Discoveries Made
Rose walked into the control room to find the doctor sitting in his chair concentrating on nothing in particular. He was staring off into space, not noticing she was in the room until she came right up to him.
She could tell something was bothering him but knew it was going to be a chore trying to get any information out of him. She plopped down on the seat next to him and he looked at her blankly, as if not seeing her at all.
"Doctor?" she asked a little worried and he just began staring intently at her instead.
"What? Do I have something on my face?" Rose asked lifting a hand to her face and feeling around. He shook his head animatedly and then quickly got up, pulling levers and pushing buttons on the console.
"I was just thinking we need a holiday" he said with that wide, childlike smile she loved. She smiled back at him, jumped off her chair and held onto the console tightly. His eyes brightened as he pushed a lever down and the ship jumped.
"Where are we then?" Rose asked with a gleam in her eye when the ship stopped jumping around.
"Oh, just a little moon that I happen to know of that has the most fantastic chips" he said offhanded. Rose jumped up and down and clapped her hands.
"I was so in the mood for chips when I got up this morning" she commented.
"I know" he mumbled under his breath as he grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. Rose didn't seem to hear him as she grabbed her jumper and the two of them exited the TARDIS.
As soon as they were out Rose took in a deep breath and instantly her stomach began to rumble.
"Guess that means you're ready for something to eat" the Doctor commented as he began to lead her to one of the shops he knew resided just around the corner. She looked up at him and nodded her head in agreement.
"I'm starving" she said as they turned the corner. She was met with the most amazing sight. There were shops lining both sides of a wide street, vender's yelling their wares to the customers filling the street. There were merchants selling trinkets, jewelry, and so many other things Rose was unfamiliar with.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her over to one of the food shops, "two chips with a side of mustard please?" he asked the clerk and Rose gave him a questioning look.
"Trust me?" he asked and she nodded her head. The clerk handed them a package each and they began to make their way through the market.
The Doctor dipped a chip in the mustard and popped it in his mouth wile Rose looked on with disgust.
"Try it" he said and dipped another chip in the yellow glob, holding it up for her to take a bite. She opened her mouth and he popped it inside. She was startled when she tasted it, her taste buds alive with flavor.
"That" she said pointing to the mustard "is not ordinary mustard. What is it?" she asked as she took one of her own chips and dipped it.
"It's a secret" he said clicking his teeth together with the t. She gave him a sly look "really" he said in response to the look "I tried to get them to tell me but they wouldn't." Rose gave him another look.
"Oh, alright" he relented "I took a sample to the TARDIS for analysis the last time I was here and found out it's the same as what you call ketchup on earth."
"You're joking?" she said "That tasted like more than ketchup" she commented.
"Well" he said with a sigh "it does have a couple other things in it, harmless" he said quickly "well mostly…well maybe…never tested it on humans though…" he trailed off quietly.
He fished in his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan Rose. "Mmm…thought so" he said before showing her the screwdriver "see, harmless" he said. The screwdriver could have said she was dying of cancer and she wouldn't have known.
"Are you sure?" she asked
"Yep" he answered popping his p as he did so. He scanned her over one more time, pausing over her stomach. "Definitely" he finished.
Rose shrugged her shoulders and began to once more eat her chips, not noticing the look that passed over the Doctors face when she turned around. He looked at his screwdriver again and took in a deep breath before placing it back in his pocket.
As they toured the shops he stayed just one step behind her the entire time thinking. Whenever she looked at him he plastered his face with a smile and pretended to be enjoying himself.
There was another reason behind him coming here and now that it was confirmed, all he had left to do was figure out how it had happened. He had felt the connection, recognizing it the instant he woke up three days ago.
It was a distinct calling from his old days, when there were still other time lords around and his mind was always active with not only his thoughts, but of the thoughts of those around him. Although there were still only his thoughts circling around in his head right now, he knew that was going to change.
As they walked the shops, stopping here and there to look at something rose found interesting he thought back to three weeks and three days ago. That is when it happened, when they were saving yet another mass of people from certain death.