One Hundred and Eighty Two Days ~ (a TenRose Fanfiction)

Awake

~Chapter 20

-The Doctor's POV

***

Paramedics rush around us and haul Rose away from me, and she's strapped onto a stretcher and out in an ambulance. For a while I can barely breathe, trying to figure out what happened to Rose. Sure, she was just stabbed by Mike. But there's more. And I should've been there. I should've stopped Mike and got to her before he could lay his filthy hands on her. And I promised Rose I'd never let anything like what happened with Jimmy Stone happened again, and I let it happen. I was so caught up in our new life I hadn't been paying close attention to the closer details, and now another boss has gone and hurt Rose again. Quickly I act on my surroundings and jump into the ambulance just as the door closes, knowing I can be nowhere but near Rose.

***

Five hours later Rose gets wheeled in to her new temporary bedroom in the hospital, still under the anaesthetic from her operation. She required a lot of stitches, and other things I can't even remember what the described. I become all choked up when I first see her. She's as white as the sheets on her bed, lying deathly still and her blonde hair fanned out on her pillow. The nurse wheels her in and arranges the bed in a suitable position, and turns to me.

"I'm afraid there's a problem" The nurse says. I feel my hearts drop to the pits of the Earth.

"What?" I ask.

"Rose is in a coma" her words cut through me like ice.

"A coma? Can she wake up?" I ask, even though I know all about comas, being a Doctor myself.

"We don't know, it's completely unpredictable. All we can say is that she got an awful hit to her head when she was thrown to the floor. It's that that knocked her out, not just the wounds. I'm afraid it could take some time.

"How long?" I ask desperately.

"Sometimes hours, sometimes days, sometimes weeks and months, and very rarely years." She says. I swallow hard. "But don't worry too much about it, she's hooked up to a life support machine and I won't be surprised if she comes round in a couple of days" the nurse says. I nod.

"Okay, thank you"

"If you need anything, just press that red buzzer. And by the way, you can talk to her. Sometimes they can hear you, and sometimes not, but most likely Rose will be able to. She can't move, but she can still hear you. If you have anything important you want to say, or just chatting in general, that would be great for her to hear." The nurse says, and leaves me alone in the room with a silent Rose, the only sound filling the air being the soft gentle beeps of Rose's heart beat through the monitor. I then remember what I never told Rose earlier, and I know I need to say it before I can't any longer. Quickly, I grab a Rose's still hand from the side of the bed and hold it between both of my own.

"Rose, I never got to tell you earlier. So I'll tell you now. I..I know you may not be able to hear me, but I need to tell you anyway," I pause for a while, trying to find the three words I haven't been able to say for a long "I love you." I take a breath after I've said the words, letting the weight be lifted off my shoulders "And I'm not just saying that on a whim, or as a joke, this is real. I love you more than anything. Not just as a friend, or as a companion, as more than that, so much more. From the day I first met you, I knew you were brilliant. Mad, clever, funny, beautiful and god damned brilliant. I couldn't ask for anyone more amazing to travel with, Rose. I love you. I want to show that I love everyday, I want to hold you and kiss you, but I know that every day you grow old I'll stay young, and I know that would be too hard for you..." I trail of for a second and gather my thoughts "Rose Tyler, you are the most remarkable woman I've ever met, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, or the rest of your life with me. And this time, I'm sure we've got longer than just six months" I say. I want her to respond, sit up smiling, but she just stays still, eyes closed.

I sigh lightly and shake my head slightly "I'm not expecting you to feel the same, I just want you to know this love I have for you is real, and I want you to know that," and with that, I lean over, and press my lips gently against hers. It's a simple kiss, and obviously very one sided, but it's still beautiful. My tears cascade gently down and across her cheek, and I pull back with my eyes closed "I love you" I finish. Suddenly I feel a small movement beneath me and I sit bolt upright, my yes flying open. Rose's hand just twitched, I'm sure it did. I swear it did. And then, precisely at at moment, her hand twitches again. I hold onto her hand tighter, praying to Rassilon she's waking up. Then suddenly her eyes flutter open, and her body begins to move and stretch. I smile wider than ever before and her eyes find mine. She smiles brightly and sits up with all her energy, her own eyes tearing up.

"Oh you daft alien, I love you too" she says. And with that, she kisses me.