Seuls - Chapter 9

[mtemplar_fic]

Title: Seuls
Author: mtemplar
Rating: Adult
Characters: The Doctor (Tenth), Rose Tyler
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Doctor Who' and am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Graphic Sex, Graphic Violence, Romance
Spoilers: Set mid Series 2
Author's Notes: This story follows the events in To Have And Not To Hold (first chapter of that story is here) and Not Here (the first chapter of that short follow-up is here). It is loosely based on the Fourth Doctor serial 'Image of the Fendahl', and contains elements from the 1996 TV movie and the novel 'The Taking of Planet 5'. Huge hugs to principia_coh for the amazing icon and banner!
Betas: Many, many thanks to platypus, brit_columbia and garpu!

Summary: The Doctor and Rose have been mysteriously diverted to the ice planet Seuls, located within the constellation of Canthares. It soon becomes apparent that things are not at all as they should be, and the newly-formed bond between them will be tested as the trap of an ancient enemy is sprung.

Previous Chapters:

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight

Crossposted to time_and_chips, dwfiction, Teaspoon and The Zero Room.






Chapter 9

Rose slowly regained consciousness and raised her head, blinking rapidly as she came to full awareness. The room she found herself in was dim... and was most definitely not the room she'd been left in previously. There was no skull, no dais, no uncomfortable chair - rather, she was lying face down on something soft and furry. She stretched out a hand, feeling her arm creak in protest. Wherever she was, it was obvious that she hadn't moved in a long while. Her fingers sank into soft fur, and she realized she was no longer wearing her parka. She didn't feel cold, just a bit stiff. She rolled slowly onto her back, letting her vision adjust to the dim light, and gasped. A familiar chandelier hung high overhead, its blue-green glow flickering within. She was back in the room where the Doctor was being held, but where was he? And how had she gotten here?

She sat up on the pelt-covered platform, immediately regretting it as a wave of dizziness hit her. After the room stopped spinning, she realized she could see the manacles that had bound the Doctor. The chains that had bound his legs were still intact at the end of the vessel, but the chains that had bound his arms were broken. Well, she clarified, one was broken, while the other hung over the side of the icy hull. Had he managed to escape? She hauled herself up and over the side of the carved vessel and cried out in surprise as she impacted with an object. A fairly solid object that was still chained by one wrist to the platform above. It moaned loudly as Rose crashed to the ground next to it.

"Doctor?" Rose said softly, biting her lip as she saw him wince in pain in the dim light. "Are you all right?"

"No," he responded, his voice wavering slightly. "Your ankle? How does it feel?"

Rose watched him intently as his eyes squeezed shut in pain. He was sitting on the icy floor in his suit and stockinged feet, with his knees drawn up to his chest. She noted that he was clutching his left arm protectively against his body. "You're hurt," she said softly. "This isn't a time to be worrying about my ankle."

"Welcome back," he said, managing a tired grin, his voice sounding unusually high-pitched.

The light in the room was gradually increasing, and Rose surmised that the dawn was approaching. She could see that a manacle still encircled the Doctor's left wrist, but the attached chain was broken, leaving a few links dangling from the cuff. His trainers were missing, and she guessed that he'd somehow lost them while slipping his feet free of their manacles. The chain binding the Doctor's right wrist was still attached to its mooring above. Rose glanced at the bloodied snow alongside where the Doctor sat, and realized that his left wrist was gouged and bleeding. She looked for something to bandage it with, finally settling on tearing a strip of her t-shirt from beneath her hoody. As she picked up his limp hand to dress his wound, she was startled by his sudden hiss of pain. "Doctor?"

"Shoulder," he rasped out, grimacing. "It's dislocated. Now that you're awake, I'll try to pop it back into place. But if there's any way you could break or undo this chain," he said, rattling the chain on his right wrist so that it jingled, "it'd be greatly appreciated."

Rose stared at him incredulously about his matter-of-fact attitude in regards to his injury before nodding and gingerly climbing back up into the carved vessel, trying not to tweak her angrily throbbing ankle or disturb the chain that still tightly tethered the Doctor. "How did you get down there," she asked, "and how did your shoulder get dislocated? Was it those men again? 'Cause I'd like to give them a piece of my mind right now -"

"Rose, it's not important," the Doctor interrupted. "I was trying to free myself in a hurry and... I fell. It'll heal up, no need to waste any time worrying about it."

Rose tugged carefully on the chain, but it held fast. "I don't know how you managed to break the other chain," she said, grunting. "This one's being pretty stubborn."

"Hurry, Rose."

"'M workin' on it," she replied brusquely. She tried tugging the chain in a different direction, but it remained firmly attached to the mooring. An idea occurred to her, and she slipped off the boot from her uninjured foot and started to hammer away at the mooring with the heel.

"Rose - what are you doing? They'll hear you!" the Doctor called, alarmed.

"It won't budge," Rose said, grunting as she tried to apply more force. Her hands felt strange as she did so - it was an odd sensation, almost as if she were watching someone else perform the action. "Doctor?" she said uncertainly, after tugging her boot back on with some difficulty.

"I don't think I'm able to pull," the Doctor said, his voice strained. "Sorry."

"Something's wrong," she managed to get out before another wave of dizziness passed through her. "'S like... I'm not myself." She couldn't hear if he answered, couldn't hear anything above a sudden odd, yet familiar loud roar that rang in her ears. It sounded much like the crashing waves of the ocean as they rushed onto a rocky shore. Her vision tunneled and dimmed, and she dropped like a stone to the pelt-covered platform as everything went black.

***************

Rose slowly blinked her eyes open as the world swirled back into existence. The room was spinning, and she quickly squeezed her eyes shut again, her stomach lurching. After a few moments, she cautiously opened them again, taking in her surroundings. She was still in the large chamber, lying on her back on the pressed snow of the floor. She carefully rolled to her side and up on an elbow, the snow scrunching beneath her. A low moan sounded to her right.

"Doctor?"

He was slumped against the side of the vessel, pale and trembling. His eyes looked sunken and hollow, and rusty blood from the wound on his forehead had left a trail down his face. Angry, purple bruises at his temples stood out starkly from the paleness of his skin. His right arm stuck up crazily in the air, still firmly tethered by the chain to the mooring above. Rose quickly went to him, her disorientation forgotten.

She knelt at his side, noting the occasional deep groove in the packed snow where he lay, along with scattered, small areas of rusty discoloration. It looked as if he had struggled with whoever had been here in the room with them, but she couldn't see any other marks or footprints in the snow other than the ones that had been left before.

The Doctor moaned wretchedly before slowly opening his own eyes. "Rose?" he said, uncertainly.

"Doctor, what's happened?" She quickly scanned the room again, making sure no one was lurking in the shadows. She reached out a hand to smooth his fringe from his forehead and away from his wound, but snatched it back quickly after seeing his eyes widen.

"Your ankle?" he rasped, his eyes nervously darting back and forth between her face and her left foot.

"'S ok, I'll live," she murmured. "Your shoulder?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "Still bad," he said quietly. "But I'll live." He grinned weakly at her before grabbing at the chain that tethered his right wrist. Grunting, he hauled himself up to a sitting position, keeping his left arm close to his body. "I think I'll be needing a hand with this after all," he said, tilting his head toward his left shoulder.

"I... I don't know what to do," Rose stammered, not wanting to hurt him.

"I'll talk you through it, but we need to hurry, before...." He trailed off, looking at her uncertainly.

"Before what?"

"Never mind, it's not important." With a small grunt of pain, the Doctor slowly let his left arm fall to the side. "You'll have to try to do this as quickly as you can, and yes, it's going to hurt, so don't worry about it."

Rose gulped and scooted closer to where the Doctor sat, his back propped against the carved vessel. "And it's ok if I touch you?" she asked.

"You're going to have to," he said, gritting his teeth. "It'll be ok. Pick up my hand."

Rose steeled herself, trying to ignore the nervous flutter of her stomach. She carefully grasped the Doctor's hand, feeling slightly sick at the unusual lack of resistance. There was no familiar squeeze, no toying with her fingers, just the dead weight of the Doctor's hand in hers.

"You'll have to support my forearm, one hand under my wrist, the other under my... ah, elbow -" The Doctor's voice rose slightly in pain as Rose grasped his arm.

"Sorry," Rose said, biting her lip.

"It's fine, Rose. Now you'll have to keep my forearm squarely b...bent," he stammered, "and my arm close to my body. Rotate my forearm out toward you. S...slowly, please."

Rose cringed as she maneuvered the dead weight of the Doctor's forearm, trying to move as slowly and carefully as possible. "How... how far out do I need to move it?" she asked quietly, her voice cracking in worry.

"Just until you feel some r...resistance... ah, right there," he exclaimed, his face paling further. "Keep hold of my elbow and wrist - now you need to bring my arm forward as far as it'll go."

"Ok," Rose said, watching the Doctor's face closely as she slowly maneuvered his arm. He was sweating profusely despite the extreme cold, his eyes were shut tightly as he bared his teeth, grunting with discomfort. She swallowed, wishing that she could take the pain from him.

"That's it," the Doctor whispered. "Ah...almost there. Now rotate my wrist back toward me and p...push up." He grasped at the chain that still tethered his right arm, his knuckles white.

Rose did as the Doctor asked, trying to move his arm as slowly as possible. He hissed in pain before Rose felt his shoulder suddenly give, as the bone clicked back into place. His mouth dropped open and his head lolled briefly, and Rose wondered if he had passed out. She carefully lowered his forearm, looking for something she might use as a sling. Finding nothing, she stripped off her hoody, shivering in her thin t-shirt beneath. She began to loop it under the Doctor's injured arm and around his neck, when he suddenly leaned forward, pressing his face to the crook of her neck. Rose started, partly in surprise and partly at the feel of his warm breath on her exposed skin. "Doctor?"

He was panting lightly, and didn't answer her. Rose finished tying the sleeves of her hoody together around the Doctor's neck, effectively immobilizing his left arm, and carefully moved to lean up against the side of the longboat, keeping his head pressed to her chest. The Doctor sagged heavily against her chest, his right arm still awkwardly tethered, and her breath hitched in her throat. Unshed tears began to blur her vision as she worried about how badly he might be hurt.

"Rose?" came his low, soft voice.

The sound of his voice sent waves of relief flooding through her, and she shivered, now noticing the cold as it began to seep into her back and limbs. "Shhhh, 's ok," she murmured to him, trying to keep the tears at bay through sheer force of will. Suddenly he shifted against her, moving his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly, gently - his tongue sweeping between her lips, parted in surprise. "Doctor," she managed to get out between kisses. "Your barriers... they're not...."

"Hmmm?" he said, trying to kiss her again. Rose put her hands against his chest and forced herself to carefully push him away. He blinked at her, puzzled.

"Your barriers," she huffed, trying not to lose her nerve. "They have to stay up, remember?"

The Doctor stared at her for several moments before looking down, his chin to his chest. "I'm sorry."

"'S ok," Rose murmured, unable to resist smoothing his fringe from his forehead, her fingers trailing down his temples. Then she suddenly stopped.

She looked at her hand against the paleness of his face. She blinked in disbelief. Then she looked again.

The bruises at the Doctor's temples exactly matched the spread of her own fingers.

Comments

[ladyprydian.livejournal.com]

Oh Gosh!!

They ARE controlling Rose! Shit, the poor Doctor. Poor Rose, she'll never forgive herself. He'll never forgive himself for letting this happen. The cycle of angst between the two will continue.

Damn those two really need to be locked in broom closet until they talk out all their problems.

Frig, now I really love Wednesdays. An update of your fic and CSI: NY (oh hush to those of you who don't like the show) make for an excellent mid week pick me up.

[prynne12.livejournal.com]

I like that...cycle of angst. It must indeed be broken.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Icon love!

Rose has had a blackout, yes - but that's pretty much all you know at the moment. And 'cycle of angst?' *grins* I like that. And why the need to lock them up in a broom closet? They're pretty effectively confined to the room they're in right now.

Ack - CSI-NY? I can't watch. I'm always wondering if they pay their power bills, 'cause I just want to turn all the lights on. *laughs* No promises on fic next week - will be out of town.

[melnay13.livejournal.com]

Ah! So, for whatever reason, the possession comes in waves, eh? Poor Doctor, so confused, and wanting to be comforted. And poor Rose! It's the stabbing all over again, only this time she is purposely hurting him:(

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

I think I've inadvertently latched onto a nautical theme here... hrm. If you've watched Image of the Fendahl, Thea isn't taken over at once - it comes and goes. And yes, poor hurting, confused Doctor, just wanting to be comforted... and he's not going to get it anytime soon, poor thing.

[sumeria.livejournal.com]

!!!

Rose is really not going to be happy with herself when she finishes working out how he got in that condition.

And... I can't remember, but was her ankle injured before, or did he do that while she was possessed?

Regardless... this was fabulous. Excellent chapter, can't wait for next week.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, things aren't going to go well for either one, actually. And lesse - Rose sprained her ankle back in Chapter 3:

Rose frantically scrabbled at the ice, looking for a handhold, but there were none that her mitten-covered hands could grasp. With nothing to slow her, she alternately fell and slid feet-first through the frozen walls of the newly exposed crevasse. She could hear the Doctor frantically shouting her name, his voice ringing and reverberating in her ears. Snow and tiny ice crystals flew up in her face as she came to a sudden, jarring halt, landing awkwardly on her left side.

She cursed under her breath as she did a mental inventory of her body parts. After wiggling her fingers and toes, she tried to roll to a stand and immediately regretted doing so as white-hot pain shot through her left ankle. "Bloody hell," she muttered.

Thanks! No promises on next week, though - will be out of town. :(

[thebadwolf91.livejournal.com]

I can't remember if I've commented on this before, but if I haven't then I seriously should have. This is bloody Brilliant!! I almost gasped out loud when I realised Rose actually IS being controlled, and SHE was the one that hurt the Doctor. Will she leave the Doctor before she hurts him again? But then how could he escape? How will either of them escape??
Aggh! See, this makes Wednesdays GOOD!
I am sooo looking forward to the next update.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Hello! *waves* Thanks for the kind comment - and so many questions that I can't unfortunately answer without spoiling the plot - sorry!

And apologies, but no promises on an update for next week - I'll be out of town. :(

[roxyk630.livejournal.com]

AAUGH!!!!! I WAS DOING JUST FINE TILL THAT LAST LINE! ZINGERS! You deliver ZINGERS!!!!! OMG ILOVEYOU! (And maybe with just a bit of bitterness for leaving me in this sort of "OMGCONTROLLINGROSE" suspense.)

But then it makes me go "ohhhhhhhhh will the kissing affect things..." etc. and how long till they do it again and... and... AUGH!

Fantastic chapter as usual. I really do love your writing. I have a habit of gushing everytime but it's true! I spent the last few minutes of this chapter with my jaw dropped going "OMG!"

Annnd now to figure out if I'm calling my boss to say that immigration is taking longer than anticipated and that I'll be back in the office tomorrow (i.e. taking the rest of the day off) or if I try to haul back up there now.
:P

[roxyk630.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Okay, just needed to get that last bit out.

Prin Seuls Ch 9 Comments 1 of 1

[principia-coh.livejournal.com]

There was no skull, no dais, no uncomfortable chair - rather, she was lying face down on something soft and furry.

That sounds… like the Doctor’s room. That can’t be good. If it couldn’t outright possess her, did the Fendahl slip some little seed into her mind that might be passed on if she and the Doctor connect telepathically?

She was back in the room where the Doctor was being held, but where was he? And how had she gotten here?

A fairly solid object that was still chained by one wrist to the platform above. It moaned loudly as Rose crashed to the ground next to it.

Awww, since when is he an ‘it’?

She noted that he was clutching his left arm protectively against his body.

Did somebody put something out of its socket in an effort to get free? Yeowch!

Rose glanced at the bloodied snow alongside where the Doctor sat, and realized that his left wrist was gouged and bleeding.

Ever seen Dragonslayer?

She looked for something to bandage it with, finally settling on tearing a strip of her t-shirt from beneath her hoody.

And now she can do for him what he did for her…

"Shoulder," he rasped out, grimacing. "It's dislocated. Now that you're awake, I'll try to pop it back into place.

Methinks he’s watched the Lethal Weapon movies a few too many times.

Her hands felt strange as she did so - it was an odd sensation, almost as if she were watching someone else perform the action.

Sleep dep, or something else?

…rusty blood from the wound on his forehead had left a trail down his face.

That’s still the old wound, yes?

Angry, purple bruises at his temples stood out starkly from the paleness of his skin.

Ugh, gawd, that’s bad. Striking people against the temple is a really good way to make sure you haven’t got anyone to strike against the temple anymore.

Seems like the Fendahl at least managed to get a foothold with Rose. Did it take over, and get frustrated when it either couldn’t get anywhere with the Doctor, or couldn’t get sufficient control of Rose?

His right arm stuck up crazily in the air, still firmly tethered by the chain to the mooring above.

*picturing the becuffed scene from FotD*

"Rose?" he said, uncertainly.

Ruh-roh, Raggy.

She reached out a hand to smooth his fringe from his forehead and away from his wound, but snatched it back quickly after seeing his eyes widen.

You could always poke him with a stick instead. *eyeroll*

"I'll talk you through it, but we need to hurry, before...." He trailed off, looking at her uncertainly.

"Before what?"

Given that no goons turned up (from the lack of footprints), that would probably be before the Fendahl is able to assert itself again?

Man, Rose and Sarah Jane have more in common all the time!

There was no familiar squeeze, no toying with her fingers, just the dead weight of the Doctor's hand in hers.

All the better not to stir anything with?

"It's fine, Rose. Now you'll have to keep my forearm squarely b...bent," he stammered, "and my arm close to my body. Rotate my forearm out toward you. S...slowly, please."

How many times have you had to do this before?

Finding nothing, she stripped off her hoody, shivering in her thin t-shirt beneath.

They really would do just about anything for each other, wouldn’t they?

She began to loop it under the Doctor's injured arm and around his neck, when he suddenly leaned forward, pressing his face to the crook of her neck.

Not a good time to start, Doc! Although if keeping himself mildly titillated acts to suppress the pain, the two of them counteracting one another might keep him in a fairly balanced state.

Suddenly he shifted against her, moving his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly, gently - his tongue sweeping between her lips, parted in surprise.

How was he supposed to resist soft, warm Rose flesh? Or is he just trying to keep Rose Rose as long as possible?

She looked at her hand against the paleness of his face. She blinked in disbelief. Then she looked again.

The bruises at the Doctor's temples exactly matched the spread of her own fingers.

Yep, that would be bad. Very bad.

Re: Prin Seuls Ch 9 Comments 1 of 1

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

That sounds… like the Doctor’s room. That can’t be good. If it couldn’t outright possess her, did the Fendahl slip some little seed into her mind that might be passed on if she and the Doctor connect telepathically?

She *is* back in the room where the Doctor is being held, yes. And... hrm. Can't comment on the rest just yet, sorry!

Awww, since when is he an ‘it’?

*laughs* Since Rose doesn't realize he's down there!

Did somebody put something out of its socket in an effort to get free? Yeowch!

Someone was trying really, really hard to free himself and had a nasty, awkward fall, yes.

Ever seen Dragonslayer?

I think I have, but it was a really long time ago, and I honestly don't remember much about it, other than the fact that there was a dragon. *headdesk*

And now she can do for him what he did for her…

That's true! Only she doesn't quite get it done, and he'll remember.

Methinks he’s watched the Lethal Weapon movies a few too many times.

*grins* Nah, he knows what's wrong and doesn't want Rose to touch him if he can avoid it. Which is pretty much all bravado.

Sleep dep, or something else?

That would be something else.

That’s still the old wound, yes?

Yep - it's opened up again.

Ugh, gawd, that’s bad. Striking people against the temple is a really good way to make sure you haven’t got anyone to strike against the temple anymore.

Seems like the Fendahl at least managed to get a foothold with Rose. Did it take over, and get frustrated when it either couldn’t get anywhere with the Doctor, or couldn’t get sufficient control of Rose?

He wasn't struck. The marks match the imprint of Rose's fingers. All Rose knows at the moment is that she's blacked out, and has no memory of how the Doctor was injured.

Given that no goons turned up (from the lack of footprints), that would probably be before the Fendahl is able to assert itself again?

Man, Rose and Sarah Jane have more in common all the time!

He's not telling her his suspicion because he isn't sure that he's correct.

How many times have you had to do this before?

Myself or the Doctor? If it's the Doctor, maybe a handful of times? I had a line in there before about him thanking Dr Kocher, but I decided he wouldn't be able to, and took it out.

They really would do just about anything for each other, wouldn’t they?

Pretty much, yeah. If she still had her parka, she'd probably be draping it over him, too.

Not a good time to start, Doc! Although if keeping himself mildly titillated acts to suppress the pain, the two of them counteracting one another might keep him in a fairly balanced state.

Ha! Once the joint popped back into place, he'd have immediate relief of most of the pain. He just wants some comforting, poor thing.

How was he supposed to resist soft, warm Rose flesh? Or is he just trying to keep Rose Rose as long as possible?

Pain is not good when one is trying desperately to keep one's barriers up.

Yep, that would be bad. Very bad.

Not good at all, is it?

[catyuy.livejournal.com]

Oh dear.
Good job.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Your immortal soul is at a loss for words... my work here is done. *grins*

[garpu.livejournal.com]

It'll be interesting to see how they get out of this one. and there'd better be some good comfort. ;)

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Have I sent you the next few yet? *can't remember for the life of her*

[javabreeze.livejournal.com]

*gasps* WOW. Those last few lines... wow. I can't believe that Rose might have been the one subjecting the Doctor to whatever torment he's been through. This chapter as excellent.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it doesn't look good, does it? Thanks for the kind comment!

[editrx.livejournal.com]

Poor Rose. And poor Doctor. (And fingers to his temples ... oh so not good.) You really do like beating him up, don't you?

I see he had a posterior dislocation. Ow! No wonder he was sweating and pale.

I had typed this long funny story about how baron_elric has a spontaneously dislocating shoulder and how it happened at 2am one night with a hell of a posterior dislocation, and how he was naked and our small town EMTs and fire chief (first responder) came to the house and how I ended up in the living room talking to the fire chief all calm and normal-like while Elric was naked and screaming upstairs and the EMTs are all trying not to laugh while his bits were hanging out, and how absurd the entire situation was ... and then this damn log-in page at the hospital popped me out of the post page and the entire comment was lost.

Arg. But there you are. Absurd anterior dislocation complete with a naked man. :)

[principia-coh.livejournal.com]

Arg. But there you are. Absurd anterior dislocation complete with a naked man. :)

byronczimmer has the same issue with one of his knees, although it usually pops back in on its own fairly quickly. The one thought-we'd-need-an-ambulance-'cos-it-wasn't-going-back-in incident happened the week before our wedding - fortunately it still went back in, it just took several minutes rather than the few seconds it normally does.

I hope your study is going well and it proves fruitful for you!

[nagini16.livejournal.com]

wow thats a great chapter!! cant believe those last few lines!! is rose hurting the doctor?!!!! i cant believe it update again im loving this

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! All Rose knows at this point is she's blacked out, the Doctor's been through the wringer and all signs point to her as being the culprit - ack!

Next update will likely be in two weeks - I'll be out of town next Wednesday. :( Apologies!

[salimali.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, thats what I was worried about, its Rose (possessed) thats hurting him. Oh god!!
Have I really got to wait another week?



ps, Sali23 from teaspoon- couldn't wait for the update over there :-)

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm... it'll probably end up being two, as I'm away next week. Sowwy!

I was so excited when the chapter last week was up within an hour at Teaspoon, but I suppose it was a fluke? Dunno. It's frustrating.

[scilera.livejournal.com]

Oh god. The first time she said it felt like they weren't her hands I got really nervous. The second time she wakes up, the bit about the bruises on his temple made me squirmy and the line about "Before...nevermind" made me absolutely sick to my stomach cause it all pieced together into Rose's possession. It takes some damn good storytelling to affect me like that. I love your writing and I love this story and next Wednesday cannot come soon enough.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm... all Rose knows right now is that she's blacked out, the Doctor is hurt, and it looks as though she's the culprit! Having the story framed from her POV makes it a bit tricky, but hopefully worthwhile in the end. And believe it or not, the fact that you had a visceral reaction to Rose's plight makes my day, thanks.

Next chapter will prolly go up in 2 weeks - I'll be out of town next Wednesday. :( sowwy!

[dudewithak.livejournal.com]

GOD! THESE TWO HAVE ISSUES!

Gotta work this stuff out!

Great chapter!

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Issues? Issues?!? Oh, you have no idea the issues these two will have. *grins*

Thanks!

[jesmel.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor Doctor. Poor Rose. What is happening when she blacks out? And do I really have to wait to find out?

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Ah... that's the problem. We're in Rose's POV, so if she blacks out, you'll have no idea what's going on unless the Doctor chooses to tell her, which he won't. That'll be rectified later.

Sorry for the wait. *grovels*

[scubagurl22.livejournal.com]

So after reading the fantastic chapter this week and then the comments (where the spoilers hide *grins*)

1. What do you mean he wasn't struck?

2. Why does he keep asking about her ankle? He isn't deliberatly hurting her there for some reason is he? Or is possessed!Doctor hurting her there?

3. And he said Welcome back... what happened while she was in that room? The doctor didn't appear to happy to see her.

2 weeks? Really? Well, I suppose I can wait that long. ;)

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Spoilers! Naughty you! *grins*

1. He wasn't. The bruises at his temples match the imprint of Rose's fingers. If you strike someone with just your fingers, then a) it's really going to hurt your fingers, and b) finger-striking alone usually doesn't leave a mark. The bruises are from something else.

2. Rose sprained her ankle pretty good back in Chapter 3. The Doctor is asking about it for two reasons - a) he's worried about her, of course, and b) something that will become clear later. *grins*

3. Yes, he did! And what happened in that room happened while Rose was blacked out? That's the problem with Rose's POV - you're not going to find out exactly for another few chapters. And no, the Doctor was somewhat happy to see her... he's glad she's ok.

And yeah, I'm pretty sure it'll be two weeks, but we'll see. :P

[lucyd3.livejournal.com]

OMG, they've got Rose, and she's hurt the Doctor!!! This is so not good. Hope your out-of-town stuff goes well and you are back QUICKLY to get them out of this mess!!!

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Nope, not good at all for either one of them.

The out-of-town stuff is in chaos right now - hopefully it irons out, thanks.

[dragonmom64.livejournal.com]

Oh noes!!! This is bad, bad, bad! Rose is apparently not fully under their control...but how much longer will she be able to hold out? And now the Doctors' barriers are down.....MEEEP!!!

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Mmmmm... the barriers aren't down yet, but they're on their way. Poor Doctor, he just wants some comforting and he's not going to get what he wants, at least not yet. Thanks for the kind comment.

[morgaine-nicely.livejournal.com]

between your story and battlestar galactica each week it's filled with nothing but angst and drama! lol :)
keep up the good work. I'm hoping it turns out well, i do like how you're connecting rose with what's happening to the doctor, "what a twist!" :)

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

i do like how you're connecting rose with what's happening to the doctor

That's the problem right now - is that they are connected, via the bond. Angst, ahoy! Thanks for the kind comment.

[littlebatti.livejournal.com]

OMG! The moment the Doctor asked about Rose's ankle, the first time, I got the feeling of dread. Something bad is happening to Rose. Noooooooooo!!!!!
You are queen of cliffhangers.

Commenting late again. Mum left and 2 hours later we got more house guests for a week.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

And here I am replying late. *hugs* Hope you're doing well.

Yes, something very bad is happening - to both of them, not just Rose, unfortunately.

[tempusdominus10.livejournal.com]

Drool. wahooooo

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

Drool? Poor Ten is injured! He needs a hug.

[ascendant-angel.livejournal.com]

I'm now glad I had the wise idea to hold off reading this until you were back writing again. Happily I can just skip straight on to the next part now and hope its gonna tell me what the hells going on. I'm sure I'll find another cliff hanger there because it is of course your speciality, but there's no way I could hold out reading this any longer.

[mtemplar-fic.livejournal.com]

*shuffles feet* Maybe it would be best, then to wait until the entire thing is done?