Chapter 8- Waiting Game
(Doctor POV)
"Here we go, Rose you did great, Doctor will you help me with this now. You said you needed to check him out anyway." Martha says over the crying of my son. I smile and stand glad to help releasing Rose's hand.
"Here let me see him," I say as I grab a blanket to hold him. She puts him in my arms and I can't help the face splitting grin. Martha is rushing around me with a nasal aspirator, clamp and medical scissors. I let her clear his nose and clamp and cut the umbilical cord as I hold him, "He's perfect, Rose do you want to hold him before I take him to clean him up and give him a checkup?" I ask still staring at Oliver's face when she doesn't respond I look up at her and notice she's unconscious. Holding Oliver against me and support his head with one arm, I touch Rose's arm and nudge her, "Rose," I say as I notice she's still burning up and see her skin still has a faint golden glow. The only response I get is the intake of a deep breath.
"Martha go look at Rose's scans and tell me what it says," I instruct the girl as I take Oliver over to the small plastic cot like in hospitals, I grab a warm damp cloth and clean him off then put him in a nappy and onesie. Silently I ask the TARDIS to run a scan on him as I look at his familiar ice blue eyes. His full head of brown unruly hair is sticking out everywhere as well. I pick him back up cradling him in my arms as I walk over to where Martha is standing in front of the monitor.
"What is this Doctor, I can't understand what it's telling me." I look over her shoulder at the readings on the screen which has now split off into Rose and Oliver's readings. Rose is fine according to the readings other than her temperature is too high. Oliver is perfect, except his DNA is reading 90% Gallifreyan, which makes no sense, today just seems to be a day of things not making sense though. As I watch the screen I see Rose's DNA start to shift and change. It's so slow Martha probably wouldn't be able to notice it. I look back at her and the faint golden glow is still there but she still looks the same. She's not regenerating, which is good, since she's human well mostly other than the dormant huon particles.
OH! Stupid Doctor, huon particles, the regeneration energy could have activated them, but what's it doing to her. Well it doesn't seem to be endangering her life, so we just have to wait and see. I see Martha still waiting for me to answer her and remember what she wanted to know.
"Oh, her DNA is changing, we just have to wait, but I'm going to need some help I don't know how long this is going to be. Would you stay and help me take care of Rose and Oliver?" I ask the young medical doctor standing in front of me.
"Of course Doctor, but what do you mean her DNA is changing?" she asked looking at me as if I had grown a second head.
"A few years ago now, Rose took the whole heart of the TARDIS into her, to save me from a fleet of Daleks actually. I took it out of her, or else she would have died, I regenerated because of it, but there were dormant huon particles still inside her. The regeneration energy activated them, and now it's changing her DNA." I said in a rush, my mind still trying to work out what exactly is happening to Rose. The movement in my arms reminded me I was still holding Oliver, I looked down at him his blue eyes staring into mine, he began gurgling and making noises and all I could do was smile at him. "You are perfect," I whisper and raise him up in my arms to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. I turned to Martha then.
"Stay here with Rose please, I'm going to go pick up Jack he said he wanted to meet him after he was born." I said turning and walking out of the med bay Oliver still cradled in my arms. I didn't want to put him down, ever, I was almost afraid if I did he would disappear that none of this is real. I know I'm being ridiculous but I can't help it. I reach the console room and see the TARDIS has placed a small cot next to the jump seat bolted down to the grating, thanks dear, I thought and heard a pleased hum in response which caused more happy gurgles from Oliver as he looked at the time rotor. I smiled at his almost mesmerized expression. I laid him down in the cot and walked over to the console phone to call Jack. I picked it up and punched in Jack's number it rang four times before he picked it up.
"Hello Doctor, do you miss me? You never call," the man on the other end of the line said.
"I thought you said you wanted to meet my son when he was born Jack, I was just calling to get a date and time that will work for you. I was also wondering if you would stay for a bit, something happened with Rose, I need some help until she's better." I said hating to ask Jack for help because I knew I would hear about it later.
"She had him? Oh, that's great, wait what's wrong with Rosie. Is she okay?" he asked sounding panicked.
"She'll be alright but I don't know how long it will take for her to recover. Can you help me Jack?"
"Yeah, but can I bring Ianto with me? He's great with kids," he said sounding like a teenager asking if there new boyfriend could come over.
"I knew there was something going on with you two. Alright date and time I'll land right outside Torchwood." I smiled.
I hung up after Jack gave me the date and time saying where he was at now was good he just had to call Gwen and tell her what was going on. I began inputting the coordinates, trying to fly her as steadily as possible. I pull the materialization lever and she lands with a light thud, it's obvious she's behaving so she doesn't jostle Oliver in his cot.
There's a knock at the door as I pick up Oliver from the cot and turn towards the door as it opens and Jacks head pops in. I smile at the man. He opens the door all the way and the awkward young man follows him inside his eyes wide with wonder. I just smile, "go ahead say it, everyone does."
"Your ship is larger on the inside than it is on the outside," he says looking at me with his eyes still wide. Jack sets down a small overnight bag and walks over to me.
"Hey Doc, so this is your little one, wow he has your last body's eyes," he said raising an eyebrow at me suggestively.
"Yes he does, that happens sometimes, a child having characteristics of the previous regeneration."
"Can I hold him Doc?" he asked smiling widely. Reluctantly I nodded and carefully held him out to Jack, "Come to Uncle Jack little guy, what's his name Doc?" He said taking him into his arms and smiling down at him.
"It's Oliver," I told him smiling at Ianto who was slowly coming up towards the console behind Jack and looking down at Oliver in Jack's arms.
"Where's Rosie at?" he asked looking back at me. I held my arms out taking Oliver back as he began to sleep.
"She's in the med bay, grab your bag, you can show Ianto your room after you see her, I'm sure the TARDIS put it back when she knew you were coming." I said walking back down the corridor.
When we got to the med bay Martha stood from her spot next to Rose and smiled at Jack and Ianto as they entered behind me, "hey guys how have you been," she beamed walking up to Jack he opened his arms for a hug and she stopped, "you may not want to do that, I'm covered in Amniotic fluid and the like. Oh Doctor, he'll need to be fed soon, what are you gonna do about that?" She asked turning to me. I hadn't thought about that.
"Well, he can't have formula, it's not enough for him," I turned and saw something on the counter. It was a breast pump, oh my ship always looking out for me knowing what I need, although this will be extremely weird. "Well Martha, why don't you go get a shower and get some normal clothes, and Jack take Ianto to your room and get settled in, then show him around, you know library, media room, swimming pool." I shut myself up because I know I'm starting to babble. They all give me an odd look but comply.
Once they're gone I walk over and put Oliver in the plastic medical cot and roll it over by Rose's bed. I go to the counter and look at the pump trying to see how it works. I soon figure it out and pick up the small machine turning to face my wife. Oh this is so strange. I unbutton the top part of the flannel nightgown I had put her in just hours ago and moved it aside to put the pump onto one of her breasts. I turned it on and it began collecting milk in a small bottle. I turned and found more small bottles along with nipples and storage tops for them. I looked back at Oliver who was still sleeping wondering how soon he would wake wanting food. Once the small bottle was full I turned off the pump and put a storage cap on it, then put another bottle onto the machine and switched the pump to her other breast. Oh this is so weird and I really hope none of the others ask me what I did, I really had no other choice. Once this bottle is filled I cap it and put it with the other on the counter. I re-button Rose's nightgown and kiss her forehead then go to the monitor to check how she's doing. Her DNA is still shifting, it almost looks sort of Gallifreyan now, but not really. If she doesn't wake up within a few more hours we're going to have to put a feeding tube in. I hear Oliver begin to stir and know he is probably starting to get hungry. I grab one of the bottles and switch out the storage cap for one of the nipples and walk over to the small cot to pick up Oliver.
I sit down with him on the stool next to Rose's bed and put the bottle to his lips. At first he tries to turn away but then he takes it. "Thank you, I know you would prefer it from mom, and it sort of is but this is the best we've got for right now," I say to him as I watch him look at me and he pulls his eyebrows together in a familiar gesture. I wait for him to finish and watch Rose's sleeping form, her skin has finally stopped glowing she looks like she's in pain though. Oliver pushes the bottle out of his mouth then, some milk dribbling down his cheeks as he turns his head away from it. I right the bottle then set it down on a rolling tray. I see a burp cloth on there and grab it to burp him. After I set him down in the cot to take the bottles to the kitchen. I put the storage cap back on the bottle I used and headed out towards the kitchen, knowing the TARDIS will tell me if I need to hurry back to the med bay.
Once in the kitchen I place the bottles in the fridge to keep them good and get out a mug and tea bag to make myself a cuppa noticing the TARDIS already put the kettle on. It whistles, signaling it's done and I prepare my tea grabbing the mug and heading back to the med bay. I walk in to see the TARDIS has replaced the stools with a few arm chairs and one is taken by Martha holding Oliver in her arms smiling at him. She looks up as I enter and keeps smiling. I set my tea down on a tray taking a seat in the chair next to hers, closest to Rose's bed. I notice she's changed out of the scrubs and is now wearing a plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans.
"He's very cute," she says looking back at him now. I smile and nod even though she's not looking at me. "How is Rose doing?" she asks looking back to me then.
"Good, she's stable her temperature is starting to go down, but her DNA is still shifting, we'll just have to wait and see." I tell her looking back at Rose, my Rose, the mother of my son. "If she doesn't wake up within the next six hours, we're going to have to put a feeding tube in," I turn back to her and see her expression has fallen.
"You think she'll be out that long?" I glance back at Rose for a moment before answering.
"I really don't know, we should probably hook her up to some monitoring equipment though," I hear someone clearing their throat in the entry way and look up to see Ianto standing there looking nervous.
"I'm making Jack and I some coffee, I was wondering if anyone else would like some." He said looking at both of us but not quite meeting our eyes.
"I would love some actually, I'll come with you," Martha said standing and putting Oliver down in the cot. Ianto looked at me then for an answer.
"Oh, I'm fine thanks, I just made myself some tea, I would ask if you know where the kitchen is, but Martha's going with you and she knows," I cut myself off realizing I'm beginning to babble.
"Alright then," with that he turned and left the room, Martha following behind him. I stood and picked up Oliver leaving the med bay and heading toward his room. He was asleep now and didn't even stir as I carried him down the hall way. I entered his room the lights already on and I saw what I came in here for a swaddling blanket sat laid out on the changing table. I gently placed him on top of it and swaddled the blanket around him. Picking him back up, I walked over to the rocker in the corner and sat down. I looked around the room finally letting it all sink in, I have a child now, someone in the universe I need to protect. He's here, no longer safe inside of Rose. I just smile, because I know I will do anything to protect my little boy. Nothing in the universe will ever be able to harm him. I'm brought back to reality by the sound of someone entering the room. I look up to see Jack looking around the room, he saw me and smiled.
"Hey Doc, did you get him fed?" He asked looking at the bundle in my arms. I stood and put him in the crib then turned back to Jack.
"Yeah I did," I could feel myself blushing from the lengths I went to in order to feed him. Jack just furrows his brow as if he's trying to figure it out then shrugs.
"Come on Doc, come get something to eat. You've got the ultimate baby monitor a sentient ship, let him sleep and we can eat then check on Rosie." He clapped me on the shoulder and began leading me towards the door.
"Okay," I conceded, "one sec," when we reached the door I flicked the light switch and the projection of the stars I set up whirred to life.
"Oh now that is cool," Jack murmured, I just smiled and we walked into the corridor.
24 hours later-
We had to put in a feeding tube for Rose, although now her DNA has stopped changing. She was still unconscious though, I had been sitting in the library trying to relax and assure myself I didn't need to hover around either Rose or Oliver when the TARDIS was suddenly alerting me to something. I got up from my arm chair and walked into the corridor. I poked my head into Oliver's room and saw Martha, Jack and Ianto all looking at him in his crib. Figuring that was not what she was alerting me to I walked to the med bay to find Rose still asleep but beginning to move and stir. My heart soared at the sight and I took a seat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her hand. Her eyes began to flutter and slowly opened.
"Doctor," she mumbled sleepily, then her eyes flew open and she shot upright, "where's Oliver." I chuckled at her reaction. Then put my hand on her shoulder to sooth her and kissed her head.
"He's fine love, Martha, Jack and Ianto and keeping an eye on him right now." I said and she relaxed, then perked up.
"Jack's here? Wait, how long have I been out for? What happened?" she asked looking confused.
"Yes Jack is here, you've been unconscious for over 24 hours now. The regeneration energy, it started to change you DNA. It's not Gallifreyan and it's not human, you're something new, something unique. From what I can tell you have more brain capacity, more telepathic abilities, the ability to regenerate without changing your looks, your projected lifespan is much longer, you're a bit stronger and you might be able to learn and understand Gallifreyan. But you're not time lord, you still only have one heart and your DNA is different," I finished looking at her face for her reaction.
"So how did this happen," she said her brows pinching together in confusion.
"You did it, wellll not you, you, but Bad Wolf I'm guessing she set it up. You could see everything when you were Bad Wolf. Oh and you seem to be more connected to the TARDIS now as well."
"Okay, can I see Oliver now, actually first can I change out of this nightgown and put on some sweat pants." She said looking at me.
"Of course, just be careful love." I told her getting up off the edge of the bed.
"Wait, if I've been out for 24 hours, how'd you feed 'im, I know you said he can't have formula." I can feel my whole face turn red and I reach up and tug on my ear lobe. I can see understanding in her eyes and then she laughs, actually laughs at me. "I'm sorry Doctor," she says through fits of giggles. "'s just your face is so red, and the look on your face is like a deer caught in headlights. I don't know why, I mean I would have been doing that anyway for when we leave the TARDIS."
"Well, it's just weird, I felt like a creep having to do that to you while you were unconscious. I'm glad you're awake though or else I would have had to do it again soon, both bottles are empty. You'll need to feed him when you see him." With that I put my arm around her shoulders and led her out of the med bay.
A/N: Well there is what happened to Rose. 2 chapters in less that 24 hours though, again. YAY! Anyway as always review, follow, favorite.
