An hour later, Rose emerged from her room. She'd dressed in thick socks, leggings, jeans, boots, a long-sleeved tee, and a heavy wool jumper. She wasn't shivering any more, but she felt far from warm.
She stopped in the kitchen to make coffee. Somehow the dark, rich nature of the beverage seemed more appealing than tea. Armed with a large mug, she finally made her way to the Console Room.
"Mornin'," she greeted a little huskily.
The Doctor was crouched beside the console, but he hopped to his feet when he heard her. He'd removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves; he was doing some sort of work on the ship.
"Sleep well?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Yeah, fine."
He sniffed deeply then eyed the mug. "Coffee?"
She nodded. "Felt like a good caffeine buzz." She walked up the ramp.
He pulled off his glasses and fixed his gaze upon her. "You look tired, Rose."
"Thanks," she replied with mild affront, although she knew he was correct.
He clapped his hands lightly and said, "So, I think I know just the place for you. Very restful and relaxing. Safe, too." A shadow of regret crossed his face with the final comment.
Rose drank her coffee while he set the coordinates. She felt a tiny bit warmer as the hot liquid settled in her belly. She wasn't shaking anymore, which she supposed was good. She gripped her empty cup with one hand and a strut with the other as the ship dematerialized.
"So, where're we then?" she asked.
He appeared pleased as he answered, "Sadansi. Same solar system as Poosh but closer to the sun, so it's warmer. Matter of fact, it's too hot for human habitation during the majority of the year, but I've landed us in mid-winter, so it should be a lovely 90 degrees or so."
"How hot's it get during the summer?"
"Over 160 sometimes, about 145 on average."
"Does anything live here?"
"Oh yes. Lots of species can adapt to extreme temperatures. Come and see." He strode past her, grabbing her wrist and leading her to the door. He paused for a moment, however, to glance at her attire. "You'll be too warm in that. Leave the jumper here."
The thought of removing the snuggly garment nearly sent her into shivers again, but she complied with the knowledge that soon she'd be in the beautiful, comfortable, warm sunshine. She shrugged out of the jumper and tossed it over a railing, trying to suppress the chills threatening to shudder through her.
The Doctor had already stepped outside. He stood in the bright light with a hand shading his eyes. Rose joined him, rubbing at her arms in an attempt to warm them. Heat radiated from the dry ground, and in a few moments she dropped her hands. Warmth began curling about her legs.
"Nice," she said.
The environment was arid, with the type of plants she imagined one would see in a desert. Still, they had a certain stark beauty to them. Blue-gray cacti sprouted tiny, delicate pink and lavender blooms. Thin trees swayed in the gentle breeze, forming a lacy canopy overhead.
"It's pretty," Rose commented.
"I had a feeling you'd like it. Now, wait here just a minute." Before she could reply he'd darted back inside the ship.
She moved out of the dappled shadow provided by the trees and into the full sun. Finally the chill began fading.
Fifteen minutes later she lay in a hammock that the Doctor had hung between two trees.
He'd settled in a wicker lounge chair produced from some hidden corner of the TARDIS. He was reading, and she was supposed to be snoozing. He'd set up the hammock then helped her to recline in its soft depths. He hadn't told her to sleep, but she knew that was his intent.
She'd closed her eyes several times, but sharp flashes of metal seemed to burst behind her eyelids. Finally she settled for an arm over her eyes. Eventually the quiet and warmth lulled her into a doze.
She jolted awake when a chill shot through her. Rose sat up quickly, suddenly constricted by arms and tendrils and other strange appendages that wouldn't release her, that were holding her until they could come for her…
She writhed mightily, kicking her legs and feeling the restraints loosen. She tilted sideways, and in an instant her body dropped and thudded to the hard ground with a protesting "oof."
Then Rose became aware of two things. The first was the dusky light that shrouded the desert in deep purple shadows. The second was the fierce chill coursing through her. She saw the twisted hammock just above her head and realized that she was lying on her back.
"Rose?" The Doctor's voice was tentative. "You all right?"
She tried to answer, but her breath had deserted her. She waved a hand in his direction as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. In a few moments he was kneeling at her side.
"You fell out of the hammock?" he asked rather incredulously.
She managed to grunt out, "Yeah."
He shook his head in mild exasperation and minor amusement. But when she pressed a hand to her chest, his expression shifted to one of concern. "You aren't hurt, are you?"
"'M all right," she said. At least she could breathe normally again. But she was beginning to shake a little, and she'd rather the Doctor not see that. It had just been a silly, stupid dream.
He ran his hands over her shoulders, arms, and back quickly but efficiently then felt about her head. "Doesn't look like you damaged anything," he reported.
"No, 'course not. I just slipped—turned wrong, I think."
He helped her to her feet. Immediately she wrapped her arms about herself, trying to find some warmth. But the cool night air felt like an arctic blast, leaving her shivering in earnest.
"Are you cold?" he asked, watching her with a surprised expression.
"Feels like the temperature's dropped," she replied.
"Only by a few degrees. It's still close to 80."
She shrugged and tried to keep her teeth from chattering as she responded, "Must've got a bit chilled while I was sleepin'."
"Must've," he agreed. "Human body temperature does drop slightly during the sleep cycle…"
"I'll just go in an' grab my jumper."
"Actually, I was going to wake you soon. We should probably be off. This isn't really the most hospitable place once night falls."
She arched a curious eyebrow at him. "I thought you said it was perfectly safe."
"During the daytime it is. Nearly all the animals are nocturnal; that's how they deal with the heat. But as soon as the sun goes down completely, they become quite active." He was loosening the hammock's ropes as he spoke.
"But it's just animals, yeah? Nothin' more dangerous than what, a coyote or a snake or somethin'?"
He rolled up the hammock and tucked it under his arm. "I saw some tracks that looked like a large species of wild boar, and some others that were definitely feline—about the size of a jaguar."
They walked back to the ship at a good pace. Something slithered across their path, nearly touching Rose's foot. She jumped back, but its movements were rapid, and it had vanished into the night by the time the Doctor glanced down at the ground.
Despite his words about the insignificant change in temperature, the air felt almost frigid to Rose by the time they reached the TARDIS. She was shivering again, and she had to clench her jaw tightly to keep her teeth from chattering. She reached for her wool jumper the moment she stepped inside, slipping it on with shaking hands. She followed him up the ramp then sank down on the jump seat, hoping to catch a hint of warmth from the machinery.
The Doctor was occupied at the console for a few minutes, but when he turned to look at her he frowned. "Still cold?" he asked.
She hadn't even realized that she was rubbing at her arms. Abruptly she stopped. "Just a little," she replied. "Jumper's helping."
"It's 74 degrees in here. You shouldn't still feel chilled."
She shrugged. "Suppose it's a human thing. Sometimes when we get cold it takes a while to warm up again."
His brow furrowed with concern. "Not this long, Rose."
Unsure of what else to say, she blurted out, "Maybe I'm comin' down with something."
He pressed a hand over her forehead. "Maybe."
His skin was cool—his body temperature was a few degrees lower than hers, of course—but at the moment she felt the difference almost painfully. She nearly flinched away from his touch.
"No fever," he murmured. He tilted up her chin and peered into her eyes. "Do you feel tired?" He gave a brief shake of his head. "'Course you do. You hardly slept last night." His gaze moved over her. "Achy? Muscle stiffness? Any nausea or pain?"
When his fingers began to explore beneath her jaw line, she did jerk back. His hands were like ice.
"No, nothin' like that. 'M just cold. Probably just need a good night's sleep."
She felt that he was going to say something more, but he relented, dropping his hands to his sides. "Probably."
Rose could almost see the elephant in the room—only in this case it wasn't a pachyderm but a cold, shining, metal monster that stole the life from all it touched. She shivered again.
"Right. Off to bed with you then," he said almost dismissively.
She stood and began to move past him, but he caught her arm gently then asked almost reluctantly, "Do you want me to give you something to help you sleep?"
For one moment the tension in the air was nearly palpable. Rose looked up at the Time Lord's apprehensive face and summoned a smile.
"No thanks. I'll be fine."
"Oh, I know you will. Just wanted to offer…"
She nodded. "Yeah. 'Night, Doctor."
"Good night, Rose. Sleep well."
With an odd sense of déjà vu, Rose shuffled down the ramp and out of the room.
To be continued...