Getting Rose to open her door had been easier than he'd expected. She answered the first time the Doctor knocked. Keeping his hearts in one piece as he listened to her almost frighteningly calm words was more of a challenge.
"I've been locked in, shown things that have broken my heart into more pieces than you can imagine and tried to kill myself. I'm speaking with someone else's voice. You've scared the living daylights out of me. I didn't know if you'd wake up. Is this all some big cosmic joke? Does watching me cry give you some kind of sadistic kick? Did you like watching me scream? Don't," she spat as the Doctor tried to speak, "I don't want to hear it. I'm tired. I'm going to bed now, and when I wake up, I'm going to get my things, I'm going to leave this," she held up the chain and the key that hung round her neck, "and I want you to take me home."
"Rose…"
"Go away." The Doctor could feel the hatred in her words burning him. "I'm leaving tomorrow, and I hope to God I never see you again."
The door slammed shut, and he was left alone in the corridor. He stood staring at the door for what felt like hours, listening to the faint shuffling from within as Rose changed and got into bed, before walking back to the control room in a daze.
It was three hours before he picked himself back up off the floor, wiping his eyes. Checking a small dial on the console, he saw that it was five o' clock in the TARDIS' night cycle. That gave him three hours or so – best make it two to be on the safe side – before Rose would wake up.
The Doctor set to work. There was no way he was letting her go.
Not if he could help it, anyway…