Requested by TVH Bookfan

Summary: Clara gets sick after her encounter with the Cybermen and the Doctor looks after her as best as he can.

Death in Heaven

Clara stumbled away from Kate and the Doctor, one arm wrapped tightly around her stomach. She had been feeling slightly queasy ever since she entered this accursed graveyard, but the overwhelming concoction of emotions and hormones had kept it mostly hidden until Danny took command of the Cybermen troops and Missy disappeared. Now there was no anger, guilt, or sorrow to obscure her pounding head. She stumbled a few feet further before her shaking legs caved; she fell to her knees and threw up.

The water and stomach acid stung as she heaved, bringing tears to her eyes. Once she had started she couldn't stop. Clara braced one hand against the nearest gravestone and wrapped the other tighter around her middle in an attempt to steady her trembling body. She tried to close her eyes and block everything out but the memory of Danny's tortured face as he begged her to help him made her retch harder. Nothing was coming up any more; there was nothing left in her stomach but her body continued to try and rid itself of the horrors of the day. Each time her muscles clenched her weary body would shudder in protest.

Suddenly, a firm arm wrapped around her back and cool fingers pulled her hair out of her face. Clara heaved one last time before twisting her head, finding her small noes inches from the Doctor's. He didn't say anything, just sat with her, supporting her shaking body in his arms, a grave and pained look on his face. Clara struggled to catch her breath as her friend waited patiently. Finally – once she had enough air in her lungs – Clara managed a single word. "Kate?"

"She'll be fine. Some UNIT soldiers came to pick her up," The Doctor replied. "Are you finished?"

Clara nodded. Her body had finished trying to expel her internal organs, at least for the time being. The Doctor gave her a sad smile and pulled her up. She clutched his arm as the world spun around her and her vision blurred. He pulled her closer to him and led her back to the TARDIS, rubbing his left hand up and down her upper arm reassuringly. His strong, steady body kept her from toppling to the dewy grass beneath their feet as she continued to shake violently. The air around them seemed to have dropped at least 15 degrees. What was wrong with her?

The Doctor let Clara press herself against his chest for balance as he extricated his key – which she had tried to destroy only a few hours ago — and guided her into the TARDIS. She must have looked extremely pitiful, since the ship immediately adjusted the air temperature. Clara sighed as the warmth enveloped her aching body like a cocoon. She barely saw where she was being taken until the Doctor nudged the door to her TARDIS bedroom open and helped her sit on the edge of the queen-sized bed.

He whipped out his sonic screwdriver without the usual flourish and scanned her quickly. Clara looked up expectantly as he consulted the readings. "You're suffering some side-effects from the new upgrade process the Cybermen used. You're also dehydrated, over-tired, and under-nourished. Were you trying to make yourself sick?"

Clara looked down at her trembling hands in shame. "Sorry," She mumbled.

The Doctor sighed exasperatedly. "You need to sleep. Get into some more proper attire. I'll get you something to prevent you splattering digestive fluids all over my floor." She nodded her assent and began marshaling her uncooperative fingers into unbuttoning her coat.

The Doctor returned seven minutes later with a light yellow concoction in one hand. The sweet liquid would help calm his small companion's stomach enough that she could eat something when she woke up. He swept around the corner to find her door still ajar. He peeked around cautiously to find Clara in the same possession he had left her in, struggling to remove her shoes. Her arms were shaking so badly that this task was nearly impossible.

He felt his own stomach do a somersault at the sight of her pale, tear stained cheeks and deflated eyes. He had never seen Clara so empty. It was like her soul had ascended into the sky and exploded with PE, leaving this sickly shell behind. Slowly, he walked over to the bed, put the glass on the table beside them, and helped his friend slip off her shoes. She looked at him gratefully with a wobbling half-smile. He handed her the glass, which she took and drank without comment.

After taking the last sip, she handed the empty glass back to him. He set it aside and turned to meet her questioning gaze. "Will I be okay?" She asked softly.

"Once you catch up on sleep and eat something, you should be fine," he replied, though he knew that wasn't the real question. Clara wanted to know if she would ever feel whole again, if the spark of life would ever find its way back to her enormous brown eyes. But he didn't have an answer to that, so instead he repeated, "Sleep. Doctor's orders."

Clara nodded compliantly and he helped her maneuver under the thick blankets. When he turned to leave, however, he felt her sweaty hand close around his wrist. "Stay?" she whispered sleepily. Silently, he climbed up next to her and leaned against the dark wooden headboard. She pulled his hand up to her feverish forehead and exhaled at the relief his cool skin brought. He crossed his legs and waited, listening to her breaths slow and even out as she finally allowed her exhausted body to rest.

The Doctor stroked her tangled hair absently. She obviously loved PE and there was no telling if she would ever be the same again. He could whisk her off on more fast-paced adventures, she could even leave school and join him full time aboard the TARDIS, but part of her died with Danny. The only way to fix her, to make her whole again, would be to get him back. He would find a way, even if it meant losing her to soldier-boy forever. He looked down at her relaxed face. If giving her up was the only way to save her, then that's what he'd do.

Thoughts? I'm back from school, and I've got a few weeks before camp starts so I should have time to write more soon. As always, suggestions are welcome. I know there are some requests foe season nine and one for the Robin Hood episode; I'll be working on all of those soon!