After Alec left, saying he'd be back first thing with Ellie, who would have to get a statement from her, Rose made the slow walk back to her bed after visiting the bathroom, getting a look from the other women. Had she been in the mood she would have wound them up a bit but all she wanted was to get out of there the next day in time for Alec's surgery. She hoped the other occupants of the small side ward had not been listening to their conversation especially when Alec had said how they were going to make up – providing he recovered tomorrow, she knew he'd wanted them to talk properly about it but not much could be said in a hospital.

He had said he'd provided for her and Daisy and hopefully, the two of them would meet if Alec got through it but she was dreading his ex being there though there was very little she could do to stop her pacing the corridor like she hoped to be doing. She hoped there were no broken bones but when Alec caught Claire, she had a good mind to ask him to leave them alone and she would have retaliated had Claire not been holding her by her hair.

Rose had learned to defend herself since her arrival on the other world, something the Doctor wouldn't be proud of but he had been to one who could talk anyone out of anything, not her and now she was having to forget she was a Torchwood agent because as far as she knew, there was no Torchwood here any more although there had when the Daleks had tried to steal the 27 planets. She'd never even thought of asking Alec to find out if part of it had survived though but judging by what they had talked about, a few odd occurrences where there had been no intervention by the Doctor, if Torchwood had survived, it was now no longer in existence.

She wondered what had happened to Jack when Martha and Mickey had gone off with him, James had told her to find them but she hadn't wanted to interfere but if the Doctor had seen them again, Mickey would have tried to contact her. One of the staff came round with drinks and Rose managed some hot chocolate without feeling sick and she settled down for the night, wishing her phone would work so she could at least send texts to Alec.

She was woken just after six thirty the next morning by the nurse pulling her curtain back and offering some more painkillers.

"Good morning Rose, how are you feeling today?" the nurse asked cheerily, too cheerily for Rose's liking at such an early hour when it wasn't Alec.

"A bit better though I still feel a bit sick. Do you know what time I'm going for this scan you wanted?"

"Around ten I think so just take it easy until then. Once you've been, we'll have a better idea of when you can go home. Do you have someone to collect you?"

The nurse was new to Rose so she obviously had not seen Alec last night.

"Well I won't exactly be going home right away. My boyfriend will be coming early, he's in the police and I have to give a statement to his DS about what happened to me then don't say anything to her but he's got surgery later on today. He doesn't want her to know about it."

"Is it something serious?"

"Nah, he'll be in and out in a couple of hours, it's embarrassing, he's not told anyone about it," Rose grinned as she swallowed the painkillers

"I'll keep quiet then. I just read what happened to you and you might be pregnant. Did they give you a test when you were admitted?"

"Just a blood test in emergency, I was told it was too soon to tell."

The nurse smiled at her. "I'll see what I can do later when I have a bit more time, I'll bring you a sample bottle and just slip it to me before you go for your scan."

"Thanks, I think my boyfriend will be just as glad to find out, it was a bit of a shock when I told him my attacker threw the testing kit at me but he'd found it on the floor in my apartment. I never told him I was going to buy one."

"I bet that was a shock," the nurse smiled. "I'm Jenny by the way, I'll be back later with that bottle, I'll get it rushed through for you. Why did your attacker throw it at you?"

"A long story but she was his friend and she got a bit jealous when we started dating."

"Was she his girlfriend?"

"No, that's what's so annoying, I could understand it if she was but she went all psycho on us, she was even stalking me then both of us."

"Well if the police are onto her, they'll soon catch up with her."

"I hope so but she left where she was staying and she's probably quit her job. I'll have to get my boyfriend to call work for me, my boss will be so annoyed there are two of us missing."

"Well at least you have an excuse, more than your friend. You both worked together?"

"Yeah, we're hairdressers in Broadchurch."

"Oh, where that poor boy was killed?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend's the lead detective on the case. That's why he doesn't want anyone to know he's got surgery later."

"I can understand that. Well, I'd best go wake everyone else, do you want your curtain leaving open?"

"No thanks, it's a bit too bright outside for me just yet," Rose grinned.

Alec woke up just after seven, almost forgetting where Rose was as he realised he was alone. When he'd got back last night, he'd called Ellie and she was taking him down to the hospital to interview Rose when he said he was going to stay until she was discharged so they'd get a taxi back. He hated having to deceive his DS but he didn't really have much of a choice but perhaps he might relent and send her a message before he was admitted, if he could get a signal on his phone.

He got up, made himself some tea and toast and looked around. If he survived this afternoon, they could make some real plans and go get her things to make the start of moving her in. He'd never taken things so fast with Tess, they had danced around each other for months and still hadn't moved in together until a month before they'd got married. Looking back, he wondered why they'd even got on with each other, it hadn't taken much for her head to be turned, had it? What had she expected when they'd been in the middle of a case with two missing girls? He shook his head and looked at the time, Tess would be up by now, seven thirty and he had to tell her about the surgery.

Tess was trying to rouse her daughter to get ready for school when her phone rang.

"Daisy Hardy, I swear if you don't make a move, I'm telling your father and he'll send you no more presents or money," she told the teenager when she'd glanced at the screen, wondering why her ex husband was calling so early.

"Alec, it's a bit early for you, what do you want?" Tess asked as she headed back downstairs to the kitchen.

"Hello to you as well Tess. A few things but first, how's Daisy?"

"What? I could tell you if you've got a couple of hours to spare but yes, she's fine. Why do you ask?"

"I have something important to tell you and you have to tell Daisy."

"Just get on with it Alec, you don't normally beat around the bush."

"I have to go for surgery today, for a pacemaker."

The phone went silent at Tess's end. "Crikey Alec, that's serious, why the hell did you never say anything?"

"Would it have made a difference? Would you still be with Dave?"

"That's besides the point Alec. You expect me to tell Daisy?"

"Tell me what Mum?" the teenager asked as she walked into the kitchen, yawning.

"Here, you talk to your dad, I need coffee," Tess told her, holding out the phone to Daisy.

"Dad, what have you got to tell me?"

"Listen Daisy, I didn't want to leave this until the last minute but well, I have to go have a pacemaker fitted later today, I just wanted you to know that in case it goes wrong. I've made provisions for you, to get you through college."

"Crikey Dad, you should have said before. What are your chances?"

Tess was listening with interest, he would tell his daughter more than he would tell her.

"Slim but listen, I was told a few days ago that if I don't get it, I won't get any better so it's now or never so please, don't get upset about it. Now put your mum back on and she can tell you the rest later."

Daisy reluctantly handed the phone back to her mother, looking pale.

"Mum, did you know?"

"I just found out myself. Alec, you'd better tell me you've made provisions, if it goes wrong."

"My savings and an insurance policy, made out to Daisy when she's seventeen, to get her though college."

"What about your other benefits, from the police?"

"Ah, that's what else I have to tell you. I met someone a few weeks ago and we've been together, she's going to be moving in with me, if I get through this. Her name is Rose, she's a hairdresser and she was introduced to me by Claire Ripley."

"What? Got yourself a young girlfriend or is she older? How does she know Claire Ripley?"

"They worked together, Claire came to Broadchurch with me, Ashworth was likely to find her, she felt threatened but I don't have time to explain this right now. Claire got jealous of Rose and attacked her and Rose is in the hospital, the same one I'm having the surgery at, down in Dorchester. It's not serious but they kept her overnight and she'll be out before I go in, hopefully."

"You've been hiding Claire from Ashworth? That's a laugh Alec. So you got caught up with a woman who worked with Claire but why did she get jealous? You told me there was nothing going on with the two of you."

"There wasn't, Claire just got jealous because when we came here, I got caught up in the Latimer case and when I started paying attention to Rose, it set her off. Besides, she lived about five miles or so away from where I am and I hardly saw her, Rose was at her place when I went to check on her a few weeks ago."

"So you took a liking to this Rose and she's moving in with you?"

She turned to see Daisy, who had a pair of earphones in her ears and was fiddling with her mobile phone.

"If I survive and so my benefits will go to her, I had them put in her name because she gave up her apartment, she's only working part time now, business is slow with what's going on in the town," Alec explained.

Alec thought he'd best not mention Rose had a magic bank account but that could dry up at a moment's notice if it was actually discovered.

"Well like it not Alec, I'm coming to the hospital, what time?"

"I go in at three but don't you start any trouble with Rose, she's been through enough, Claire has been stalking her and telling lies about me to her."

"What kind of lies?"

"Does it even matter Tess? If you must know, her imagination has been getting the better of her, she was under the illusion I wanted to be more than her friend. If she arrives in Sandbrook, I have a warrant out for her arrest."

Tess had to laugh, Claire had got jealous he'd actually got himself a new girlfriend and it wasn't her but best of all, she'd introduced them. She now had to meet this Rose, who had caused all this commotion and wish her luck – she was going to need it if Alec survived and Claire wasn't caught.

"Why are you telling me all this? Don't you think you'll survive?"

"I don't know but I have someone else apart from Daisy to get through this for now. I may as well tell you, Rose might be pregnant."

That stunned Tess, he'd never shown any interest in having any more kids after Daisy had been born but neither had she when she thought about it.

"That was a bit quick Alec, how long did you say you've known her?"

"I didn't but what's so surprising Tess? You got yourself someone else."

"Yes, I did and I'm not justifying myself to you over it and I didn't get myself pregnant after a few weeks, did I?" Tess scoffed back, hoping Daisy was paying more attention to her music than her parents still arguing after all that time, over the phone.

"I don't want Daisy to meet her, not yet, I want to meet with her on my own, to tell her, if I get through the surgery," Alec told her, looking at the time.

He wanted to be at the hospital just after nine, since he didn't know when Rose was going for the scan. He hoped someone at the hospital would give her another pregnancy test, he wanted to know, if it was going to be all over later on. At least if he knew, he could go peacefully but leaving Rose on her own, after all they'd been through and she was stranded here, it was so unfair.

"I should think so Alec. I'll be there before three, I'll find out where you are."

He had no doubt she would as well. He got ready for work and walked the short distance to the station, he should have taken the car but the yard and garage were mad at that time in the morning. Ellie was already at her desk just after eight as he walked in, beckoning her to join him in his office.

"Sir, have you heard from Rose this morning?"

"No, since we are about to go down and interview her, well you are, I can't do it, she's my girlfriend. There's something to add to that now, Rose might be pregnant."

"Wow, that was a bit quick."

"Don't you go starting, I just had enough with my ex. I had to call her first thing so she wouldn't hear any rumours, you know what people are like around here, it will be just the sort of thing your nephew would love to get his grubby little hands on."

"They have enough with the murder investigation but since you're involved, Olly might make an exception, not that he'll hear it from me."

"I hope not Miller. Right, we'll get off, Rose is having a scan and I don't know what time then she'll have to wait around for the results I expect."

"How long will you be staying there?" Ellie asked as they waited for the lift, noticing he was getting very lazy these days and it was rubbing off on her, worse luck.

He shook his head, how could he possibly say he might never be getting out, without being carried out?

"As long as it takes, maybe someone will check to see if she is or not?"

"Didn't they test her when she was admitted?" Ellie asked as the lift arrived.

"It was inconclusive but knowing Rose, she'll ask for it done again. She'd bought a testing kit but never used it, that was what Claire had thrown at her before hitting her."

"Poor Rose, no wonder she's been feeling sick, I wondered if that was what was wrong with her but I didn't want to say anything, you'd just have been in a worse mood that before you met her."

Alec just ignored her as they arrived on the ground floor and went around to the car park behind the station. He stayed silent on the ride there, Ellie glancing at him and thinking he had it bad for his new girlfriend and was worried about her. How would he react when Rose did get the results? Ellie used her police sign to park and they made their way to ward 12 after Ellie stopped to call Rose's boss, who wasn't too happy. Alec was hoping Rose was feeling better.

The nurse had got back to Rose and she had handed the sample bottle back and was waiting for Alec and Ellie's arrival. She smiled when she could hear Alec's voice out at the nurse's station, where the ward sister was put out that they were wanting to disturb the patients.

I'm DI Hardy, this is DS Miller, from Broadchurch police and we're here to see Rose Tyler."

"That's all very well but she's waiting to go for a scan."

"Yes, I'm aware of that but she has to give us her statement of what happened to her," Ellie insisted.

The nurse, Jenny, had just come back after sneaking off to see her friend to get Rose's test results and after waiting, had to give up and come back and was hoping she'd get chance to go back without being missed.

"I'll take them to see Rose," Jenny offered, thinking the tall man must be Rose's boyfriend and remembering seeing him on TV a week or two back. Lucky Rose.

"I know where she is," Alec informed the ward sister. "I was told last night we would get your full co-operation."

"You were here last night?" the sister asked. "I was told she didn't report it."

"Not officially, that's why we're here now," Ellie told her, thinking Hardy would be getting impatient to see Rose.

"I see. Very well but try and keep your voices down, some of the other patients may be trying to rest. She'll be able to be discharged once she's got her scan results back."

"She's already been?" Alec asked.

"No, it will be around ten when someone comes for her."

"Then we have time to interview her. Miller, she is in the second side ward, by the window, she may have the curtain around," Alec told her. "I'll catch up."

Ellie went off to find Rose, Alec remaining.

"When Rose came in yesterday, she told admittance she may be pregnant, have you done another test?"

"I was told it was too early, nothing showed up in her blood test," the sister told him.

Jenny was hoping she could now justify going back to get the results.

"I can take care of that Ma'am."

"Oh very well, after the detectives have finished talking to her but don't let it interrupt your other duties."

Jenny thought she may be a trainee nurse but she was always showing how keen she was to learn and please her superiors. Ellie had found Rose, walking to her bed where the curtain was pulled around, Rose listening to some music having turned on the radio and wishing she'd had her own earphones to listen to the music on her phone. She looked up when she saw the curtain being pulled back, the hands not looking like Alec's.

"Ellie, hi. Where's Alec?"

"He'll be here soon, he's talking to the ward sister. Do you want to tell me what happened yesterday?" Ellie asked, taking the chair and getting her notebook out.

Alec was satisfied that he may find out before Rose got discharged and he went off for his surgery. He thought though he would give her a bit of time to talk without him being there, it was Miller's investigation, he could be no part of it.

Rose had finished going through the events again of what had happened, wishing Alec had written it down last night and passed it on.

"Is there anything else Rose?" Ellie asked her, putting her notebook down.

"No, I don't think so. She wasn't at her cottage, was she?"

"No, a neighbour said she'd left the key with her yesterday afternoon, saying she'd handed her notice in but I doubt that. I called your boss before we came down, I explained what had happened to you. I asked if Claire was there and she said she hadn't turned up for work again. I said you would probably be back on Monday."

"I should go in tomorrow, it was bad enough last Saturday when Claire was off."

"You're in no fit state to go back to work tomorrow Rose. They'll just have to manage without you."

"Well Maureen might get her niece to help out, since there'll be two of us missing. Can you go find Alec?"

"Rose, he told me you might be pregnant, he's probably asking if they've given you another test. Can you tell me what Claire was wearing yesterday?"

Ellie picked up her notebook again.

"Yeah, a black jacket, a purple top and black trousers and she had a black backpack with her. Oh, the jacket had a red lining and there was something sticking out of the pocket, like a plastic bag, I couldn't really see."

Alec had just heard her as he pulled the curtain back.

"Alec! Hi, where have you been?"

"What did you just tell Miller?"

"About Claire? Just she had something in her jacket pocket, I didn't really get a good look."

Alec sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over to kiss Rose's cheek, despite Ellie being there.

"It could have been nothing Alec, we were arguing."

"I always suspected Claire had more to do with Sandbrook than she would admit. Rose, could it have been a police evidence bag?"

"Excuse me, Sir but you're just grasping at straws," Ellie scoffed. "That was a good while ago and it was said you took the blame but it came out it was a member of your team."

"It was my ex wife Miller and don't you dare tell your nephew. I was cleared of any wrongdoing but I accepted the blame because I was responsible for my team."

"What happened Alec? I wasn't here, remember?" Rose asked him.

Neither Rose or Alec had yet told Ellie where Rose had come from – it was a bit much and she'd never believe it anyway.

"Not now love, later eh? If that was the missing evidence bag, it means she has the pendant and Ashworth was responsible for at least Pippa Gillespie's death. I'll have to call Tess again later, maybe Claire will head back there?"

"Well I'll be off now to file my report and find out how the search for Claire is going. I hope you feel better soon Rose, I'll see you when you get home, come into the station."

"I have to collect all my stuff tomorrow, I'm moving in with Alec."

"So he said. At least you two have stopped messing around and come to your senses though why you'd want to move in with him?" Ellie half joked.

"Hey, watch it Miller," Alec protested, hoping she was just joking. "Haven't you got a report to file?" he mumbled, taking Rose's hand.

"I'm going already. If you need help moving Rose, call me, no doubt he'll be working and leave you to it. You're not even thinking of leaving her are you – Sir?"

"Don't be so daft Miller and I probably won't be in for the rest of today, goodness knows when they'll let her out, she could be waiting around for hours after her scan."

He was hoping she'd be discharged in time to go down where the operation was taking place, in the surgical unit without her being wheeled down there.

It was just after ten and as Ellie was leaving, she saw a porter enquiring at the desk for Rose.

"Did you call Tess earlier Alec?" Rose asked him as he leaned over to kiss her.

"Yes love, she insisted on coming here this afternoon and I had to tell her about us. I asked about you having another pregnancy test, one of the nurses should be here soon."

Rose smiled. "You mean Jenny? She already sneaked me one, I'm waiting for her to come back. Maybe she had to go back for it?"

"You are very sneaky Rose, do you know that?"

"Aw, that's why you love me," Rose smiled, wagging her finger at him for another kiss.

They were interrupted as Alec saw the curtain move.

"Rose Tyler? I've come to take you for a CT scan."

"Oh, yeah. You brought me up here last night. My boyfriend's coming with me but can you walk slowly? He has to take it easy."

"Sure. Here, take one of your blankets to cover yourself, we have to go upstairs, they build this hospital upside down if you ask me."

"I'll say, I came up one floor and there is a garden out there," Alec remarked as the porter helped Rose out of bed, him not wanting to be responsible for taking the woman's job.

The porter kept at a steady pace out to the lift and they went up two floors, passing the x-ray and MIR and the entrance to the CT scanner was next to it but Rose was put just opposite which was just as well Alec thought, putting her outside the MIR was not such a good idea. He took a seat next to her and smiled over at her.

"I'll be right out here love, you'll be fine."

"Are you getting nervous about this afternoon?"

"Honestly? Yes but I can't back down now, I have you to think about."

"Yes and your daughter. Did you talk to her?"

"Yes but I left her mother to do the explaining. Listen Rose, we don't have much time to talk about if I don't make it. You have to promise me as soon as you can, you'll go back."

"Alec, how can I? Besides if I'm pregnant then I'll have to wait until the baby is old enough to go with me. I'll try and find Mickey and the Doctor, he might be even able to get back now after all this time."

"You have to go back Rose, you need help, to bring up the baby if I'm not there."

"You will be there, I know you will. If you're not, I'm staying here and whatever it takes, I'll get a message though and let someone come to me to tell my mum I'm ok. If I'm not pregnant, well I'll have to think about it."

"There won't be anything to keep you here, if I'm gone," Alec mused as the door to the CT opened and someone was wheeled out on a bed.

"Your memory Alec, you made being stranded here worthwhile and I'm so sorry I never told you until the other night that I love you."

"It's fine Rose, I knew. I think it's your turn now."

A woman came out of the room opposite and looked at the back of Rose's chair.

"Rose Tyler? Let's get this done and get you back to the ward. Have you had one of these before?" the technician asked, wheeling her in and closing the door.

Rose said no, she hadn't.

"Don't worry, it will be over before you know it, can you get up on the table?"

Alec was waiting outside, looking around. He was seeing too much of hospitals lately for his liking and the sooner Rose got out, the better but to what? Facing her new life without him, on her own and maybe pregnant? He had to get through it, no matter what, it was no longer a matter of giving in to the inevitable and he was now regretting not seeking help before and for what? He'd done well at hiding his condition but it was catching up with him rapidly and when he'd had that call about Rose last night, he'd almost panicked and thought his surgery had been cancelled then where would that have left either of them?