Cold Storm

Previously in chapter six...

The Doctor recognized her questions as the feeble attempts they were, trying to stay awake rather than going back to sleep. And he was more than ready to change the subject. He offered her some of the warm water, pleased when she drank it.

"You really need to rest. The storm is letting up and by early tomorrow, I think we should try heading back. All right? Come on," he began, leaning back against the wall behind them and holding out his arms to her. "Sleep while you can. I'll be right here."

Rose sighed deeply and nodded her head, scooting close to him then leaning in and closing her eyes. The Doctor wrapped his arms loosely around her and rested his chin on her forehead, closing his eyes as well.

Chapter Seven

The Cold Road Home

As daylight broke through the early dawn hours, the sun began shining in through the window, almost enveloping the Time Lord and his companion as they both began awakening.

"Wow, it's really bright," Rose commented, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"Sun and snow," the Doctor stated, standing when Rose leaned back and stretched, grunting slightly. "Brightens everything up quite a bit. And it's a good sign! We can head back to the ship and get you taken care of properly. Get all warmed up then perhaps we can have a good, filling meal and a big steaming cup of hot chocolate. What do you think?"

"'M not really hungry. But gettin' warm? Don't think I can say no to that," she replied with a grin, not seeing the worry that shadowed the Doctor's features.

"I don't see how you can say 'no' to the hot chocolate," the Doctor quipped, reaching a hand down to Rose and helping her stand up. "All right?" he asked, watching her closely.

"Yeah," she replied quickly.

The Doctor grabbed his coat from the floor while Rose zipped her jacket up to her neck.

"Here, put this on," he said, holding the coat open for her.

"No, I'll be all right. You need it."

"Not really. Time Lord physiology. I can adjust my body temperature to acclimate to my surroundings. You, on the other hand, being human, don't have that capability." He saw her look of concern; perhaps it was skepticism. "Really. Remember when I went out for firewood? Covered in snow when I returned, but the coat had been wrapped around you, and I was fine. So come on, put it on."

Rose reluctantly put her arms within the coat and stood still as the Doctor wrapped it around her, tucking her within the garment.

"All right?" he asked yet again. She nodded, and the Doctor led her to the door. "Time for us to go home," he said to himself as much as her, then opened the door.

If Rose thought it was bright when she woke up, she soon realized that nothing compared to the stark whiteness of the snow-covered scenery in front of her. She raised her right hand to her face, blocking some of the offensive light with her hand. Within moments the Doctor grabbed hold of her left hand, and they began walking, the snow crunching beneath their feet. That and the sound of water dripping from the trees, and the occasional plop of snow falling from the branches, seemed to set up a rhythm to their steps as they trudged forward.

Both the Doctor and Rose walked in silence, keeping a steady pace forward as the Time Lord seemed to know in which direction to take them. Rose didn't miss the occasional glances of concern he gave her as they continued on purposefully.

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They'd been walking for a couple of hours when Rose suddenly slipped, or so the Doctor thought. It didn't take long to realize she hadn't lost her footing, but had become drained enough to falter. She'd obviously grown tired, and even without her memories, she still had that stubborn Tyler will that forced her to continue on rather than admit any weakness.

He'd ended up telling her that he needed a break, knowing she wouldn't fuss if it were for him and not her. They sat on a rock facing for a while, Rose coming out of the Doctor's coat as the sun offered warmth to them and their surroundings. And mud, she realized, noting her trainers were covered in muck as the snow melted quickly around them.

"We'll be back in the ship soon," the Doctor began. "I bet you're hungry, I know I am," he said as he looked around at the glistening scenery.

"I suppose," Rose answered, then giggled.

"What's so funny?" he asked, curious about her sudden amusement.

"I was just thinkin', you know, that we'd get back to the ship and you'd be running round like a monkey, lookin' for bananas."

"You're remembering," he stated, a grin growing widely across his face. Her gaze left her shoes and met his, a grin growing on her features as well.

"I am? Yeah," she nodded. "S'pose I am."

"Brilliant!" The Doctor exclaimed, reaching over and hugging Rose tightly. Too tightly, apparently ...

"Ow!" she hissed, and the Doctor released her quickly, suddenly mortified.

"Rose?"

"'M all right. Just got a little tight around my ribs. Come on," she said, standing."I want to get back home. To the TARDIS." She held out her hand to him, and he grabbed hold of it, standing up beside her.

As they began walking again, the Doctor placed his arm around her shoulder, realizing how much he'd missed their closeness, even though the span of time without it had been brief. He squeezed her to him affectionately, feeling grateful to have his Rose by his side.

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The walk back went by quickly enough, even though he kept their forward momentum at a slower-than-normal pace. The Doctor chatted about many of their adventures as they made their journey, easily prompting more of her memories to return.

They made it to the TARDIS within another hour and a half, and the Doctor immediately ushered Rose toward the Infirmary. By the time she'd gotten settled upon the couch, her eyes were already drooping, exhausted from their hike and the injuries she tried hard to keep him from worrying about.

The more they had walked, the more they talked, and the more her memories seemed to awaken, gushing forth as if turning on a fountain. At least he'd felt some relief with their return. But, there were still other serious issues to deal with, all concerning one fragile human body and the injuries it had incurred.

Having Rose lie back comfortably on the couch, the Doctor realized she was sleeping only mere seconds afterwards. And that was fine; he could tend to her wounds while she rested recuperatively. Which is exactly what he did, her soft snores a welcome sound to his ears.

Her injuries were not as bad as he'd originally anticipated, though he realized he had a tendency to fear the worst when it came to his companions. Especially Rose, he decided, as he sat there watching her sleep. He would have to be more careful with her. And perhaps, hopefully, she might allow it.

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Rose opened her eyes and looked around, seeing the stark whiteness of the Infirmary and recognizing it almost immediately, grateful it wasn't as blinding as the sun and snow she remembered. When the Doctor's face came into her line of vision, she didn't look worried or confused, simply smiling instead.

"Hello there," he said, his tone warm and welcoming to her. "How do you feel?"

"Hungry," she answered quickly, bringing forth a chuckle from the Time Lord.

"Excellent. How about the rest of you, other than your finally awakened hunger?" he asked, then watched as Rose closed her eyes, obviously assessing herself.

"Feel good, actually," she told him, a hand absently rubbing over her stomach. "Nothin's achin' anymore."

"You had a few bruised ribs and a bruised spleen. Bruises all around actually. Enough to play 'connect-the-dots', dot to dot to dot to dot. Which I was tempted to do, by the way, but I didn't. You also had a slight concussion and slightly torn ligament, which really, we already knew about, but I thought I should mention them since I am sort of making a list here. But nothing too serious, and nothing that hasn't been taken care of now."

"Thanks," Rose said almost shyly. It was at that time that her stomach grumbled a loud protest, much to her dismay.

The Doctor simply laughed. "Come on," he said, urging her to sit up, then stand. "I think a trip to the kitchen's in order."

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"You hardly eat properly to begin with. This'll help get your system in balance," the Doctor said, handing her a glass of what looked to be a murky, brown, thick liquid.

Rose peered into the glass, then looked back at the Doctor. "I don't think I want to even try that," she stated, placing the glass in the middle of the table. Not only did it look unappealing, but the smell was rather off as well. Besides that, they'd already eaten a fairly large meal, and her stomach was full.

The Time Lord picked up the glass and took a large sip from it, seemingly swirling it around his mouth before swallowing. "It tastes great," he offered.

"Good. You drink it then," she said rather quickly. Rose stood then, walking over to the counter and reaching in a cupboard, retrieving her favorite mug. "Think I'll just settle for some tea."

In no time, she'd made herself a cup, as well as one for the Doctor. Setting the mugs on the table, she sat across from him, noticing him looking at her, thoroughly pleased.

She waited a few moments, but when he continued staring, she found she couldn't take it anymore. "What?"

"Your memory seems to have returned completely. Right down to your favorite mug."

She thought about it for a moment, then smiled back at him. "Yeah. I suppose it has," she said happily.

"You suppose?" he asked quickly.

"I think so. I mean, I think I remember everything now, though I suppose I can't be too sure, 'cause if I wasn't rememberin' somethin', how would I know?"

The Doctor looked at Rose, studying her as he seemed to ponder her reasonable question. "Hmmm. I don't know." he answered, looking very puzzled.

Rose laughed out loud, but quickly her look turned serious. "One thing I never want to forget is every single moment of the time I've spent with you, though." she said sincerely.

The Doctor stood and grinned, reaching his arms toward her. She practically leapt out of her chair and into his hold, hugging him tightly.

"Neither do I, Rose." He bent to press a kiss over her crown. "Neither do I."

The End.

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