A/N: Thought I'd get a chapter in before I get too much hate mail. Still own nothing though.

The operating theatre was silent. Nothing moved, nothing breathed. Just silent monitors, a silent body, still warm to the touch. The door handle rattled as it closed behind the Doctor, the only noise in the grave room. Except if someone had been listening very carefully, listening for the slightest thing out of place. A sort of hum, not electrical like a light, or rumbling like a car outside but a hum all the same. And perhaps a slight glow from a box perched on a surgical trolley, but no one noticed, no one saw.

XXXX

Jackie Tyler looked up as she heard the fall of plimsolls on the tiled floor. Her face was stained with tears and mascara, making her look like a teenager and an old woman in the same heart beat. She bit her lip to suppress another sob and got to her feet, wrapping her arms around the alien in front of her. The Doctor hugged her back, burying his face in her shoulder as her cheek fell on his chest, crying silently.

"You tried," said Jackie softly, "You tried sweetheart."

"You don't hate me?" said the Doctor not letting go of her, "You have every right to."

"Rose wouldn't want me to hate you," said Jackie, encouraging him to release her and nearly laughing at herself as he wiped the mascara from her cheeks, his thumb stained black, "Look at the state of me hey? Rose would have a right go if she could see us now."

"Whose to say she can't," said the Doctor softly, "I'll ask if you can see her when they've got her sorted."

Jackie took his hand and sat him down on the hard plastic chairs next to her, "You need to rest for a bit. Please don't start running around just yet."

The Doctor looked down at his feet, shuffling them uncomfortably, "I'm sorry."

Jackie sat beside him and laid a tentative hand on his shoulder, discomfort creeping in and their old distance returning. She shook her head at her own actions before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and bringing his head to her shoulder.

"S'pose you'll be running off again soon won't you," she said, "I won't see you again."

"Jackie…"

"No, its ok. Its you, just…Doctor…just promise me you'll stay for the funeral, please? Help me say goodbye to her. I…I need someone there, I don't have anyone anymore. I need you."

The Doctor altered their positions, raising his head and pulling her into a tight hug, "I'll be there Jackie. I'm going to take care of you, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"This one I intend to."

XXXX

The human heart is a very delicate thing, all valves and arteries and veins and muscle but at the mechanics of it all, only a machine. A highly sophisticated machine. It pumps blood, transports vital oxygen, beats out a steady rhythm but it does so much more. A heart is the purest example of all things human. Even eyes can be taught to lie if practised enough but a heart always gives the game away. Erratic rhythm when you are afraid, slow and soft when contented, strong and steady when confident, fluttering and fast when you're in love. A hand on a heart can tell you a million things about a person in a second. It's a powerful thing. And a heart, when touched by something that craves love, craves completion, craves eternity, is not so easily broken.

XXXX

"Enter!" called Doctor Holloway, quickly saving her case notes on Rose as the door to her office opened. She wasn't surprised to see the Doctor at her door. She gave him a weak smile and motioned to the chair in front of her, "Can I get you anything?"

The Doctor shook his head and sat down, his nine hundred years showing clearly on his ashen face, "I need to sort out how I'm going to pay you for the surgery. Jackie can't afford it and Rose didn't exactly need health insurance when we were off on our travels."

"I'll sort something with the hospital, don't worry about the money," said Grace, reaching across the table and taking his hand, "How are you feeling?"

"Stupid question really," said the Doctor in a more bitter tone than he had intended, "Sorry."

"Don't be, I can't imagine what you're feeling right now," said Grace running her thumb along the back of his hand, "You look so tired. Look, the TARDIS probably won't be the best place for you now. I'll give you my keys and some money for a cab to my place. You and Jackie can go and rest there for a bit, get something to eat. They won't be letting anyone see Rose again until the morning anyway."

The Doctor managed a half smile, "We might as well wait for you."

"I'll be late," said Grace, "I've…err…well… I've asked to prepare Rose's body down in the mortuary. I'll be quite late tonight, want to make her look beautiful again for you."

The Doctor swallowed back a sob and nodded. Grace reached into her bag and pulled out her keys and several dollar bills. Scribbling down her address on a piece of paper she handed everything to the Doctor.

"Go home and sleep," she said softly, getting to her feet as the Doctor rose to his. She stepped round the desk and placed a small chaste kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Grace," said the Doctor, leaving the room, the air of defeat lingering long after him.

XXXX

Jimmy Mann was not anything special but he knew he stood out from the rest of the porter staff because he was the only one who could handle post op cadavers. He didn't care for the blood and the gore of an open stomach or a half sliced brain and so he was always the one to transport the bodies to the mortuary. He was proud of himself and that pride stepped up a notch when he heard about his latest patient. San Francisco General rarely performed open heart surgery these days and he had never yet seen a body with its chest cracked and he was looking forward to it.

Pushing open the door to the operating theatre he moved over to the covered table and pulled back the sheet to reveal the body. Ignoring the face her stared straight down at the open chest and nearly gagged. Deciding even he was beyond acceptance of such carnage he moved to cover the body back over. It was then he saw her face. She was beautiful, peaceful. She looked like an angel, really looked like an angel. Jimmy shock his head, too many late nights, he could swear her skin was glowing a subtle gold. He covered her face and began to wheel the trolley out of the theatre. If he noticed to open biohazard box on the side he ignored it, cleaning up the equipment was someone else's job.

A:N/ Hey! Easy on the hate mail people, give a girl a chance to finish a story before you slate her quite so desperately. I have included what are known as plot twists because if it was just a happily ever after with no angst thrown in it wouldn't be worth the effort. Rant over. Thank you to all those who have reviewed positively, you are wonderful and to those who are still willing to give me a chance, you're wonderful too. Much love. Nova x