#rip tie

He tried driftingsome more.  But the voice seemed to get louder, and it was beginningto be joined with other sounds.  An annoying and incessant doublebeep that seemed to be going in time to his heart beats.

He focused once moreon the feel of the fingers through his hair as it quickly became oneof the more comforting sensations he was feeling just now.  His headwas beginning to ache, and he was becoming more aware of a painacross his chest.

He heard a moan.  Itwas a completely different voice.  More masculine, and much closer. Wait?  Did he just make that sound?

Another moan.

Yes, that was him. God, can he just shut up so he can go back to drifting?

“Doctor?”  Therewas that voice again.  So familiar, and so lovely.  There was a nameattached to that voice, he just knew it.  

“Rose…?”  Yes,that was her name, the owner of that beautiful voice.  How did shemanage to get a voice that gorgeous while his sounded so terrible? Like gravel through a… thing.  His brain was in no mood to dometaphors just now.

The fingers thatwere sifting through his hair stopped their movements, and he thenfelt them brush against his cheek.

“Doctor, please…open your eyes.  Please?”  Rose sounded so sad, so desperate.  Hedidn’t want her to sound like that.  Her voice would sound morebeautiful if it were happy.  He found himself obeying, or at least hetried to.  The outside world was so bright, but squeezing his eyesshut almost felt worse!  He sensed the lights dimming slightly and hetried again.

The world wasblurry, and he saw a large pink and yellow blur off to his side.  Hetried focusing on it, but the strain of it caused his eyes to slipclosed again.  He took a deep breath and tried again.  The pink andyellow blur was more in focus this time.  He blinked again, and itfully resolved into a person he trusted completely.  He reached hishand towards her instinctively, and she grabbed it almostdesperately.

“Rose?”  Herealised he was saying her name as if it were a question.  Why washis brain trying to figure things out?  Why did he need to knoweverything?  Why couldn’t he just be happy in Rose’s presence? He always seemed happiest there.  That much he could remember.

“Oh, Doctor. You’ve been unconscious for hours.  The TARDIS helped me get you inhere.  She told me what to do to help you.”

He looked around abit more, and found that just moving his eyes felt marginally lesspainful than moving his whole head as a throbbing pain in the back ofhis skull was making itself known.  But indeed, he was back in theTARDIS.  His home.  Even though this looked more like the med baythan his bedroom.

Wasn’t hesomewhere else before?  A planet?  A forest?  The last thing heremembered was a large towering figure.  The searing pain of clawsdigging into his chest before he was flung into the air!  Rose’sterrified scream.  That was the most terrible thing of all.

Then… nothing.

He gripped Rose’shand tighter and looked back over her way.  She looked a bit tiredand bedraggled, but otherwise unharmed.

“Were you hurt?” He heard himself ask.  She shook her head.

“No, I’m okay.” He let out a sigh of relief.  If anything had happened to her hewould not be held accountable for his actions.  “The creature…after attacking you it just ran off.  I think we may have just scaredit when we landed.  But it got a good swipe in on you first.”  Sheexplained.  She reached out with her other hand and smoothed it overhis chest.  He looked down at himself, his eyes widening.  He wasbare from the waist up!  Bandages were neatly taped down to his skin,and he could see hints of dried blood on them.

Superficial wounds. They’d heal quickly.  Wouldn’t even leave any scars.  His headwas another matter.  Slight concussion, and there he went analyzingthings again!  Rest was all he needed, and looking at Rose shedesperately needed it too.

“Sorry, yourclothes didn’t exactly survive.  I’ll get you another tie.”  Heheard the hint of laughter in her voice and couldn’t help but smileup at her.

“That’s okay. There’s hundreds more in the wardrobe.”  He brushed his thumbover her knuckles, felt her pulse quicken slightly at the movement. He did it again.

“But it was myfavourite.”  She sighed.  His smile widened.  That’s why he choseit.

His eyes began toclose again fatigue hitting him like a freight train.  Well, lookslike metaphors are back at least!

“Doctor!”  Shecalled out to him again.  He cracked his eyes open slightly andsmiled at her.

“I’m alright.  Ijust need some rest.”  He let go of her hand and cupped her cheek. He had to keep his breath from hitching when she nuzzled into histouch and couldn’t be bothered to stop his thumb from brushing overher cheekbone.  “And so do you.”

“Don’t wannaleave you.”  She protested.  He wanted to argue that she would bemore comfortable in her own bed, and he would be fine on his own.

But the truth of itwas, he didn’t want to be alone either.  Was that selfish?  Hedidn’t seem to care at this moment.

“C’mere.”  Hesighed, trying to shift himself over a bit to give her some room. She blinked at him.

“Won’t I hurtyou?”  He shook his head, and instantly regretted it.  Thatcreature really got it’s licks in.

“Please?”  Heasked softly and decided to just tell her the truth.  “I don’tthink either of us want to be alone right now.”  Rose seemed tomull it over for a moment before she nodded and carefully climbedinto the bed next to him.  He tucked her into his side, ignoringevery single protest his body was making.  The pain was onlytemporary, and worth it if it meant Rose could get some well earnedrest.

“Thank you.”  Hemumbled into her hair after a long moment of just holding her.  Hishand had drifted up almost on it’s own accord and had begun to combthrough her silky blonde locks.  His eyes fluttered closed when hefelt her press a kiss to his jaw.  He craned his neck just far enoughto kiss the crown of her head.