Stuck With the Flu
Chapter 1 of 1
Rose was sick.
She lay in her bed in the flat she shared with her mum, absolutely miserable. She’d had a cough a few nights earlier, nothing serious, she thought, but it quickly became obvious that she had the flu, and now she lay in bed, unwilling to move and unable to see the one person she really wanted to see: the Doctor. He’d gone off a couple of nights earlier when she’d told him she was getting sick, and he hadn’t come back yet. She was worried about him, but she knew he’d be all right.
There was a soft knock on the door, and about a minute later, her mum walked in with a bowl of soup, a piece of dry toast and a cup of tea.
“You need to eat something, Rose. Keep your strength up,” she said, setting the bowl on the table next to her bed. “Come on; eat some toast, at least.” Rose nodded, taking the plate from her mum. She nibbled at the toast, eating it slowly so it didn’t make her sick. When she’d finished the toast, she sipped at the soup and drank the tea. When she’d finished, she pulled the blankets up and rolled onto her side, facing her mum.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” she said softly as she started to drift off to sleep.
“You’re my daughter, of course I’m going to take care of you,” her mum replied, stroking her hair gently. “Now get some rest.” Within a few moments, her eyes closed and she was asleep. Jackie gathered up the dishes and left the room, closing the door softly. “She’s not any better yet, but you can go sit with her if you like,” she said softly to the man in the brown pinstripe suit and the old brown jacket. He nodded and opened the door slowly, closing it behind him. He watched her from the doorway for a few moments as she slept peacefully. He smiled and moved across the room to sit in a chair next to her bed. He reached out and gently pushed her hair out of her face, a look of concern in his eyes. He moved the chair a little closer and rubbed her back comfortingly. She stirred a little and started to open her eyes.
“Go back to sleep, Rose,” he said softly. “It’s all right.” She opened her eyes a crack and smiled at him. “Go back to sleep,” he said again, kissing her forehead gently. She nodded and closed her eyes again. Her Doctor was there, and he was safe, and that was all that mattered.
---
When Rose woke up the next morning, the Doctor was sitting in a chair next to her bed, his eyes closed. She sat up and noticed he was asleep. Smiling, she stood up to find a place for him to lie down. A hand closed gently over her wrist, and she turned to see the Doctor watching her.
“I’m awake,” he said, smiling at her. She smiled back at him.
“I thought you were sleeping,” she said in a voice raw from both her sore throat and her lack of talking for a few days. She coughed, putting a hand on her chest, and he put his hand around her shoulders, concern in his gaze. “I’m all right, I just need some medicine.” He helped her out into the kitchen and got her some cough medicine.
“Are you feeling any better?” he asked. She nodded.
“Yeah, I’m feeling better than I was yesterday,” she said as they walked back to her bedroom.
“Good,” he said, and they went silent.
“Where’ve you been off to?” she asked curiously as she sat on her bed.
“Oh, well, I just had to take care of some… stuff,” he replied. “It was lonely without you there.” She smiled and lay back down.
“I’ll have to get better quickly so we can travel together again,” Rose said. She yawned and closed her eyes. He held her hand as she fell asleep.
---
Rose woke up to the sun shining in her eyes. She stretched and noticed she wasn’t in any pain anymore. She sat up and looked around the room. The Doctor was nowhere to be found. Frowning, she got out of bed and opened the door. Looking around, she walked out into the kitchen, where her mum and the Doctor were sitting at the table.
“Morning,” she said, and they turned, smiling at her.
“You sound so much better,” her mum said, standing and walking over to her. “How do you feel?”
“Much better. Think I should be good to go soon,” she said. The Doctor smiled, taking a sip of tea. Rose and Jackie sat at the table with him and they ate breakfast, talking and laughing. Rose glanced over at the Doctor and caught him smiling at her. She smiled in return, and he reached for her hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. After helping Jackie to clean up after breakfast, Rose and the Doctor went back to Rose’s bedroom. “Where did you go off to?” she asked. “I know I asked yesterday, but you never gave me a straight answer.”
“Well, it’s kind of tough to explain,” the Doctor said. “I kind of went back in time to a different universe. It got messy, so it took me longer that I’d thought to get it taken care of.” Rose nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re better, though,” he added, a smile playing on his lips. Rose smiled and gently kissed his cheek.
“Me too,” Rose replied. She closed her fingers around his and he rested his head against hers. “Me too.”
She lay in her bed in the flat she shared with her mum, absolutely miserable. She’d had a cough a few nights earlier, nothing serious, she thought, but it quickly became obvious that she had the flu, and now she lay in bed, unwilling to move and unable to see the one person she really wanted to see: the Doctor. He’d gone off a couple of nights earlier when she’d told him she was getting sick, and he hadn’t come back yet. She was worried about him, but she knew he’d be all right.
There was a soft knock on the door, and about a minute later, her mum walked in with a bowl of soup, a piece of dry toast and a cup of tea.
“You need to eat something, Rose. Keep your strength up,” she said, setting the bowl on the table next to her bed. “Come on; eat some toast, at least.” Rose nodded, taking the plate from her mum. She nibbled at the toast, eating it slowly so it didn’t make her sick. When she’d finished the toast, she sipped at the soup and drank the tea. When she’d finished, she pulled the blankets up and rolled onto her side, facing her mum.
“Thanks for taking care of me,” she said softly as she started to drift off to sleep.
“You’re my daughter, of course I’m going to take care of you,” her mum replied, stroking her hair gently. “Now get some rest.” Within a few moments, her eyes closed and she was asleep. Jackie gathered up the dishes and left the room, closing the door softly. “She’s not any better yet, but you can go sit with her if you like,” she said softly to the man in the brown pinstripe suit and the old brown jacket. He nodded and opened the door slowly, closing it behind him. He watched her from the doorway for a few moments as she slept peacefully. He smiled and moved across the room to sit in a chair next to her bed. He reached out and gently pushed her hair out of her face, a look of concern in his eyes. He moved the chair a little closer and rubbed her back comfortingly. She stirred a little and started to open her eyes.
“Go back to sleep, Rose,” he said softly. “It’s all right.” She opened her eyes a crack and smiled at him. “Go back to sleep,” he said again, kissing her forehead gently. She nodded and closed her eyes again. Her Doctor was there, and he was safe, and that was all that mattered.
---
When Rose woke up the next morning, the Doctor was sitting in a chair next to her bed, his eyes closed. She sat up and noticed he was asleep. Smiling, she stood up to find a place for him to lie down. A hand closed gently over her wrist, and she turned to see the Doctor watching her.
“I’m awake,” he said, smiling at her. She smiled back at him.
“I thought you were sleeping,” she said in a voice raw from both her sore throat and her lack of talking for a few days. She coughed, putting a hand on her chest, and he put his hand around her shoulders, concern in his gaze. “I’m all right, I just need some medicine.” He helped her out into the kitchen and got her some cough medicine.
“Are you feeling any better?” he asked. She nodded.
“Yeah, I’m feeling better than I was yesterday,” she said as they walked back to her bedroom.
“Good,” he said, and they went silent.
“Where’ve you been off to?” she asked curiously as she sat on her bed.
“Oh, well, I just had to take care of some… stuff,” he replied. “It was lonely without you there.” She smiled and lay back down.
“I’ll have to get better quickly so we can travel together again,” Rose said. She yawned and closed her eyes. He held her hand as she fell asleep.
---
Rose woke up to the sun shining in her eyes. She stretched and noticed she wasn’t in any pain anymore. She sat up and looked around the room. The Doctor was nowhere to be found. Frowning, she got out of bed and opened the door. Looking around, she walked out into the kitchen, where her mum and the Doctor were sitting at the table.
“Morning,” she said, and they turned, smiling at her.
“You sound so much better,” her mum said, standing and walking over to her. “How do you feel?”
“Much better. Think I should be good to go soon,” she said. The Doctor smiled, taking a sip of tea. Rose and Jackie sat at the table with him and they ate breakfast, talking and laughing. Rose glanced over at the Doctor and caught him smiling at her. She smiled in return, and he reached for her hand under the table, giving it a gentle squeeze. After helping Jackie to clean up after breakfast, Rose and the Doctor went back to Rose’s bedroom. “Where did you go off to?” she asked. “I know I asked yesterday, but you never gave me a straight answer.”
“Well, it’s kind of tough to explain,” the Doctor said. “I kind of went back in time to a different universe. It got messy, so it took me longer that I’d thought to get it taken care of.” Rose nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re better, though,” he added, a smile playing on his lips. Rose smiled and gently kissed his cheek.
“Me too,” Rose replied. She closed her fingers around his and he rested his head against hers. “Me too.”