Stay

Chapter Seven

A week.

Rose had been in the hospital for a week, and she was incredibly bored. She was biding her time until the Doctor found her, but the time was passing by so slowly.

She'd already filled up half of her wall with random sketches from her travels and was still keeping up with the façade of taking her medication like a 'good girl'. What the Matron didn't know, was that Rose was secreting away the medication that would make her forget into her pillowcase. Every now and then however, Rose would flush the evidence down the toilet so that she didn't get caught.

Rose tried her best to play their game, as sadistic as it really was. In essence, they were attempting to eradicate the Doctor's very presence from her memory, and Rose wasn't about to let that go very easily. She could play it the hard way and make things very difficult for whomever had abducted her.

She just had to be strong.

She tried not to get too involved with the 'people' here, especially if they weren't real. She didn't want to become unnecessarily attached if she had to let go. She wasn't sure how long she could continue this for. If there was one thing Rose knew however, was that the Doctor would never give up on her, and he would do everything in his power to get her back.

Rose couldn't give up.

The TARDIS was unusually quiet.

Normally, there was a soothing hum from the machine, but even that was unnaturally quiet, almost as though the TARDIS was mourning the loss of Rose.

The Doctor sighed, straightening up from being hunched over the console, and patted the edge of it lovingly. "I know old girl, we'll find her. It's like a game of hide and seek, eh? They're just extremely good at hiding, and they're hiding Rose away from us. Why don't we take a rest for now? We've used up all of our resources for the time being …"

All of a sudden, the song Sex Bomb by Tom Jones started playing loudly in the console room.

The Doctor covered his ears in surprise. "Argh! What'd you do that for? What does Tom Jones have to do with anything?" The screen on the console started flickering, getting his attention. The screen started to fade into an image, and before the Doctor knew it, a familiar face popped up on his screen. "What? You want me to do what?!"

A week and one day.

Rose had been playing the part of the dutiful patient and had been attending her therapy sessions with Doctor Sanchez as normal, and even went as far as agreeing with Doctor Sanchez's claims that the Doctor was not real. After her therapy sessions, Rose would record what had happened in her journal in the privacy of her room, just in case there was ever a scenario where she forgot, and she could refer to her journal if need be.

She was alone in her room after a particularly heavy therapy session, and was halfway through writing it down, when she was aware of somebody watching her. Rose closed her book and stored it in her desk, before slowly looking at whoever was there.

"Can I help you?"

"I don't know yet. Maybe you can, maybe you can't."

Rose paid full attention, not liking the tone of the strangers voice. She was tall and slim but toned in the muscles. She had long, black hair that was tied into a high ponytail and she had dark green, piercing eyes and wore identical scrubs to Rose. Clearly another patient, the name tag being another give away, but she came across as the type of patient who was looking to cause trouble.

"Whatever you're after or need, I'm not interested." Rose made her statement clear. "No offence, but I'm not here to make friends or anythin', I'm jus' tryin' to focus on getting better."

The woman strolled on into Rose's room as if Rose hadn't said a word and made herself at home by sitting on the bed and crossing her legs, leaning back on her hands.

"I don't really care what it is you want." She said softly, inspecting her nails on her right hand. "They may not know it yet - the Matron I mean -, but they're not the ones in charge here. I am." The woman stood up, holding out her hand for Rose to shake. Rose did nothing, merely glancing at her hand and then shrugging her shoulder. The woman growled impatiently and tugged Rose's hand hard, pulling her out of her chair and shaking her hand.

"Hey!" Rose cried indignantly, not appreciating being manhandled. She tried to pull her hand away, but the woman had a firm grip. "Let go!"

The woman ignored her, and got up close in Rose's face, so close that Rose could feel her breath on her face. "Let's get somethings straight around here, my name is Christine - preferably Chris - and you'll do well to remember that. I am in charge here, and what I say goes. I don't give a damn about your story or why you're here, but if I ever want anything from you, then you'll do it. You got that? I make the rules around here, not the Doctors or the Matron. Understood?"

In any other situation, Rose would have fought back. She didn't stand for bullying and would do her best to stand up to them and protect the victims. But she was trying to lay low, as much as she didn't want too, Rose nodded in compliance.

"Loud an' clear." She mumbled, as much as she didn't want too.

"Good." Chris smiled sardonically, letting Rose go. "I'm glad we have a clear understanding of one another. You play this my way, and everything will be fine, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

"In your dreams." Rose mumbled under her breath, clearly not impressed.

"What was that?"

"I said sure, tha'd be great!" Rose smiled sweetly, not in the least bit cheerful.

"Wonderful." Chris sauntered towards the doorway and glanced over her shoulder. "It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Rose Tyler."

"How'd you know my name? I never told you."

"Your name's on your name tag," Chris nodded towards her wrist, indicating the white name tag. "We all have one."

With that, Rose was alone.

She'd have to keep her eye on Chris, and potentially keep her distance from her. Chris was clearly more trouble than she was worth.

The Doctor stubbornly refused to leave the TARDIS, after realising where she'd taken him. "No," he said profusely, shaking his head and pouting like a child. "Absolutely not. There's no need for him of all people to get involved.

Coward. Don't be a chicken.

"I am not a chicken!" The Doctor spluttered indignantly, even going as far as stomping his foot on the ground.

In retaliation, the TARDIS shot out a shower of sparks from the console.

"Argh! Alright, alright, I'm going! But I'm not happy about this!" The Doctor pouted, and promptly stomped out of the TARDIS and onto the Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff.

It didn't take long.

A few seconds in fact before the Doctor caught a whiff, a whiff that made him want to run back into his ship and hide. He wasn't normal. No, he wasn't right. It was all because of Rose but done out of love. She still didn't know the full story, and the Doctor wanted to keep it that way.

His eyes drifted towards the water tower, and that's when he saw him.

Captain Jack Harkness.

Author's Note:

I'm so sorry for the delay! Life has got in the way and has killed my inspiration to write. I'm not thrilled with the chapter, it's one of those filler ones to build up the story … but I hope you like the surprise I filled in there! Please let me know what you think, reviews would be appreciated.