A/N: Almost done!!! Two chapters to go... Thanks for all the reviews by the way - really appreciate it :D

Chapter 10

The Doctor hurtled down the stairs, three at a time. He knew that if he fell, he'd definitely break something; but time was of the essence. Every second counted.

He passed a sign saying '2nd floor,' and cursed. Five floors to go.

Rose smiled. A peaceful, serene smile. And she faded away…

The Doctor smashed into the door leading through to the third level basement, yelling as he tried to bash it open. He remembered his sonic screwdriver, and delved into his pocket. He fired it at the door - which immediately gave way - and he rushed through it.

He crashed through a group of, what looked like, chefs, and roared. "The Room Of Terror! Where?!" He had gone past the stage of being able to form full sentences as his chest heaved for breath.

They were so terrified of this strange man, screaming and yelling at them, that they quickly pointed to the end of the corridor.

"Right at the end," one said timidly.

The Doctor bowled over the rest of them as he dashed to the end of the corridor, skidding right and running down the full length of the hallway.

There was a single door at the end, labeled 'Viewing Room.' He went through it cautiously, and came face to face with the wall of glass he'd seen earlier… Except now, the room on the other side was filled up to the ceiling with water.

"Rose," he whispered, seeing her body suspended vertically, her hair fanning around her, and her face pale and tinged with blue. She looked, for all the world, like a ghost. He pressed his palms against the glass. She wasn't breathing. "Oh Rose," tears sprang to his eyes.

He took his sonic screwdriver out. He knew it was too late. She was dead. But he needed to hold her again. To know that there was no hope. He pointed it to the glass – which shattered instantly.

The water gushed out, bringing Rose with it. She came to rest at his feet, cuts all over her from the broken glass. He knelt beside her, "No Rose – you're not dead. No.. please.. You can't do this to me… You can't:- " Tears dribbled down his cheeks as he stroked her face. Thick black agony swirled through him.

She was gone.

And he was lost without her.

He sobbed as he remembered his last words to her. "Don't expect me to come running to your rescue."

He groaned with utter desperation. She'd died alone. Believing he'd never come for her. Believing he no longer cared for her.

"Oh Rose, oh Rose." He muttered her name over and over as he cradled her head. He felt a flutter beneath his hand, and vaguely wondered what it was… Why did he even care what it was?

He felt it a few seconds later, and looked where his hand was resting on her neck. He narrowed his eyes, and gently rested a finger on it. He barely dared to let himself hope.

There it was again – faint, and merely a shadow of a pulse… But a pulse nevertheless.

Inside, he was screaming – there may still be hope.

Quick! He yelled in panic to the TARDIS, Tell Lyrin to get you to the ground floor. Wait outside for me.

He knew that Lyrin would never be able to land the TARDIS inside the building, and prayed that he'd be able to get outside.

He'd have to hurry.

He picked Rose up in his arms, and ran as fast as he could, trying to work out how to get out without being stopped.

Why was there no one here? That puzzled him. Surely there'd be guards sent after him – Goar knew where he'd gone… His question was soon answered as he got halfway down the ground floor corridor…

He was almost out, when a mass of guards jumped out from doors, under desks, and from behind cabinets. All armed. All aiming their weapons at him.

They surrounded him. He froze.

There was no way he'd get past that many… He fell to his knees in helplessness. Rose would die – he'd failed her. Again.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured in her ear, hating himself with his whole heart as he bent his head over hers and submitted himself to the guards.

They wordlessly came closer, faces drawn with anger…

But then the entrance door smashed open, the TARDIS blasting through it.

The Doctor had no time to be surprised, and, using the fact that the guards were sufficiently distracted – what with all the general confusion, and random shots being fired in all directions – to his advantage, he half-dragged half-carried Rose down the hall – which was fast becoming a war zone.

He managed to get to the TARDIS doors, and was just opening them when one of the charges from a soldier's gun found its mark, and sank into his arm. He cried out in pain and almost dropped Rose. He frantically kicked at the door, yelling for Lyrin to open it – his right arm hanging limply at his side, while his left was using all its strength to hold Rose.

Lyrin threw open the door and tugged them both inside, slamming the doors behind them. "Never do that to me again," she screamed, "I thought you were going to d:- " she stopped mid-sentence as she noticed Rose… Not breathing… "Oh Gods," she whispered.

"Please," the Doctor tried to suppress a groan of pain, "Help me get her to the infirmary." Lyrin was at Rose's side in an instant, and helped pick her up. They rushed to the infirmary, the TARDIS twisting and turning her labyrinth of corridors to make the journey quicker. They practically threw her into bed, attaching all sorts of machines to her to check her heart, pulse, and brain activity. The Doctor put an oxygen mask over her head in a vain hope to revive her – but her pulse didn't change… It was still weak and irregular.

The Doctor knew there was nothing else he could do. He and the TARDIS had worked tirelessly to the best of their ability – it was all up to Rose now. He knew that a lot of her recovery relied on her willpower – she'd been angry at him, and had sank believing him to have abandoned her.

If she wanted to die, then he wouldn't be able to prevent it. He sat there, desperately stroking her hand, as though by stroking it, he could somehow give her life.

"Let me see your arm."

The Doctor jumped – he'd almost forgotten about Lyrin. He wordlessly held out his arm to her, not taking his eyes off Rose, while Lyrin wrapped it with sodden bandaged.

"I've soaked them in a lotion. It might help," she mumbled, not wanting to break the silence. She knew the Doctor would want to be alone, so left him.

The door shut behind her as the Doctor let out a heavy sob.

"Oh Rose. You can't do this to me. I need you… You were everything to me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He repeated it over and over again; tears streaming silently down his face. He squeezed her hand.

Rose lay motionless.

He bit his bottom lip to try to dam the flow of tears.