Title: Manipulation of the Mind

Author: Trustno1

Disclaimer: Alas, they belong to far richer souls than I.

Rating: Maybe T for this chapter.

Chapter V

The Doctor was in front of her. An arm's length away. He was facing away from her, so that all she saw was the back of the leather jacket that was just so… him. His ears stuck out too. She tried to move her arm to touch him, but she couldn't. She tried to call him, but he drifted away.

'Doctor!' she shouted, but it was in her head; the words wouldn't form.

He's leaving look, Rose. They all do eventually you know. No-one sticks around people like you for very long, Rose. He'll find another companion, one that doesn't cause as much trouble as you; annoy him with questions; act like a stupid little ape. He'll find someone else, another girl, and fall in love with her, not you, coz he doesn't love you, Rose.

'He does!' she screamed at the malicious, sly, Voice. 'He loves me! And I love him! We know it! He'll tell me eventually, he's just nervous, he'll tell me, I know it!' she yelled in desperation at the unknown Voice.

You hope it. You hope he loves you, you hope he tells you eventually. And that's a very dangerous thing is hope. It gives rise to expectation, and you only get disappointed when you expect, because expectations get higher and higher and higher, and it never works out. Ever. You get disappointed about everything then, Rose. Everything. Life isn't worth living then.

Suddenly, the Doctor appeared in front of her. His hand was resting against her cheek again, and she could feel the unusual pulse beating beneath the skin. His eyes shone bright blue.

'He's going to kiss me!' she thought excitedly. 'I don't care if it's only a dream, he's going to kiss me, and tell me he loves me…'

"Go away, Rose. Go home." His voice wasn't his own. His face was impassive. They were both void of all the emotions she loved, and she thought her heart would stop. "I don't want you here anymore."

He disappeared. Rose could hear the cruel voice laughing mercilessly in the back of her mind, laughter spreading like poison through her, burning her…

'He wouldn't do that, this is a dream, a nightmare, please."

It's a nightmare all right. But are you sure you're dreaming?

Rose jerked upright, the bedclothes in a heap on the floor, tank top and shorts – 'when did I get changed?' – sticking uncomfortably to her clammy skin. She was cold, yet at the same time felt like there was a fire burning through her veins. She stumbled across the room to where a water pitcher stood on a table with a tumbler beside it. She drank a glassful down quickly, felt it cooling her all the way down to her stomach, and chanced a glimpse at the mirror. A deathly pale ghost looked back at her, skin the color of candle wax, with dark eyes surrounded by darker hallows . 'God! What the hell must I have been dreaming?'

Rose was walking tentatively down the corridor back to her room when she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

"Rose, you're awake! Are you feeling – God, Rose you look awful!" the Doctor broke off mid-sentence and placed a wonderfully cool hand on her forehead then cheek.

"I'm fine, really," she said looking at him in earnest. "I just had a nightmare or something. My arm feels fine, I feel fine." She showed him her left arm, with a small red spot being the only indicator of there being anything there. Although the Doctor didn't look especially convinced, her cheeks, he noticed, were starting to pink up and not look so pale, though there was a darkness about her eyes. Must be the lighting, it was quite poor in this corridor. He nodded slightly and she relaxed.

"I'm gonna go get a bit more sleep" She indicated her open door and bed, which was looking very inviting right now. "Will you sit here with me, for a while?" Almost as soon as the words crossed her lips she wondered what on earth possessed her to ask him that – she shouldn't have said that at all. She tried to think why it felt so very wrong to ask, but her head started hurting and she stopped – she could think about it in the morning. Let the Doctor do what he thought was right. Which of course was leaving her alone, not staying with her at all.

"Course I'll stay here," he said kindly, this time ignoring the chair and instead sitting on her bed next to the curve of her knees. Rose's heart gave a small leap, but something again stirred in the back of her mind; something that she couldn't quite describe, yet at the same time, couldn't quite ignore.

The Doctor watched Rose's eyes darken again, as if a shadow had passed over them, and a small seed of unease planted itself in him. He tried to ignore it for now, instead concentrating on rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, relaxing her to sleep. Once she'd had a good night's sleep she'd be fine.

He hoped.

End Chapter V