AN: So this chapter was originally going to be very long, but I think I found a good stopping point. Reviews are always aprreciated, just so you know, and thanks again to the reviewer I already have!

"The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it..."
― Nicholas Sparks

With some extreme effort on her part, she was finally able to get the Doctor the rest of the way to the TARDIS without having to drag him through the sand. She was able to lift his torso off the ground so only his feet drug in the sand. When she finally got him to the TARDIS, she despaired at how she was going to get him up the ramp. She was so damn worried and scared; she didn't want to let him down. Plus, he had to be in pain. She caught a glimpse of his injured arm, and saw that black lines – like veins – were spreading out from the bite.

"Shit," she swore.

Her determination to get him up the ramp was renewed, and she got it done. The TARDIS buzzed in her mind, and she saw a door appear to her left. She mentally thanked the TARDIS a million times as she pulled him into the sickbay and managed to get him up on the hospital bed. Once he was there, she realized that she had absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do. She didn't know where anything was, and most of this technology was so alien to her.

Without warning, her mind was filled with what sounded like whispering, and she herself almost passed out from the intensity. She was panting by the time the whisper became bearable. She was finally able to focus on what it was saying.

Mauve…

Mauve? What the hell did that mean? She looked around the sickbay and finally saw something mauve, standing out like a sore thumb against all the white in the room. She ran to the cabinet and opened it so fast some of the bottles inside fell out. She bent to pick them up, but the TARDIS hummed loudly. She stood back up and faced the cabinet.

"Okay, girl. Which is it, then?" she asked. She let her hand hover over the top shelf. "Is it this shelf?" she asked. The whispering began again, confirming that was the correct shelf. Then the whisper started saying Red…

There was only one red bottle on that shelf, thank goodness. She grabbed it and went over to the Doctor. "Okay, where do I put this? Does he ingest it, or is it topical… uh… hum once for mouth, twice for arm." The TARDIS hummed twice. "Thanks. Hum again when I need to stop pouring."

She started pouring the medicine all around the bite, and the bottle was halfway emptied when the TARDIS hummed sharply in her mind. She stopped pouring and went to look for dressing to put on it. One of the cabinet doors behind her flew open, and she went to it. Inside was the gauze and wrapping she needed, so she grabbed it and began dressing the wound. Once it was all wrapped, the mauve cabinet opened again.

She walked to the cabinet and looked inside. "Okay, what now?" she asked. The whispering filled her mind once more. Silver bottle… it said. She saw two. "Which one?" she asked. Circle…

She took the circular bottle with the language of the Timelords on the outside. It didn't translate, so she didn't really know what it was. The whisper told her to have him swallow three drops of the liquid inside, so she sat him up a bit and tilted his head back. She dropped three drops exactly into his mouth and then made sure he swallowed it.

"Okay, now what?" she asked. The TARDIS didn't answer. "Hello? Is that all I needed to do?" she asked. There was a hum, followed by a whisper that said thank you, good job. Rose smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "So he'll be okay then?" she asked. The TARDIS gave a happy sounding hum, and Rose let her shoulders sag in relief.

She cleaned up all the medical supplies – putting them back in their correct cabinets – and found a chair to sit next to the Doctor's bed. There's no way she could leave right now… or so she thought. The Doctor was still soaked from swimming – and so was she, but she wasn't too worried about that right now. His shirt and the rest of their things were still on the beach outside. She needed to go get them before someone took them, but she couldn't just leave him.

"Will he be out for long?" she asked. The TARDIS hummed to say yes, and she sighed. "I need to get his coat and shirt…" The TARDIS gave her a mental nudge. "I'll be right back."

Rose ran outside to gather the Doctor's coat from underneath the tree they napped underneath, and she left to find his shirt and her sarong. It took longer than it should have. They had been moved around and stepped on, and she spent longer than she wanted looking for them. When she finally found them, she rushed back to the TARDIS, avoiding anyone who wanted to talk. She hated to seem rude, but the Doctor needed her more.

She didn't go straight to the sickbay when she got inside. She went to his room and got him some pajamas, and a towel to dry him off, as well as blankets. When she got back to the sickbay, she expected him to be stirring, but he hadn't moved a muscle. She got to work drying him off, trying her best not to look at certain places, because she was sure he wouldn't appreciate her seeing him naked. After he was completely dry and dressed in his pajamas, she covered him up with blankets and tucked him in.

She sat in the hardback chair next to his bed and held his hand. She was exhausted. How was it that – no matter what – their most beautiful and most fun trips always manage to turn deadly? She didn't understand, and it wasn't fair. She looked at his arm again. The black veins that had been snaking up his arm had disappeared, and she could barely see them when she lifted the bandage. She let her head rest on the edge of the bed as a few tears escaped her eyes. The Doctor was right when he said she wasn't okay. She still missed her mother, and now she had almost lost the Doctor.

The last thing the Doctor remembered before passing out was searing pain in his arm and the feeling of his chest beginning to constrict. The venom was burning through his body. Once he woke, he was disoriented. His insides weren't burning anymore – which was good – but he felt exhausted. He wondered how long he'd been unconscious, and how he got inside the TARDIS when he had passed out on the beach.

He tried to sit up, but he was wrapped up like a burrito in a cocoon of blankets. His injured arm was out of the blanket, and he felt a comfortable weight in his hand. He looked down to see Rose resting her head on him, and holding his hand. He smiled and did his best to wriggle loose from the burrito-like blankets, digging in his pockets for the sonic. He couldn't find it, and realized he was wearing pajamas. So she had changed him, then. Well, she had done it once before after he had regenerated. Still, it didn't stop the tips of his ears from reddening.

He looked at his bandaged arm. It felt much, much better. He could move it without feeling too much pain. It just felt like a normal animal bite now – sore, but not burning. But, hang on… how did she know what to give him? He needed a very specific anti-venom to make the venom stop spreading. He would have taken medicine that he still had from Gallifrey to speed up the process and help rejuvenate himself. He focused on his taste buds; she had given him the drops. How could she possibly know how to give him the right medication?

He craved answers, but he didn't want to wake her. She looked exhausted, even in sleep. He was also famished and parched – almost dying really takes a toll. He carefully tried to slip out of bed, and he was mostly successful. She stirred slightly, but her head rested back onto the bed and she didn't wake. He walked to the kitchen and started making tea. He felt… woozy. He didn't like it. Some tea and a nice banana; that's what he needed. As he ate, he kept thinking about how she got him in the TARDIS and fixed him up. This is what he was thinking on when she found him.

When Rose woke, she berated herself for falling asleep in the first place. Then she realized that the Doctor wasn't there, and she immediately began looking for him. She found him in the kitchen, munching on a banana and sipping his tea. His expression was vacant, though, like he was thinking about something intently. She smiled when she saw him, awake and eating and so alive. She moved to the island and sat in front of him. He didn't seem to see her, so she waved her hand in front of his face.

"Hello in there…" she said.

That seemed to shake him out of his thoughts, and he smiled at her. "Hello sleeping beauty," he said.

She smiled at him. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better," she said. "You had me worried there for a second."

"Just a second?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "More like a day," she admitted. "That's how long you've been out… I think."

"I apologize for worrying you," he said sincerely.

She smiled at him and shook her head. She wasn't upset with him; it wasn't his fault he got bitten by some sort of poison sea animal. She held out her hand. "How's your arm?" she asked.

"Oh, it's fine now," he said. She took his hand anyway, turning his arm, making sure that all of the blackness was gone and he could move it without too much difficulty. "Really, it's fine. Thank you."

She smiled. "I'm glad it's better. And you call me jeopardy friendly," she teased.

"Oi! How is it my fault that I got bitten?" he asked incredulously. She laughed and he smiled at her, but it only lasted a few moments before his expression turned serious again. "Still, something isn't right."

"What? I thought that medicine was supposed to help get rid of the venom," she said, reaching for his arm again.

He shook his head. "No, it's anti-venom. It counteracts the venom, but that's not what I meant," he said. She was confused; what did he mean something wasn't right? He wasn't making any sense. She gave him a look that said to continue, and he did. "The sickbay has tons of medicine in it – not all of it from Earth, either. How did you know what medicine to use?" he asked.

That question caught her off guard. Why was that confusing? The TARDIS told her; you'd think he'd be able to work that out himself. After all, the TARDIS apparently speaks to him all the time. He was looking at her expectantly. "Well," she began, "at first I didn't. I was just focused on getting you to the sickbay without having to drag you – you're not easy to pick up, by the way. Once you were there and in the bed, the TARDIS started telling me which medicine you needed. Then, I put the anti-venom on the bite and wrapped it up, just like she said. Then there was this round, silver bottle and she said you'd need three drops from that, and… why are you staring at me like that?"

He had stopped sipping his tea, and his banana was all but forgotten. He was looking at her with a very worried expression, eyes wider than he'd ever seen them. "What do you mean the TARDIS told you?" he asked.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Exactly as I said; the TARDIS told me. At first it was like the hums that she makes, y'know? Only it was closer… like it was in my head. I wasn't thinking much of it, but then there were these whispers. It wasn't like, full sentences, only a few words here and there. It was inside my head too, and you're still staring at me. What is going on?"

He was out of his chair in an instant, and pulling her back through the TARDIS with him. "We need to get back to the sickbay," he said.

Her heartrate was racing. Had she gotten the TARDIS' message wrong and used the wrong medicine? Oh gosh, did she make things worse? He looked fine again – even if his grip on her hand was still a little weak from lack of rest – but his worried expression scared her.

The Doctor pulled Rose down the corridor behind him. His ship had moved the sickbay back to where she had it before. Rose shouldn't be able to communicate with the TARDIS like that. The TARDIS should have known better than sending her telepathic messages. Rose's brain could be frying slowly right now because of that. The TARDIS gave an angry hiss in his head. He sighed; she would never purposefully harm Rose. Still, he should check Rose to make sure she was okay.

The TARDIS gave the equivalent of an eye roll, and he did the same. When they got to the sickbay, he told Rose to go sit on the bed and she did. She looked confused, which was probably a safe assumption. He hadn't exactly explained what was going on – of course, there wasn't time. He needed to make sure her mind was still okay.

"Okay," he said, grabbing the ophthalmoscope he'd modified a few regenerations ago. He walked over to look in her eyes with it, but she put her hand up.

"Doctor, tell me what's going on," she said.

He sighed. Why couldn't she just let him check her eyes? He didn't want to frighten her more than she already was. "The TARDIS shouldn't be able to communicate with you – not like that," he explained.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because you're human; you're not telepathic. I mean, in the future you lot try telepathy. Your brains evolve more and more over the centuries, but you never truly get the hang of it. It's not your fault, it's…"

"Doctor!" she said. "You are rambling again. Am I in danger?"

"That's what I need to check and see. You seem to be functioning properly – no slurred speech or visual impairments?" he asked. She shook her head. "Okay, hearing normal?" She nodded. He was looking in her eyes with the instrument, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He knew he was muttering to himself – in multiple languages probably – and she was doing her best to look brave. He knew better; she was extremely quiet and still the whole time. Rose wasn't usually loud, but she could get fidgety when she had to stay still for a long while. She was either scared stiff or thinking about something really hard – he assumed the former.

"What I don't understand is why you have to use that thing," she said as he walked to the table to find a different instrument. He shot her a confused look as she pulled a blanket up around her shoulders. She was still in her swimsuit, so she must've been freezing. When he asked her what she meant, she said; "Well you're telepathic right? Why can't you just look in my head and make sure it's okay?"

He had returned to stand in front of her, holding his modified stethoscope that could also measure brainwave activity, but he almost dropped it at her question. Yes, the thought had crossed his own mind, but it took her months to be okay with the TARDIS being in her mind and translating. "You don't like things messing in your head," he explained.

She shrugged. "Well, no I don't, but… I know you wouldn't do anything bad. You'd just have a look around, make sure things are in order, and leave," she said. He furrowed his eyebrows, which must have sent the wrong message. "Unless, you don't want to. That's fine, I just thought it would be easier… I didn't mean…"

"Rose, it's okay," he said. A small smile had made its way onto his face. "I know what you meant. It had crossed my mind, but I wasn't going to mention it since I knew it'd make you uncomfortable. But, if you'd like to get this over with quickly…"

She nodded. "I do," she said.

"And if you're absolutely certain…"

"I am," she said with a smile. "I trust you, Doctor."

That made him genuinely happy – happier than he could put into words – to know that she trusted him. Rose wasn't cold and detached, but she didn't trust easily. She was kind and warm to everyone, but during their travels, she had seemed to learn that not everyone was as kind as she was; not everyone wanted to be good.

"Okay," he said. "Well, since you haven't had anyone in your head before, I'll give you a few pointers." His hands were already cupping her face, but he hadn't entered her mind yet. "If there's anything you don't want me to see, just imagine that there's a door or some sort of barrier. If you want it blocked, just block it. I won't look – I promise."

She nodded. "Okay," she said. He could tell she was nervous, but also kind of excited. It would be a new experience for her.

He gently moved his fingers to her temples – her eyes closed – and he said; "Alright. I'm going to enter your mind now. It might feel a little… weird, but try not to force me out, okay?"

She nodded slightly and said; "Okay."

He closed his own eyes and eased himself into her mind. He felt her tense for only a moment, before she relaxed again and her mind opened up before him. Most humans' minds were laid out like hallways, with doors that would contain memories, only to be accessed when opened. Rose's mind was a little different. Her mind was more like the TARDIS without the time rotor in the middle.

There were marble pillars where the coral would be, and it had a haze of dark magenta and gold. He could sense the sadness that had once been so consuming, but was quickly dwindling. What really struck him was how open it was. It wasn't empty by any stretch of the imagination – whatever Rose seemed to think, she wasn't just a simple human. She was smarter than she gave herself credit for. It wasn't cluttered; rather, all the memories and information seemed to be organized neatly behind clear glass doors. She wasn't hiding anything from him.

The only door he couldn't see through was the one in the back of her mind – the one he had personally put there – to contain her memory of Bad Wolf. Even now he could hear a howling from behind it, and scratching at the door. The memory wanted to come out and play. He ignored it; he shouldn't be wasting time.

"Okay Rose," he began. "Can you hear me?"

Yes…

"Alright, I want you to think back to when you brought me into the TARDIS. It should bring the memory to the forefront of your mind, okay?" he asked.

Okay…

He felt her mind working to remember, and he saw her memory from the moment he passed out on the sand. He saw through her eyes when she tried dragging him into the TARDIS. For the briefest of moments she thought it hopeless, but then she shook it off and tried her best to get him back into the TARDIS. He watched as she got him onto the hospital bed and felt her fear as she realized she didn't know what to do. Finally, he heard it; the TARDIS was humming and whispering in her mind.

At first it was loud – headache inducing, almost crippling – because the TARDIS was worried. She didn't regulate her volume. After a moment, it got softer, and he could hear what she was telling Rose. Still, Rose's mind didn't crumble. It stayed as it was – organized, neat, and light. As a human, her mind should be falling down around him by now, especially after how the TARDIS shouted when she first entered.

The doctor left her mind as gently as he entered, but she still gave a gasp as her eyes opened again. "Wow," she breathed. "So, what did you see?"

"Well, everything was organized," he said. "It looked… fine."

"Well that's good, yeah?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, it is, but you shouldn't be able to do that. I mean… you're human!" he said.

The TARDIS broke up their conversation before Rose could answer. She was flying somewhere – but where was she going? Rose and the Doctor rushed to the console room and he flew around the time rotor, pressing button after button, trying to figure out what was going on. He still didn't know.

"Doctor," Rose said. "Where's she going?"

He frowned for a moment and then looked to Rose. What if he could test this new connection she had with the TARDIS? "Ask her," he said.

"What?"

"Ask her where we're going. She won't talk to me," he said.

Rose looked at him with a raised eyebrow before sighing and looking up to the ceiling. "Uh, TARDIS… where are we going?" she asked.

The Doctor could hear a faint noise – like someone was whispering a secret to someone – and he saw Rose wince a little, but she didn't seem to be in pain. "Well?" he asked.

"She just said vortex," Rose said.

"This makes no sense…"

Before the Doctor could say anymore, the room filled with the sound of the TARDIS alarm going off, and lights flickering on the inside of the console room. The TARDIS was humming and there was too much noise. Rose ran up the ramp and next to the Doctor. He wrapped his arm around her, and they looked to the time rotor which was glowing gold as howling filled the air. He had a really bad feeling about this.