Notes: Oh My God! I've killed the Doctor.
Sorry about that.
Rose returns to the Powell estate, alone.

Chapter 11

The TARDIS had materialized into a temporary quarantine area in Cargo Bay Four. Dr. Crusher had set up a field hospital with portable medi-beds for the wounded. She and her medical team were wearing bio-hazard suits as a precaution.

Each member of the away team was getting a full bio-scan and then teleported out to SickBay for treatment and de-briefing.

Rose was already there under mild sedation, waiting for Councillor Troi to come and be with her when she woke up.

Lieutenant Bragga had an unidentified mass in his chest and was kept in the field hospital. Leaving him with a junior doctor and specialist nurse, Beverley decontaminated and went to SickBay.

Captain Picard, Will and Deanna came into SickBay soon after. Dr. Crusher was at her desk completing her reports. She went over to the first bed were Worf was lying.

"How is he doctor?" Picard asked.

"A severe concussion, second degree burns down his left side, some shrapnel wounds. If he hadn't been a Klingon he'd be dead," she reported. "A couple of days of treatment and bed rest and he should be fine."

They moved down to Rose's bed. "Rose has had a severe shock. I've got her sedated for now but I can bring her around if you want to talk to her." Picard nodded and Dr. Crusher applied a hypo-spray to Rose's neck.

She started to stir and muttered. "Doctor? Doctor?" Deanna sat on the bed and held Rose's free hand. She could feel her pain, her grief. Rose suddenly sat up and wailed as the sedative wore off.

Deanna grabbed her and hugged her, gently rocking whispering. "Oh Rose, I'm so sorry." Tears were rolling down both their cheeks. Rose buried her face in Deanna's shoulder and started to sob.

Captain Picard stepped forward and awkwardly held Rose's free hand. "Rose, I am deeply sorry for your loss. I only just met the Doctor and yet the impression he has made on my life is one that will stay with me forever. I believe that without thought for his own safety, he went to help Worf when he fell and helped him back to the TARDIS."

Rose sniffed and wiped her nose and in a whisper said. "The Doctor told me never to say forever."

Picard looked puzzled. "Excuse me?"

"Never say forever," she repeated. "That's what the Doctor told me a few months ago in London. I said we would be together forever." She started sobbing again at the memory. "He was the last of the Time Lords, and he died doing what he always did, helping people," she said between sobs.

Dr. Crusher leaned forwards and said. "I'm going to give you something to help you sleep Rose. I can't say you'll feel better when you wake up, but you will have rested." She put the hypo-spray on Rose's neck and Deanna gently lowered her to the bed. There were a couple of small sobs and then she fell silent.

They moved on to Lieutenant Sinclair who had sustained corrosive burns to his arm from the creature's blood. He had a dressing on his arm that would repair the skin in a few hours. He gave the Captain a detailed account of the mission that he would be including in his report.

They moved back to Dr. Crusher's desk and Picard said. "I'm worried about Rose. She's light years from her home and out of her time. How will she cope, Councillor?"

Deanna responded to the Captains concerns. "Physically, her wounds from the Borg implant removal will heal in a few days. Emotionally, she will need a support network of family and friends. We need to try to contact her mother on Earth. I'm sure she has a communication device that works across time."

Picard nodded. "Good. Make the attempt, and ask Mr. Data for any assistance you need with the technology."

They were leaving the SickBay when the intercom announced, "Captain and senior staff to the bridge. Incoming transmission from the Borg ship."

Jackie Tyler had just got back from doing her weekly shop. She dropped the plastic carriers on the kitchen table and switched the kettle on for a cup of tea.

She went through to the living room and switched on the T.V, surfing through the day time programmes looking for some light-hearted chat.

There was a woman showing the presenters how to make some exotic dish that was ideal for a dinner party. 'Chance would be a fine thing,' she thought to herself.

The button on the kettle clicked and she went back into the kitchen and put a tea bag into a mug. Before she could pour the boiling water into the mug, her mobile phone started vying for her attention.

She took it out of her pocket and looked at the screen.

"Rose!" she said and flipped the phone open. "Rose. Where are you? When are you coming home? How's that Doctor of yours? Still getting into scrapes saving the universe I expect." She rattled on without giving her a chance to answer.

"Mrs Tyler?" a woman's voice asked. Jackie couldn't place the accent, slightly foreign but definitely not English.

"Who's that? Where's Rose?" Then a feeling of dread descended. "What's happened to my Rose? Who the hell is this?"

The woman's voice was calm and reassuring. "Mrs Tyler, Rose is safe and well," she said.

"Oh, thank God for that." Jackie gave a sigh of relief. "Where is she then?" she asked, getting suspicious.

"Rose is resting at the moment," the voice said. "She has been through a terrible ordeal, and has had a terrible shock and we have sedated her so that she can recover."

Jackie's dread came back. "What's happened? How is she? Who are you?"

The calm voice came back through the phone. "My name is Deanna; I'm a friend of Rose's and…, the Doctor's."

Jackie detected a slight hesitation when she mentioned the Doctor. "Mrs Tyler, may I call you Jackie?"

Jackie said. "Yes, of course."

Deanna continued. "Well Jackie, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." There was a pause; Jackie could feel the woman steeling herself for the next sentence. "It's the Doctor. I'm afraid he's dead."

Jackie dropped into the kitchen chair, stunned into an unfamiliar loss for words. "Oh my God. Dead? The Doctor? No, that ain't possible." She started to find her words again.

Deanna's calm voice came back over the phone again. "I'm afraid it is Jackie. It was about twelve hours ago. He was helping an injured crew member. He got him into the TARDIS, but before he could reach safety himself, he was killed."

Jackie was staring at the wall opposite. It was an ordinary kitchen wall, in an ordinary flat, on an ordinary housing estate, on an ordinary world that was a million miles away from the Doctor's world.

'That was typical of him,' she thought. 'Save a life with no thought for his own.' Then anger took over. 'With no thought for Rose and what would happen to her.' Her thoughts turned back to her daughter.

"My poor baby," she said. "She'll be heartbroken. Oh Rose. My poor Rose." She fell silent, tears welling in her eyes.

"Jackie, I'm a councillor, I'll be able to help Rose initially, but she'll need a lot of support when she gets home," Deanna said. Her words brought Jackie out of her own grief.

"What? Oh yes, of course. When will she be home? I'll get her room ready for her," she asked and then thought. Deanna had said 'injured crew member'.

Jackie asked. "Where is she? Are you on a ship somewhere?"

Deanna replied. "We are aboard the star ship Enterprise. Don't worry about Rose getting home. I believe the Doctor prepared a disk that will instruct the TARDIS to bring Rose back home. She'll have a few days of counselling with me, and when she's ready, I'll send her home." Jackie thanked her and hung up.

She was numb and now full of guilt for the anger she had just felt. He had thought of Rose after all. Without thinking she re-boiled the kettle to make her cup of tea, when she heard a key in the lock.

"Who the hell's that?" she said to herself as she went into the hallway. There, standing in the doorway, in her jeans and pink hoodie, was Rose. Jackie couldn't get her head around this time travelling malarkey.

Rose looked awful. Her wounds had healed, although her left forearm was still weak. She had both her eyes now and they were red from crying, with a haunted look in them.

She started to cry and ran into her mum's arms. "Oh mum, he's gone, I've lost him."

Jackie held her tight and patted her back. "I know sweetheart, I know. My poor baby."

Jackie eventually managed to make the tea and they sat at the kitchen table drinking in silence. Jackie tried to open a dialogue.

"That Diana sounds nice," she said.

Rose looked up and smiled. "It's Deanna, and yes, she's lovely."

Jackie continued. "Oh yes, Deanna, that was it. Couldn't place the accent though."

"She's from Betazed," Rose replied.

"Where's that then? Some where in the Far East?" Jackie asked.

Rose gave a laugh. "No mum, it's a planet."

Rose fell silent. She felt guilty about laughing, when her lover was... Talking about Deanna reminded her that she had to do something. She took the e-pad out of her pocket and placed it on the kitchen table.

"Counselling," Rose said to the device. A half-metre tall hologram of Deanna stood on the table.

Jackie leaned forward for a closer look. "Is that Deanna?" she asked. Rose nodded. "She's pretty," Jackie told her.

"Thank you," the hologram replied.

Jackie leapt back in her chair. "Bloody 'ell! It talks!" she exclaimed.

The hologram spoke again. "Is it still alright if I call you Jackie?" it asked.

"Err, yes, of course," Jackie replied.

The virtual councillor continued. "Rose, we spoke before about feeling numb and being in denial," it started. "You are probably yearning for him to come back to you, and you may feel angry that he left you, and guilty that somehow it was your fault that he died."

Rose was nodding in agreement, tears stinging her eyes. "It is my fault. If he hadn't taken me on holiday we wouldn't have met you, wouldn't have ended up on the Enterprise. He wanted to bring me home, away from danger but I said we should stay and help…" She trailed off.

"Rose," the hologram said gently. "The Doctor performed a noble and selfless act to save another. From what you have told me, and from what I know of the Doctor, he would have done that regardless of where he was."

"She's right y'know love. She's got 'im bang to rights," Jackie said.

The hologram turned and spoke to Jackie next. "Jackie, remembering the Doctor is essential to allow you both to come to terms with his death. What is your earliest memory of the Doctor?"

Jackie thought about that day which seemed a life time ago. "He came to the flat and I thought he was from an insurance company. Rose deserved compensation for nearly being killed when Henrik's blew up. Turns out he blew the bloody shop up in the first place." She rolled her eyes and tutted.

Rose leapt to the Doctor's defence. "I was never in danger Mum. Well not from the explosion anyway. The shop mannequins were Autons, being controlled by the Nestene conciousness. I thought it was some of the lads in the store-room muckin' about."

Rose gave a weak smile as she remembered. "I was trapped, when his hand slipped in to mine, and he said 'RUN'. And we ran and ran and ran."

She stopped and looked at Jackie. "I suppose it's time to stop running now."

Jackie stood and bent over Rose and enveloped her in a hug. Rose returned the hug and stopped the e-pad.

"I'm exhausted mum. I think I'll go and have a lie down," Rose said.

"Tell you what, why don't you run a bath and I'll make your bed," Jackie suggested.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Thanks mum."

The next few days went by slowly for Jackie.

Rose stayed in her room mostly. Weird yet pleasant alien music coming from that e-pad gadget she'd brought back with her.

She sometimes heard her talking with the virtual Deanna about her grief. She came out for her meals, looked at the soaps on T.V without watching them and went back to her room. Jackie could hear her crying herself to sleep each night.

Late autumn sunlight came through the thin curtains of Rose's bedroom, giving the room a warm, pink glow.

"Rose?...Rose?... Morning sweetheart. I've brought you a cuppa." Jackie said as she came into the room.

Rose rolled over to take the cup. "Thanks Mum," she said, about to take the offered brew. She noticed it was being held in a mechanical appendage.

Rose screamed in terror. Her mum was dressed in the black body suit of the Borg. She was bald and grey skinned, with an ocular implant in her left eye and tubes coming out of her scalp and neck.

'Oh God no!" she thought. Somehow the nanoprobes had come with her and were infecting the Earth and it was her fault.

The Jackie Borg reached forwards and held her shoulders on the bed. Rose was paralysed like before on the Borg ship. She screamed again. "No! No! Not again, I can't take it. No!"

"Rose? ROSE? Wake up! Wake up!" It was her mum's voice. She could feel her shoulders being shaken.

"You're having a nightmare sweetheart. Please wake up," Jackie pleaded.

Rose snapped her eyes open to see the worried face of her mother looking at her in the twilight of her bedroom. She was cold with sweat and gasping for breath. Jackie could feel her trembling like a leaf in a gale force wind.

Rose silently threw herself into her mother's arms and started to cry. Jackie hugged her as tight as she could and started to cry herself.

"Oh my poor, poor baby," she sobbed as she gently rocked her back to sleep. Cocooned in her mum's embrace had been the safest Rose had felt in a long, long time.

Jackie's heart ached for her. She was her mother; she should be able to make it right.

The next day nothing was said about the nightmare. Rose couldn't tell Jackie about it and Jackie didn't want to make things worse by making Rose think about things that were too terrible to even consider.

A couple of weeks passed in the same manner. One evening, Jackie came to a decision.

"Right, we need some closure on this," she said out loud. She went into the kitchen and reached the bottle of Bacardi, a bottle of cola and a couple of glasses and went to Rose's room.

Rose was sitting on her bed with her back propped up with pillows. It was a typical young person's bedroom, it was a mess.

"Mum?" Rose looked up from the e-pad, her eyes were red.

"C'mon girl, put some of his favourite music on that thing, we're going to have a wake." Jackie poured two Bacardi and cokes, handed one to Rose and downed hers in one. She shuddered.

"God, I needed that." She poured another and raised her glass towards Rose.

"We may be the only people who know he's gone. To the Doctor." She downed her drink again and Rose followed.

Jackie continued. "I remember when you came back from your first trip with him." Jackie started to laugh. "A whole year late. What's the point of having a time machine if you can't keep track of the time. Bloody idiot. I gave 'im a right slap for that."

The alcohol started to kick in and Rose started to giggle. "He was terrified of you after that," she confided. "He said that you were one of the most awesome forces in the universe, a mother defending her child."

Jackie raised an eyebrow. "Did he now?" she asked. She raised her glass in salute and had another swig of her drink.

And so the process of healing continued. They talked and drank into the early hours. They laughed, they cried and they remembered.

More importantly they paid tribute to an person who neither looked for, nor asked for tributes. He saved worlds, civilisations and people because it was the right thing to do.

They woke up on that Friday morning of the third week with hangovers. Rose gave her Mum the Vulcan hangover cure, Jackie's eyes lit up.

"We should get that analysed, we could make a fortune," she said. Rose had to point out that it hadn't been invented yet, it would be invented by pointy eared aliens and the ingredients weren't on Earth. Jackie sighed and went into the kitchen to do the washing up.

Rose was in her dressing gown and furry slippers. She'd finally had a full nights sleep without a flash back waking her up in a sweat, although that could be down to the alcohol.

She was drinking a mug of tea curled up in front of the T.V when the midday news came on. It was the usual stories, politicians misbehaving, some actor doing something really good, another one doing something really dumb. An earthquake somewhere in the world and then, she nearly choked on her tea.

"Look, on the telly. It's the Olympic stadium. The 2012 Olympics!"

Jackie looked at her concerned that she may have finally lost it. "Yes, I know love, but it's not for another six or seven months" she reminded her.

"I know Mum. I know, but the Doctor and me were there."

Jackie looked at the T.V, mouth wide open. "Oh my God!"

Oh My God! I've killed the Doctor.
Sorry about that.
Rose returns to the Powell estate, alone.