When they enter Bedlam Rose gags on the smell of unwashed bodies. It is loud in here. People are yelling to be released or just yelling nonsense. It is dark and cramped and slightly damp. Looking around Rose is sick to her stomach. This is no way to treat people. They need proper help but there wasn't anything she could do to help them.
A young man asks, "Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Mad dog in Bedlam."
"No, I don't!" The Doctor yells at him.
Rose pushes forward intent on giving him a piece of her mind, "You just gonna whip people, are ya? They are people, same as you! What gives ya the right to hurt 'em? What they eva' do to you? How would you like it? Maybe I should show ya how it feels!"
The man looks at her terrified stumbling back before responding, "Well, wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." He walks down the hallway looking over his should fearfully. Rose continues to scowl at him and he quickly turns around.
Rose breathes deeply and catches the Doctor staring at her with a wide smile on his face. Rose smiles back sheepishly. Sometimes Rose can get a bet riled up. Seeing people being mistreated has always pissed her off.
Ever since she can remember if someone was being mistreated Rose would interfere. It would always scare her mum. Mum would always say that Rose was going to interfere with the wrong people and end up getting herself killed. But rose couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
Martha is just as angry about the treatment of everyone in this so called hospital. Martha turns to Shakespeare and demands, "So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"
"Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia," Shakespeare retorts.
Martha looks betrayed. Here is one of her childhood heroes condoning something Martha can clearly tell is wrong. "But you're clever. Do you honestly think this place is any good?"
Shakespeare tells her harshly, "I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."
"Mad in what way?" Rose asks.
"You lost your son," The Doctor tells him with sad eyes. Rose's mind is drawn back to the olympics. He had told her that he had been a dad once. At the time she had been so shocked but now Rose can see how painful it must have been to lose his children. Did he have a son or a daughter? Or maybe both. Either way Rose knew that at this moment he was being reminded of what he had lost.
Shakespeare nods and says, "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."
Martha looks down and says, "I didn't know. I'm sorry." Rose rubs Shakespeare's arm and offers him a sad smile.
Shakespeare smiles back at her gratefully. "It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be." Surprise lights his face, "Oh, that's quite good."
The Doctor nods and tells him, "You should write that down." Rose nods her head. This is one of the few quotes she recognized from Shakespeare.
Shakespeare frowns. "Maybe not. A bit pretentious?"
The Doctor shrugs but Rose tells him, "Nah, I like it."
The man from before appears refusing to look at Rose. "This way, my lord!"
XX
They made their way inside Peter Streete's small cell. Because that's what it was. A cell. Rose didn't think anyone could consider it to be a room.
Peter Streete sits hunched on his bed facing away from them. As the Doctor makes his way into the room, the man that led them back warns, "They can be dangerous, my lord. Don't know their own strength."
The Doctor glares at him and spits out, "I think it helps if you don't whip them. Now get out!"
The man runs out closing the door behind him with a fearful look on his face.
The Doctor turns back to Peter and says in a softer voice, "Peter? Peter Streete?"
Shakespeare has a dissapointed look on his face. "He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him."
"Peter?" The Doctor crouches beside Peter and rests a hand on his shoulder cautiously. "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go. That's it. That's it, just let go." He helps Peter lay down on the bed. Still using the same soft voice from before he says, "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."
Rose jumps when Peters voice rasps out, "Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. They whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls. Always fourteen. When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits."
The Doctor asks, "Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?" Rose inches towards the Doctor and Peter. She wants to comfort Peter but isn't sure how.
Peter looks like he is struggling but manages to respond, "All Hallows Street." How fitting, Rose thinks.
A figure appears in the room suddenly and hisses, "Too many words."
Rose stumbles back and hears Martha exclaim, "What the hell?"
"Just one touch of the heart." The witch lifts a finger threateningly.
"No!" The Doctor lurches forward but the witch presses her finger to Peter's chest and Peter goes still. Rose feels tears prickling in her eyes. At least Peter was at rest now.
"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare exclaims.
The witch takes a step forward. "Now, who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."
Martha runs to the door and starts yelling, "Let us out! Let us out!"
"That's not going to work. The whole building's shouting that," the Doctor tells her that not taking his eyes away from the woman in front of them. He stands with his arms spread out slightly preventing the witch from getting to Rose who stands behind the Doctor.
The woman smiles creepily. "Who will die first, hmm?"
The Doctor shrugs and steps forward. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers." Rose's heart lurches. Bloody alien. Always sacrificing himself, Rose thinks.
Behind her Martha yells, "No! Don't!"
"Don't you dare," Rose yells at the woman and steps forward wrapping her arms around the Doctor's waist trying to pull him back. He stubbornly refuses to move but Rose doesn't drop her arms.
"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare demands. His voice trembles.
The witch cackles and says arrogantly, "No mortal has power over me."
The Doctor responds looking enlightened, "Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one. If I can just know you."
"None on Earth has knowledge of us." Again her voice is arrogant.
The Doctor tells her, "Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy. Ah! Fourteen! That's it! Fourteen! The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!"
The Carrionite screams and disappears. Rose feels her shoulder relax. Her arms drop from being around the Doctor as he turns around. Rose feels rage boils up and before she knows it she is hitting him and yelling, "You complete arse!" Tears burn Rose's eyes as she continues, "You're all I have left! What if she had killed you?"
The Doctor's face falls as he wraps his arms around Rose pulling her to his chest and locking her arms between thier bodies. Rose continued to sob into his shoulder as he whispers, "I'm sorry, Rose. I'm sorry. I was going to let anything happen. I'm sorry."
Martha and Shakespeare stand away from them quietly. Eventually Rose manages to calm herself down. She pulls away and wipes at her face messily.
"What did you do?" Martha asks looking between Rose and the Doctor unsure if she should interrupt them.
"I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic." The Doctor doesn't look at Martha as he responds.
Martha laughs nervously. "But there's no such thing as magic."
The Doctor tilts his head to the side. "Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."
"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asks.
"The end of the world," the Doctor responds ominously.
XX
Back in Shakespeare's room at the Elephant the Doctor tells them, "The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."
Shakespeare laughs and responds ironically, "Well, I'm going for real."
"But what do they want?" Martha asks.
The Doctor says, "A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."
"But how?"
The Doctor sits in the chair across from Shakespeare and leans his elbows on his knees holding his head in his hands. "I'm looking at the man with the words."
Shakespeare splutters, "Me? But I've done nothing."
Martha shakes her head, "Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"
"Finishing the play," he tells them. The play definitely has something to do with whatever is going on.
The Doctor sits up straight and asks, "What happens on the last page?"
"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual. Except those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them." Shakespeare trails off, thoughtfully.
The Doctor snaps his fingers jumping to his feet. "That's it. They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labours Won. It's a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing! And yes, you can have that." The Doctor points to a building on a map spread across Shakespeares desk. "All Hallows Street. There it is. Martha, we'll track them down. Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play."
Shakespeare nods his head. "I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing." He looks at the Doctor in awe.
Martha rolls her eyes and says, "Oh, don't complain." Rose has to laugh at that. If the Doctor met someone smarter than him he would definitely complain.
Shakespeare shakes his head looking pleased, "I'm not. It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor."
"Doctor," Rose shouts after him.
"What is it?" he frets looking her over.
"I'm gonna go with Will," she tells him hitching a thumb over her shoulder.
He frowns at her and says, "Rose if this is about what happened earlier…"
Rose shakes her head, "It's not. I jus think that someone should go with him. It's better is we split up. Just don't do anything stupid."
He continues to frown before nodding his head and says, "I'll see you later."
"Not if I see you first," Rose replies with her usual smile. He smile back.
"Good luck, Shakespeare. Once more unto the breach." He points his finger into the sky and spins on his heel racing out of the room.
"I like that." Shakespeare hums before calling outraged, "Wait a minute, that's one of mine."
The Doctor's head pops back around the corner. "Oh, just shift."
XX
Rose and Shakespeare hurry towards the Globe. Neither one of them speak. They are both focused on getting there and stopping the play as soon as they can.
As they turn the corner and onto the street that the Globe rests on neither one of them are aware of the conversation that the Doctor is carrying out with one of the Carrionite's.
"Your pink and yellow Rose."
As Rose's name is mentioned Rose stumbles. Shakespeare turns back to her concerned, "Dame Rose, Are you alright?"
"Yeah. One second. You go ahead." She waves him off. He looks back at her uncertainly. "Go. You have to stop the play," Rose reminds him. He nods and runs to the globe.
Rose slides down one of the buildings. Why am I so tired?
She is still unaware when the Carrionite continues.
"Strange. She, too, is outside of her time. But even stranger her power comes from somewhere else… Bad Wolf."
After that, Rose knows only darkness.
XX
The Doctor and Martha dash around the corner quickly in the hopes of getting to the Globe as quickly as possible. There was still hope that Shakespeare would stop the play from continuing but that hope was slowly dwindling away.
The Doctor skids to a stop when he notices a blonde woman seated against a wall with her head hanging down. He would recognize her anywhere. "Rose," he gasps and runs to her and kneels beside her. Martha had stumbled to a halt several paces ahead of him. She joins him on Rose's other side.
Martha quickly feels for a pulse at her neck. "Still alive," Martha breathes a sigh of relief. As jealous as she was of the close relationship the blonde girl and the Doctor had, Martha didn't want Rose to die. "What happened?"
"The Carrionite's used her name," the Doctor growled. He hated seeing Rose in any sort of peril. After the Carrionites had used Rose's other name, he wasn't sure how it would affect her.
"I don't understand. I woke up pretty quickly after they used my name. Why isn't Rose waking up now?" The thought that maybe Rose wasn't as strong as she was crossed Martha's mind. The thought made her happy before guilt stirred inside. Here Rose was passed out and all she could think about was being better than her. Martha had never been that kind of person before and she wasn't going to allow some gorgeous alien to change that about her.
"They used both of her names," the Doctor responded unaware of the thoughts spinning wildly in Martha's mind.
"She has two names?"
The Doctor doesn't respond. Instead he easily scoops Rose up and takes off to the Globe with Rose in his arms. Martha rolls her eyes hitching her skirts up and follows him.
In the back of the Globe Shakespeare lies on the ground. The Doctor sets Rose down gently before storming over to the writer.
The writer stirs and the Doctor yells angrily, "Stop the play. I think that was it. Yeah, I said, stop the play!"
Shakespeare rubs his head and tells him, "I hit my head."
The Doctor nods sarcastically. "Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald. I think that's my cue!"
The Carrionites yell from above, "Now begins the millennium of blood!"
The Doctor, Shakespeare and Martha run out onto the stage. The Globe is in a complete panic. People are running around and yelling. They are clearly frightened.
"The Doctor. He lives. Then watch this world become a blasted heath! (Macbeth) They come. They come!" One of the Carrionites hiss shocked by the Doctor's appearance.
"Come on, Will! History needs you!" The Doctor yells.
Shakespeare stumble back, "But what can I do?"
"Reverse it!"
"How am I supposed to do that?"
The Doctor tells him urgently, "The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."
Shakespeare shakes his head. "But what words? I have none ready!"
"You're William Shakespeare!" the Doctor protests.
"But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision."
"Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they, like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise." The Doctor has always had a way of making someone believe in themselves and it is no different this time.
Shakespeare nods and stands straighter. "Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points…" He looks at the Doctor for the correct points.
"Seven six one three nine oh!" the Doctor yells helpfully.
Shakespeare nods and says the points, "Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…" he trails off, uncertain of any words that would rhyme.
Martha runs forwards and yells the first word she can think of, "Expelliarmus!"
The Doctor smiles and parrots, "Expelliarmus!"
Shakespeare looks confused but copies the word nonetheless, "Expelliarmus!"
The Doctor is still grinning as he says, "Good ol' JK!"
The Carrionites scream as they are banished. Shakespeares play follows suit. When the wind and chaos dies down the crowd begins to clap and cheer.
"Love's Labours Won. There it goes," the Doctor comments idly.
"They think it was all special effects?" Martha laughs disbelievingly.
Shakespeare turns to her with a roguish smile, "Your effect is special indeed."
Martha grimaces and tells him, "It's not your best line." Shakespeare shrugs his shoulder uncaring.
XX
As the wind was dying down, Rose was awakening in the back room. She still feels week so she doesn't try to stand. She looks around the room. This is not where I passed out, Rose thinks idly. Just then the Doctor walks into the back room.
"Rose!" he yells and runs to her side.
"Doctor," Rose breathes.
As she tries to stand up the Doctor says, "No, no. Don't move." Instead he slides down beside her. His arm goes around her should automatically as she leans into him.
"What happened?" Rose asks him
"The Carrionite named you. But because you are out of your time it only knocked you out," the Doctor replies.
Rose laughs before saying, "Well, that's nice to know. But I was more wondering about the play."
The Doctor's mouth forms an 'O'. "Oh! Shakespeare banished them. They should be around here somewhere, trapped."
He stands up and looks around them. Eventually he pulls out a crystal. Inside of the crystal are the three Carrionite's clawing at the edges of the crystal hoping to get out.
He walks back over to her and kneels in front of her. "How are you feeling?" He presses his hand against Rose's forehead. The gesture is so domestic that it startles rose for a moment and she almost forgets to reply.
"I'm just a bit tired. Let's not stay here for another day. I want to sleep in my own bed. And we still have to drop Martha off." Rose pushes herself to her feet despite the Doctor's protests.
The Doctor frowns thoughtfully before looking at her. "I was thinking. Martha was brilliant today. And you know, this trip didn't exactly go as planned." rose cuts him off before he can go into a full on ramble. God, he has a gob, Rose thinks while rolling her eyes.
"You want to take her on another trip," Rose replies flatly folding her arms against her chest.
The Doctor shifts nervously, "Yeah. I was thinking we could do one trip to the past and one trip to the future. Even it out."
Rose continues to stare at him before slumping her shoulders. If this was what he really wanted then who was she to stop him?
"That's fine, Doctor," Rose tells him, softly.
"Really!" He pops his head back up with wide eyes.
"It's your ship," Rose tells him.
His face falls. "It's your home, too, Rose. If you don't like somehting, tell me." Rose nods. She really didn't want Martha coming but she also could see that the Doctor really wanted Martha to come.
"I was thinking we could take her to New New York!" he tells her enthusiastically. Rose feels her stomach drop. New New York was one of her favorite places. She really wanted it to just be for them. And here he was talking about taking Martha there.
"New New York." The protest slips out before rose can stop it.
The Doctor stops and looks at her. She knows that she looks defensive but she can't seem to make herself relax. "What's wrong with New New York?" he asks.
"Nothing," Rose responds quickly. How could she tell him that while she had accepted that he was still the Doctor on the Sycorax ship, New New York was where she had realized she could still love him?
Relaxing with him on that apple grass field was one of Rose's favorite memories. She had realized that even though he acted a little different, he was still the same man and Rose still loved him deeply.
"Are you sure?" he asks and Rose nods. Rose brushes past him and onto the stage where Martha and Shakespeare are standing very closely.
"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink," Martha tells the writer. They back away from eachother as the Doctor enter the room. He is wearing a ruff around his neck and Rose stifles a laugh at how ridiculous he looks. He hears her and shoots a glare her way before laughing as well.
"Good props store back there. I'm not sure about this though. Reminds me of a Sycorax." He lifts the skull of some kind of animal.
Rose gasps and says, "It does!"
Shakespeare says, "Sycorax. Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."
"I should be on ten percent," the Doctor responds.
"As if you would carry money," Rose teases. He makes a face back at her before turning to Shakespeare once more.
"How's your head?"
"Still aching," he tells the Doctor.
"Here, I got you this." The Doctor removes the ruff from around his neck and hands it to the author. "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you."
"What about the play?" Martha asks.
The Doctor informs them, "Gone. I looked all over. Every single copy of Love's Labours Won went up in the sky."
"My lost masterpiece," Shakespeare mourns.
"You could write it up again," Martha suggests. Rose rolls her eyes. That was a bad idea waiting to happen. The play was the whole reason any of this happened. It was definitely not a good idea to have it written up again.
"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten," the Doctor cautions against it, frowning at Martha.
"Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet," Shakespeare says.
Martha furrows her brows and says, "Hamnet?"
Shakespeare nods. "That's him."
"Hamnet?" Rose wasn't sure what had Martha so confused. Wasn't Hamnet one of Shakespeare plays?
Shakespeare looks offended. "What's wrong with that?"
The Doctor inserts, "Anyway, time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the Tardis where this lot can scream for all eternity, and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."
"You mean travel on through time and space." Shakespeare nods wisely. A started laugh escapes Rose's mouth. Shakespeare really was a genius.
The Doctor's face drops, "You what?"
"You're from another world like the Carrionites, and Martha is from the future. It's not hard to work out. Although I am not sure about you, Dame Rose. One who is so quiet is hard to figure out." Rose frowns. She's not usually one to be labeled as quiet. But lately she hasn't been feeling very useful.
Before Rose can respond the Doctor says excitedly, "That's incredible. You are incredible."
"We're alike in many ways, Doctor," the writer tells him before turning to Martha, "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate." Martha gapes at him as he recites a poem. Even the Doctor's eyebrows raise. Rose decides right then and there that she is going to read more Shakespeare because she has no idea what has Matha so flustered.
Shakespear is interrupted by some of his actors rushing into the room. "Will! Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up! We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."
Martha furrows her brows, "Who?"
One of the actors turns to her breathless, "Her Majesty. She's here." A queen enters the Globe closely followed by some guards.
The Doctor grins and says, "Queen Elizabeth the First!" The smile is quickly washed off his face by the words that leave the queens mouth.
"Doctor?" This can't be good, Rose thinks. But it doesn't end there. Instead the queen turns to her and says, "and his temptress Rose?"
"What?"
A scowl sets onto the queens face. Definitely not good, Rose thinks. "My sworn enemies. Where is the other one?!" The other one?
The Doctor looks dissapointed, "What?"
"Off with their heads!"
"What?" He continues to stand gaping at the queen.
Martha yells, "Never mind what, just run! See you, Will, and thanks."
"Stop that pernicious Doctor and his wife!" They are to far away to hear that last part as they are already out the Globe and down the road.
As they run to the Tardis Martha demands, "What have you done to upset her?"
The Doctor laughs and responds, "How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you. Still, can't wait to find out." They make it to the Tardis and all three of them stumble in breathlessly.
Rose turns to him and giggles, "something to look forward to. The Doctor smile back at her and slams the door. An arrow thuds into the door moments after.