— Chapter 5 —
Christmas at the Powell Estates
Ash and Rose are in the Tardis, still trying to understand why they've suddenly dematerialized when a hologram appears, "This is Emergency Programme One. Rose, Ash, now listen, this is important. If this message is activated, then it can only mean one thing. We must be in danger. And I mean fatal. I'm dead or about to die any second with no chance of escape."
"No!" Rose cries.
"And that's okay. Hope it's a good death. But I promised to look after you, and that's what I'm doing. The Tardis is taking you home."
"I won't let you."
"And I bet you're fussing and moaning now. Typical. But hold on and just listen a bit more. The Tardis can never return for me. Emergency Programme One means I'm facing an enemy that should never get their hands on this machine. Rose, just forget about the Tardis and go back to Jackie. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you, and glad to be rid of me!. And if you want to remember me, then you can do one thing. That's all, one thing. Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life.
Ash, the Tardis is yours now. She'll help keep you stable for as long as she can, and I bet the two of you can come up with a longer term solution. Just stay in the Tardis. Please Ash, don't leave the are people who would burn a Galaxy to get their hands on you. She can keep you safe."
"What? I don't understand."
"I know you don't understand right now, but the Old Girl will let you access all the information I've gathered now. It's going to be hard, but if anyone's going to figure it out, it'll be you, my fantastic little pickpocket. Goodbye."
"Doctor…" Ash whispers, reaching a hand towards the fading image before running to her room in tears.
—
I'm curled up in my loft, hugging Stan, trying to pretend none of this is happening when I feel that the Tardis is in pain. I run to the console room, and see Rose standing by the console, a taut chain attached to the panel that opened when Margaret was on board.
"Faster!" Rose calls out.
I can hear a car revving just outside the Tardis.
"It's not moving!" Rose says, just before the chain breaks. She kicks the console before turning to me, "You! This is all your fault."
"What?"
"You knew he was sending us home and did nothing."
I look down, "There was nothing I could have done." I whisper.
"Whatever."
"Rose I can figure this out. I just need time."
"Yeah, but you don't have time do you"
"What do you mean?"
"I know the Doctor's been working in the med bay, trying to find a way to keep you stable more permanently. And you've been getting sicker, having more headaches and nosebleeds. How much longer do you think you can go on? Besides, I have to go save him now. He's dying now!"
"But he isn't! We have as long as we need. We can figure out how to hotwire the Tardis and go back and save him even if it takes years. We can!"
"You don't understand Ash. You're just a kid. I've got to do this."
"Just don't hurt her anymore. Please" I beg, but Rose ignores me. She leaves the Tardis to talk to Mickey.
—
I can hear them talking outside the Tardis, but stay at the console. "I'm sorry." I tell the Tardis. "I don't know what to do. She's going to tear you open. And it's all my fault!"
The Tardis is always in my mind, but mostly stays in the background. Now though I can feel her pushing at me, and I know she believes this is inevitable. It has to happen. "No!"
I walk out of the Tardis, intending to try to talk Rose out of this when I see a big tow truck pull up.
"Right, you've only got this until six o'clock, so get on with it." The driver says, climbing down.
Rose, looking flabbergasted, asks, "Mum, where the hell did you get that from?" Okay, that's Rose's mom. They do look a little similar.
"Rodrigo. He owes me a favour. Never mind why, but you were right about your dad, sweetheart. He was full of mad ideas, and it's exactly what he would've done. Now, get on with it before I change my mind." She explains before throwing the keys to Mickey.
"Who are you then?" She asks, turning to me. "I'm Ash."
"She's a kid the Doctor picked up in Cardiff." Explains Rose.
"Well Ash, you can call me Jackie. I'm Rose's mum." Jackie explains walking up to stand next to me. Giving me a little side hug as we watch Rose enter the Tardis with a much larger chain.
I have to do something.
I run in and try to take the chain off but Rose grabs my shoulder, spinning me around. Seeing red, I swing wildly and somehow connect with her face.
We both just sort of stand there looking at each other, until Rose's Mum grabs me from behind, pulling me away.
"Rose! Please just stop." I try again to convince her.
She gets in my face, "This is all your fault. You saw this in Cardiff didn't you? You knew about Bad Wolf. You knew the Doctor was sending us away."
"I don't understand. There was nothing I could do."
"You could have warned us. You saw it, the message, Bad Wolf, the same words written down here and two hundred thousand years in the future. You knew this was coming back in Cardiff. You saw it. But you never said anything."
I had been struggling to get out of Jackie's hold, but this stops me. What did I see in Cardiff? Is this all really my fault? What did I see?!
"You never said!" She repeats, right before slapping me across the face.
"Rose Marion Tyler! What do you think you are doing?" Jackie yells as she pulls me out of the Tardis, away from Rose.
"Mom. I have to save him. I have to." Rose calls out before continuing to secure the chain.
Jackie lets go and turns to me, "Just wait right here okay. This will all be over soon, and then we'll go inside and have some tea, figure things out. Alright?"
I nod, watching as Rose and Jackie urge Mickey on. Looking around, I now see the words Bad Wolf graffitied everywhere I look. Did I do this?
"Keep going!"
"Put your foot down!"
"Faster!"
"Give it some more, Mickey!"
I can't keep watching this. It's all my fault. I could have stopped this. I could have tried to remember what I saw in Cardiff instead of ignoring it. I start running but haven't even gotten a block away when I can feel the Tardis is wrong! I turn down an alley and hide behind a dumpster as I hear the sound of the Tardis dematerializing.
What am I supposed to do now? I brake down sobbing.
—
The Doctor has finished creating the Delta Wave and is talking with the Dalek Emperor.
"You really want to think about this, because if I activate the signal, every living creature dies." The Doctor threatens, ready to push down the lever, activating the Delta wave.
"I am immortal."
"Do you want to put that to the test?"
"I want to see you become like me. Hail the Doctor, the Great Exterminator."
"I'll do it!"
"Then prove yourself, Doctor. What are you, coward or killer?"
"Coward. Any day." The Doctor admits, stepping back from the detonator.
"Mankind will be harvested because of your weakness. Then we will find the weapon. Turn her to our purpose. The universe will be ours."
The Doctor laughs, "You'll never find her."
"We will and you will be exterminated."
"Maybe it's time." The Doctor says, reaching out to connect to his Tardis one last time. "Protect her for me, Old Girl. Protect her." He sends, hoping the message is received.
—
It's been weeks, months maybe, since the Tardis left with Rose. I've been… surviving is probably the best word. Some days are better than others. I've given up hope that the Tardis is coming back for me. I just hope Rose saved the Doctor and that they're off having adventures and not dead on the game station.
I guess I haven't completely given up hope. I am still spending most of my time near the Powell Estates. I even see Jackie once in a while. Sometimes I think I should go to her, but she probably blames me for Rose not coming back.
I haven't found a good permanent hideout here, so I move around a lot. I've developed a new super power. Yay me. Basically, I know when I need to move on. It's like when you're watching a scary movie and the scary music comes on so you know something is about to happen. Like that except there's no music and it's not a movie, so nothing like that. Whatever.
It also makes stealing things a lot easier. I just sort of know when to grab something. As long as I trust my gut, I can steal almost anything, food, clothes, you name it. I make sure to get a new outfit every other day, so that I don't look like a kid living on the street. Got to blend in.
Cash has been harder to get. I can't look ahead or go slow-mo as easily anymore. Well, I can, but the consequences suck. Even without doing either of those I still get headaches and nosebleeds and there are days where I just feel too sick and weak to do anything.
Even on good days I sometimes have terrible nightmares. I can never remember them, which is good I guess. The worst ones are when I wake up someplace else. No idea how I got there, just a remnant of a nightmare floating in my head.
And it's getting worse. More bad days, worse bad days… I don't know how long I can keep this up. I've lost a lot of weight. I'm so tired all the time. The headache is constant now.
I can't go to the hospital. If the Doctor couldn't fix me, they certainly won't be able to. And the Doctor warned about people who might want to use me. So, it's probably for the best. I'll just fade away, and no one will be able to use me for whatever nefarious purpose they have in mind.
—
It's Christmas Eve and I find myself hanging around outside of the Powell Estate. Something is coming. Something I need to be here for, right here. I know it. Just wish I knew what I was waiting for.
Holy shit! It's the Tardis! She just materialized mid-air and is flying - if you want to call it that - down the street bouncing off cars and buildings and bins before finally skidding to a stop.
She's back! I can't believe it! But what about the Doctor and Rose? They must have survived then right? Have they come back for me?
Jackie and Mickey come running as the door opens and a man stumbles out. Why is he wearing the Doctor's clothes?
"Here we are then, London. Earth. The Solar System. We did it. Jackie. Mickey. Blimey! No, no, no, no, hold on. Wait there. I've got something to say. There was something I had to tell you, something important."
He grabs on to Mickey and Jackie's shoulders before continuing, "What was it? No, hold on, hold on. Hold on, shush, shush, shush, shush. Oh, I know! Merry Christmas!"
And now he's on the ground.
Rose steps out of the Tardis, "What happened? Is he all right?"
"I don't know, he just keeled over. But who is he? Where's the Doctor?" Mickey asks. Good question!
"That's him, right in front of you. That's the Doctor." Rose answers.
"What do you mean, that's the Doctor? Doctor who?" Jackie says, as confused as I am.
"Let's just get him inside, yeah." Rose says motioning for Mickey to help her carry him.
Rose is still wearing the same outfit as the day she left. And the not-doctor is wearing the same jumper. How long have they actually been gone? Has it even been a day for them?
The not-doctor was so excited to say Merry Christmas. He intentionally came back weeks later? Did he forget about me? Rose said the not-doctor was the Doctor. But maybe more than his body changed. Maybe he doesn't remember me. Maybe he does, but doesn't want me back.
I watch as they walk away, carrying the not-doctor to Jackie's flat. I'm doing my best to block the Tardis. She's calling me, drawing me towards her, but I can't. I let her get hurt. I don't deserve to go back. Besides, I'm pretty sure, Doctor or not-doctor, he doesn't want me anymore.
—
Ash is sitting on a roof nearby when she feels something on the air. She cocks her head, and sniffs. It's familiar, but unknown.
Doctor, asleep in Rose's old room, exhales some Regeneration Energy which escapes through an open window.
Meanwhile, Jackie and Rose are talking in the kitchen. "How can he go changing his face? Is that a different face or is he a different person?" Jackie asks.
"How should I know? Sorry. The thing is I thought I knew him, Mum. I thought me and him were... And then he goes and does this. I keep forgetting he's not human." Rose answers, struggling not to cry.
Trying to avoid thinking about her relationship with the Doctor, Rose changes the topic, "The big question is where'd you get a pair of men's pyjamas from?"
"Howard's been staying over."
"What, Howard from the market? How long's that been going on?"
"A month or so. First of all, he starts delivering to the door and I thought, that's odd. Next thing you know, it's a bag of oranges."
Rose, distracted by the television, asks, "Is that Harriet Jones?" as she leaves the kitchen.
"Oh, never mind me."
—
I decide to go hangout near the Tyler flat and find a stair case, close enough to keep an eye on the door, but far enough to not be seen.
Mickey shows up and then leaves with Rose. I debate again whether or not to try to go see the Doctor. Better to just wait and keep watching, I decide, scratching at my thumb.
Some time later I see some strange looking Santas walking down the breezeway carrying a Christmas tree. Something's not right about them. They don't feel alive. Robots?
They drop the tree off by Jackie's door, ring the bell and then leave before Jackie opens the door. She brings the tree inside and looks pleasantly surprised. They don't go very far though. I can see them watching the flat from the street.
What are they doing? I bet the tree is dangerous somehow. Should I go knock on the door? Warn Jackie? Would she even want my help?
I'm still dithering as I see Rose and Mickey come running back to the flat. I soon hear loud noises and screaming but I'm frozen. I can't help anyway. Useless.
The noises end and the not-Doctor walks out of the flat tying on a dressing gown. His expression is so… serious. Not like anything I ever saw on the Doctor. Mickey, Rose and Jackie follow close behind.
"That's them. What are they?" Mickey asks.
Not-doctor points his sonic at them like it's some kind of weapon and they back off then disappear. He's so different. Not even one sarcastic comment. Just serious and intense and scary.
Mickey laughs, "They've just gone. What kind of rubbish were they? I mean, no offense, but they're not much cop if a sonic screwdriver's going to scare them off."
"Pilot fish." not-doctor explains.
Rose, confused, asks, "What?"
"They were just pilot fish." not-doctor says, failing to actually explain.
I'm busy wondering what could be coming next, if those guys were just pilot fish, when the not-doctor doubles over in pain.
Rose, concerned, asks, "What's wrong?"
"You woke me up too soon. I'm still regenerating. I'm bursting with energy." The not-doctor replies, exhaling some kind of golden energy. It smells like what I sensed before.
"You see?" not-doctor continues, "The pilot fish could smell it a million miles away. So they eliminate the defense, that's you lot, and they carry me off. They could run their batteries on me for a couple of ow!"
"Oh, oh, oh." Jackie cries, wringing her hands.
"My head! I'm having a neuron implosion. I need…"
"What do you need?" Jackie interrupts.
"I need…"
"Say it. Tell me, tell me, tell me." She interrupts again.
"I need…"
"Painkillers?"
"I need…"
"Do you need aspirin?"
"I need…"
"Codeine? Paracetamol? Oh, I don't know, Pepto-Bismol?"
"I need…"
"Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?"
"I need…"
"Is it food? Something simple. Bowl of soup. A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?"
"I need you to shut up."
"Oh, he hasn't changed that much, has he?"
"Ahh." the Doctor cries lurching across the breezeway and falling into the opposite wall.
I freeze. The not-doctor is looking right at me now.
"Ash!? What are you doing here? Get out of here!" The Doctor says looking at me like I horrify him before clutching his head.
I run.
—
Maybe it really was all my fault. It would explain why not-doctor can't even stand to see me. I've moved up the roof. Just sitting on the edge, feet dangling, wondering how my life became… this.
Sometime later I feel a pressure in my head, something compelling me to stand. I try to fight against it, but it's really strong. Still struggling to stay seated, I see others, lots of others join me on the roof. Some seem to be in a trance and are walking towards the edge of the roof. Others are trying to stop them, unsuccessfully.
Scared that the next step is going to be a command to jump, I manage to throw myself backwards and crawl back from the edge. The spell is broken and I don't have to fight it anymore. I keep backing away, trying to understand what's happening. People are standing on all the roofs I can see. So many people.
I'm still standing on the roof, watching when a massive pressure wave knocks me to the ground. I struggle to get my bearings but then notice a huge rocky looking ship suspended over London. Well, that explains it.
I start climbing down the stairs, wanting to be back on the ground when I see Rose and Mickey carry the not-doctor towards the Tardis. Jackie is struggling with half a dozen carrier bags behind them. Jackie drops the bags to help them get the not-doctor into the Tardis, then runs back out to get the dropped bags.
And then the Tardis just disappears. She didn't dematerialize. She's just gone. Did the aliens beamed them up?
I'm sitting against a wall tossing rocks at some graffiti, when I notice the people are leaving the roof, using the stairs thankfully. I guess not-doctor got that sorted. The ship is still just hanging there though. It's not over yet.
—
The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Harriet Jones, and Alex have just been teleported off the ship and are standing at an intersection near the Powell Estate.
"Where are we?" Rose asks.
Mickey looks around, "We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!"
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." The Doctor says watching the sky.
Rose jumps on Mickey's back as the ship flies away.
"Go on, my son! Oh, yeah!","Yeah! Don't come back!", "It is defended!" they celebrate.
Harriet Jones walks over to the Doctor, "My Doctor."
"Prime Minister." he replies, hugging her.
"Absolutely the same man. Are there many more out there?" she asks.
The Doctor looks up at the sky, smiling, "Oh, not just Sycorax. Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more. You'd better get used to it." He turns his head as Jackie comes running towards them.
"Rose!"
"Mum!"
"Oh, talking of trouble." The Doctor mock complains.
"Oh, my God! You did it, Rose! Oh!" Jackie yells, finally making it to the group.
"You did it too! It was the tea. Fixed his head."
"That was all I needed, cup of tea." The Doctor explains with a smile.
"I said so." Jackie says smugly.
"Look at him." Rose laughs, pointing at the Doctor.
"Is it him, though? Is it really the Doctor? Oh, my God, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!"
"Come here, you." The Doctor calls to Jackie, grabbing everyone in a group hug.
Harriet Jones, Prime Minister, looks over at the celebrating group then turns to her aide, Alex and tells him to fire the weapon. Soon after, five green energy beams light up the sky merging together before impacting the retreating ship.
"That was murder." The Doctor states, stalking over to Harriet Jones.
"That was defense. It's adapted from alien technology. A ship that fell to Earth ten years ago."
"But they were leaving."
"You said yourself, Doctor, they'd go back to the stars and tell others about the Earth. I'm sorry, Doctor, but you're not here all the time. You come and go. It happened today. Mister Llewellyn and the Major, they were murdered. They died right in front of me while you were sleeping. In which case we have to defend ourselves."
"Britain's Golden Age."
"It comes with a price."
"I gave them the wrong warning. I should've told them to run as fast as they can, run and hide because the monsters are coming. The human race."
"Those are the people I represent. I did it on their behalf."
"Then I should have stopped you."
"What does that make you, Doctor? Another alien threat?"
"Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones, because I'm a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word."
"You're the most remarkable man I've ever met, but I don't think you're quite capable of that."
"No, you're right. Not a single word, just six."
"I don't think so."
"Six words."
"Stop it!"
"Six."
The Doctor walks over to Alex and whispers "Don't you think she looks tired" in his ear before leaving with Rose, Mickey and Jackie.
"Doctor! Doctor, what did you say? What was that? What did he say? What did you say, Doctor? Doctor! I'm sorry." Harriet Jones calls after the Doctor, concerned.
—
"So, is Ash back at the flat? She wasn't in the Tardis when I woke up." The Doctor asks Rose as they walk hand in hand.
"Umm, I don't know. She might be. She just sort of ran off." Rose answers.
The Doctor turns to Jackie. "Don't look at me. I've no idea where she's gotten off to. I tried to get her to come with me when Rose left to go save you, but she ran off. I kept looking for her, everyday. But I never saw her. Even put up some signs with my number, telling her to call me. But she never did. It's not right, a child her age being on the street alone." Jackie explains.
"Wait. She wasn't in the Tardis when you returned to the game station?" He questions Rose.
"I don't know. She was outside when I was trying to open the panel and then I don't remember." Rose answers, uncomfortable with the Doctor's intensity.
"How long has it been? How long since you left to come rescue me! How long has she been alone?" He demands.
"It was three months ago" Jackie whispers.
The Doctor runs to the Tardis, leaving them behind.
—
I'm watching the ship leave, wondering if the Tardis is still onboard when I see five energy beams converge on the ship followed by a massive explosion. Then everything is exploding around me. Burning debris is falling from the sky. Fires everywhere. I have to find cover. I jump into a dumpster and make a space for myself in the corner. Hands over my ears, I try to block out the crack of weapons firing and screams of people dying.
I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know it is silent. I need to stay in the dumpster though, it could be a trick.
The lid begins to lift so I try to curl up as small as I can. Maybe they won't notice me. But they do. And they know who I am! I can feel myself shaking as I hear an unfamiliar voice say, "Ash. I found you. You're safe. I've got you." I close my eyes and try to cower away, but I'm lifted out of the dumpster anyway and find myself tightly held in someone's arms.
I recognize this scent! I open my eyes and find myself looking at the not-doctor. "You're you?" I breathe in deeply. "Not-doctor is Doctor."
"Yep. Not-doctor is Doctor." The Doctor replies laughing. I didn't mean to say that out loud.
"Still me. Still the Doctor. New face though, what do you think?" He continues as I bury my face in his coat, crying softly, "You didn't forget about me. You came back."
"Never, Ash. Never. Of course I came for you. I'll always come for you. Everythings going to be okay now. Let's get you back to the Tardis." he says, walking towards the Tardis parked near the street.
I look around confused, "But there was a battle. I heard it. People were screaming and there were weapons firing and explosions and…"
"Ash, there was no battle, you must have been dreaming."
"I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't. It was real…" She falls silent, leaning into the doctor, breathing in his scent, eyes closing.
—
A concerned Doctor carries Ash to the med bay. Fervently hoping she wasn't having a flashback of the Time War, but scared some of her blocked memories could be of battles she witnessed. The energy beams that destroyed the Sycorax ship would have looked similar to many weapons used in the War.
Setting Ash on a bed, he's happy to see she no longer has a reaction to being in the room. He moved the surgical containment web into a completely different area, not too long after Ash had her panic attack. But he had never needed to test her reaction to the new med bay.
After helping her out of her clothes and into a clean tank top and pair of shorts. He helps her settle on the bed, covering her with a sheet. He then starts a diagnostic scan and sets an IV line. Ash is quiet and still, her mind elsewhere.
The Doctor is concerned about how skinny she has become and that he found multiple open wounds on her hands, arms and legs in various stages of healing. They look like friction burns.
He is about to ask her about them when he notices she seems to want to say something.. "What is it?" He asks, sitting down next to the bed, holding one of her hands and stroking her head.
She turns away from him, shrugging. The Doctor waits patiently, gently rubbing circles in her hair.. "You changed." she finally whispers.
"Yup. Still me though. Just a little different." He tries to reassure her.
"Are you?" She pauses. "What happened? You sent me away. I…" He lets her pull her hand away and curl up on her side, facing away from him. He rests his hand on her shoulder, considering how to explain, how much to explain.
"I sent you away from the game station because I didn't think I would survive, and I wanted you to be safe. When Rose brought the Tardis back, she destroyed all the Daleks, but the vortex inside of her was killing her. I pulled the vortex out of Rose and sent it back to Tardis to save her. But transferring the vortex like that, it was too much for my body to handle. I was dying."
"Time Lords though, we have this trick and well, here I am, same Doctor, different body. Different teeth, that's got to be the weirdest part. But I'm still me. I remember everything we ever did together. My personality usually changes some. I'm still not quite done with that bit. It'll take me a while to settle in. But it really is me."
He pauses before continuing. "After I regenerated. I didn't think. I assumed you were in the Tardis. I didn't know you were here alone. I never meant to leave you alone. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
The Doctor feels like he is missing important information. Why wasn't she on the Tardis? Why did she run from Jackie? But he doesn't want to push her right now. She needs to rest, not relive experiences that were clearly traumatic.
Ash remains silent. She's not sure if she believes him, not entirely convinced he could be the same man. But she's so tired she doesn't want to try to understand, or think, or remember.
"May I?" The Doctor asks a few minutes later. Ash doesn't resist as he rolls her back over and starts treating the abrasions he noticed earlier.
"How did you get these?" He asks, indicating the wound he is healing with the dermal regenerator.
"I get itchy." Ash replies.
"What do you mean? Bug bites? Or…"
"No, just itchy and I don't really notice I'm even scratching until it starts to hurt." Ash softly answers, clearly embarrassed.
"Right, well, easy enough to fix up." He says. "Just let me know the next time you get itchy, okay?" He asks, concerned the scratching could be a symptom of anxiety, possibly stress hives.
"Okay."
The Doctor adds nutrients, hormone stabilization compounds, and a sedative to the IV bag. "This is going to make you sleepy, but you'll feel better when you wake up." Looking down at the pyjamas he's wearing he adds, "I'm going to go find some clothes to wear. Can't walk around in another man's jim-jams forever."
"I won't be far and the Tardis will let me know if you need anything, okay." He explains, reaching out to touch her head, when Ash looks up at him, obviously not wanting to be left alone. She then looks over his clothing and almost smiles. "Yeah, Arthur Dent isn't really a good look for you."
"Oi! I'll have you know this is the height of fashion on some planets. Not any planets I've ever been to, mind you. But I'm sure there is one… " He trails off as Ash falls asleep. He covers her with a blanket, and watches her sleeping peacefully for several minutes before quietly leaving.
—
The Doctor has finished choosing an outfit, brown pinstripe suit and tie, converse, and a long brown trench coat, and is in the console room talking to Rose on the phone.
"The Tardis found her right away. She wasn't far." The Doctor explains to Rose.
"How is she?"
"She'll be alright. She's too skinny and pretty traumatized, nothing a little food and love won't cure."
"That's good. Great. Speaking of food, dinner's all ready. My Mum's wondering when you're coming."
"Rose, Ash is sleeping. I need to be here when she wakes up."
"Oh, give it here!" Jackie interrupts taking the phone from Rose.
"Doctor, you just bring Ash up here. She can sleep in Rose's bed. You'll be right there when she wakes up and then she can join us for Christmas dinner."
"I'll need to check on her, see if she's well enough to leave the med bay yet." The Doctor considers. He would like to celebrate Christmas with Rose.
Just then an alarm blares, indicating he's needed in the med bay. He drops the phone and runs.
"Doctor? What's going on? Doctor!"
He finds Ash tangled in her sheets and blanket, struggling to get free. Quickly untangling her, he picks her up and, sitting down in the next bed over, pulls her into his lap.
"Wake up Ash. It's just a dream. Just a dream." He tries, but Ash continues to struggle. "Jamie! Come on!" She cries, coughing. "We have to go. Come this way."
Ash jerks awake with one last scream. "Jamie!" then panting, lays back against the Doctor, sobbing. "I couldn't save him. I couldn't… I couldn't save either of them. All my fault. My fault. I killed them… I killed them… I killed you."
"Oh, Ash. It wasn't your fault. I promise. None of it was your fault." The doctor tries to soothe her before beginning to sing an old Gallifrayan lullaby. He feels her settle against him, still sobbing, but less frantic. She feels perfect in his arms, and he realizes he feels differently about her in this body. He's not her guardian anymore; He's a father again.