Intergalactic Playboy

Author: Jillybean

AN: This one’s for Sparks. Watch out for strong language, mature references and extreme angst.

This cold, uninviting, white room.

The window let the sunlight stream in, gracing the figure on the bed with warmth and natural beauty. On the sill, one of the nurses had placed a big vase of daffodils, they beamed cheerfully around the room, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere. The assortment of fruit in the wicker bowl on the bedside table shared the daffodils’ enthusiasm for brightening the room. Red apples, green grapes and yellow bananas, all ripe and ready to be eaten.

The Doctor could feel the pain in his lower back creeping up a notch and he shifted, kicking his feet up onto the second, unoccupied chair. Curving his spine over the back of his chair, he stared up at the soft yellow ceiling. The pain he understood, and what he understood posed no threat to him. The coma he understood, and he knew that it should pose no threat.

In two hundred years time humanity would come to understand that the electrical field produced by the human brain had properties beyond their wildest dreams. Right now, Rose’s mind had far from shut down, it was working over time to compensate for the damage that had been inflicted upon it.

He straightened up to look at the blonde girl lying on the bed, her eyes closed and her face slack. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to speed up the process, no other species in any place or time that would help her.

He’d looked.

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The fake pine door opened and Jackie crept inside. Her roots were showing through, grey and brown peppered together, and her clothes were crumpled. She had left last night to shower, change, and eat. The nurses had practically ordered her out.

“You’ve not left,” was her first words.

The Doctor shrugged.

The woman approached her daughter, leaning down to kiss her forehead and smooth her hair. Setting the bags to the side, she dragged the third chair to the other side of the bed, and eased herself into the uncomfortable plastic. “Don’t you need sleep?”

“I slept,” the Doctor replied. He rubbed his arms, standing and regretting it the moment he did. His knees almost gave out.

Jackie was quiet, holding her daughters hand.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised. Before leaving the room, he reached down to brush his fingers over the back of Rose’s palm. The gesture, and the ease with which he touched her daughter, sent shivers down Jackie’s spine.

“Why don’t you take her somewhere else?” Jackie asked as he reached the door. “I’m grateful for the hospital . . .” her shoulders shook as she spoke. “But why not just make her better?”

“I can’t,” he whispered.

“Can’t,” Jackie turned in her chair to face him, tears streaking down her face. “Or won’t?”

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Two weeks ago

“So to conclude my argument . . .” the Doctor trailed off, distracted by two pairs of legs walking past . . . “a pleasure planet can be no bad thing.”

Rose was staring at a humanoid alien, who was making eyes straight back at her. “Uh huh,” she said, half pulling him in that direction. “I’m not arguing.”

“I’m just . . . saying . . . is all . . .” the Doctor’s eyes widened as they passed a stall selling various eager slaves. “It would be foolish to try and interfere with a strong economy . . .”

“And they clearly are happy,” Rose stared at a female – or so she assumed – alien. The creature was certainly having fun with what looked like it could have been a sonic screwdriver.

“So if we stay for a while,” the Doctor turned to her.

“Just so we can get the TARDIS fixed,” Rose agreed.

“It certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing,”

“Oh no! A good thing, even!”

“Yes, yes . . . one could argue that point.” The Doctor took her hand. “But maybe we should stick together.”

“What?” Rose said darkly.

“It’s just that you don’t really know your way around . . .” he grimaced, realising what he’d said.

“And you do?” Grinning with delight, she took his arm. “Then lead me to the best bar!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

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Present Day

He ran into Mickey in the corridor. He hadn’t been watching where he was going, in all honesty, and even if he had, he probably wouldn’t have stepped aside. There was something immensely satisfying about having the puny human bounce off of him.

“Ricky,” he smiled dangerously.

“Doctor,” Mickey dusted himself off.

Extending a hand to help Mickey up, the Doctor surreptitiously checked him for damage. He’d broken enough humans for one year. “Jackie’s with Rose. I was stretching my legs.”

“Yeah,” Mickey rubbed his head. “Whatever. I’ll – uh – see you in there?” Rose’s boyfriend looked doubtful.

“Yeah.”

“You’re not going to like disappear or something?” Mickey asked.

The Doctor folded his arms. “I left my jacket in the room.”

Mickey frowned. “Do you need the jacket?”

“None of your effing business, is it, Ricky?”

Mickey didn’t reply.

The Doctor watched him retreat up the corridor, and found himself regretting his attitude. At this rate, he’d have to put up with the bugger for some time.

It didn’t bother the Doctor. He had more than a few lifetimes up his sleeve. It might be difficult to explain to the staff, mind. Well, he shrugged at a passing nurse, one Rose’s relatives gave up he could move her to the TARDIS. Then they would both be more comfortable.

“Is something wrong?” Nurse Chloe paused by his side, smiling gently at him. “You need a break,” she added pointedly.

“So you keep telling me,” he glanced down at her. “I’m just thinking about what we’ll do in the future.”

“Maybe you should go home for a bit,” Chloe patted his arm. “Get yourself cleaned up, shave, maybe sleep?” she laughed a little.

“I’m fine, really,” the Doctor said to her. He rubbed at his chin and was surprised to find stubble there.

“You know,” Chloe leaned closer. “We’ve got a pool on you. It would help my financial situation considerably if you went home at about two o’clock today.”

The Doctor appreciated what she was trying to do, but he didn’t want to return to the big, empty TARDIS that was sitting in the nearby park.

“Am I going to lose that bet?” she asked.

“You’ll have to wait and see.”