeling? Any better?"
The Doctor yawned and rubbed his stomach a little. "Not really. Still feeling a bit knackered and cold," he answered tiredly. "And my stomach hurts a bit. Threw up earlier this evening."
Rose raised one of her dark eyebrows. "Pain in your stomach, vomiting?" she questioned, tapping her chin with her finger. "Hang on, let me get my mum!"
"No Rose, don't get your-" The Doctor protested but it was too late. Rose was already sprinting out of the room to get her mother. He groaned in frustration.
Rose immediately returned with Jackie, who herself had a worried expression.
"My God, you're pale," she said, in a tone the Doctor never heard out of her, while she felt the Doctor's forehead and cheeks. "And you've got another fever. You must be having a relapse. Come on, Rose, up and about!"
Rose still had her gaze lingering on the Doctor as she left the room with her mother. She didn't understand how the Doctor went from energetic in the morning to weak and helpless in the evening.
The Tyler women arrived at the kitchen, where Jackie walked to the stove and turned on the kettle. Rose rolled her eyes.
"You're going to make him tea, Mum?" she asked, annoyed.
"No," answered Jackie as she went to the pantry and pulled out some honey and cloves. "Making him the Tyler Remedy again but this time I'm going to add a few extra things. You can get him a cold towel for his forehead and cool off his fever."
She opened a drawer, grabbed a dishtowel, and tossed it to Rose, who barely caught it. The young Tyler went to the kitchen sink to soak the towel while Jackie gathered a few more things as she waited for the kettle.
Then Rose saw a bottle of Irish whiskey on the table. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to it.
"Whiskey," Jackie explained. "I never add alcohol to the Tyler Remedy unless it's absolutely necessary." She saw the shocked expression on Rose's face. "What? Don't worry, I've never given you the remedy with alcohol in it. I'm putting it in to help calm him down."
"He's already calm," Rose pointed out.
"To a point where he can rest a bit better," Jackie added. She poured the water into the mug and added the ingredients, including a shot of whiskey, stirring them all together. "There. Can you take this to him? Make sure he drinks the entire thing!"
Rose nodded, cold towel in a small bowl with water in one hand and taking the remedy in the other. She sniffed the mug, which smelled a bit vile. Normally it was sweet. This must be the extra strength version, she thought to herself as she walked back to the Doctor's room.
When she got there, the door had been slightly ajar. She poked her head in and saw the Doctor lying down, facing away from Rose. This didn't stop Rose from stepping in, causing the door to creak. The Doctor turned to find Rose. He smiled and laid flat on his back, folding his hands across his chest.
"Hey," Rose whispered, even though the Doctor was awake. She held up the mug. "My mum made you another remedy. Let me help you sit up."
Rose propped the Doctor up with his pillows and handed him the drink, which he thanked her for. He took a sip only for him to make a disgusted face.
"Ugh, this is strong," he said in disgust as he wrinkled his nose. "She probably put some kind of medicine in here. Hope it's not aspirin."
"Trust me, it's not," Rose added. "Drink some more. My mum said she wants you to finish the whole thing."
The Doctor sighed, nodded, and sipped on it some more. Rose soothingly coached him through the process, rubbing his back. When he finished, Rose smiled and took the mug, setting it down on the nightstand. She grabbed the chair nearby and pulled it next to the Doctor's bed, plopping herself in it.
"How are you feeling now?" Rose asked.
"I can feel the liquid going down my esophagus," The Doctor added. "That's something you don't get with tea very often. Anyway, think that remedy will help do the trick. Fancy some telly with me?"
Rose grinned. He asked her to join him again! She felt excited, but cautious. Her mother was home this time, so she just sat on the bed with the Doctor, watching prime time shows. Then the Doctor switched channels to find that I Love Lucy was on. It was one of Rose's favorite shows.
While the two sat and watched, laughing, Rose noticed a box in the background, outside Lucy's apartment window. She recognized it immediately as the TARDIS! Her jaw dropped open as the Doctor tousled his hair.
"How did you-?" she asked in awe.
"Funny story!" The Doctor began. "I happened to be at Desilu one day chasing an older version of a Cyberman when I happened to park the TARDIS in the wrong spot. No one noticed, though! People were too busy laughing at Lucille Ball's antics. Unfortunately, this wasn't the only time I crashed a programme. I accidentally ran onto the set of The Vicar of Dibley while they were filming!"
Rose giggled. "Doctor, you're too silly!"
"I know!"
The two burst into laughter until the Doctor clutched his stomach, groaning in pain.
"Okay, maybe laughing isn't such a good idea," he commented, laying back into the pillows.
Out of instinct, Rose gently placed a hand on the Doctor's stomach and rubbed soothing circles. This made him calm down a little bit. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Keep going, Rose, it's helping," he said.
Rose continued to rub the Doctor's stomach while they watched more telly. After a while, Rose stopped but the Doctor took Rose's hand into his and just held it. Rose felt herself blushing furiously. She didn't know what to do in that situation until she heard the Doctor calmly whisper her name. "Rose?"
"Yeah?"
The Doctor closed his eyes and moved his and Rose's hands up to his chest, as if they were touching his hearts. "You have no idea how much gratitude I have right now," he began. "When I'm fully recovered, I want to take you someplace nice, where we can't get attacked. I'll take you to one of the most beautiful planets you'll have ever seen, with shimmering waters and beautiful flora...the streets made with glittering crystals..."
He yawned while Rose smiled. The Doctor was making himself more tired just describing the soothing planet.
"Doctor, you don't have to take me there," Rose insisted, putting her free hand up. "I just want you well and flying the TARDIS again. I'm getting real sick of being stuck here all day! I miss running from unknown creatures and battling aliens!"
"But I want to, Rose," The Doctor breathed sleepily, his consciousness fading. His eyes didn't open again for the remainder of the time Rose was with him that evening.
Rose looked down at the Doctor only for her to notice he was already out like a lamp. She giggled at the sight, with his messy hair, his five o'clock shadow, and his slightly parted lips. Something inside her wanted her to press her lips against them but she restrained herself.
That would be ridiculous! Rose thought to herself as a crimson blush spread across her cheeks. She couldn't take advantage of him like this! She gave him kisses on the forehead but that's as far as she would go when it came to a sleeping Doctor.
But I imagine he's a good kisser, Rose caught herself thinking. She immediately slipped her hand free from the Doctor's and shook up her blonde hair. "No!" she whispered to herself.
The Doctor sighed heavily in his sleep, turning his head to the side of the pillow and not once waking up. Rose smiled, stood up, and pulled the blankets over the Doctor to underneath his shoulders, tucking him in for the night. Next, she wrung out the small towel from the bowl of water, and dabbed at the Doctor's face and neck to cool him off, before finally re-wringing it and placing it on his forehead, making sure it didn't slide off in the position his head was in. Finally, she picked up the mug and was about to leave the room only to find her mum standing at the door.
"Told you the whiskey would work," Jackie whispered gleefully.
"Mum!" Rose scolded.
"Don't you worry, Rose," Jackie reassured. "I'm sure he'll be as right as rain in the morning. Now come on, let's have some tea. I already made your cuppa."
The Tylers left the room and walked to the kitchen, where they would wait out part of the night.
