Title: Manipulation of the Mind

Author: Trustno1

Disclaimer: Nope, the only Doctor Who related parcel I have received is the shooting scripts book - woohoo! Not the real thing though, so, not mine.

AN: Thanks for the reviews! I'm getting addicted to them now I think, lol. And this chapter is sort of the beginning of the proper plot - the other stuff was background stuff - necessary, but background all the same. Enjoy!

Chapter IV

"I quite like that teleporter; it's a very smooth ride," Rose mused innocently as they began through the jungle once more.

"Are you insinuating that my TARDIS is not smooth?"

"Are you actually there when we crash – I mean land?"

"It isn't too late to dump you out of an airlock you know," the Doctor said, as they rounded a small grove of banana trees.

"You know you'd miss me too much," she shot back, seeing a smile tug at his lips.

"Yeah, all the clothes strewn about my control room, the domestics, the – clumsiness," he grinned as she sprawled on the ground.

"That wasn't my fault, that plant tripped me up. And I think I got prickled," she complained, hauling herself up, and immediately wishing she'd done it a little more slowly, as the Doctor lurched alarmingly to the left. He was by her side in an instant.

"You okay, Rose?"

"Erm, yeah." She turned her left forearm towards her and saw the bright green needle embedded in the flesh, which was already red and stinging, like the time she got stung by a wasp when she was 11. A sudden wave of fear washed over her. "Is it… poisonous?" she asked, half annoyed at how feeble her voice sounded. The Doctor cast his eyes around for the culprit, and she saw him visibly relax.

"No, it's fine. Disables it's prey long enough to eat it because the venom paralyses them. They usually attack animals significantly smaller than you though, so it isn't gonna eat you, don't worry," he smiled at her. "I think it was probably more likely a defensive manoeuvre than an attack, since you did trip over it." He silenced her argument with a finger against her lips, so she had to content herself with glowering at him. "I'll get it out." He took her arm in cool, strong hands that had a calming effect on her. "One quick pull and it'll be done, okay?" She nodded. Her arm was beginning to feel hot and heavy despite the Doctor's hands on it, the fingers of his left hand rubbing soothing circles above her wrist.

"Ow!" she cried, as quietly as she could, as he pulled it from her arm.

"There! No problem." He ran his fingers gently over the angry red bump, and contemplated asking her if she wanted him to run the sonic screwdriver over it; just in case. "D'you want me to just, take a look with the sonic screwdriver?" he asked as they resumed holding hands. She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head.

"No, it's okay, I'm sure it'll be fine by the time we get back. Besides, don't want to waste the batteries," she said with a small laugh. He nodded to himself and led her back to the TARDIS, catching in his peripheral vision the way Rose held her arm gingerly at her side, and the grimace on her face with every step they took. He knew she was being brave, and putting up with the pain, but he resolved that as soon as they were back, he'd take her straight to the Medical Room and check her arm out properly.

The TARDIS. The wonderful blue box that she called home. She could crawl into bed and ignore the heat that was spreading through her body like fire. Every muscle ached, like it was too heavy, and her head hurt so much. She just wanted to

slip into unconsciousness

sleep. Rest the body that felt so unnatural to her. She could feel her eyes attempting to close already as the Doctor stopped to open the door. Her feet carried her to the opposite end of the control room, and almost out the door, before the Doctor caught up with her.

"Rose come on, I'm taking you to the Medical Room, that plant's affected you." She started to protest, but felt so tired and strange that she didn't have the energy to. Instead she shrugged indifferently. Somehow, this made the Doctor even more nervous; Rose hardly ever went anywhere she didn't want to without a fight, and even if persuaded (or forced) she more often than not went begrudgingly. Now, she was just… apathetic, following the Doctor's guidance blindly.

"Sit up here," the Doctor whispered, pointing to a large, comfortable looking cot. She sank into the cushions as another wave of tiredness swept over her and closed her eyes, feeling herself slip towards

unconsciousness

sleep. A faint buzzing entered her ears, and cool hands were pressing gently on her arm, where the pain was beginning to subside somewhat. She relaxed her head into the hand that was stroking the hair behind her ear, but she opened her eyes shortly after at the loss of contact.

"Doctor?" Rose mumbled. She wanted to tell him to put his hand back – it was relaxing and sending her to sleep.

"Shh, it's okay, just this…" he held up a funny instrument, shaped like an electronic diary and emitting the same blue light and buzzing as he sonic screwdriver. "I'm not detecting poison or anything in your body; the only thing wrong is your temperature is slightly higher than it should be, but that's just your body's response to that plant." He was still speaking softly, and Rose had to strain to hear him properly. Least there wasn't anything wrong with her – maybe he'd let her go to sleep now, preferably with his hand in hers…

but why would he do that?

Rose shook her head. She couldn't imagine where that Voice came from – must be the temperature, she decided.

"Do you want to stay here or go to your room?" the Doctor asked.

"Erm, stay here, I don't feel like moving right now." He nodded and sat down in a chair that was next to the cot. The last thing Rose knew before drifting off was the Doctor's hand tightly squeezing her own.

End Chapter IV