I know I haven't updated in so long and I do apologize. I've been very busy at work and around the house. Just didn't seem to find the time to write. However, here is the next chapter. I'm still working on Chapter 25. Hopefully, I will have that one ready far sooner than I had this one.

As always, please review. Reviews reassure me that people are reading my stories and encourage me to continue.

Chapter 24

The first day of Alex's new regimen was fairly quiet. After assuring that he was peacefully asleep, Rose kept her promise to Jackie and met her and Tony in the cafeteria, asking Pete to join them so that she didn't have to repeat her story a second time. Her little brother had fallen asleep on one of the couches there, allowing them to talk without upsetting the boy. Naturally, they were worried when they hear the news about Alex's mental condition and the reason for his going cold turkey but nonetheless knew there was little they could do to help other than to give Rose all the support she needed. Rose had spent the night sitting by Alex's bed, hoping that her presence would give him comfort even in his unconscious state.

The first sign of him enduring intense withdrawals happened the next night. He whimpered on and off, making Rose all that more determined to be there for him. By the third night, he'd started to murmur. By day four, he was having all out arguments with himself, his voice taking on at least six different intonations. Rose supposed that each one was a reflection of previous incarnations. It made odd sense that he would develop more personalities before being able to heal himself. After all, the Doctor, shortly after he'd regenerated from big ears and leather, had told her he was on his tenth incarnation. If you counted those incarnations as well, it was entirely possible for Alex to have twelve different personalities in his mind. Was it any wonder, then, that he'd been going insane?

Those first four days, Rose barely left his side the entire time, only doing so to get an occasional bite to eat or to wash and change clothes. She'd slept in the chair beside his bed, waking every time he'd made any kind of sound, especially since most of the time he sounded distressed. The most frightening symptoms though were the physical ones, including high temperature, sweating, shallow respiration, and tremors. Still, Harry and Laurel assured her that such symptoms were fairly common for someone going into withdrawal and that they would keep a close eye on him.

Laurel walked into the room, watching Rose for a long moment with growing concern, before going up to her and touching her shoulder. "Rose, go home. You've hardly slept since this whole ordeal started."

"I'm fine," the blond woman protested. "Besides, Alex needs me."

"No, you're going home," the psychiatrist insisted. "Orders from the Director." Hearing Rose groan in protest, she pressed on. "You're lucky that your dad let you stay near Alex all this time. We're worried about you, Rose. You need rest. Mr. Tyler told me that if you didn't go home and get some sleep, he would have Jake Simmonds drag you home and tie you to your bed. From what I know of Mr. Simmonds, he would do it too. You're free to visit during proper visiting hours but no more sleeping in that chair."

Rose sighed in frustration. Leave it to Pete Tyler to make her leaving Alex's side an order. "Okay, I'm going. But you call me the minute anything happens, yeah? I don't care what time it is."

"He'll be fine, Rose," Laurel assured. "The tests we've been doing show that there's some definite progress with his mental condition. I know the symptoms aren't pretty but there's little we can do about those. I promise that we'll call if anything comes up. Now, go home. It would be embarrassing if you were fired by your own father for insubordination."

She finally relented and left the room, going to the lift to the parking garage, and driving her SUV back to her condominium. Opening the door, she looked around her living room filled with Alex's belongings. When they'd first admitted him into the medical ward ten days ago, she'd decided that she'd let Alex put all his possessions away when he returned to the condo. The only thing that she had done was to make sure that all the boxes they had packed were present and that Alex's beloved motorcycle was in the parking garage. It wasn't that Rose didn't trust Jake to ensure that nothing had been left behind; she'd just wanted to verify.

Now, as she looked at his belongings, she worried that they would never be unpacked. The boxes weren't in the way enough to affect her being able to use her home but their presence was a reminder that Alex was still in the hospital and, by his own admission, might not come out. The thought put a lump in her throat she was sure was the size of a cricket ball. She couldn't bear it if she'd lost the Doctor – her Doctor – before she could get to know this incarnation of him properly, now that he was so close to finally finishing his year long journey. The boxes themselves were like a knife to her, his life hidden away inside cardboard and plastic. Having everything Alex owned stacked in neat piles seemed so wrong to her at that moment, as if the boxes were just waiting to be hauled away to donation centers.

Going to the collection, she pulled down the nearest box, put it on her dining room table, opened it, and found neatly folded clothes. Determination came over her features as she again picked up the box, this time carrying it into Alex's bedroom – still decorated in rich reds, oranges, and browns. She then proceeded to carefully empty the box and put all the clothes in the wardrobe before going back to the living room to collect another box. The more boxes she emptied, the more she felt as if she were telling off the universe, warning it that it couldn't take Alex from her. Not now. Not ever.

With every box she emptied, she made sure that Alex's possessions were placed exactly the way he would have wanted them in his room. She had seen his organization before and was determined everything would be perfect, right down to the fact that he kept his books separated first by genre or subject and then alphabetically by author or series. She made sure that the little silver beading he liked to use as a wall border was meticulously in place and his favorite artwork was back on the walls. Those items that she felt were irreparable, like his stereo system and television which he'd taken apart, she put to the side in the living room so that he could decide their fates. By the time she had completed her task, it was past midnight.

Looking at her handiwork, she couldn't help but smile. It was perfect. The room practically screamed of Alex's unique personality, as if any minute he would be walking through the door and ranting non-stop about what his day had been like before realizing he was being rude for not asking how her day went. Her smile faded as she remembered that Alex was still unconscious in the medical ward and would likely remain so for a few more days.

It was right at that inopportune time that Rose's stomach reminded her that she hadn't even stopped to eat dinner. Glancing at her watch, she groaned. There was no way she'd be able to get delivery at this hour, even if she had connections. Going to the kitchen, she perused her dining options and settled for a microwaveable dinner. Not the best thing in the world but it would do. Following the instructions on the package, she waited for the meal to heat up while making herself a cup of chamomile tea.

Dinner was eaten in front of the television which played some old movie Rose wasn't even really paying attention to. Once she's satisfied her stomach enough to stop the growling, she cleaned up the kitchen before heading to her bedroom. She hadn't realized just how exhausted she was from lack of sleep until she saw her bed, which only emphasized her tiredness. Stripping off her clothes, she slipped into a pair of pajamas and crawled into the bed before dozing into a fitful sleep.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Alex's withdrawal symptoms reduced over the next few days until, by day eight, there was little indication of any physical effects. Just as the half-Gallifreyan had previously instructed, the staff discontinued sedating him the moment the symptoms reduced, though he remained unconscious for the next couple of days.

Eleven days after deciding to go cold turkey – Gallifreyan style - Alex finally opened his eyes, clearly exhausted. He grimaced slightly, feeling the feeding tube that had been threaded into his nose and down his esophagus. While he understood the necessity of the device – after all, he was unable to eat for himself while unconscious – it was still disconcerting having a machine gently inserting nutrition into his body. While he could feel a hint of moisture in his mouth, it wasn't enough to stave off the overwhelming thirst he suddenly had. Licking his lip in an attempt to moisten them, he slowly looked around and noticed Rose sleeping in the chair. His heart ached at the sight of her, especially the dark circles under her eyes that indicated lack of sleep.

"Rose," he murmured. Realizing his voice was too quiet to stir her, he repeated her name, speaking more loudly, an act which hurt with his mouth so dry. Nevertheless, he found the slight irritation to his vocal chords to be worth it as the woman woke, blinking away sleep.

As she had done every time she'd awakened in the Doctor's hospital room, Rose readjusted her visual perspective as well as her physical position in the chair. Looking towards the bed, she smiled widely at seeing that Alex was finally awake. She quickly reached over and pressed the call button before moving closer to the bed. Taking his hand, she held it gently.

"Hey," she finally greeted, her tired eyes showing genuine relief.

"Hey," he repeated, returning her smile as best as he could. "Got any water nearby?"

"Got ice chips." Not waiting for a response, she picked up a cup from the overbed table. Pulling out a few small chip, she put them into his mouth. She watched as he moved the small pieces of frozen water around his mouth while they melted. "How are you feeling?" she asked the moment he seemed able to talk again.

"Tired. You wouldn't think I would be considering that I've been unconscious for…" He frowned as he focused on his time sense. "… eleven days, six hours and thirteen minutes? Blimey."

Her smile widened slightly for a moment at his disconcertion. "So… did it work?"

He considered her words for a moment, looking internally. "Yeah, it worked. They're quiet. Still there, but quiet. Behind closed doors. No more Doctor or Donna interfering with my life unless I want them to. Not that they aren't still a part of my personality. They just won't overwhelm me anymore."

"And the addiction?" she asked gently.

"Handled," he assured. "I'll have some urges every once in a while but nothing that I can't suppress easily enough. Just like an alcoholic, I'll always be susceptible. The key is not wanting the drug most of the time and, those times that I do, being strong enough to say no. Eventually I won't even want a fix." He gave her a gentle smile. "And I couldn't have done it without you, my love. You're my savior."

Rose blushed slightly at his words, prepared to verbally downplay them. She was prevented from doing so when Harry and Laurel walked into the room, both clearly pleased to see Alex awake.

"How're you feeling?" Laurel questioned as Harry took Alex's vitals, ensuring that the hybrid was in good physical health.

"Tired, but that's to be expected. But the most important thing is that my mind is the clearest that it's ever been. It really does feel like I've just come out of regeneration sickness, only without the confusion as to what kind of person I am. I know exactly who I am, which is really a first in this life. I'm a bit stiff in the joints, though I can tell that someone's been making sure that my muscles haven't atrophied, for which I'm most grateful." He grimaced. "This means that I'll have to go through physical therapy, though, doesn't it. Isn't that wizard."

"You're doing quite well," Harry assured, having finished his examinations. "Physical therapy should be at the minimum. A few days to make sure that you can stand and walk on your own. You may need to use a cane for a few days and you'll definitely have to do quite a bit of walking. You'll probably tire easily for a while. But overall, your muscles appear to be in excellent condition. Better than the average human under similar circumstances, that's for certain. I've already set up an exercise program for you which we'll start today and we'll get you started on solid food. I can't imagine that feeding tube is in anyway comfortable."

"No, it isn't," Alex agreed readily. "Bloody thing hurts, to be honest."

"You'll probably have some nasal bleeding when we take it out but it shouldn't be too much."

"So, when can he come home?" Rose asked, anxious to see her beloved out of the medical ward.

"Depends on how well he recovers," the physician replied. "A week at the very least."

"Even more brilliant," the hybrid grumbled. "I suppose it could be worse. I was originally expecting to be in the hospital a total of three or four months." He looked at Laurel, his eyes showing determination. "Sometime in the next week, while I'm still here, I'd like to see you. I'm ready to talk about what happened at the University."

"I'll set up the appointments," she responded, a caring smile on her lips.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Alex gave a loud yawn, indicating just how tired he was.

Rose gently brushed his hair away from his eyes. "You need to rest. You've been through a lot."

"Yeah," he murmured. "I'm ready to go home, though. I'm tired of being in a hospital that doesn't have a little shop."

"I'll see if I can convince Dad to get one in," she replied with equal playfulness. "It won't be long until your home. Just another week." Seeing his eyes drifting closed, she gently kissed him. "Get some rest," she reiterated.

"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled, allowing himself to slip into unconsciousness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Rose returned to Torchwood Tower the next morning, she was pleasantly surprised to see Alex wide awake and eating breakfast in bed.

"Rose!" he exclaimed, the moment he saw her in the doorway. "Come here." Gesturing her over to him, he presented her with a forkful of his meal. "Taste that." She frowned slightly at the thought of eating hospital food. Seeing her expression, he pressed gently. "No, really. Try it. It's brilliant!"

"What is it?" she questioned with a hint of uncertainty.

"It's an omelet," he answered, clearly confused by her reluctance.

"Omelets typically are yellow, not brown."

He rolled his eyes. "Would you just try it? Please? It's not poisonous."

Hesitantly, she accepted the bite and chewed on it for a moment, her eyes widening with delight. "Oh, my god."

He grinned broadly at her reaction. "See? Told you. You're going to listen to me the next time, aren't you."

"That's amazing!" she exclaimed, mentally agreeing with his words. "What is that?"

He took a bite of the omelet, talking around it as he ate. "While I've been beddie-bye, Torchwood made a trade deal with the Argelians and, among other things, they gave us a gross of Tangalonian eggs. Did I ever tell you about Tangalonia? Wonderful planet. Bit noisy, though. They talk a lot, even with food in their mouths."

"So you decided to emulate them? Being noisy and talking with your mouth full?" she teased as she grabbed a sliver of egg with her fingers and popped it in her mouth.

"Oi, I'm not noisy!" he protested half-heartedly. He pointedly decided to ignore the jab about his lack of table manners. After all, he wasn't sitting at a table so why should he pay any heed to table manners? "I tried to convince the chef to make proper Tangalonian omelets but Harry doesn't think I should be eating spicy food on an almost empty stomach. And since it isn't a proper Tangalonian omelet, I can't eat it properly unless I pick at it the way you are."

"So Tangalonians talk with their mouths full and eat with their hands," Rose surmised by his rant.

"Yup. Friendly people. But you definitely have to bring your earplugs if you want to sleep there. Everything they do in their lives surrounds sound, even when they're asleep. I'm telling you, with how noisy it is there, the chances of a good night sleep are nil."

She giggled gently at his words. It was so wonderful having him back with her. After all he'd gone through with bipolar disorder, addiction, the massacre, and his recovery, she relished that he was finally stable mentally and would soon be physically as well. Slipping onto the bed with him, she urged him to budge over before continuing to pick at his omelet.

"It's good to see you eating solid food," she commented. "Feeling better today?"

"Actually, I'm a bit sore. Did physical therapy last night and my muscles are still protesting. Can't wait to get out of here, though. I'm going a bit nutters."

"It's been less than twenty-four hours. Naturally, you won't be instantly up and about without problems. Give it time. It's been almost a month already. I'm sure a few more days will only help."

"Has it really been almost a month? What day is it?" he questioned with a frown.

"Asks the man with senses that can measure the passage of time," she teased gently. "It's the 28th of August. If you're good to Harry and his staff, you might just get out of here in time for Dad's birthday party."

"Pete's birthday is coming up?"

"September 15th. He's rather pleased with himself that he's so healthy at 61 years old. We didn't really get a chance to properly celebrate his 60th, with the stars going out and trying to save the universes and all, so we're making a big deal out of it this year. Or at least Mum is."

"In other words, it's going to be extravagant like Jackie's birthday party was."

"Well, Mum does love a good party," Rose pointed out with a grin.

"Who doesn't?" Alex conceded. "So what's on your agenda today?"

"Dad won't let me stay with you past visiting hours while you're here and won't let me back to work so basically going to spend most of the day in the condo. You?"

"Physical therapy. Lots of physical therapy. And tests. Harry and Laurel want to make sure that my brain really is finally stable. Can't really blame them with all the false positives they've had."

"Well, then, I'll let you finish your breakfast and get going," she announced, standing up. She gave him a gentle kiss. "Lunch?"

"Sounds wonderful. See you then." He smiled gently, waving goodbye as she left the room. Once she was gone, he returned to eating his scrambled eggs, pondering what he would do to occupy his time before his first doctor's visit.