AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you to those who read my first chapter and returned for a second. And a giant thank you to those who commented. That was so very kind of you. The plot thickens in this chapter… at least I hope it does… assuming I want a thick plot, which, now that I think about it, I'm not entirely sure I do.

Too late now. Hope you enjoy. :D

CHAPTER TWO

Life didn't get much worse than this.

"I thought you were supposed to know everythin' about everythin'!" complained Rose loudly from her current position, hunched over a waste paper bin, before violently throwing up yet again into it.

"I am sorry, Rose Tyler, but my data indicates quite clearly indicates humans and the Cyterian Blog fish are compatible, and can be ingested without any problem," replied Neris calmly.

After two weeks of bathing in the light of a blue sun, their patient had begun to heal impressively. Now she was about the size of a small car, emitting a brilliant green light with delicate tendrils floating around her glowing, orb-like form. Her ability for telepathic communication had also improved immeasurably.

"Does this look like-" Rose interrupted herself by throwing up again, before continuing shakily, "-I'm ingesting it with no problem? Your data is dodgy!"

"That is simply not possible, Rose Tyler," said Neris smugly. "Perhaps you are just an inadequate specimen of humanity?"

"Why you-"

Rose wanted to say a lot more but simply couldn't stop emptying the contents of her stomach into the waste paper bin long enough to do it.

"Rose."

The Doctor's voice floated down the corridors to the library.

"I'm in the mood to wear a cape. I feel like it's been an age since I've worn a cape. What say we take a little spin to Shion ORI? They are very big on capes there. They use them to catch solar energy which powers their-" The Doctor was in the doorway now and stopped short as he saw Rose in her hunched and miserable state. "Rose!" he exclaimed, immediately hurrying over to her sid., "Whatever are you doing?"

"Baking a chicken!" she snapped at him in annoyance but then instantly regretted it as the mere mention of food made her start heaving up again.

"Rose Tyler partook of the Cyterian Blog fish," supplied Neris, for the Doctor's edification.

"Good heavens!" The Doctor's brow wrinkled in concern. "Why would you do that? Human stomachs really can't handle the secretions by the Blog fish's flesh. The chemicals in them stop them from freezing in the ice lakes. Really, Rose, you must be more careful and ask me about these things before you just hoe in."

If Rose had had any strength left in her she would have told the Doctor she'd asked Neris and been lied to, but as it was she could barely keep herself upright after her marathon bout of vomiting.

The Doctor must have seen that she was in no fit state for a conversation on the matter. "We'll talk about it later." He picked her up in his arms. "Right now I think bed is the place you need to be."

Rose's head lolled back against his chest, not having enough strength anymore to hold that part of her upright. Even so, she attempted a glare in Neris' direction, but her unfocused gaze probably didn't pull it off the way she was hoping. The Doctor whisked her out of the room and before she knew it, he was laying her carefully down on her bed. "Stay here," he instructed her.

Moving really didn't feel like an option to Rose right then, or possibly ever again. She tried to tell him that, but only managed a vaguely guttural sound, which the Doctor must have taken as agreement because he immediately hurried off. Rose closed her eyes and when she opened them again, the Doctor was standing over her again.

He held out a black liquid to her. "Drink this."

Rose's stomach churned at the thought, and she shook her head. "I'll be sick."

"This will make you feel better," he promised.

Rose eyed the unappealing black liquid, hesitating, but then decided nothing could be worse than her current state. She reached out with a hand shaking so badly the Doctor gently brushed it away and simply held the glass to her lips.

Rose took a sip of the drink and grimaced. "Ugh."

"All of it."

She screwed her face up at him, but nonetheless managed to drink all but the last few mouthfuls. Rose flopped back on the bed and gave a low groan; squeezing her eyes closed and feeling like her insides were on fire. She felt the Doctor removing her shoes. "Am I going to die?"

"No."

"How can you be so sure?" Rose felt like death was inevitable and couldn't help a little shudder of fear. "I ate acid. Acid kills people."

"Open your eyes."

"Can't," mumbled Rose shakily. Her head was spinning and opening her eyes felt like it'd make it worse. She felt the Doctor take her hand and press it to his chest.

"Feel that?"

"It's your heart." Rose could feel the steady thump under her hand without opening her eyes.

The Doctor moved her hand to the other side of his chest. "Feel that?"

"It's your other heart."

"Beating normally."

Rose forced open an eye, not really understanding his point.

"Which neither one would be doing if you were going to die," finished off the Doctor simply. "You're going to be fine, Rose."

His words made her feel immediately better, and she would have relaxed, except for one thing. "Doctor?"

He smiled down at her. "Yes?"

"Is there a giant Teletubbie standing behind you?" she asked unevenly, eyes locked over his right shoulder.

The Doctor turned around. "Which one?"

"Tinky Winky."

He looked back at her and smiled. "No."

Rose opened both her eyes and blinked rapidly, staring straight at the large purple Teletubby. "Okay," she said weakly.

"You're hallucinating. From the poison."

Apparently knowing that didn't make the thing go away. "He's just standing there. He's creepy."

The Doctor looked back over his shoulder. "I've always thought so. Who carries a red bag if you're purple? No colour sense whatsoever."

Rose couldn't stop staring at Tinky Winky's face which was starting to swirl about and now spiders were crawling out of his nose and eyes. She gave a little squeak as the spiders cascaded out of Tinky Winky's ears and mouth now as well, swarming all over his body.

"What's happening? What's he doing?"

She squeezed her eyes closed at tightly as she could. "Nothing, nothing. It isn't real, it isn't real." Despite telling herself that, Rose could swear she could hear the skittering of all those legs darting about the room, filling it up. She started to shake. "It isn't real," she reminded herself desperately. Rose started violently when she felt something touch her arm, and she slapped at it wildly.

"It's me," the Doctor said, fending off her flailing arms, even as he continued to stretch out on the bed beside her. "Stop hitting me."

Rose was certain she could hear all those spiders whispering now, and she was too afraid to open her eyes. She felt the Doctor pull her closer to him, and then her head was on his chest. Rose immediately heard the comforting double thump sound of his two hearts, and it drowned out the clattering from the spiders that felt anything but imaginary.

The Doctor wrapped her arms around her. "It's alright. I'm here. Nothing is going to hurt you. I don't care how big that Teletubby or his purse is."

"Spiders," mumbled Rose against his chest.

"Or spiders. Just sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up, I promise."

Rose was quite sure that they were now both covered in spiders, but being held by the Doctor, hearing the comfort in his voice, she couldn't quite bring herself to care. If they were heading for a spider-filled death, at least it was together. That was her last thought before the darkness claimed her.

#

The Doctor moved a little on the bed, noting with relief that Rose had finally stopped shaking. He pushed a stray strand of hair back from her face as she slept in his arms, and trailed a finger down one flushed cheek. She was still hot to touch, but the antidote he'd given her should hopefully start to bring her body temperature back to normal soon.

"You scared me," he informed her in a low voice, knowing it was safe to confess that because she couldn't hear him.

Fortunately Rose didn't know about his little trick with being able to slow his own heartbeats at will, otherwise his demonstration of calm would have been a lot less comforting if she'd felt the real state of his heart rate when he'd discovered she'd been poisoned. Given her size, even a few mouthfuls of that fish could have killed her. The Doctor grimaced at the thought. He knew from long and painful experience how tenuous life was, but Rose was so fully alive and filled every room she was in with that life, it was easy for the Doctor to trick himself into not thinking about that when it came to Rose. Until moments like these forced himself to deal with the notion of losing her. Unconsciously his arms tightened around her, the thought causing him physical pain.

"Doctor?"

Neris' voice was in his head. "Yes?"

"Is Rose Tyler going to be alright?"

"Yes, Neris, I caught it in time." He looked down at the sleeping Rose in his arms. "Thank goodness."

There was a brief pause from Neris. "I am sorry. This was my fault. I searched my memories and they told me that Cyterian Blog fish was safe for her species."

"It's alright, Neris, you made a mistake."

"I do not normally make mistakes," remarked Neris unhappily. "I am unfamiliar with this concept."

"You're still healing. There will be neural lapses from time to time until you're back to full strength. That means sometimes you will having missing data."

"But my people believe in the sanctity of all life and in the protection of it," said Neris solemnly. "I have failed Rose Tyler in this matter. And you, Doctor."

The Doctor felt a wave of remorse sweep over him as Neris expressed the emotion with him via their telepathic link. "Rose is going to be alright. She'll tell you not to worry about it when she is feeling better."

"Rose Tyler was very mad at me. She raised her voice, and said I did it deliberately."

"That was just the projectile vomiting talking," said the Doctor confidently. "Rose has the kindest heart of anyone I know. She'll understand it was a mistake and forgive you."

"And you, Doctor, do you understand it was a mistake and forgive me?"

The Doctor looked down at Rose's sleeping countenance and pushed thoughts of her almost dying from his head. He couldn't function properly in that headspace. "Rose is going to be alright. That's all that matters."

"And our friendship remains?" pushed Neris.

"Yes, of course."

"That is good to hear." Neris paused briefly. "I have enjoyed our conversations over these last weeks, Doctor. It has been a long time since I have met a lifeform such as yourself."

"I've enjoyed them too, Neris. Your people have always fascinated me. I've travelled this universe for a long time, and only heard stories of you before we found you on that space station."

"I failed the Kout," remembered Neris sadly. "When they crashed on my planet, I believed I could help them to return home. That is why I took over their craft, repairing it with my neural networking and traveling with them to enable safe passage back to their home world. However, I could not save them from the raiders who looked to take them as slaves to sell. Their craft was not equipped to do such battle, and we sustained so much damage. If it had not been for you, I would surely be dead by now. I owe you my life, Doctor."

"You owe me nothing. Just live a long and happy life. That is all I ask." He smiled. "When you feel strong enough, you can let me know where you'd like me to take you."

"And we will part as friends?"

"Of course."

"This is welcome news, Doctor. Thank you."

"And until that time, Rose and I are happy to have your company."

"I am not sure you speak for Rose Tyler, Doctor. I sense in her a dislike of me. She is not comfortable about my presence, as we are so different."

"Rose isn't like that. She's very open-minded and doesn't judge anyone on their species."

"I hope what you are saying is true, Doctor. I have enjoyed being in both of your companies and would not like to become a burden."

"No burden. The TARDIS is a big place. Rose and I have no particular place to be. We're learning a lot from each other. It's all worked out nicely." The Doctor felt Neris' pleasure at his reassurances.

"About learning from each other, we discussed yesterday my ability to transfer quintochromacy abilities to other lifeforms. I have regained that ability, and was wondering if you would like me to share the experience with you?"

"The ability to see light from five different light sources simultaneously?" said the Doctor, intrigued. It would grant him the ability to perceive 300 million colours, instead of the tetrachromacy he currently had, which was 100 million colours. Poor humans could only see around 7 million colours, being only trichromats.

"Yes, if you come to me now, I can share it with you."

The Doctor looked down at Rose and hesitated.

"Rose Tyler is sleeping. She is not cognizant of your presence, so it is superfluous."

The Doctor tried to find the words to explain his reluctance to leave Rose, even though he knew what Neris was saying was logical. "I know, but if I'm with Rose, she won't leave me."

"I do not understand."

"She said she'd stay with me… always."

"You are often not in the same room together. I do not understand what you mean."

The Doctor struggled to make sense of a driving emotion when it came to Rose for Neris to understand. "I could have lost Rose today. I need to be with her. She won't leave if she knows I'm here." Leave felt like a safer word to use than die. The Doctor was studiously avoiding that word.

"Your presence has no effect on the outcome of her body dealing with the poison she ingested," pointed out Neris logically.

"I am aware of that." The Doctor looked down at Rose again. "But I still need to be with her right now. It's how you feel when you almost lose someone you care about. You need to be close to them, to reassure yourself and them."

"As you wish, Doctor. I only offered because of your previous interest in experiencing tetrachromacy."

"And I'm still interested, Neris, but right now, Rose is my priority."

"I understand. I will leave you now."

The Doctor felt Neris wink out of his consciousness and then it was just Rose and him again. He moved down so that their head now shared the same pillow, turning to face her. He put a hand on her heart and didn't like how erratic it felt. She was still battling the effects of the poison. The Doctor hadn't expected it to take quite this long. Rose should have improved more quickly than this. "I'm here, Rose," he said softly. "You said you'd never leave me." The Doctor cupped her face, thumb scraping gently across her cheekbone. "Keep your promise," he implored her quietly.

Rose's eyes fluttered open and she attempted to focus on him. "Artichoke," she mumbled before promptly falling back asleep.

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he agreed with her quietly, letting her snuggle in closer to him and feeling the reassurance of her warmth while he offered her the same. "Artichoke indeed." He kissed her forehead gently, and willed the poison to leave her system more quickly so they could both find some relief.