"What happened? What happened to me? What did I do?" The Doctor didn't know what to say. Ten out of ten for determination on the TARDIS' part, he had to admit, but this was really pushing it. He was jolted back to earth by Rose's continued pleas; her now tear-filled eyes silently begging him to explain.

"Tell me, please…"

"I…I don't know how to," he began lamely, moving Rose so they sat cross-legged in front of each other.

Shall I tell her?

"Please." The Doctor looked at the floor as Rose's eyes widened, fresh images appearing in her mind. Her pulling open the console…appearing back on the satellite…

"Oh, God. No. No!" She stared up in horror as the last picture faded from her mind. "I killed him. I killed him!"

"Rose, you didn't, I'm right-" He tried to grab her arm before she ran off, but he was too slow. Rose ran from the room out of the now unlocked door, presumably in the direction of her own bedroom. She flung the door shut behind her, and the Doctor tried to follow, but received nothing except the click of the lock again as the door was fastened against him.

She needs to be on her own. I'm sorry, I didn't mean…

"It's okay. Should've listened to you."

-

The Doctor passed the next few hours doing nothing in particular; most of it was spent under the console, playing with things that really didn't need to be played with, the TARDIS patiently tolerating it. He appreciated it; by now he should have been covered in sparks at least three times.

Finally, though, he couldn't stand the waiting any longer. He carefully crawled out from beneath the console and went over to the door, silently hoping that it would be unlocked by now. It was, and he stepped through into the corridor beyond, making his way slowly towards Rose's bedroom. What he was going to say, he had no idea, but the time had definitely come for some serious explanations.

He was about halfway there when a voice filtered into his head, full of panic.

Oh, God…she's not there. The library, go to the library!

The rest of the corridor passed by in a blur as the Doctor ran towards the library. Well, one of them, and he hoped it was the right one. She was so scared…he couldn't remember fear like that since…well, it was frightening, and the closer he got, the more the heavy feeling in his chest dragged his hearts down.

Throwing open the door to the library, he barely had time to register his surroundings before he was turning over collapsed bookcases and upturned tables, searching frantically for Rose. He found her, eventually, lying under a bookcase in the darkest corner, covered in bruises.

She looked up at him, lost. "I lost it, I'm sorry, I just lost it." Rose looked around, barely able to stand up despite the grip the Doctor had on her. "What did I do?"

"You, erm…you trashed the place." He tried to smile and lighten the moment, but the effort fell flat. "Come on. Med bay for you."

He guided her slowly out of the library, not into the corridor this time, but straight into the med bay, and said a silent 'thank you' before laying her carefully onto the nearest bed. Rose was sobbing again now. He'd been an idiot, he realised; thinking that she wasn't affected by what had happened. It was only just sinking in, and finding out everything so quickly clearly hadn't helped.

"I killed him. I killed him," she repeated, shaking where she lay on the bed. "I killed him."

Rose looked straight at the Doctor, and he put down the scanner he was using to take her hands in his own. "You didn't kill anyone. I'm here. I'm alive."

"I killed him. He didn't have to die. I'm the one who should be dead, not him."

"Rose?"

She looked away from him, her face obscured. The Doctor reached over to make her face him again, and her gaze snapped back, but her eyes were blank…blank circles of yellow.

"I killed him."