The Monk's Altar

Chapter 17

Rose furrowed her brow.  "Bonded?"

Lekan walked into the room then, cutting off any conversation that would have progressed from there, making Rose huff in frustration.  Lekan looked a bit disoriented, and the Doctor turned from Rose to regard him. 

"Yeah?' the Doctor asked earnestly. 

"Everything is over," he said solemnly.  "What shall we do with the men who are simply unconscious?"

"The Shadow Proclamation will deal with their entire planet," the Doctor replied.  "How are the monks?"

"Some struggle to stand," Lekan slumped a bit.  "We lost two men."

Rose felt her brows drawing together in frustration and worry.  "I'm sorry, Lekan," she said softly.  Lekan smiled at her, a sad smile, but one that showed a sort of hopefulness that she had not anticipated from him. 

"Can we help?" The Doctor asked, already taking a step to the door.  Lekan moved to block him.

"I don't want Rose to see this," Lekan replied, looking between the two of them.  Rose sagged a bit. 

"No, I want to help the wounded," Rose replied.  "I need to."

Lekan looked a bit helpless at that, and the Doctor shrugged.  Of course, nobody could control Rose Tyler, especially not now.  She had a fire lit in her that she was not about to be extinguished.  Lekan finally nodded and gestured to Rose, asking her silently to follow him. 

The next several hours were filled with Rose tending to the wounded monks and the Doctor helping with the dead, Kelickte's men and the monks.  She still wore her white, gauzy dress and it was getting covered in blood as she worked.  There were many wounds that she had to work with, resulting in the dress being ruined, not that she was planning on wearing it again.  

  "I think we should stay here for tonight and go home tomorrow," the Doctor said as they walked to eat dinner with the monks.

"That's probably a good idea," Rose replied tiredly, shivering a little as cold started to set into the stone building. 

"Do you want to go put other clothes on?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.  

Rose shook her head.  "No, I just want to eat and go to bed."

He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it across her shoulder before leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.  She smiled and murmured her thanks to him, shoving her arms into the sleeves and drawing the lapels tighter around her.  He reached for her hand and she threaded their fingers together, letting him drag her closer.  she felt instantly warmer, but her feet were still cold. She figured she could manage not having shoes for just a little longer.  She wiggled her toes just to make sure she could feel them.  

The Doctor squeezed her hand encouragingly and tugged her along to the dining hall.  The monks, at first, had wanted not to eat in response to the deaths of the others.  Lekan had insisted though, that with the strength they had lost in the battle, they would need to replenish it.  The men had reluctantly agreed.  Rose didn't know this, but Lekan had also told the men that they needed to eat so she could eat.  She would not if she were to be the only one doing so.

They finally reached the hall and silence fell over them all, as was customary.  Rose walked to sit next to the Doctor near the end of the table.  He let her lead him and squeezed her hand again before releasing it.  They sat and ate light, green vegetables, bread, and fish.  Rose tried not to tuck in ravenously, as she felt she had been starved.  Of course, she hadn't eaten when she was with Kelickte, so it was possible they were just pumping nutrients into her to keep her alive.  It was interesting how she hadn't managed to think about eating until the food was right in front of her.