"Huh…where am I?" The Doctor, huddled against a wall, leapt to his feet at the sudden break in the silence. "Doctor?"
"Hello! Nice of you to join us," he grinned at the face slowly appearing from underneath the sheets.
"Where am I?"
"My bed," the Doctor began, almost laughing out loud as Rose's eyes threatened to jump from her head. "I've been sat in that corner for the last five hours waiting for you to wake up. I was going to sit on the bed, but you look freaked out enough."
"What were you doing down there?" Rose tried to pull herself up, but flopped back onto the pillow, grimacing and surprised to find herself wearing pyjamas. "God, I feel sick…ow, my head! How'd I get here, anyway?"
"I put you there. Yeah, did the pyjamas too, before you ask." Rose blushed. "You were sick, I wanted to keep an eye on you."
Rose tried to get out of the bed, the Doctor barely catching her before she fell onto the floor. He pulled a face as she went on to be sick on the rug.
"Really, that's a two hundred year old carpet!" The laugh he gave was quickly drowned out by the somewhat weird sound of Rose crying and retching at the same time. "What are you crying about? Just a rug."
"Scared…of being sick."
"Oh." The Doctor helped Rose back into the bed, taking off his jacket and offering her the sleeve to wipe her face. He pulled the sheets back over her and sat on the edge of the bed. "Want me to get you anything? Got some pills in the med bay that'll stop you being sick."
"Please. Why am I sick, anyway?" It occurred to the Doctor then that she didn't remember. Typical Rose, he thought, while at the same time silently thanking the TARDIS for wiping it out. "Something happened?"
"Yeah."
"Something bad."
"Yeah. It's okay now though. You're safe in here." He stretched out on the bed, propping himself up with one arm and running his free hand through Rose's hair. "I'm going to go and get those pills, okay? I'll be right back." He started to move off the bed, but a hand reached out to grab aimlessly at his shirt.
"Don't go away. What if I'm sick again?"
"I'll be back in thirty seconds. Promise."
-
He arrived back in twenty, the TARDIS having moved the med bay across the corridor from his room, to find Rose looking at herself in a long mirror on the other side of the room from the bed. She looked confused, observing herself from all angles and running a hand through her hair, swaying and trying to stay upright.
"Rose! What are you doing?" The Doctor put down the pills and the glass he was carrying and guided her back to sit on the bed.
"I don't look right."
"You look fine." He regarded her dazed face for a few seconds, before adding more quietly, "You look beautiful." Rose smiled at him.
"I still don't look right," she argued, swallowing the pill the Doctor handed to her. "Did you get it out?"
It took a while for what 'it' was to register, but he nodded. So she remembered that…not so bad, considering, he thought.
"Look," the Doctor continued out loud, "you need to be in bed. You're sick and you need sleep. Come on." Without warning, he stood and hoisted her up bridal style, throwing back the sheet and replacing her in the bed, before propping himself up again on top of the sheets, watching her settle herself.
"Sorry," Rose whispered. "About the trouble, I mean."
"Don't be. Remember what I said?" he ran a hand through her hair again, smiling. "I'd do it again if I had to? Although, I'd rather not if you can help it!" Rose grinned. "Love you," he added seriously, leaning over to place a kiss on her forehead.
"Love you too. Don't go away?"
"I'm not going anywhere. Now go to sleep."
Rose shut her eyes, shifting under the sheets to rest her head by the Doctor's chest, listening to his hearts. "Doctor?" she asked, opening one eye.
"Yeah?"
"It wasn't Cassandra again, was it?"
He laughed and wrapped an arm round her. "No. Now go to sleep!"
It wasn't until he was sure she was fast asleep that the Doctor let a tear slip. So close, he thought, so close to losing her that time. He pulled Rose closer and buried his face in her hair, grinning at the very faint scent of banana shampoo. Then he closed his eyes, giving in to the exhaustion that had suddenly appeared after the last few days, and falling into a dream about Rose, bananas and Merillian chocolate.