Title: The Awakening, Chapter 4
Fandom: Doctor Who
Author: strange_charmed aka kilodalton
Characters: Rose Tyler, Pete Tyler, The Doctor (10th), Mickey Smith, Jackie Tyler, OCs
Rating: All ages
BetaBabe: zazie11
Wordcount: 1382
Summary: Rose Tyler awakens in the hospital from a coma, and a certain pinstriped Doctor tells her he has never seen her before ...
A/N: I've been asked if this fic is a dream sequence - I want to assure you that it is NOT a dream, I wouldn't do that to you guys! 100% promised!! =)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4



Rose stared at him blankly, until her eyes felt so dry that she couldn’t keep them focused anymore. Blinking furiously, she glanced away from Mickey, who was still slouched in his chair with a serious expression on his face, looking at her like he thought she might disappear at any minute. She couldn’t meet his eyes, and she didn’t want to have to say anything in response. She stared at the ugly blue curtains covering her hospital room window; they were something neutral to look at, and she needed to think.

Think!

Rose’s mind started racing, desperately trying to make sense of how any of this could be true. She had forgotten so much about Henrik’s – it seemed like it was a lifetime ago. A stranger’s lifetime, even. She could barely remember what it had felt like to work there – to live her life linearly, day after day. The daily rituals of her old life had paled in comparison to being with the Doctor, and she hadn’t given a moment’s thought about working at the store in longer than she could remember.

She had run so fast and so far since then.

Her life as a shopgirl felt like a distant and vague memory she was desperately struggling to recall, almost like it had never happened. Henrik’s exploded, at least I remember that part … but I wasn’t in the store when it happened. This doesn’t make any sense!

“We weren’t sure you were gonna wake up, Rose,“ Mickey said softly, gently reaching over to take her hand.

She had no idea how to react to him, her mind was still churning with half-memories of Henrik’s, of Naija 6, of everything it seemed. Unconsciously, she gave his hand a brief squeeze back, still staring at the window.

“Henrick’s, yeah? When did it explode? I mean the day,” she asked, quickly changing the subject back to the store.

March 26, that’s the day I met him, she thought. That’s the day he blew up my shop.

“March 26,” Mickey said, as Rose sucked in a breath of relief at the familiarity. OK, good – it’s a start at least, she thought. Maybe I can retrace the Doctor’s steps and find –

“It was all because of a gas line.”

“What?” she said as her head jerked towards him, her eyes widening slightly. “No …”

Mickey gave a small nod as he looked down, stroking small circles on the back of her hand.

“The police did an investigation and everything, Rose. The explosion took out your entire building. They said it was a miracle you were still alive. Your dad and me, we came down as soon as we heard about it, you have no idea how scared I –“

Wait, she thought. Just my dad and Mickey? That doesn’t make sense. What about –

“And my mum?” she asked, her voice sounding a little tighter and more scared than she meant it to. “Mickey, what about my mum?”

She was startled by the realization that she was gripping his hand tighter, skin stretched taut over her white knuckles as her fingers tightened. Mickey stopped midsentence and stared down at her, his face perfectly still and his mouth still slightly open. He looked almost surprised by the question, as if it were the daftest thing in the world for her to ask. He broke his gaze from her face, clearly uncomfortable, and his eyes drifted up to examine the curtains on the window, as well. He swallowed and Rose felt her stomach drop for what felt like the hundredth time.

All of this felt so wrong – was so wrong. Mum’s ok, of course she is! The Doctor and I stopped to see her only last week … right? Rose swallowed hard.

“Mickey …”

Suddenly, her hospital room door swung open yet again, and Rose’s heart leapt as a female voice intoned:

“Oi, Mickey, you in there? Radiology was expecting her ten minutes ago! We were about to send another orderly in here, til I remembered it was you and –“

An achingly familiar blonde ponytailed head peeked around the half open door, her annoyed expression breaking into a wide smile as soon as she saw Rose.

“Rose! How are you feeling, love? Your dad has been beside himself, you know that? Every day, here at your side – two years now! I saw him on his way out, a bit ago. He is thrilled to bits! Do you need anything, love? Anything at all?”

Rose gaped. She had never before experienced the odd sensation of all emotion draining out of her - all energy draining out of her, for that matter. But this – this was too much. Her racing mind quieted down, immediately. There was no thought - no emotion - that could possibly eclipse the empty void that was opening inside her, effacing all else.

She was only able to stare, completely transfixed.

The expression on Mickey’s face was a combination of relief and gratitude. He gave a small smile to the woman, nodding his head quickly.

“Sure thing, Jackie, sorry about that, I’ll take her down right –“

“No!” Rose interrupted quickly.

She nodded at Jackie.

“I mean – yes, I need something. I don’t want to go now, but can you … stay here a minute?”

Looking a little wounded, Mickey looked down at Rose. He gave a quick half smile, kissed her hair, and then turned to leave without saying a word. With a slight pang, she suddenly realized she’d probably hurt his feelings. Again. It hadn’t even been a month since she’d been heartsick to leave him in Pete’s World, yet here he was, already relegated to being the Tin Dog again, in less than ten minutes. Rose swallowed. She couldn’t think about that, she needed –

“Are you feeling OK, sweetheart?”

“Are you … my –“

“Nurse,” Jackie finished with a smile.

Rose shuddered as she drew in a shaky breath, biting her lip and unable to look away from her … nurse.

Nurse?!

“Are you in any pain? Do you need something, love?”

Mum, I’m fine!

“No, no – I just need …” Rose started.

Oh my God, you’re not my mum, are you ...

“I don’t even know,” Rose whispered, a stricken expression passing over her face.

Frowning slightly, Jackie slowly approached the bed, reaching out a hand to gently smooth Rose’s hair in a gesture of comfort.

… mum stroked my hair just like that. She said it’s how she used to get me to sleep at night …

“It’ll all be OK, love. You’ve just woken up - you need time to rest. We’ll just tell those doctors to stuff it til tomorrow, and let you be for a bit. You’ll be right as rain soon.”

... but …

Rose closed her eyes with a jagged sigh, just concentrating on the familiarity of the gesture, the hand stroking her hair, the voice.

“You said … you said I’ve been here two years? Are you sure?”

Rose turned her eyes beseechingly up at Jackie. Jackie looked down at her, still gently stroking her hair, and nodded slowly, looking slightly concerned.

“I just … I can’t make sense of anything right now. Everything’s upside down, and nothing’s the way I remember it, and my … my friend, I don’t know where he is, he’s gone –“

Rose’s voice cracked slightly on the last word, and Jackie’s brow furrowed in concern. She sat down on the edge of Rose’s bed.

“It’ll turn out alright, sweetheart. Come here,” Jackie said softly, opening her arms.

Rose melted into Jackie’s arms, burying her head into Jackie’s shoulder. The starchy white collar of Jackie’s nurse uniform felt so wrong rubbing up against Rose’s cheek; her mum didn’t even own a shirt like that. Somewhat to her surprise, Rose found she didn’t care; it didn’t matter. Just for now – she found it didn’t matter, at all. The smell of Jackie’s perfume and makeup and even the fabric softener she used felt so right. Rose willed her mind to stop thinking, stop racing. She let herself relax slightly as she let out a small, soft sigh against Jackie’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and let the comforting familiarity wash over her as Jackie stroked her hair, murmuring words of comfort.

Chapter 5