The Doctor hummed the little German tune under his breath as he wondered through the TARDIS' corridors towards his bedroom. It wasn't really that far away from Rose's room. The Time Lord smiled to himself as he thought about Rose. He decided that there were few words in English that could sum up how much he really cared about her, not that he would ever fully admit that to himself.

At last, he found his room. The Doctor suddenly realised that he had not slept for seven days. That was just about his limit. He decided it would be worth it to catch forty winks. Why not? Rose and Jack were. There was nothing else to do and recharging the old brain would be a good thing.

The jumper and slacks were tossed on a chair, the jacket draped over the top of the pile. He changed into an old pair of black sweat pants and t-shirt to sleep in. He didn't bother unmaking the bed, choosing instead to sleep on top of the covers.

It wasn't long before the Time Lord was dreaming…

He was running. Rose, he had to save her. Jack too. They were trapped somewhere ahead, he was sure of that. His feet pounded the ground. Bare white walls flashed past. He was sprinting down a long hallway. Were Jack and Rose down at the end of it? Yes, somehow he knew they were. Got to reach them before…

Before what?

The Doctor glanced behind him. His hearts sank. The Dalek from Van Statten's base was there, rolling merrily along a few meters behind him. The Doctor picked up the pace.

A turn appeared in the hallway. The Doctor zoomed around it and suddenly skidded to a halt. It was a dead end. The Doctor stared, horrified, at the blank wall. His hearts thudded and his mind raced.

Suddenly, he heard a desperate voice. "Doctor? Doctor, help! Please, somebody help me!"

The Doctor's mouth went dry. It was Rose's voice!

"Rose?" he called loudly, trying to find the source of her voice. "Rose, where are you?"

"Help! Someone please help me! Please…help…" Her voice was growing weaker. Despite this, the Doctor was able to determine that his companion was somewhere behind the wall in front of him.

"Rose!" he shouted again.

His ears picked up a different sound close by. It was a faint, mechanical whirr. Not the TARDIS. More like part of a machine moving. It was coming from right behind him. The Time Lord turned and saw the Dalek right in front of him.

There was a long, tense pause, during which time the Doctor found himself wishing for once that he had a weapon.

When the Dalek finally broke the silence, it did not say at all what the Doctor expected it to say.

"Mum-my?" the great space dustbin's mechanical voice inquired. "Are you my mum-my?"

The Doctor couldn't believe it. This was a new terror.

"Where is my mum-my? Mum-my?"

The Doctor tried his voice, hoping that it wouldn't shake too much. "Your mummy's not here," he told the Dalek.

"Mum-my? Are you my mum-my?"

"No, I'm not your mummy."

"Please, mum-my…"

The Doctor got an idea. "NO!" he shouted in a stern voice. "Listen to me, you. I'm very cross. Go to your room! GO TO YOUR ROOM!"

"Mum-my?" The Dalek raised its gun, pointing it at the Doctor. His eyes widened in fear.

"No! Go to your room!"

"Mum-my?"

"NO!"

The Doctor heard Rose scream, the sound of the Dalek's gun, then complete silence.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted. With a jolt, he opened his eyes. His hearts felt like they were imitating the Lord of the Dance inside his chest. He noticed that his shirt was damp with sweat. He placed a shaky hand over his eyes. He could feel the TARDIS in his head, her telepathic connection gently reassuring him. After a few deep breaths, the Doctor managed to calm down.

"That's why I don't sleep," he muttered darkly.