I do not own Doctor Who. It's been a long time coming and I bless you all for your patience, but here it is at last. The next chapter!

Rose shifted a little in the hard plastic chair, watching Smith fiddle at the crafts table. He hadn't enjoyed solitary confinement. He'd spent the whole time yelling things that didn't make sense, things like 'Don't trust Adam!' and 'The worm's monopolizing the heating!', along with her name a fair number of times. When she'd finally been allowed to set him loose he'd seized her in a bone crushing hug telling how glad he was that she was okay and 'not to wander off like that'. That had been two days ago and he hadn't had one of his fits since. Now the instant he started to look morose she tried to distract him, she kept him out of trouble and listened to him talk, keeping all her questions to herself. She had tried to ask him who Adam was, thinking it might be the key to unlocking his identity but he'd just given her a vacant look and said 'sounds like an idiot' and she'd dropped the subject.

Now it was crafts day and he was throwing his whole self into his project whille keeping up a conversation with Martin who sat beside him. Another harmless looney who spent his lucid moments raving about aliens and less lucid moments talking to the walls. Rose wasn't quite sure which category this conversation fell under.

"I'm tellin' ya boy, they're after out livers!" he carefully pressed a button onto his glue smeared paper. "Need um don't they? All those toxins up there," he jabbed a finger at the ceiling. "they'll have burned through their own."

Smith nodded sagely as if this made all the sense in the world.

"I've never met any aliens that were after livers before. Most of the ones I run into are after the planet I think... not always this planet though. Ooh, there are a few that are after your brains. I could introduce you, but it doesn't usually end well. For someone. Them usually I think." he gave Martin a forlorn look. "It's all a bit jumbled at the moment."

Martin grunted in sympathy and waved a hand around his head scowling.

"Damn twinkle lights are back. I don't see how you lot can just sit there with them zipping around your heads."

"Can't see them." Smith imitated Martin's hand movements. "Can't see a lot of things. Blind chickens. Vashta narada, usually, those tiny germs in the ocean, those are aliens, your liver'd be to big for them though so feel free to go swimming, houses, all they can do is talk and control bald squid men. Makes it a bit difficult to fight them off."

Martin blinked at the young man beside him, who beamed and held up his newly constructed paper fez, before plopping it onto his head and turning to beam at Rose. Rose gave him a thumbs up, fighting a grimace.

"Ya' know son. You're a bit odd."

"I was waiting for someone to say that." Smith lurched to his feet, still smiling that contagious smile. "Well, it was loving meeting you Martin. I'll be sure to be more careful who I lend my liver too, mind the twinkle lights. Come on Rose." Rose could only shake her head and follow, waving at the other orderlies.

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"I've got to Smith, my shift's up."

"No Rose, please, don't go. I promise I won't leave you at the beach, I'll just leave me there. Just me. We can stay together. Rose please! Please!"

"Smith! I'm just goin' home! Just for the weekend, I'll be back Monday, yeah? You're gonna have Taylor to look after ya'. You like him don't ya?"

Smith's expression didn't change, and his fingers tightened in her shirt.

"Please...I don't want you too."

Rose sighed, trying not to be taken in by his limpid green eyes. She brushed her fingers through his fringe of hair.

"It's only three days." Rose could have sworn she saw tears in his eyes as he dropped them to the floor, his hands going limp at his sides. "Hey, I'll be back before you know it."

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Rose groaned and buried her head further into the pillow as her mobile let out another loud trill. Finally giving up her few extra hours of sleep she snatched it from the night stand.

"'Lo'?"

"Rose? Hey it- it's Taylor. Look I'm really sorry to call you on your day off, but do you think you could come in later? Or, ya' know, now?"

"Wha'? Why?" Rose sat a litter straighter, trying to blink the lingering sleep from her eyes.

"Uhhh... one of the patient's is demanding to see you... he- he's got the dinner ladies in the freezer and he's threatening to blow up the kitchens if we don't um...release you ."

"Who would do somethin' like-" Rose closed her eyes in realization, her heart twisting a bit in her chest.

"It's that Smith bloke."

"Bloody hell... I'll be right there."