The Doctor estimated that he'd walked about half a kilometer; he was nearing the large shaft, and here he found pieces of equipment strewn about. Like the personal items in the buildings, these tools appeared to have been abandoned hastily. He bent to lift a pick, inspecting the tip carefully in case any porquarnium still clung to it. Unfortunately, it had been wiped clean.
He shone the dim beam ahead. There were more tools lying about, but up ahead, just a few meters away, there was something else. It was large, covering a good portion of the floor and stretching up the wall. He moved closer, and he noticed that the smell had grown much stronger. His foot crunched over something; he squatted down and focused the faltering beam on a leafy stalk.
"Doctor!" Rose's voice was faint, echoing slightly through the tunnel. The Time Lord stood and took a few steps back in the direction from which he'd come. "Doctor! We've got company!"
"Damn!" he muttered as he hurried back along the tunnel.
The tendril that stretched out for his leg was too slow; by the time it reached the spot where he'd stood, he was gone. The leaves and thorns quivered and retreated back to the root cluster, writhing around the bodies that lay decomposing among the heavy vines.
"Look, we're not doin' anything wrong," Rose faltered, trying to back away as the men surrounded her.
One of them reached for her arm, clamping his hand around it painfully.
"Hey! You're hurtin' me!" she protested, trying to pull away. But his grip only strengthened.
"I'm sorry we used your stuff," she tried again. "The Doctor'll replace it, if tha's what you're worried about."
The men watched her, their eyes running up and down her body. She had been ogled by men before, but these looks were different. They were more appraising, more critical somehow. And for some reason it made her more uncomfortable than the most brazen leer.
A second man took her other arm, and they began pulling her away.
"Wait a minute!" she cried. "Stop it! Where're you takin' me?"
They remained silent as they walked, dragging her along with unwilling steps.
"Stop right there!" the Doctor's voice boomed from the shaft.
Rose looked back over her shoulder to see him emerging from the pit, arms on the edge to support himself. His face was dark with anger. "Let her go!"
To Rose's great surprise, the men released her, and she ran back to the shaft, where the Doctor was just struggling to lift himself out. She reached out for his arm, but he was already swinging his legs up. In a moment he stood next to her, gently gripping her arms.
"Are you all right?" He bent toward her, his eyes boring into hers.
"Yeah."
He dropped his hands. "Good." His gaze moved to the men, who were walking briskly toward the compound.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand. "Let's find out who they are and what they wanted."
They watched the men as they entered one of the buildings. It took the Doctor and Rose a minute or two to reach the compound, and when they entered the building they found no sign of the men.
"Where'd they go?" Rose asked in confusion.
The building only had one door, which had been visible to them as they walked. The Doctor was looking in the cupboard and under the beds while Rose inspected the window. It was small, less than half a meter wide, and she doubted that a man's shoulders could fit through it, but is was the only other exit point in the building, as far as she could tell.
"They must've gone out through here," the Doctor said, joining her. "There's nothin' in the floor…"
"But it's so small," she said, holding out her hands to assess the width of his shoulders then turning toward the window. "They'd never fit through."
"They must've," he shrugged. "There's no other possibility." He was already peering out through the heavy plastic, trying to catch a glimpse of the men. He hurried to the door and went outside, followed closely by Rose, but a search of the complex showed that the men had gone.
"Where would they go?" Rose asked as they looked out over the land.
"Maybe the next mine," the Doctor suggested. He turned back to face her. "What did they want with you?"
She rubbed at her arms; they were still sore where the men had gripped her. "I dunno. They didn't say anything."
"Nothin' at all?"
She shook her head. "Not a word. I tried to talk to them, but they just grabbed me an' tried to drag me away."
"Where were they taking you?"
"I dunno. Back here, maybe. So, did you find any porquarnium down there?"
"No, not a trace. But I think I found what caught you."
"Yeah?" she asked with interest. "What was it then?"
"Definitely a plant of some sort. I didn't get a chance to have much of a look at it."
He began walking, away from the buildings and the mine.
"Where're you off to now?"
"Hafta find some porquarnium. We just hafta check the next mine."
"An' how d'y' know where that is?"
He turned back to grin at her. "Checked the scanners when we landed. Next mine's about three kilometers in this direction." He pointed straight ahead and continued walking.
After a moment he realized that Rose wasn't following him. He turned around to find her standing staring at the mine, one hand pressed against her stomach.
"Rose, you okay?" he called back.
She blinked at him and nodded. "Yeah. Just thinkin' about…" her voice trailed off.
"About what?"
She shook her head. "Nothin'."
"Well, come on then," he urged.
She nodded and began walking to catch up with him. He noticed that her pace was deliberate; there was no haste in her step. She kept her hand on her stomach. He walked back a few steps to meet her.
"You really okay?" he asked again.
Brow wrinkled, she gave him a half-smile. "Yeah, 'course I am."
"Your stomach still hurt?" He glanced at her hand. "That one puncture was pretty deep. Maybe I should have another look at it—"
"No, 's fine. It's just the feeling I think—of knowin' that it was there."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder companionably. "Come on, then. Let's try to make it to the next mine before the rain starts again."
Despite the smile she gave him, he was certain that he felt her balk for just a moment as he began to walk.
Rose's stomach had tightened uncomfortably during the first few minutes of their walk. She felt as though the muscles were cramping, and it bordered on painful. However, as they moved along she felt somewhat better. Perhaps the physical activity was loosening her muscles.
It was drizzling again. Fortunately the heavy rain stayed away. The Doctor was looking ahead, trying to find signs of the men, and, she was sure, to evaluate any potential dangers. As they approached the little group of buildings that flanked the mine, she saw that they were dilapidated. Several of the roofs were starting to cave in, and rust seemed to cover nearly every object in sight.
"I don't think they came here," she said.
"Doesn't look like it, but you never know. Come on, let's have a look around."
He cheerfully sauntered off toward the nearest building while she took a moment to catch her breath. The sky was darkening, and it was becoming difficult to see. It had grown much colder, too, and she realized that she was shivering.
She hurried toward the building the Doctor had entered. He stood inside, just lighting a lantern. It reminded her of the old kerosene lamps she'd seen in antique shops. It cast a yellow glow around the room, creating odd shadows along the walls. Rose shivered again.
He had turned back to look at her, catching her shudder. "You cold?" he asked.
"A little. It's gettin' really dark out."
"Yeah, it'll be night soon."
"Shouldn't we get gettin' back to the TARDIS then?"
"Let's just be sure there's no one here," he said, stepping outside with the lantern. Rose trudged along beside him as he poked his head into each building in turn. Most were uninhabitable, but two still had solid roofs and functioning doors. Few items had been left at this camp; indeed, aside from a couple of lanterns and a bed or two, the former inhabitants had apparently taken all of their possessions along with them.
"D' y'think there's any porquarnium here?" Rose asked as they explored the final building.
The Time Lord shook his head. "I doubt it. They've cleaned everything out, so it's unlikely they'd leave any ore. The other mine didn't have any traces left… But I suppose it's worth a look in the morning."
"Let's go, then." Rose had already begun to walk.
"Rose!" The Doctor's hand caught her arm, and the sudden touch surprised her.
She stopped and turned to him. She was about ten meters outside the complex. Funny, she'd just been standing next to one of the buildings…
The Doctor had taken her shoulders and was leaning in to look at her, squinting in the darkness and blinking at the rain that washed over his eyes. "It's dark, an' it's raining hard. Let's go back inside and wait 'til morning."
"No, we have to go back," she began, twisting away from him, her arm stretching out as though she wanted to touch something.
"Rose!"
His hands were on her shoulders again, turning her back, leading her toward the nearest building. Rain was falling hard now, and she was quickly becoming soaked. Her stomach ached, and all she wanted was to go back, to get back to the—
"Hey, Rose, come on." The Doctor had steered her inside. It was quite dark, and she realized that the lantern had gone out. He lit it again and set it on a shelf.
"You're shaking," he said, standing before her again. He took her hand in his. "You're freezing. You've gotta get out of these wet clothes."
"No, I'm okay," she protested feebly. Her chattering teeth seemed to think otherwise.
He turned away for a moment, slipping off his leather jacket then removing his jumper. When he turned back she saw that he wore a gray t-shirt. He handed her the jumper.
"Put this on. It's still dry."
She held the item for a moment, staring at it blankly.
"Come on," he urged, nodding at the jumper. "Oh," he rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "spose you want me to turn around."
He walked toward the small counter across the room and began rummaging about beneath it. A particularly fierce chill coursed through Rose, and she spurred herself to action, removing her sodden hoodie and tank top and wriggling into the jumper.
After a minute or two the Doctor returned to her, frowning in disapproval. "Your shoes are soaked—jeans too."
She glanced down. "Yeah." She tried to smile feebly.
Still frowning, he took her arm gently and led her to the one chair that remained in the room. He sat her down and knelt before her, taking her foot in his hands. He removed her shoes and socks, pausing for a moment to wrap his fingers around her feet; they felt like ice against his skin.
"Come on, Rose. Jeans." He stood. "Unless you want me to help with those, too."
She began to stand, but the muscles in her stomach protested rather ferociously, and she grimaced, trying to suppress a groan. She remained seated for another few seconds. Thankfully the Doctor had turned around again to shake out his jacket, so he did not see her face. Slowly she stood and unfastened the snap and zipper on her jeans then slid the wet garment off. Bending to tug at the legs caused another complaint from her stomach, and she exhaled a bit too forcefully.
"Hey, you all right?" The Doctor was standing before her again, looking at her with concern.
She had managed to kick off her jeans and was rubbing at her stomach. "Jus' a bit hungry's all."
He inclined his head toward the chair, and she sat down again. He carefully draped his jacket over her legs; his jumper only covered them to the mid-thigh. "I'll see if I can find anything that's still edible," he said. As an afterthought he reached into one of the jacket pockets and pulled out a small chocolate bar.
"This'll have to do for now." He pressed the candy into her hand then left.
Rose began to unwrap the chocolate, but the first whiff made her stomach lurch unpleasantly. She tucked the candy back into the pocket and allowed her gaze to wander to the door. The Doctor had taken the lantern, and it was very dark inside the building. Still, she knew where the door was. She imagined her hand turning the rusty knob, then she would step outside, into the cold night air, and begin to walk back, to get closer, and then to return to where she was supposed to be.
She began to stand, but a sharp pain throbbed through her abdomen. Reluctantly she sat back down, the Doctor's jacket lying on the floor at her feet. She rested her hand on her stomach, massaging for a moment. Her expression froze, and her hand stopped moving. Slowly she slid it down to the hem of the jumper then slipped it underneath to move up to her belly. With tentative fingers she felt about the area. There was something different, something that had never been there before… The punctures must have left some swelling or some sort of bruise beneath the surface.
The door swung open, and the Doctor bustled inside, flooding the room with light. Rose squinted at the sudden brightness. She forgot for an instant that her arm had pulled the jumper up; her hip was exposed on the right side. The Doctor looked away quickly, setting a bundle down on the counter before he turned back to her.
She had smoothed the jumper back down, but her legs were still bare.
"I found a blanket," he reported, "an' a tin of tea. Not the freshest, I reckon, but it'll do."
"Yeah," she replied absently, "good."
"How was the chocolate?"
"Fine."
He was removing items from the bundle. After a few moments he came back to her, holding the blanket. Noticing his jacket on the floor, he scowled. "That was supposed to keep you warm."
"What? That tatty old thing?" she joked wanly.
Rather affronted, the Doctor retrieved his jacket as he handed her the blanket. He donned the coat quickly. "It was an expensive jacket," he protested firmly.
She shook her head. "If y' say so."
"Did you manage to warm up?" He reached for her hand; it was still cold.
"A bit."
"Keeping your legs covered would've helped," he remonstrated mildly. Remembering her pose when he entered, he asked, "Are the punctures still bothering you?"
She shrugged, eyes wandering to the door again. "No, not really."
"Rose." His voice had grown serious. "Tell me the truth."
She looked back at him. He was worried about something; that much was clear from his expression. She recalled that he'd been concerned about the depth of the punctures, and about his inability to heal them completely. Still, she felt reluctant to mention what she'd felt; something seemed to keep her from telling him. Finally she replied, "'S fine, really. It's jus' the thought of it—that somethin' was pokin' into me. Weird, y'know?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
He returned to the counter, and she heard him fiddling with something, but her mind quickly wandered elsewhere. When he brought her a cup of tea, she was surprised, to say the least.
"Thanks," she said, taking the mug from him.
He waited for a few seconds then asked, "Don't you wanna know how I heated it up?"
She looked up at him and asked tiredly, "How'd you heat it up then?"
He launched into an explanation that involved the sonic screwdriver, kerosene, and a pie tin, but she barely listened. She was thinking about feeling the ground beneath her feet as she walked, her feet carrying her back to where she needed to be.
"Why don't you get some sleep," the Doctor was saying, urging her to stand with a hand at her elbow.
She found that the blanket had been removed from her legs and folded over the bed. Funny, she didn't remember him doing that… And she really wasn't tired. She was ready to go. But he was tucking her into the blanket, putting his rolled-up jacket beneath her head, and he was looking her with a curious expression on his face. She smiled thinly and offered a cursory "thanks" then closed her eyes.
Rose had fallen asleep almost immediately. The Doctor sat in the chair, watching her. She lay on her side, curled slightly inward with her face toward him. It was her expression that held his attention. He had seen her sleeping before, and, like nearly all humans, her features softened and relaxed during slumber. But now her brow was slightly creased and her muscles appeared tight, as though she were carrying some significant tension beneath the surface. He wondered if traveling through space and time was beginning to affect her.
When she sat up in the darkness and put her feet on the floor, he thought that she had awakened. He began to speak to her, but she was staring straight ahead with unseeing eyes. She stood and began shuffling toward the door as he watched her with interest. She was sleepwalking, of course, and he observed her silently until she placed her hand on the doorknob. He hurried toward her and gently steered her back to the bed.
Somnambulists were normally quite passive, but he found her resistant when he tried to ease her back down onto the thin mattress. She seemed to lock her legs into a standing position, and she actually pressed her hands against his chest in an attempt to push him away. He could feel her efforts to move forward, but he held her a bit more firmly.
Finally he spoke, a single firm word: "Rose."
She blinked at him, half-awake. That was all he needed, and he easily lowered her to the bed.
"Lie down," he said, and she complied. He pressed two fingers against her temple. "Sleep Rose. Sleep until morning."
She closed her eyes and slipped back into slumber.
Twice during the night she made small murmuring noises, and her expression seemed to intensify for an instant then become softer. He had lowered the flame in the lantern, so he could not see her eyelids clearly, but he thought she must be dreaming. It bothered him a bit that she might have nightmares about the things he'd shown her, but after all it had been her choice to accompany him.
After a time the Doctor closed his eyes and rested, although he did not sleep. He thought about many things, and, if Rose had seen his face she would have noted a dozen expressions, most conveying anger, hurt, and despair.
But she slept on, curling more tightly into a ball as though trying to protect herself from something waiting outside in the dark, clouded night.
