They ended up staying for several days until the Doctor had found a concoction of different drugs that would help the patients and Ibn Sina would be able to take over the care for them. They returned to the TARDIS chattering gleefully about their latest good deed. After they had eaten a ridiculously good meal somewhere in the Altomiran galaxy Rose was knackered. The near constant care that she had kept up for the patients over the last days and the atmosphere on the Altomiran planet, that according to the Doctor, shouldn't be enjoyed by humans over a long period of time made her drop onto her bed and fall asleep like a stone.

This blissful state, however didn't last all that long. Sweating and shivering she woke up tangled in her damp sheets. Deciding that the fight for some rest was lost after three attempts at counting sheep, reading a book until she would fall asleep or even just ignore the fact that she wasn't feeling all that well, she got up to get herself a glass of water and see whether could just watch TV in the den without the Doctor noticing. He always got extremely worried when she ghosted around the TARDIS when she was supposed to be sleeping. He would hover over her and try to get her to talk about worries or nightmares. She always got annoyed whenever this happened and would shake him off rather rudely. He usually came back five minutes later, seemingly undeterred by her behaviour, and offered her sleeping pills. When she refused he'd heave a sigh and tell her firmly: "If this keeps we on happening we are going to talk and you'll go for a check-up in the infirmary!"

At the end of the corridor a door was ajar and light was pouring out onto the wooden floor boards that could be found in the more domestic areas of the TARDIS. The Doctor was probably reading up on something or fiddling with the sonic screwdriver. She sneaked down to the den as noiselessly as she could and opened the heavy wooden door. Once it had shut behind her she plonked down on the couch and turned on the cinema sized TV. The TARDIS seemed to have decided that a nineties sitcom would be something worth watching and she wouldn't complain. Not even ten minutes later Rose was out cold, sprawled out like a starfish.

It was only when loud laughter from the TV woke her, that she noticed her shivering. It was really no wonder considering that she hadn't even an afghan draped over herself. Slowly crawling back to her room and into her still warm bed, Rose mentally prepared for the next morning when an enthusiastic Doctor would bounce into her room to wake her up to for the next big adventure.

The next morning Rose was pleasantly surprised that she woke up on her own and was allowed to shower as long as she wanted. After putting on some comfortable clothes and applying her usual make-up she shuffled down to the galley to have a cup of tea. Another surprise awaited her when she saw the Doctor sitting at the table with two steaming cuppas in front of him. He shoved one towards her wordlessly and waited for her to take a few sip so he wouldn't get a mouthful for rambling early in the morning. Rose really wasn't a morning person.

"I have been doing some reading last night…" he started hesitant ly.

"Really? On what? Something about our next destination? You know you've promised to take me to learn skiing!"

"Well, um actually no it wasn't any sort of travel guide, mind you, actually it was very far from pleasant holidays and beaches and stuff, one wou-"

"Doctor, you're rambling, get to the point", Rose reminded him good-naturedly.

"This might seem weird but the book was about medicine, particularly infectious diseases. So, you know you've been travelling with me for quite some time now and we were always pretty lucky but I thought about how we would be prepared if something serious happened…and well, the point is: I have never given you a good once-over nor do I have your medical history, allergies or something like that."

By now Rose wasn't all that happy about her lie in anymore. "Doctor, I'm fine, really. I haven't even sneezed or anything in the last couple of days."

"Rose, I know that a medical exam isn't on top of the "I'm going to have fun today list" for anyone but I'd feel a lot better if you'd let me check you out properly, not just with the sonic. I've got equipment in the infirmary and you know you can trust me, do you?"

"Yes, sure I do, but…", she started to protest. "Rose, this really is necessary", he replied firmly to her unfinished question.

"Please…come with me?", his eyes had gone soft again and she could see the concern in them. When he offered her his hand, she took it without hesitation.

The Doctor lead her down the corridor until they reached a plain metallic-looking door that was labelled with a green moon, the universal symbol for anything related to healthcare. Rose had been to the infirmary a few times. There was a longish corridor behind the door with the green moon and so far the Doctor had only ever taken her to the first room on the right which Rose knew to be a room resembling the office of her family doctor.

Now however the Doctor stopped her when she went to open this door and instead put his hand on her shoulder and steered her to a room further down on the left side of the corridor. He opened the door and stepped inside without hesitation while Rose stopped on the threshold nervously to take in the scene in front of her.

The room was dominated by a narrow hospital bed in the centre. The space around it was packed with several machines but Rose could only make out a few of them. For one she saw a ventilator as well as the obligatory monitor showing the patient's blood pressure, pulse and oxygen levels. Above the bed hung an intimidating looking adjustable light the she thought you usually only found in an operating room.

The Doctor had already started to busy himself on the counters that lined the walls and pulled out an instrument tray. It was only then that he noticed Rose had barely stepped into the room. One look told him why she hesitated.

"There's no need to be scared Rose. It's just equipment…you know: Better safe than sorry," he tried to reassure her. "I know what I'm doing and I'll talk you through everything I'm doing if you want me to."

Even though her reluctance hadn't dissolved entirely she made a first step into the room and let the Doctor help her onto the bed. " S' is true, I'm just being stupid but I've never been very keen on going to the doctor's"

"And here you are living with one," he replied cheekily before turning away with a wink. Rose tried to busy herself with the sheets on the bed to hide her nerves and shut out the sound of metallic clanking every time the Doctor set something on the tray. During her time at the estate Rose had had to make several visits to A&E for more or less minor things and the memory of the injuries and the often very harsh treatment by stressed doctors didn't help with her confidence.

After a few minutes the Doctor set down his tray in a trolley next to the bed. "So, first things first. I'd like to check your vitals if that's alright with you."

"That doesn't seem too bad", Rose shrugged and held out her arm for him to take her blood pressure since he already had the cuff in hand. "How about I hook you up to this" he pointed at a machine by her bed side. "That's easier, faster and I can monitor them over some time and see whether there are any abnormalities", he explained calmly. "If you think that's best", Rose agreed.

After that she hoped she hadn't agreed. The Doctor proceeded to connect her to cable after cable and Rose started to think he was wiring her into the TARDIS. The joke lightened her mood while the Doctor peered down her throat with a pen light and listened to her lungs with his stethoscope. When the tests didn't seem to come to an end she got more and more annoyed though. She squinted and tried to turn her head away when he stared into her eyes with the ophthalmoscope which in turn annoyed him. "Please, just sit still for a second for me," he asked, his voice strained. "We've been in here for two hours already!"

"Yes, and you said you haven't been to the doctor's for a check-up for at least five years! It does take time to be thorough!"

"Well, I didn't ask for that!" Rose's voice got louder and louder.

"Please, I already told you it is necessary so bear with me," He told her firmly, his patience coming to an end. She didn't look at him nor did any cheeky reply come to her over her lips, he'd gone too far.

"Please, Rose I'm just worried about you! Please look at me!" the Doctor whispered quietly and tried to lift her chin.

"I know…it's just you're making all that fuss and I don't like that, being poked and prodded and it feel just like when I was back at the estate and people cared nothing about me when they patched me up and I don't want that feeling and…" she blurted out.

She felt the thin mattress on the bed shift and then arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in their in warmth and safety. It was those moments she didn't ge enough with the Doctor.

"I didn't mean to upset you…I'm so sorry, I hope you know how much I care. You do, don't you? It's just I can't stand the thought of you being hurt and I want to prevent whatever I can." His arms wrapped a little tighter around her. "I've lost so many people, companions, friends, family…And I know you're human and I know that I can't hold on to everyone forever but however short the time is that I spend with you, I want you to be as healthy and happy as possible." He had started trembling and Rose could feel that he was engulfed by sadness and despair. "I guess that's my curse."

After a few minutes he pulled away. "Do you…do you think I could finish those tests…" he asked, still sounding a bit choked. Rose know that this wasn't just about the tests, this was about trust and him proving to himself that he wasn't someone dragging his friend into danger and trouble without a second thought.

She nodded and even managed to give him a tiny smile. It had the desired effect and the Doctor went back to his manic self in seconds. Sometimes she wondered how he did it.

"So would you just lie back for me for a second?"

This time she complied without any word of protest. In her peripheral vision she saw something glinting in the harsh light. Then he something cold and wet was rubbed onto the crook of her arm.

"Just a tiny sting"

Then she felt the needle slide into her arm nearly without any pain. When he pulled it back out she saw that he had taken six vials of blood.

She started to sit up but he put a firm hand on her shoulder. "You should stay lying down for a few minutes."

"Why do you need that much?" "Well, I do need to check all the usual stuff in your blood. That's what the first three are for. You know, white cells count, coagulation et cetera. And then I'd like to check out whether you need any vaccines or boosters and the last one is for replicating any blood in case you need a transfusion. " he explained calmly while he labelled the vials carefully.

"So I'm going to have to analyse you blood and look at the vitals that the monitor recorded but for now you're free to go" he told her amiably while he pulled the sticky pads from her skin and unfastened the blood pressure cuff.

Rose carefully slipped from the bed, still feeling a bit wobbly from the blood loss.

"Thank you, Doctor", she hugged him before she left the infirmary quietly.

Well that was the Doctor going over the top...or is he really that wrong about Rose needing a check-up?

Anyway I'd like to apologize to anyone who has a clue about medicine since that is just my clumsy attempt at entertaining xD

Please don't forget to R&R

Disclaimer: I know I should have done that in the first chapter but Doctor Who isn't mine and so is Ibn Sina. The plot is mine...even though sick!fic isn't anything all that new