"---believe you!! What kind of person do you thing yourself as, I ask you that! Not telling anyone--"

"The hell kind of person to you take us for, Doctor? First you--"

Rose became aware of the voices shouting around her, and turned away from the rain spattering against the window.

"—I'll tell you what, I will, I'll tell you that--"

"Leave 'em alone."

The room went silent, as even Rose was shocked at what she had said. Defending the Doctor? Yes...even after what he said, even after he had rocked her world for a second time (and this turn of events less pleasant than the last), she would defend him. To the very end.

"Rose...but he...but he just..." Mickey trailed off, pointing accusingly at the Doctor in a futile attempt to sway her. Swallowing hard, Rose nodded.

"Ya, I know what he said...I was 'ere, wasn't I? But doesn't he get the chance to have a personal life, too? A chance to explain...?" She glanced over at the Doctor, her eyes all but begging for him to suddenly burst into laughter, to tell her it was all a joke.

But he said nothing. Just looked at her.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you all to leave for now. Visiting only allows two people at a time..." A nurse interrupted, surprising the group.

"I'm not leaving." The Doctor said defiantly, his posture relaxed, but the one hand was still clutched at the sidebar, knuckles white.

"Me too." Rose said after a moment. Jackie turned, mouth open, ready to dispute the issue, but Rose just looked at her. "We'll stay 'til visiting's over." The nurse nodded back and smiled, ready to get back to other orderly things. Mickey stalked out of the room after her, leaving Jackie to linger for a few moments.

"Are you sure..." Rose's mother left the sentence hanging, but the both knew what it meant. Hundreds of questions, all wrapped up into one neat, tidy silence. Nodding again, Rose gave her mum a quick squeeze and swallowed.

"We'll be fine. Why...why don't you an' Mickey grab a bit to munch...Visiting's end will be soon, so we wont be long..." Reluctantly, Jackie nodded and left. Rose looked over at the Doctor, hovering over the hospital bed, and wondered briefly if it would be fine. Never know until it's done...taking a deep breath, she slowly walked back across the room to stand by the Doctor.

"She isn't." He said after a moment. Unsure what to say, Rose just glanced up at him. "She isn't really mine. Her...her mother an' I were the best of friends. When...when she an' her husband passed away, I promised I'd take care of her. Bashing job so far..." Hanging his head low for a moment, the Doctor then glanced at Rose. "If it makes anything change, she's not really mine."

"She...she isn't then...?" Rose gently placed her hand over his fist, reassuringly. Looking down, the Doctor shook his head and gave a futile smile.

"No."

"Then...then why..."

"Say it? Well...she might as well be...Rose, when she was young, oh the adventures I would take her on..." Smiling to himself, he turned back to Rose and she could see that spark began to return to his eyes. "One time, took her to the Moons of Marinus...dingy ol' place..."

"Loved every second of it?" Rose teased.

"Loved every second of it!" He admitted and they laughed. Happy that she had managed to pull the Doctor out from his funk, Rose was committed to keep him that way.
As the Doctor's laughter wound down, Rose settled herself into the chair next to him.

"...tell me more?" She prompted. Hesitating for a moment, the Doctor then glanced down at the child, back at Rose and then sat down.

"Ya...alright..." He nodded. "There was this one time, see? Where we had taken her across the sandy ice caps of TeshSevateem..."

"...and so please stop being mad at him, mum," Rose finished filling Jackie and Mickey in on the actual story behind the Doctor's relationship with the unconscious child. Jackie was reluctantly silent during the tale, constantly sipping from her tea to keep herself from interrupting Rose. Mickey just sulked. "He only did what he had to do."

"But...but why did he not just say she was his godchild? Why all the mess about it all?" Jackie asked, disconcerted, and set the mug down on the hospital's table.

"Why'd he leave her?" Mickey muttered, watching streams of people trickle in and out of the waiting room's cafe. Rose opened her mouth to speculate, but found she had no answer. The Doctor never did answer that one question, and listening to all his wild tales and adventures had sidetracked Rose.

"Well..." Rose tried to come up with something fast.

"Well?" Her mother echoed, a demanding tone creeping in behind the words.

"Well...well, I don't know, alright." Rose admitted, then jumped tracks to a defensive tone, ready to defend the Doctor. "But I'm sure he had a very...good..." Rose frowned as several nurses ran by, followed by what could only be described as a flock of very upset orderlies. "Good reason...hang on..." Picking up her mother's empty mug and standing up to stretch, she feinted casual as she walked over to the main counter.

"...can't believe it when the call came in..."

"...yes, room 112..."

Closing her eyes, Rose counted to ten. And then ten again. Then, taking a deep breath, she turned back to her mother and Mickey, but before she could reach the duo to tell them what she had overheard, an alarm began to blare, startling everyone in the room.

Quickly, glances were exchanged and the trio jumped into high gear, rushing along the crowded corridors, hoping that this mess wasn't what they thought it might be.

Reaching room 112, Rose stepped inside first, glanced around, and put a hand to her forehead.

"Oh, Doctor..." She whispered.