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Chapter 71 – Late Night at the Hospital

It was 4:12 am. The Doctor sat in the very dimly lit hospital room facing Pete's bed. Monitors beeped and helped illuminate the room. He wore his glasses as he leaned back in a recliner looking at the tablet he held in his hands. From where he sat, he could see Pete and all of the monitors clearly. The room was rather large, for a hospital room. He rubbed his eyes, lifting up his glasses, as the door opened behind him.

"Nope. I'm family. I can be in here. Call President Shepherd if you don't like it!" he said without looking behind him.

Rose laughed at him. "Howie is probably drunk off his ass, Old Man."

He looked surprised as he saw her standing next to him, "Rose! What are you doing here?"

She leaned over to kiss him quickly. He rose up and sat the tablet next to him. He had littered it with all of his files, the TARDIS box and the little box that Tony had given him on. This jacket was lying on one side of the table. He also had a cup of coffee he had halfway finished drinking on the table.

He pulled Rose into his lap and kissed her proper as he held her.

She lay her head on his shoulder and asked, "How is he?"

"He's going to be fine. I had to give him some stuff, which they all think I'm a mad Doctor for sure! But, everything seems fine. He's still sleeping." he told her.

"You didn't visit him in his dreams?" she asked.

"No. I wanted to wait until I had something to tell him." he looked seriously at her.

He leaned down and kissed her.

He rubbed her back as she sat in his lap. "I'm surprised to see you here. Why are you not asleep?"

She shook her head, "I don't sleep well when you're not there. You know that."

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry I had to run off -"

"No, you had to go. I understand that. I'm so very grateful." Rose told him. "What else have you been doing?"

He reached over to the table and put her watch back on her arm. "One force field installed and tested. I'll show you how to work it later. Very easy stuff. Just don't turn it on while you are sitting on me. That wouldn't be good."

Rose smiled, "Thank you."

Rose noticed he was wearing a different watch. He saw her eyes look at it and brought it up to show her.

"Yeah, I decided to put a force field on mine as well. And a few other things. Nothing really interesting." He shook his head and yawned.

Rose looked at it, "It looks pretty large. Did you put a time-"

"No. I promised I wouldn't. I meant it, Rose. I won't do that. No time travel for me. Trust me." He told her quickly.

Rose smiled and kissed him, "I do trust you. It's just….what sort of watch is that?"

He shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at it. "I don't know. I've had it for a bit. I ordered it thinking I would put a Time Circuit in it. I liked that it was waterproof and its' size. But, without the Time Circuit in it, it left room for some other things I'm playing with. Harmless. It is exactly what I needed for everything I needed in there. Is it too big?"

Rose giggled. "Nah, it is just bigger than that other, little Rolex that you had. This one doesn't even display the time!"

He chuckled, "I didn't need it to tell what time it is, Rose."

Rose smiled at him. "That's true. Wow, this one has lots of numbers on it, everywhere."

He smiled, "Yeah! Lots of neat stuff going on inside of this one! I need to fully run it in, but I feel confident about everything."

She smiled and felt his excitement.

He pushed his glasses up on his forehead and rubbed his eyes. "You know, wrist watches were originally intended just for women to use? Men used pocket watches."

Rose smiled at him. "You always tell me the neatest things. When was this?"

He rested his head on his fist and looked at her, "1868. The first one was made for the Countess of Hungry. It was intended to be used as a piece of jewelry. It caught on and many women wore them. Although, not really to tell time. It was more because it was jewelry. Men continued to use pocket watches."

"What made them start using wrist watches?" Rose asked him seriously.

"What do you think? War, of course! The military realized that a solider needs two hands to check the time with a pocket watch, when a wrist watch didn't need anything but them turning their arm. So, in the 1880s, a Swiss watch maker made wrist watches specifically for the German military. All of a sudden, they could still operate machinery, equipment and their weapons while still being able to check the time. Other militaries in the world saw this, and it caught on."

Rose smiled. "Wow. I had no idea."

He smiled at her. "It's true. It even happened here. I read it in Sarah Jane's books. I love those, by the way. They have been extremely helpful."

He took his glasses off and put them on top of the files. Rose noticed how exhausted he felt as he rubbed his face. "Oh, damn paperwork. Lots of revelations of stuff that will stop tomorrow morning. Stuff I can't even believe they have been allowed to work on."

"Like what?" Rose asked him.

"Oh, nothing. I don't even want to talk about it at the moment. I'm still in shock over it." he told her.

She smiled, "And your secretary? Did you look to see?"

He laughed, "I did. And I can't believe it. You were right. She's completely human. Although, I maintain a super human, mutant. Charles Xavier will probably come steal her from me."

Rose laughed at him. "You and Tony have watched X-Men way too much."

He laughed as he rubbed his eyes again. "Nah. That's an awesome movie! Mutants! I love it! I've got to get us all of the comic books!"

Rose giggled at him. "So, you are sober for three days. Right?"

"Starting now! A deal is a deal. Unless a drinking game comes up, and I have to be a good sport. As long as you agree and are playing as well. I mean, you didn't say they had to be three consecutive days. Details woman."

She giggled, "Slippery Old Man has found a loop hole."

He laughed, "Oh, I have! Jake will be back in the morning. We missed what would have been a good game tonight. We'll have to make up for it!"

Rose giggled.

He held her as he asked, "Tell me. Do you remember when Melissa was pregnant with Genie? Did you notice anything. Anything, strange?"

Rose shook her head she lay on his shoulder. "No. I didn't really know her then. That would have been after I first got here."

He nodded and kissed her quickly on the forehead. "Right. That's true. Genie is nearly five. You've been here four years. Right."

Rose sat up and ran her hand through his hair. "Why?"

"Genie has several traits that are from Rixalarians. I believe her father was from Jalikapo." he told Rose seriously as he bit his bottom lip.

Rose shook her head. "No way. Not possible. Melissa went there years before Genie was born."

He shook his head, "Not everyone's reproductive systems work like they do here, my dear. Rixalarians mate and the sperm is added to the egg. It lays dominant until the mother wants to have a child. Melissa could have had a... thing... with someone there on Jalikapo, returned to earth and married her husband. Years later, they decide they want to get pregnant and the sperm activates and she has no reason to think that Genie's father isn't human."

Rose looked surprised, "You are serious? Wouldn't the egg just die after all of those years?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. It's complicated. But, no."

Rose looked at him in shock. "You aren't kidding, are you? You are serious?"

He smiled, "Oh yes! I looked at Genie's medical records. She's never been sick except having headaches. Rixalarians have an amazing immune system. Almost as good as a Time Lord's. They also can tell when you are lying. Which is what got me thinking about this. The best judges and interrogation officers come from Jalikapo because of that. They can question you in just the right way to get you to talk. Everyone just thinks of them for their telepathic abilities, but wow! There is really so much more."

"They are extremely athletic and can play nearly any musical instrument without any training. It is like a sense they have. Our Genie, according to what she told her doctor at her last physical, plays the violin and dances ballet. Very Rixalarian. Wow."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. Did Melissa know?"

He shook his head, "Most likely not. There's no way she could. She wouldn't have known what to look for."

Rose could sense his certainty. "How can you be sure?"

"I know what to look for. Extremely subtle things. Anyone not knowing that they are looking for would miss it. The way her bones come to a point in her wrists are different . A difference in her eye color. A retinal scan she had at an eye doctor showed some differences with her eyes. It helps her see better in the dark than humans can."

Rose smiled, "She has the most beautiful eyes. They are like a...light brown."

He nodded. "Yes. Humans don't have that eye color. It's a Rixalarian trait. It isn't as noticeable because her skin color is so dark. Not that she's very dark at all. Rixalarians are beautiful women. Melissa was a beautiful woman, too. Our Genie, wooo... not dating until she's fifty! I'm thinking about locking her in the TARDIS." He chuckled.

Rose smiled, "She'll be fine. Your Susan picked a good man."

He rubbed his head. "Yeah, that's true."

Rose smiled, "So, you are sure?"

He bit his bottom lip. "No doubt in my mind. Our daughter is a child of two worlds. Earth and Jalikapo."

Rose realized something. "But that means -"

"Yeah, I thought about that. Genie probably has a father somewhere who could still be alive. The culture there regarding children born outside of a ... umm... I suppose what you would consider marriage bonds are …. Well, different. He, most likely, has no idea Genie exists. Even if he did, he wouldn't come looking for her. Ever. It's seen as a...um... shameful thing. It's extremely complex. I don't want to go deeper into it now. Just trust me."

Rose nodded, "Wow. Amazing. What other things do we need to know about this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "It isn't really fair to expect her to be exactly like people from there. I mean, they are remarkable people. Amazing in fact. But, she's only got that from her father's side. She is half human. She is a tremendously strong telepath. Not only does she probably get that from her mum, but this also explains why. That attack should have killed Melissa, but it didn't. I can only imagine it was because she was one of those rare humans who were already a bit telepathic."

"Genie can also tell when people are lying, because it's not in her nature to lie. She doesn't understand it yet, but it's very strong. That's why the TARDIS trusts her so much. It makes complete sense why it connected to her now."

Rose sighed. "Wow. How do we even tell her?"

He shook his head. "We don't. Not until she's older. She'll figure it out one day. She'll figure me out one day. We will probably just have to handle all of that at the same time."

"And in the meantime? If she asks? She can tell when we are lying." Rose reminded him.

"Deflect the question. That's all I can think of. She can't know this right now. Not in this environment. The knowledge will scare her. She's only just lost her mother. This will be extremely traumatic for her to learn. If she asks you anything that makes you uncomfortable, just tell her to ask me. That's how we will handle it for now." He patted her thigh.

Rose nodded her head. "I'm good with that. Wow. Almost feel like I'm in over my head here."

He nodded his head. "Nah. Children are the same, no matter where they are from. All of them have their little...mad things."

They both laughed quietly.

She laid her head back on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and lay his head on top of hers. He pushed the recliner all the way back and they held one another.

"How much coffee have you had?" she asked him.

"Not enough. All of this reading has made me tired. Or, maybe it's the pain pills." he told her.

"Leg hurting?" Rose asked him.

"No. My knee does though. My leg wants to bend. It's been straight too long." he told her.

Rose began. "I need to talk to you about something. And it's something I'm...honestly..."

He held her and kissed her forehead. "Sweetheart, you can tell me anything. You are safe with me. "

"It's something weird." Rose told him.

"That's okay. I'm used to weird. You can tell me."

She rose up and looked in his eyes. "It's hard to explain. I don't understand it."

He smiled at her. He put his hands on her cheeks and rested his head on her forehead. "Most weird things are hard to understand love. Tell me. We'll try to understand it together. You are safe."

Rose closed her eyes. "When I think about things, they will move."

He looked confused. "Like, when you think about them moving?"

She held up a finger. "Like this." She took a tissue out of the box on the table with all of the Doctor's files and things laying on it. She wadded it up tightly and handed it to the Doctor.

"Okay. Take this ball. I want you to throw it straight into the air." she told him.

"To the ceiling?" he asked.

"Doesn't matter. Just gently in the air is fine. But, straight up." she told him.

"Alright." he agreed and tossed the tissue ball. It went straight in the air, then arched and flew across the room into the rubbish bin.

He looked back at her and smiled, "Telekinesis! Wow! Brilliant! When did this start?"

She shook her head and looked in his eyes. "I've thought it for a while. After you left tonight, I wanted to listen to some music to help me sleep. The remote was just a bit out of my reach. I imagined it jumping into my hand, and it did! It scared me, but then I decided to see if I could move some of your socks you have been throwing at the big window."

He chuckled. "I don't blame you. I don't like to touch my dirty socks, either."

She smiled at him. "I was able to pick them up, and move them into the bathroom. I went to check, and they were in the basket for the laundry service. I couldn't believe it. I couldn't even see that from where I was."

He looked impressed, "Wow! You knew where it was. That's how that works. You don't have to see it."

"Have you known anyone else that can do this? Can you?" Rose asked him.

He shook his head. "I can. But, I've never really been good at it. I just never use it."

She lay back into his shoulder. He rubbed her back and held her. "Now, why do you feel like that?" he asked her.

"I feel like I'm losing myself. Am I really ….me… with all of this new stuff?" Rose asked him.

"Hey." he said as she leaned back over so she could look in his eyes. He held her face and said, "You are never going to be something else. You are Rose. From Earth. A human."

"But, this is just so strange. Why is it just showing up now?" she asked him.

"Telekinesis has to be done when you feel safe. When your mind is calm. Probably the reason I've never been good at it. My mind is always going." He chuckled.

"I've thought about it for several weeks. Months honestly. But, in the last few days….." Rose told him.

He nodded his head, "Go on."

"…Could this be happening now because you took that fear out of my head? Now I'm relaxed enough to do it?" Rose asked him.

He nodded his head, "Most likely."

"Did you know this would happen? Is that why you did it?" Rose asked him.

He shook his head, "No. I'm surprised! Makes sense why it would start now, though. Makes me feel better you are finally starting to feel safe."

"But, it's not me." Rose told him.

He looked seriously at her. "It is you! It doesn't change who you are. It won't. Not ever. Trust me."

She smiled as she looked into his eyes. "Seriously?"

He smiled back. "Trust me. We'll figure this out together. But, it won't change you into something else. You will always be you."

She crashed her lips into his. He squeaked in surprise as she kissed him. It made her smile. She ran her hands through his hair as he finally collected himself and pulled her in close. He ran his hands up and down her back as she tasted the coffee in his mouth. He ran his hands down and grabbed her bum. It only encouraged her more.

Pete spoke. "Oh gross! Do I really have to wake up to newlyweds snogging?"

They both broke apart. Rose smiled and jumped off of the Doctor's lap. She leaned over and kissed Pete's forehead.

The Doctor cleared his throat and laughed. "Welcome back, mate! How do you feel?"

"Heavy. Have I gained weight?" he asked.

"No, you don't weigh anything in your dreams. It's a common feeling. It will pass in a few minutes." The Doctor told him as he hopped over to sit on the other side of Pete's hospital bed. Rose was holding Pete's hand and smiling down at him.

"How's everyone?" Pete asked.

"Oh, everything is fine. Tony, Genie and Jacob are all together with Howie, Caroline and Harriet. Mum is with them." Rose told him as she smiled.

"They are safe." The Doctor told him.

"Jake?" Pete asked.

"He's due back in a few hours. Don't worry about him." the Doctor smiled.

"Sent him on a mission, huh?" Pete smiled. "I knew I did the right thing when I made you Director."

The Doctor smiled at him, "Oh, I'll be glad for you to get better so you can have it back. I don't know if I like it or not."

Pete looked confused. "I don't want it back. I gave it to you completely. It's permanent."

The Doctor looked surprised. "What? No, Pete. It was because you needed some time off."

Pete nodded, "Yeah. I was taking Jackie to Greece. I needed to take care of my other businesses. Thomas hated it. But, I signed everything over to you. It's permanent. Isn't that what we agreed?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose, who was laughing silently at the look on his face. He ran his hand through his hair. "Don't worry about it, Pete. We'll chat about it later. Rose. Ring your mum and tell her that Pete's awake."

Pete smiled. "Better plan. Call her and let me speak to her. I need some water."

The Doctor stood up and hopped to the cup the nurses had brought in earlier that day and poured water into it from a bottle. He stopped and looked around. "Damn it, I'm thick. Rose. Can you please come get this?"

Rose laughed at him. "I wondered when you were going to realize that wasn't the best idea."

Rose walked over and got the water from him and helped him back to the side of Pete's bed.

Pete looked surprised. "Let me guess, football injury? Who won?"

"We did! 4-2! Isn't that right, Rose? I don't know. I had to leave before the end of the game." the Doctor told Pete.

Pete chuckled at him and drank his water.

Rose rang her mum.

The Doctor grabbed Pete's hand. "I've missed you, Pete. I'm glad you are back. How are you feeling? Any pain?"

"Not as much as I thought I would have. They must have me on some good medicine."

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah, you've had a pretty decent Doctor keeping an eye out for you. You're going to be fine. Probably will surprise a few idiots around here."

Pete patted his hand. "Thank you. I think he's pretty, damn decent, too."

They smiled at one another as Rose began to speak. "Mum. Are you awake?"

"Okay, fair question then. Alright. Geez! Don't be crabby!" Rose countered.

Rose rolled her eyes and put her hand on her hip. She used her hand to mock her Mum's complaining.

The Doctor and Pete laughed quietly at her. Pete motioned for her to come over and give him the phone.

Rose smiled and walked over to stand next to the Doctor. She handed Pete the phone. He held it up to his ear and listened to Jackie. He smiled and rolled his eyes.

Rose rubbed the Doctor's back as they laughed quietly and waited for Jackie to stop talking.

Finally, Pete said. "Wow! I had no idea, Jacks. Why don't you forget about that for a moment and come see me?"

Jackie screamed over the phone. The Doctor and Rose both laughed and kissed one another quickly. The Doctor got up and hopped over to his crutches. He went to the door to ask one of the Marines on duty to send in a nurse.

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