Rose’s eyes were small slits in her face as she growled at him. “I hate you! Get out!” she shouted.
He stared at her, stunned into silence. In the three years, nine months, and twenty-eight days since he had first opened his eyes to the sight of her beautiful face she had never once said anything like that to him and they had had some decent rows now and again.
Jackie shoved him from the room and the door clicked shut behind them. He stood there, his mouth working, but no words coming out. She was really trying her best to not laugh at his expression. “Oh stop it, you idiot! Close your mouth! You look like a fish out of water.”
He snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. “Sh-Sh-She…” He stammered, “Sh-She just said she hates me!”
Jackie shook her head. “Of course she did, you dummy.”
Just then a loud anguished scream came from the room they’d left Rose in. He made for the door but Jackie stopped him. “Go downstairs and get us a cup of tea, yeah? I’ll go in and check on her.”
The Doctor did as his mother-in-law bade him. He was still turning over Rose’s words in his mind. When he got back ten minutes later, he decided knocking would be better than just barging in. He knocked four times before he heard his wife’s voice telling him to come in.
He was afraid to look at his wife. He handed Jackie her tea and turned slowly to face Rose. She was beaming up at him from the bed. Why was she suddenly looking at him like he was the person she most wanted to see in the universe when she had just minutes before told him she hated him? He was thoroughly confused.
Rose patted the bed. “Sit!” she commanded. He sat. “Are you going to say anything you numpty or are you just going to stare at me?” she asked.
He eyed her warily. “Are you going to start shouting at me again?”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “No, I’m feeling much better. Owen was just by and he gave me a shot of something lovely," she said with a sigh.
The Doctor relaxed a tiny bit. “It’s bad, yeah?”
Rose gave him a cheeky grin and raised her hand to his temple. She sent him the memory of all the pain she had been experiencing and he doubled over clutching his midsection. His tea slipped from his hand and spilled all over the floor by the bed. He groaned. The Doctor tried to sit up but his body wouldn’t let him.
“Enough, Rose!” he panted.
She took mercy on him and moved her hand away. He moaned with relief and murmured, “No wonder you hate me.”
Jackie rolled her eyes and said, “She doesn’t really hate you, you plum. It just hurts.”
“How much longer does Owen think?” he asked Jackie.
“Reckons she’s almost fully dilated. Shouldn’t be much longer now. I can’t wait to meet my granddaughter!” she babbled.
“Mum, we don’t know that the baby is a girl.” Rose protested.
“I do,” her mother answered, smugly. “I’m never wrong.”
The Doctor was secretly hoping for a little girl although he’d never shared that with Rose. He longed for a little blond daughter with her mum’s whiskey colored eyes.
“We’ll see soon, Jackie,” he said.
They’d tried one ultrasound but could literally see nothing. The Gallifreyan womb that had formed inside Rose was impenetrable with Earth technology. He could have built an ultrasound machine but Rose wouldn’t let him go off planet. They’d been able to travel in the TARDIS for the last two years but once his wife had found out about the pregnancy she grounded them both until the baby’s birth.
Rose squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry for before. I don’t really hate you.”
“See?” Jackie said.
He kissed Rose’s forehead. “I’m just sorry it hurts so much. I-I didn’t know. I thinks that’s why my people preferred Looming rather than natural pregnancy and childbirth.”
“Looming?” Jackie asked.
“Long story, Mum,” Rose answered. “I’d rather this anyway, Doctor. I really do feel awful about before. I was off my head.” She leaned her head on his shoulder as he stroked her hair.
He felt her whole body suddenly clench and he nearly jumped out of his skin. “Rose, are you all right?”
She panted and managed to hiss, “Yesss- ooh that hurts!”
He jumped up. “Do you want me to get Owen?”
“Yeah, I reckon that would be a good idea.”
“I’ll sit with her,” Jackie said. “You go find him.”
The Doctor raced out of the room. He came to a screeching halt just outside the room and realized rather than running helter-skelter through the hospital he could probably just ring Owen on his mobile.
Owen picked up on the first thing. “Yeah?”
Yep, still rude. He gave the Doctor a run for his money in the rudeness department.
“Can you come up here?” the Doctor asked. "She needs you."
“Give me five minutes and I’ll be there.”
The Doctor leaned against the wall taking deep breaths. He could feel Rose’s anxiety through their bond. His brave girl was terrified and hurting. He had to stay calm. He needed to project peace and reassurance to Rose, not terror. When he had reached some semblance of normalcy he re-entered the room with Owen on his heels.
He been so pleased when Owen had agreed to be Rose’s doctor. It meant frequent travel back and forth for Owen but he didn’t mind and neither did Gwen. She often came along as it gave her a chance to spend time with Rose. The Doctor refused to entrust the life of his wife and child to just any human doctors. Owen was the real deal though. As the medical director for Torchwood Three in Cardiff for the last few years he had both medical experience and extensive experience with aliens and their physiology.
The Doctor had searched his library on the TARDIS until he found the ancient Gallifreyan medical books on birth and pregnancy. He translated them into English for Owen and sent him copies. He wasn’t certain how human or Gallifreyan their child would be but he thought it best that Owen be prepared as possible and of course the Doctor himself would be present if an emergency arose.
The Doctor took a seat next to Jackie while Owen examined and talked to Rose. “Looks like we’re at ten centimeters, love. How’re you feeling?”
Rose was panting. “Like I need to have a big shit.”
Owen barked laughter. “Perfect!”
The nurse that was going to assist came in just then and they got Rose ready to start pushing. The Doctor didn’t know what to do with himself so he sat down next to Jackie.
“Doctor,” Rose said, “please come over here.” He went and stood by Rose and she clasped his hand in hers.
“Just bear down on my hand through the contractions,” he told her softly.
She nodded and bore down as a huge contraction hit her. He managed not to shout as the bones in his hand ground together. Damn, she was strong!
Rose pushed for twenty five minutes. Even though he spoke almost every single language in the universes, he had no words to describe what he was seeing. She was sweaty and red-faced. Her hair hung down around her face in clumps. As he watched her pushing their child out of her body he thought she was the most beautiful woman on Earth- on any planet. She grunted and pushed and shouted and finally the head of their baby appeared. After two more pushes the shoulders were free and out slid his child, into the waiting hands of Dr. Owen Harper.
Their baby let out a marvelously lusty cry and the Doctor started to shake. He leaned down and kissed his wonderful wife on the lips. This had just become the most glorious day of the Doctor’s long, long life. “Our child,” he said to Rose.
“Congratulations!” cried Owen. “You have a very beautiful daughter.”
“A daughter,” he said with wonder.
The nurse came over with the baby. “Doctor,” she said to him. “The umbilical cord?”
He snipped it with the surgical scissors he’d been handed and then his daughter was in his embrace. The tears in his blue eyes threatened to spill over. “She’s so beautiful, like you.” He could barely breathe.
She was an incredible weight in his arms- a golden shining light- it was like looking into the sun. He looked over at Rose.
“Can I see her, Doctor?” Rose asked with a soft smile.
“Oh, yes, sorry.” He gently placed his little daughter into his wife’s arms. “Say hello to Aurora, Rose.”
“Oh my goodness,” Rose said. “Hello, my love. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Aurora cooed up at her mother and then started rooting around her chest. She latched on quickly and it made Rose giggle. “Rude, just like your dad.”
He laughed. “She knows what she wants- nothing wrong with that.” The Doctor turned to look at Jackie who sat with tears streaming down her cheeks. He held out his hand to her. “Come on, Nan. Come say hello to your granddaughter.”
Jackie wiped her eyes with a tissue and took his hand. She stared down at her tiny grandchild. She looked just like Rose had as a newborn -all pink and yellow. Jackie thought her heart might burst. She touched her granddaughter’s little hand and Aurora curled her fingers around her grandmother’s pinky.
“She’s brilliant,” Jackie said, choked up. Aurora tightened her fingers even more and Jackie giggled. “Doctor, I have a feeling that’s going to be her slapping hand.”
He groaned and rubbed his cheek. “Fantastic! Another Tyler woman with a mean right.”
He stared at her, stunned into silence. In the three years, nine months, and twenty-eight days since he had first opened his eyes to the sight of her beautiful face she had never once said anything like that to him and they had had some decent rows now and again.
Jackie shoved him from the room and the door clicked shut behind them. He stood there, his mouth working, but no words coming out. She was really trying her best to not laugh at his expression. “Oh stop it, you idiot! Close your mouth! You look like a fish out of water.”
He snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. “Sh-Sh-She…” He stammered, “Sh-She just said she hates me!”
Jackie shook her head. “Of course she did, you dummy.”
Just then a loud anguished scream came from the room they’d left Rose in. He made for the door but Jackie stopped him. “Go downstairs and get us a cup of tea, yeah? I’ll go in and check on her.”
The Doctor did as his mother-in-law bade him. He was still turning over Rose’s words in his mind. When he got back ten minutes later, he decided knocking would be better than just barging in. He knocked four times before he heard his wife’s voice telling him to come in.
He was afraid to look at his wife. He handed Jackie her tea and turned slowly to face Rose. She was beaming up at him from the bed. Why was she suddenly looking at him like he was the person she most wanted to see in the universe when she had just minutes before told him she hated him? He was thoroughly confused.
Rose patted the bed. “Sit!” she commanded. He sat. “Are you going to say anything you numpty or are you just going to stare at me?” she asked.
He eyed her warily. “Are you going to start shouting at me again?”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “No, I’m feeling much better. Owen was just by and he gave me a shot of something lovely," she said with a sigh.
The Doctor relaxed a tiny bit. “It’s bad, yeah?”
Rose gave him a cheeky grin and raised her hand to his temple. She sent him the memory of all the pain she had been experiencing and he doubled over clutching his midsection. His tea slipped from his hand and spilled all over the floor by the bed. He groaned. The Doctor tried to sit up but his body wouldn’t let him.
“Enough, Rose!” he panted.
She took mercy on him and moved her hand away. He moaned with relief and murmured, “No wonder you hate me.”
Jackie rolled her eyes and said, “She doesn’t really hate you, you plum. It just hurts.”
“How much longer does Owen think?” he asked Jackie.
“Reckons she’s almost fully dilated. Shouldn’t be much longer now. I can’t wait to meet my granddaughter!” she babbled.
“Mum, we don’t know that the baby is a girl.” Rose protested.
“I do,” her mother answered, smugly. “I’m never wrong.”
The Doctor was secretly hoping for a little girl although he’d never shared that with Rose. He longed for a little blond daughter with her mum’s whiskey colored eyes.
“We’ll see soon, Jackie,” he said.
They’d tried one ultrasound but could literally see nothing. The Gallifreyan womb that had formed inside Rose was impenetrable with Earth technology. He could have built an ultrasound machine but Rose wouldn’t let him go off planet. They’d been able to travel in the TARDIS for the last two years but once his wife had found out about the pregnancy she grounded them both until the baby’s birth.
Rose squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry for before. I don’t really hate you.”
“See?” Jackie said.
He kissed Rose’s forehead. “I’m just sorry it hurts so much. I-I didn’t know. I thinks that’s why my people preferred Looming rather than natural pregnancy and childbirth.”
“Looming?” Jackie asked.
“Long story, Mum,” Rose answered. “I’d rather this anyway, Doctor. I really do feel awful about before. I was off my head.” She leaned her head on his shoulder as he stroked her hair.
He felt her whole body suddenly clench and he nearly jumped out of his skin. “Rose, are you all right?”
She panted and managed to hiss, “Yesss- ooh that hurts!”
He jumped up. “Do you want me to get Owen?”
“Yeah, I reckon that would be a good idea.”
“I’ll sit with her,” Jackie said. “You go find him.”
The Doctor raced out of the room. He came to a screeching halt just outside the room and realized rather than running helter-skelter through the hospital he could probably just ring Owen on his mobile.
Owen picked up on the first thing. “Yeah?”
Yep, still rude. He gave the Doctor a run for his money in the rudeness department.
“Can you come up here?” the Doctor asked. "She needs you."
“Give me five minutes and I’ll be there.”
The Doctor leaned against the wall taking deep breaths. He could feel Rose’s anxiety through their bond. His brave girl was terrified and hurting. He had to stay calm. He needed to project peace and reassurance to Rose, not terror. When he had reached some semblance of normalcy he re-entered the room with Owen on his heels.
He been so pleased when Owen had agreed to be Rose’s doctor. It meant frequent travel back and forth for Owen but he didn’t mind and neither did Gwen. She often came along as it gave her a chance to spend time with Rose. The Doctor refused to entrust the life of his wife and child to just any human doctors. Owen was the real deal though. As the medical director for Torchwood Three in Cardiff for the last few years he had both medical experience and extensive experience with aliens and their physiology.
The Doctor had searched his library on the TARDIS until he found the ancient Gallifreyan medical books on birth and pregnancy. He translated them into English for Owen and sent him copies. He wasn’t certain how human or Gallifreyan their child would be but he thought it best that Owen be prepared as possible and of course the Doctor himself would be present if an emergency arose.
The Doctor took a seat next to Jackie while Owen examined and talked to Rose. “Looks like we’re at ten centimeters, love. How’re you feeling?”
Rose was panting. “Like I need to have a big shit.”
Owen barked laughter. “Perfect!”
The nurse that was going to assist came in just then and they got Rose ready to start pushing. The Doctor didn’t know what to do with himself so he sat down next to Jackie.
“Doctor,” Rose said, “please come over here.” He went and stood by Rose and she clasped his hand in hers.
“Just bear down on my hand through the contractions,” he told her softly.
She nodded and bore down as a huge contraction hit her. He managed not to shout as the bones in his hand ground together. Damn, she was strong!
Rose pushed for twenty five minutes. Even though he spoke almost every single language in the universes, he had no words to describe what he was seeing. She was sweaty and red-faced. Her hair hung down around her face in clumps. As he watched her pushing their child out of her body he thought she was the most beautiful woman on Earth- on any planet. She grunted and pushed and shouted and finally the head of their baby appeared. After two more pushes the shoulders were free and out slid his child, into the waiting hands of Dr. Owen Harper.
Their baby let out a marvelously lusty cry and the Doctor started to shake. He leaned down and kissed his wonderful wife on the lips. This had just become the most glorious day of the Doctor’s long, long life. “Our child,” he said to Rose.
“Congratulations!” cried Owen. “You have a very beautiful daughter.”
“A daughter,” he said with wonder.
The nurse came over with the baby. “Doctor,” she said to him. “The umbilical cord?”
He snipped it with the surgical scissors he’d been handed and then his daughter was in his embrace. The tears in his blue eyes threatened to spill over. “She’s so beautiful, like you.” He could barely breathe.
She was an incredible weight in his arms- a golden shining light- it was like looking into the sun. He looked over at Rose.
“Can I see her, Doctor?” Rose asked with a soft smile.
“Oh, yes, sorry.” He gently placed his little daughter into his wife’s arms. “Say hello to Aurora, Rose.”
“Oh my goodness,” Rose said. “Hello, my love. We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
Aurora cooed up at her mother and then started rooting around her chest. She latched on quickly and it made Rose giggle. “Rude, just like your dad.”
He laughed. “She knows what she wants- nothing wrong with that.” The Doctor turned to look at Jackie who sat with tears streaming down her cheeks. He held out his hand to her. “Come on, Nan. Come say hello to your granddaughter.”
Jackie wiped her eyes with a tissue and took his hand. She stared down at her tiny grandchild. She looked just like Rose had as a newborn -all pink and yellow. Jackie thought her heart might burst. She touched her granddaughter’s little hand and Aurora curled her fingers around her grandmother’s pinky.
“She’s brilliant,” Jackie said, choked up. Aurora tightened her fingers even more and Jackie giggled. “Doctor, I have a feeling that’s going to be her slapping hand.”
He groaned and rubbed his cheek. “Fantastic! Another Tyler woman with a mean right.”