"Rose, what are you doing?" Mum demanded as I jumped to my feet and half-ran, half-limped to the door. "You're supposed to be resting your foot!"
I headed out onto the balcony and looked over. And there was the TARDIS, disappearing before my eyes. I wanted to scream and shout but no sound would come out.
"Rose!" Mum caught up with me. "What are you doing out here?"
"He's… he's gone, Mum." I pointed to where the TARDIS had been. "He… he said he'd be back soon."
Mum was obviously taken aback, but then she pulled herself together. "Well… it's about time too. Now come back in, you haven't even got any shoes on!"
I followed Mum back inside, trying to piece the last few minutes together. I'd heard the noise, that whirring and groaning and murmuring… My body had jumped into action before my mind had, resulting in my landing rather heavily on my cut foot, and than staggering to the door. He'd promised…
Well, no, he hadn't, but I thought we were beyond that now, beyond lying and cheating our way out of things. I thought we knew each other better than that. Your Doctor wouldn't have done this…
"You look tired, sweetheart," Mum decided suddenly. "You should get some rest."
"Mum, the Doctor's just left without me!" I reminded her rather crossly. "How can I sleep at a time like this?"
She produced a bottle of pills and pulled the face I never argued with. "Take one, it'll help," she insisted.
I rolled my eyes. "Mum! I'm not taking your sleeping pills! You're not even supposed to hand them out to people like you do, you could get in serious trouble." I took the packet off of her. "They're out of date too," I pointed out, tossing them into the bin.
Mum glared at me. "There's no reason to have a go at me because your Doctor has gone off on a jaunt without you!"
He's not my Doctor! I swallowed the words back. He'd be back; he'd probably just leant on the wrong button yet again. I stood up.
"I'm going to bed for a bit," I said. "If… When the Doctor comes back, try not to start a fight."
I lay down on my bed, not wanting to fall asleep. But I was so tired… maybe just a quick nap. Maybe away from the TARDIS, away from everything so alien I could escape the dream. And the Doctor would be back. He had to be.