Ashes ~ (a TenRose Fanfiction)

On a Scale of One to Ten

Hey shipmates!

So I went to Sherlocked on Saturday (Benedict was there today, typically the day I couldn't go, so that was really annoying) but omg it was incredible. I met Una Stubbs (Mrs Hudson) and she said she loved my hair which was super cute! And then I met Andrew Scott and I sort of tripped over my own feet as I walked up to him to get a photo and he laughed, So I was like super embarrassed and laughing so he says "try not to break your leg for the photo" in his amazing Irish accent, and then he hugs me, and omg he smells amazing, and then we turn to the camera and he's like "it was so nice to meet you" and I was like "aw you too!" Best ten seconds of my life XD

I'm once again in love with a 40 year old man.
Someone help me.

And then I met Steven Moffat to get his autograph and the girl in front of me says to him "thanks for killing all my favourite characters" and just walks off, I was trying so hard not to laugh I nearly died. But he was quite a nice guy surprisingly XD
Anyways....lets get on with this!
Ella :))

***
~Chapter 17
-Rose's POV

We run back the way we just came, following the shouts from Albany. Her cries sound louder now, and I can almost make out a "help!". We round a sharp corner through the trees into the clearing of the lagoon. The first thing I notice is a snapped lot of vine leaves on the floor, and a two giant cracked coconuts. Then my eyes dart towards the scene in front of me. A soaking wet Albany is still shouting for help, and the Doctor is by her side on the floor, wincing in what can only be pain. He's cradling an arm and one of his legs is stretched out at a slightly awkward angle. My stomach drops and I run over quickly, Justin's footsteps just behind me.
"My God Doctor, what happened?" I say frantically, kneeling down beside him on the rock. He takes a deep breath.
"Tried to climb the tree, I wanted to get...the coconuts" he begins to gesture to the coconuts on the floor, and groans loudly, recoiling his hand away in pain.
"I told him to be careful. But he fell and I couldn't catch him" Albany looks near to tears.
"It's okay" Justin says to her, and she runs at him for a hug, but stops when she sees the dead pig in his hands. "We had too, Albany. We needed meat"
"You killed it?" She asks, her eyes welling up with tears.
"No. It was already dead." Justin lies. Albany nods, but doesn't go any nearer to Justin. I turn my attention back to the Doctor.
"You're such an idiot, y'know that?" I say. He gives a half-hearted smile then winces again.
"Look, let's get you back to the cave and we'll have a closer look"
"I think I can manage" he says, and moves to get up. I stop him immediately, my hands on his shoulders like a vice.
"Nope. You're letting us take you. Justin?" I turn round to him. Justin nods understandingly and comes over. We both take one of the Doctors arms around our shoulders.
"Right, on the count of three" Justin takes a deep breath "One, two, three" and The Doctor's hauled off the floor, giving a muffled cry. We walk the doctor all the way back to the cave, Albany leading the way through the trees. When we finally get there we carefully move the Doctor up the rocks without causing him too much pain.
"Set him down carefully, don't want to break anything else" Justin says to me. I nod and we take the Doctor into the cave, and set him down not too far from the entrance. Albany sits quietly at his side, not taking her eyes off him. I breathlessly kneel down by the Doctor, wiping my forehead with my arm. Justin slides down the wall on the opposite side of the cave, completely exhausted.
"I'm guessing you know the injuries already" I say to him, taking another deep breath, The Doctor nods.
"Broken left knee cap and ankle, and broken right wrist."
"That's not good" Albany says.
"It'll take ages to heal. Months" Justin says, then leans his back to get a bigger breath of air. I want to ask how long it will take for the Doctor to heal himself, but I know regeneration isn't a topic we should discuss in front of Justin and Albany.
"I know" is all the Doctor says, his expression still holding a weight of intense pain.
"Is there anything we can do?" I ask. The Doctor shakes his head with gritted teeth.
"Not really. Just-Just bandage it, I guess?" His words are shaky and his breath ragged as he speaks.
"Yes, right. Bandages" I remember Albany's bandage the Doctor made on her knee, and glance down at it. I get to my feet and go just out the cave, retrieving leaves and vines from wherever I can see them. When I return Albany has gone over to Justin to sit against the wall. "I've got some leaves. Will these do?" I ask the Doctor. He nods back in response. I've never been good at the medical side of things more but I hope I won't be too bad. I've learnt quite a lot from the Doctor over the years too.
"I'm going to see about getting some water form the lagoon. We've run out and he's going to need it" Justin says to us. I turn my head round to see him.
"Good idea. Ali, why don't you go with him to help carry it?" I suggest. She nods, and then her concerned eyes drift to the Doctor.
"Will you be okay?" Her voice is soft, and she has such a calming presence about her I decide that one day she would make a good Nurse. The Doctor nods and smiles with as much effort he can.
"Just fine"
Justin takes Albany's hand and leads her out the cave, and she follows him a little reluctantly. I turn back round to the Doctor and sigh. It's a moment before his eyes find mine.
"I thought you had experience climbing trees" I say, gently touching his wrist. He swallows.
"Well, it doesn't mean I'm good at it"
"I should've been there to stop you" I say, and look down a little ashamedly.
"No one can be everywhere at once, not even me" he smiles lightly and then winces in pain again as he tries to move his leg.
"Just stay still" I gesture to his leg and move a little closer. "How painful is it....on a scale of one to ten?"
"Um..." He hesitates a moment, briefly closing his eyes "Seven point five" he says.
"Come on, it has to be a ten" I say. He shakes his head a little breathlessly.
"Nope"
"Well you're very precise, I'll give you that" I smile a little "Right. Hold still, this may hurt your leg a little" I say gently. The Doctor turns his gaze to me. 
"Rose Tyler, I love it when you talk Doctor to me" he says. I freeze in my actions, my eyes holding his. Had I heard him correctly? Did he really just...? No. He can't have. I swallow and return to what I was doing.
"Most people would be in tears with this sort of pain" I say, folding up some leaves.
"I'm okay" he says. I sigh.
"Doctor, it's okay to sometimes not be okay, y'know?" I roll up his trouser leg gently.
He winces but says nothing.
"I need to move your leg. Just hold still" I take his left leg in my hands, and turn it to the left a little. He cries out and winces again. "Sorry!" I say, and put his leg down. I keep my movements slow and gentle from now on, and continue to bandage his leg with the leaves, wrapping the vines round and tying them in place. He winces again as I hold up his leg a little to pull the trouser leg down. I find his eyes and he holds my gaze, not letting go of it even when I've out his leg down. I slowly reach down and take his left hand between my palms. His jaw clenches as I lift it onto my leg and I place it there as I pick up some more leaves.
"How long until it heals...y'know, with your regeneration energy?" I ask, placing a leaf underneath and over his hand.
"Same as it would for you" he says, then takes a shaky breath "no more regeneration energy left for...a little while"
I pause in my actions, the vine mid way over his hand. "What do you mean?"
"When...when I healed you. It took up a lot of my energy. Now it will be a while until it's back" he says. I finish tying the vine but don't take my eyes off him.
"How long is "a while"?"I ask. He doesn't respond. "Doctor, how long?"
"A year" he responds. I freeze.
"A whole year?" My voice is quiet, muffled in the humid air around us.
"It's because of the different surroundings, it's difficult to maintain the energy....if I use one bit it has...quite a big effect" he says and then winces.
"What if...what if you get hurt even more? Or....you die? You won't be able to regenerate"
"I'll be fine"
"Don't just say that, you can't just say that"
"Rose-"
"I hope you realise I'd slap you if you weren't injured! If you hadn't of healed me you'd be healed yourself in a couple of days, I know you would!" I say, feeling tears burning the back of my throat. The Doctor sits up, his jaw clenched through pain.
"I'm sorry. It'll just take a couple of months to heal, then I'm fine" he insists. My eyes begin to water and I look away from him, angry and upset. He sees this and uses his good hand to brush his knuckles across my cheek. The softness of his touch causes my eyes to flutter closed for just a second. Then I realise I'm supposed to be angry with him and open my eyes again.
"Don't be angry, Rose. Please" he says "It'll be okay. I'll be fine. I'm sorry for what I did, but maybe if I hadn't of done it that cut would be infected..." He takes a deep breath, as if talking causes him pain "and then something would happen to you. And I can't have that"
I turn my gaze to him and he drops his hand. "Well..." I realise then my voice is shaky, and I feel the nerves i my body suddenly on fire, willing me to do something "I can't have anything happen to you either" I say softly. Gently, I lean in, and press my cool lips to his burning forehead. After a couple of seconds I lean back and then take a deep breath before running a hand through his hair. It's moments like this I realise just how much I hate him, and how incredibly in love with him I am at the same time.
"Are all time lords this stupid sometimes?" I ask. He smiles lightly, looking up at my hand pushing through his locks. How many times I've always wanted to do that I can't count.
"Everyone's stupid sometimes" he says. Just then Justin and Albany appear at the entrance to the cave, and I drop my hand from the Doctors hair, feeling as if I'd been caught red handed.
"All bandaged up?" Justin asks. The Doctor nods, not properly looking at him. Albany looks distant, her eyes fixed on the Doctor's newly-fixed bandages.
"Right then, shall we eat?" He asks.