After he had inserted the IV port into Rose's hand and put the monitoring disc onto her chest the Doctor started to busy himself with the IV bag. He picked up a small syringe and showed it to Rose:

" This is the chemo therapy. I've chosen a pretty high dose since I don't want to delay any longer than we already have. The TB shouldn't have any more time to run rampant in your system. Once you have had the first course of chemo we can start to take care of the rest."

He squeezed the syringe into the saline that was flowing into her veins already and sat down in a chair by her side.

"Here we go, I guess.", Rose said, mentally steeling herself for what lay ahead. She could do this, with the Doctor by her side anything was possible, and he would take care of her no matter what. While Rose was sure he would be willing the help her with anything she still felt uncomfortable at the thought that she might be weak as a kitten soon. Sure, he had patched her up several times and, as any doctor would, he had seen her in rather scanty attire, but she'd been back on her feet within hours of the injury occurring every time. Now that her own body was betraying her, she would have to depend on him even more than she usually did on their travels.

The Doctor seemed to notice that her thoughts had begun to wander and pulled her out of her reverie.

"You know what all this white in here reminds me of? Remember when we went to Yosemite and met Muir and Roosevelt on their camping trip through the Sierras. There was so much snow on Mount Whitney, and all those ice-cold lakes. Of course, that's nothing compared to Syesquatch where they have tons of snow, or better dry ice. Makes for a very unpleasant atmosphere for most visitors when it starts so melt, but really beautiful either way."

The Doctors ramblings were always nice to listen to when they were in a perilous situation, somehow his chatter calmed her because she knew that in the back of his mind the gears were working and he was still here with her.

"Well then that's probably not as overrun by tourists as it would be when there was a different atmosphere. "

"Exactly, all the more reason I should take you there. Nice place to really experience nature. That's what they value there most. Their entire believe system is based on nature and how some plants are inhabited by spirits that can mean well or not so well to the person crossing it's way. Really fascinating and peaceful in fact."

They kept on discussing the natural wonders of Syesquatch until Rose's eyes started to droop.

The Doctor seemed to notice as her answers became shorter and shorter.

"C'mon, you're half asleep already. You shouldn't push yourself."

Rose was about to argue since she wanted to plan out a trip to all the places they could go and see on the planet, but he noticed the look on her face when she started to open her mouth.

"Shush", he put a gentle finger on her lips, "don't argue, Doctor's orders!" he said with mock stern face. "We can talk after you slept. Aaand…after I got to tuck you in."

She couldn't argue with that but gave a resigned sigh for good measure. Shouldn't get too used to her listening to his "Doctor's orders".

She lay down on the narrow bed and let him tuck the blanket around her shoulders. Rose closed her eyes and despite all that had happened today, she closed her eyes contently. She heard him walk over to the door to dim the light and the sound of the chair being pulled closer to her bed.

Rose awoke to a slight pull and sting on her hand. When she opened her eyes, she saw the Doctor leaning over her hand and drawing blood from the IV port. He had taken his jacket off some time during the night and slung the stethoscope over his neck.

As he noticed Rose looking at him bleary eyed he smiled at her.

"Don't worry," he whispered, "I'll be done in a second."

"Again?" She asked half annoyed, half confused. "What do you need it for?"

"I just want to check that the dose of the chemo is right."

When he had finished he reconnected the IV and went over to the little lab section.

Now that Rose was awake she felt quite queasy. She started to shift on the bed and tried to get into a position that would minimize the cramping in her stomach, but no matter what she tried it didn't help.

After a few minutes the queasiness developed into full blown nausea and left Rose scrambling up from the bed to find the toilet. When she felt she sharp sting of the IV tugging on her hand she let out a cry of frustration. The Doctor heard her and looked over alarmed when he saw her up and in distress.

"What's the matter?", he asked concerned and glanced at the monitor behind her that now displayed her erratic heartbeat.

"Bathroom…need to throw up", Rose managed to say through clenched lips. The Doctor hurried over to the cabinets in the middle of the room and grabbed a plastic bin that he pushed into her hands. Then he gently led her over to the bed and helped her sit down. When she started to heave and the meagre meal she'd had started to make a reappearance he held her hair and let her lean against him. When she had been just dry heaving for several minutes he took the basin. Rose concentrated on her breathing but looked up when he took her hand to peel away the tape the held the now dislodged IV port to her hand.

"I'll need to re-do this."

Slowly all the little niggling unpleasant sensations that she'd not noticed before started to come to Rose's consciousness: Headache, hot and cold shivers down her back and her still cramping stomach.

"Can't I just get the rest tomorrow. I'm really tired and this nausea won't let me sleep."

"Absolutely not. You need this, Rose. I know it's not pleasant but the leukemia is quite advanced. A lower dose would risk it progressing. I'm not willing to take that risk with you. You're too important for me to risk anything." He put a gentle kiss on her crown and hugged her.

"I know, Doctor. But one little break, maybe just an hour?"

"Please, Rose, don't make this any harder than it has to be. As your Doctor, and as any doctor, I would advise against it. I know what I'm doing." He stared into her eyes and Rose couldn't help but stare back.

"May I give the rest to you?" he said in a compelling tone and Rose found herself acquiescence without second thought.

The Doctor got up to get the IV supplies.

"Tiny pinch."

Rose felt the needle going into her vein and stroke of his thumb as he rubbed her hand comfortingly. When everything was sat back up the Doctor went over to the cabinets to look at the results from the blood test. Then he grabbed one of the pre-labelled syringes from the tray he had brought with the food tray.

"This is an anti-emetic and a very light muscle relaxant. Those two should help with the nausea and the cramping, it might make you feel a bit whoozy, but no worries, eh?"

Soon after he had given her the medication, Rose felt better nausea-wise, but with this relief came the zooned out feeling you get when you're lacking sleep.

Her body felt so tired, but the gears in her mind wouldn't stop turning. She knew the Doctor expected her to fall asleep, so she didn't protest when he started massaging her temples and an unnatural but welcome calmness seeped into her head.