[Prompt] muse_write 14
["It has been said that 'time heals all wounds'. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone" - Rose F. Kennedy ]
“She'll be alright. Time heals all wounds.”
She has books and spiral bound notebooks scattered across the kitchen table. There are glasses perched on the end of her nose. There's a wrinkle between her eyebrows that might be permanent at this point.
“I can hear you, y'know.”
“Your mum's just worried,” Pete says. Jackie looks sheepish for a moment then outraged.
“Like you're not worried 'bout her too.”
“Mum, Dad...you can both stop worrying. I'm fine. I'm working.” She glances up at them over the rim of the glasses.
“You're always working, Rose.” Jackie's got that tone in her voice that warns of an oncoming lecture. “He wouldn't want this for you.”
Rose purses her lip and gives Jackie the benefit of a full glare. “What? Me working for UNIT? Think that's exactly what he'd want, Mum. I've got experience that most those people don't. I'm usin' it.”
“But you're working yourself to death! You're supposed to have a life.”
“A life doesn't mean I have to run out and get a boyfriend, Mum.” She takes the glasses off and pushes the notebook she's scribbling in away. “I'm working in a job that means something. M'not a shop girl anymore.”
“Nothing wrong with a shop girl. Least you weren't workin' yourself to the bone. You've lost weight, Rose.”
“Jealous you haven't?” Rose snaps then winces. “M'sorry, Mum. Didn't mean that. I'll go get some chips if that'll make you feel better.”
“It's not about that. You're just throwin' your life away on a bunch of numbers and books to chase after--”
“Don't.” It's a warning from the woman traveling with the Doctor created. More to the point it's a warning from the woman losing him created. Rose is different now; harder and more determined. She's grown up in all the worst ways.
“I just--”
“Mum, it's bad enough I have to fight with them at work. Don't you understand? The TARDIS is dying. We've got a finite amount of time to find him; to undo all of this. I can't-” She stops, emotion choking her words. She bites the tip of her tongue and shakes her head. “Need a bit of air. Get some chips.”
She's lying. She doesn't even consider the chips. It's straight to the warehouse holding the TARDIS for her. Tonight the ship is awake, soft blue light coming from the core. She crawls inside, closes the door and sits on the floor grate with her back against the console.
“Waitin' for me were you?” she asks quietly, bumping her fingers over the grate. Sometimes she feels like this blue box is the only one that understands how much she misses him. The others at UNIT don't understand her attachment to the TARDIS. It's a machine to them, a means to an end and a piece of technology to pick apart, but Rose is torn every time they pull energy from the core, every time they take a little bit more of the vortex. They're killing the ship quicker and she knows that but there isn't any other way to find him.
“That's why you put up with our lot innit?” She leans her head back against the console. “I promise you I'll find him.”
The light from the TARDIS core dims a little then brightens and dims again.
“For both our sakes.”
“She'll be alright. Time heals all wounds.”
She has books and spiral bound notebooks scattered across the kitchen table. There are glasses perched on the end of her nose. There's a wrinkle between her eyebrows that might be permanent at this point.
“I can hear you, y'know.”
“Your mum's just worried,” Pete says. Jackie looks sheepish for a moment then outraged.
“Like you're not worried 'bout her too.”
“Mum, Dad...you can both stop worrying. I'm fine. I'm working.” She glances up at them over the rim of the glasses.
“You're always working, Rose.” Jackie's got that tone in her voice that warns of an oncoming lecture. “He wouldn't want this for you.”
Rose purses her lip and gives Jackie the benefit of a full glare. “What? Me working for UNIT? Think that's exactly what he'd want, Mum. I've got experience that most those people don't. I'm usin' it.”
“But you're working yourself to death! You're supposed to have a life.”
“A life doesn't mean I have to run out and get a boyfriend, Mum.” She takes the glasses off and pushes the notebook she's scribbling in away. “I'm working in a job that means something. M'not a shop girl anymore.”
“Nothing wrong with a shop girl. Least you weren't workin' yourself to the bone. You've lost weight, Rose.”
“Jealous you haven't?” Rose snaps then winces. “M'sorry, Mum. Didn't mean that. I'll go get some chips if that'll make you feel better.”
“It's not about that. You're just throwin' your life away on a bunch of numbers and books to chase after--”
“Don't.” It's a warning from the woman traveling with the Doctor created. More to the point it's a warning from the woman losing him created. Rose is different now; harder and more determined. She's grown up in all the worst ways.
“I just--”
“Mum, it's bad enough I have to fight with them at work. Don't you understand? The TARDIS is dying. We've got a finite amount of time to find him; to undo all of this. I can't-” She stops, emotion choking her words. She bites the tip of her tongue and shakes her head. “Need a bit of air. Get some chips.”
She's lying. She doesn't even consider the chips. It's straight to the warehouse holding the TARDIS for her. Tonight the ship is awake, soft blue light coming from the core. She crawls inside, closes the door and sits on the floor grate with her back against the console.
“Waitin' for me were you?” she asks quietly, bumping her fingers over the grate. Sometimes she feels like this blue box is the only one that understands how much she misses him. The others at UNIT don't understand her attachment to the TARDIS. It's a machine to them, a means to an end and a piece of technology to pick apart, but Rose is torn every time they pull energy from the core, every time they take a little bit more of the vortex. They're killing the ship quicker and she knows that but there isn't any other way to find him.
“That's why you put up with our lot innit?” She leans her head back against the console. “I promise you I'll find him.”
The light from the TARDIS core dims a little then brightens and dims again.
“For both our sakes.”