Unto the Universe

Chapter Six: New Earth: Save the Flesh

By Lumendea

AN: The next chapter might be delayed. It features Arthur Conan Doyle and will be a pretty heavy research sink so I'll try to get it done, but life has been a bit crazy lately so don't panic if there isn't an update next weekend.

…..

As usual, the Doctor's mad plan worked. When the lift doors opened and the Flesh entered the small chamber, Rose activated the lever, and the disinfectant, now boosted with the medications, sprayed across the Flesh. Rose had watched in amazement as the boils had begun to clear, reminding her that this was medicine billions of years in the future. At the Doctor's prodding, the Flesh had begun to touch each other, their haze seemingly broken. Rose watched in amazement as steam rose off their skin, leaving clear skin behind.

"Doctor?"

"They're spreading the medication amongst themselves," the Doctor said happily. He peered up at her through the latch door. "It'll keep them from being contagious. Quarantine can end; we can get some proper medical staff here to help them." He beamed up at her, and Rose smiled back, ignoring the last vestiges of her headache. "With some luck, we can get more medications from the other wards and do another batch."

One of the Flesh walked up to the Doctor as Rose jumped down into the lift herself. He smiled and pattered the woman on the back before urging her to join the others. His smile was infectious, and Rose joined him, taking his hand.

"Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but undeniably alive," the Doctor crowed. "Come on, let's find Jack and see about another batch."

Rose shook her head fondly and followed, stopping to hug a couple of the Flesh when they reached for her.

….

The atmosphere of the hospital was completely different after the first treatment of the Flesh. Medical staff from other locations were on-site and helping organize the new humans. Rose tried not to smile too widely at the announcement over the speaker system that all staff were being arrested. She couldn't understand what they'd been thinking or how they'd manage to convince themselves that it was okay.

Rose glanced over to the Doctor who was speaking with Jack, his leather coat still slick with medications. They'd made up another four batches so far with Jack venturing into the other occupied wards. Medical staff from the city were seeing to the other wards. Rose wasn't sure if they'd find anyone but the Flesh still alive, but she hoped that maybe some others had survived the diseases long enough for help.

"Gran," Adam called softly. Rose turned to find Adam approaching her spot against the wall. He held out a golden bracelet, and Rose sighed in relief at the sight of it. "You lost this."

"I didn't lose it," Rose countered. Stepping forward, she took it in her hand gratefully. She didn't have to do anything as the moment it connected with her skin, the bracelet transformed into golden dust and swirled around her wrist to reform in place. "It was taken from me."

"It does have an impressive security system," Adam agreed. "I suppose it is to make sure that no one else can usurp its power."

Rose gave Adam a thoughtful look. Something about the way he said that gave her the impression his statement had multiple meanings. He stared back at her, expression neutral, and she just knew that he wasn't just talking about the bracelet.

"You know, for being so much like me, you have a lot of your grandfather in you."

"That I do."

"So, is this your favorite time period or something?" Rose asked. "Your late 20th and early 21st century?"

"We all have time periods and cultures we like best," Adam replied. "Hybrids are common here, and there's a lot of things I like about the culture, so yeah, I suppose I do spend a lot of time in this era."

"I'm sorry to leave with you with a mess to clean up again," Rose said softly. She glanced to where the Doctor was speaking gently with one of the Flesh. "He's not good at it."

"Really?" Adam asked sarcastically. "I had no idea."

Rose giggled, finally releasing some of the tension that had been clinging to her body. It was to breathe as the events of the last hour crashed down on her. She had a bad idea of what had happened to Cassandra and wasn't sure to feel about it. Adam's expression softened, and Rose had a bad feeling that her grandson knew what she was thinking.

"It wasn't your fault," Adam said gently. "She used a dangerous and banned piece of technology. Those things are banned for the harm they do. If she hadn't been destroyed, then she could have completely overwritten you. There wouldn't have been anything left."

"Scary to think something like that exists." Rose shivered. "But I still… I think I know what happened, but I'm not sure."

"Answers are coming soon," Adam assured her. "But we both know that you already have a pretty good idea-"

"Don't," Rose cautioned him. "Let me at least pretend not to know too much about my own future."

Adam chuckled but then sighed. "I understand, but really. Cassandra… there was no way out for her, not really. Using a psychograph changes the user too. She would have been able to jump between you and anyone else, but her pattern would have started fading quickly without her bonding to a body and killing the one it belonged to. It was a desperate gamble and that it failed, in the end, is not your fault."

"Just… any other surprised I should be on the look for?"

Rose knew she shouldn't ask, but the words slipped out. Adam gave her a soft and affectionate look. "It's odd to hear you so worried," he confessed. "And I can't answer that. It'll be alright in the end, Gran. I can promise you that."

He glanced towards the new humans where the Doctor was still talking with them. It hadn't been their best day. The death toll in the hospital had been terrible, but they'd saved the Flesh. It wasn't as simple as saving more than they lost, but a wrong had been righted, and life survived on the other side of the chasm. Then she noticed Jack watching her and Adam with far too sharp eyes. She almost groaned when he started walking their way. Adam sighed and nodded to her.

"Take care, Gran. Love you."

"Love you too," Rose whispered to her grandson before he made his exit, hurrying over to speak with one of the police.

Jack was at her side immediately. "Okay, who is he?" Jack pressed. His eyes were narrowed on Adam's back, and he tilted his head in consideration. "Other than a man with a very nice-"

"Don't," Rose said quickly. "Jack, just don't." She held back a sigh. "Trust me on this."

"So, he's related to someone that I'm going to know in the future," Jack said. He nodded in understanding. "Someone I have a relationship with?"

"Jack, you know better than to fish."

"Oh, I know better, but then again, you know a lot about your own future, so how dangerous can it really be?"

Rose fixed him with an unimpressed look, and Jack looked after Adam once again. Then he looked back at Rose. "Hmmm, he reminds me of you."

"I'll take that as a compliment, I suppose."

"So…" Jack drew out the word. "Adam Tyler, who is he, Rose? Really?"

"A relative of my friend Eve," Rose answered. Then, weighing the look on Jack's face, she sighed and added. "Her grandson, actually. I'm not sure she's met him yet in my time, but she's aware of him thanks to her abilities."

"Eve's grandson?" Jack didn't sound convinced. He narrowed his eyes on Rose and peered at her. "Really? Because if I was a betting man, I'd think he was your son or grandson instead."

"Jack."

"Or maybe both," Jack amended. "So, you could say that without lying to me."

"Jack," Rose said again. More warning in her voice this time. "Don't."

"And a time traveler, could be a Time L-"

"Jack."

This time Jack put his hands up in surrender and backed away. "Okay. Don't worry, I won't say anything to the Doctor." But his smile returned. "Congratulations, though. You two make a beautiful baby."

Rose groaned as Jack hurried off. She could hear him laughing and contemplated leaving him behind. Only knowing his future with her family and with protecting her saved Jack from that fate. She sank onto one of the benches and smiled at one of the new humans who looked her way. It hadn't been the best day, but all in all, not a bad one.

The Doctor eventually made his way over to her. There was a revealed spring in his step, and Rose smiled. The death toll was bad, but at least they'd saved the Flesh and a few wards. The Doctor's good mood faded as he got closer to her, and Rose wondered how bad she looked. Her muscles ached, and she was nursing a bit of a headache still. She stood up and met him a few feet from the main door.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" the Doctor asked. His hand settled around her waist easily, and Rose smiled at the intimacy he was becoming comfortable with. "Rose?"

"I'm okay," Rose said. "It was a lot. I was aware, mostly aware, anyway, and trying to push back. When she pulled out the bottle, she was planning to knock you both out and give you all those diseases." Rose shivered at the idea. "And something happened. I'm not sure what it was."

"We'll do a check when we get back to the TARDIS," the Doctor promised. "I'm not sure what it was either." He hesitated, and Rose gave him a curious look. "Your eyes glowed gold," he admitted softly. He turned to face her head-on, a hand coming up to cup her cheek. "Like when you were Bad Wolf."

"Oh," Rose said softly. "Could… could it have been leftovers? Or me protecting myself?"

"Maybe," the Doctor said. "I checked and didn't find any trace of the Vortex in you, but I suppose we can't discount anything right now."

"Things wrapped up here?" Rose asked.

"For the most part," the Doctor said. He paused and shifted for a moment. "Everything okay with Tyler?"

"Yeah," Rose said. She could tell he was suppressing a jealous reaction and was grateful for it. "I was apologizing again that he had to do the clean up." She held up her wrist. "And he retrieved my bracelet for me."

"He knows a lot about you."

"He does," Rose agreed. "It's timelines, Doctor. I'm trying to be careful."

The Doctor nodded and Rose could tell that he was holding back a sigh. Then he smiled at her and touched her cheek. "Be lying if I said I wasn't curious, but your caution for timelines is an attractive quality."

"Oh is it?" Rose gave him a tongue touched smile and the Doctor's mood cleared.

"One of your many attractive features." The Doctor chuckled and glanced towards the police as they directed more of the Flesh towards care works. "I'm not one for giving statements to the police. Probably best we slip out while we can. And I want to get you back to the TARDIS." His ears reddened and he hurried to explain. "To do a brain scan. We need to make sure that you're alright."

"Sounds good," Rose said softly. "Anything else we need here?"

"Other than Jack, no."

Rose chuckled and looked over to where Jack was flirting with one of the law enforcement officers who had shown up. It was a tall humanoid with rough-looking grey skin and sharp teeth, but that didn't seem to dissuade Jack.

"Not sure he'll want to come with us," Rose replied.

"Harkness," the Doctor shouted. Jack jumped and look over at them, not appearing happy with the interruption. "Meet you back at the TARDIS. Three hours!"

"Five!" Jack called back.

"Four!" the Doctor allowed before taking Rose's hand and sighing. "At least he won't be underfoot."

…

The TARDIS medical bay wasn't a welcome sight. As much as Rose loved the ship, they only came to this room when someone was hurt, or something strange had happened. She wasn't sure which one it was today. The Doctor squeezed her hand before releasing it, so Rose could sit down on the medical bed. Laying back, she exhaled slowly as the Doctor adjusted a set of controls, and a halo-looking device was raised up to frame her head.

"This is going to run a comparison scan," the Doctor explained gently. "Just to make sure that Cassandra didn't cause any damage."

"Will it tell us how I stopped her?" Rose asked.

"No," the Doctor said. His shoulders slumped a little, and Rose knew it wasn't good. "I'm afraid not. This is just a damage check."

"Doctor? What did you see?" Rose pressed. There was more to it, she could tell. First Adam and now the Doctor. "I should know."

The Doctor looked at her for a moment, and she watched the war of his differing instincts. On the one hand, Rose knew that he tried to keep his companions safe, even from ugly truths. On the other hand, he was a smart man and knew better than to lie to his romantic partner.

"Your eyes glowed," he explained, a hint of frustration in his voice. "That can't be nothing."

Swallowing, Rose nodded slowly and closed her eyes to give herself a moment. She'd figured it was something like that. There was a whisper at the back of her mind that she didn't want to listen to. There were still too many questions and worries.

"I understand why you're a little freaked out."

"I am not-"

Raising an eyebrow, Rose looked over at him but was careful not to move too much. It was still better to let the machine do its work. At least it seemed to be fast as the Doctor's eyes were already locked on the readout screen, and his features were relaxing. A moment later, it beeped and withdrew from its position around Rose's head. Sharon and Shireen would have been uncomfortable in much of the TARDIS, but they would be fascinated by the technology in the medical bay.

"Your scans line up," the Doctor said. "So, whatever happened didn't cause any damage." Relief rang in his voice, but Rose could tell he was still bothered by the mystery. "We'll keep working on your shields. They can't stop a psychograft, that's part of what makes them so dangerous, but it'll help protect your mind from being destroyed if that happens again."

"Okay," Rose agreed. "That sounds like a plan?"

She licked her lips and held back a sigh. Nervous energy hummed beneath her skin, and she wondered if she should just say something. Was it safe to tell the Doctor about her suspicions? Or did that fall under the same sort of danger as other aspects of her future? No one had ever discussed it with her. Not in any clear way, so she didn't know. And if she was wrong and the Doctor wasn't looking for another cause, then what?

"Rose?" the Doctor asked gently. "What can I do?"

"I'm just tired," Rose admitted. "Maybe…"

"What?"

"Let's go nap in the library," Rose suggested. "You can read out loud. Just don't be offended if I fall asleep."

The Doctor's soft smile made Rose feel a little better. He leaned forward and kissed her softly as Rose sat up. She rested her forehead against his and smiled.

"Sorry for worrying you so much."

"It's just what you do," the Doctor replied. "After all, you're very jeopardy-friendly."

Rose laughed at the sound of the familiar old nickname. "Well, you don't have room to talk, Trouble Magnet."

The Doctor kissed her again and pulled her into a tight hug as she climbed to her feet. Leaning against him, Rose put worries about the future out of her mind.