The Doctor woke slowly and looked through half open eyes at a room that was so pink he knew at once who it belonged to. “Rose?” he said, aware that somebody was in the room near him. He opened his eyes fully and tried to focus beyond the plastic clock radio that told him it was 12.45 in the afternoon. The last he knew, it was just after midnight so he had slept for at least half a day.

“No,” Jackie said. He looked up at Rose’s mother’s face and hid under the pillow. “Where’s Rose?” he asked from beneath the safety of two inches of fire-retardant polyfoam.

“In the living room. Where she’s staying. Platonic or not, she’s banned from coming in here while you’re… Well, anyway…” She put a cup of tea by the bedside. He peeped out from under the pillow and looked at it but was not, for the moment, interested.

He had something else on his mind.

“Who… undressed me….” he said slowly, his eyes widening in horror as he realised he was wearing pyjamas. He pulled the big, flowery duvet closer around him.

“Don’t panic,” Jackie said. “You haven’t got anything I haven’t seen before, Mr Time Lord from the other side of the universe.”

“Ok… I’m trying not to think about you checking up on that. What happened to me.”

“Susan says that your species can go without sleep for two or three weeks if necessary. Rose says she has NEVER seen you sleep. I guess even you have limitations.” She paused and looked at him. “Really… twelve hours?”

“Yes,” he said.

“That’s…. very exotic.”

“Its bloody boring,” he said. Clearly going back to sleep wasn’t an option so he figured he might as well answer her questions. “I think it’s the reason a lot of us joined monasteries and took to a life of meditation instead. Seriously, Jackie, I DO intend to do right by Rose. It’s just… your idea of right and mine – and hers… are different. You… were born in a council estate… you dreamt your whole life of getting away from it. But the man you hoped would do that died and left you Rose to bring up… and until I came along her life was a rerun of yours… and I know that bothered you. You wanted better for her. But your better… is a four bedroom townhouse with front and back gardens and double garage near Wanstead common. And that’s ok. It’s not a bad ambition. But it’s not Rose’s. It’s yours. Rose… is my responsibility now. The best thing you could do, Jackie, is find a man who will make that dream come true for YOU. You’re still young… you’re still attractive. Your dreams don’t have to be over.”

Jackie stared at him for a long moment. Rose had said he was psychic, as well as all the other strange things about him that had made them decide against calling in medical attention for him. He must be, because she had never even told Rose about Wanstead Common.

“You’re a fine one to talk,” she said. “You can’t even sort out your own family.” But he knew that was just her defence mechanism pushing back against being given advice by him.

“Whatever you say, Jackie,” he said, burying his head under the pink duvet again. “Now go away... and let me see Rose.” He heard her go out the door, and he drifted asleep again. He wasn’t sure if he dreamt that Jackie came back again later and took away the cold cup of half drunk tea. He was sure he was awake when she slipped in again with a fresh cup. Just how much tea did she expect him to drink? He hid his head under the pillow again and hoped she would go away and stop haunting his dreams.

When he woke again he was aware once more of somebody standing by the bed.

“Jackie… please leave me alone…” he moaned. “I’m not a bad person. I don’t deserve this.”

“Twelve hours?” Rose said and he risked coming out from under the pillow. He looked up gratefully into her brown eyes. “Out of interest…. What would I be doing all that time?”

“Looking magnificent in a formal Gallifreyan wedding gown,” he said. He sat up and looked at her. “You do understand… why I can’t…”

“Susan told me the real reason,” she said. She kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed next to him. He froze in panic.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s Saturday afternoon. Mickey has taken David and the boys to see Leyton Orient play Preston North End. My mum has gone shopping with Susan and the baby. They took one of your credit cards.” He looked concerned about that for a moment. Then he smiled.

“A small price to pay! And what about….”

“Jack has gone to find a pub where he once pulled a pair of crackers in the 1970s. That’s what he said, and I’m not going to ask! We’re alone in the house. So…So… come here and give me a cuddle.”

“Rose…”

“It’s ok. I just want to hug you. You’re wearing my dad’s pj’s, by the way. And for the record, mum is having you on. David put you to bed. She had nothing to do with it. You had us all worried though. Especially me. What would I do without you, my Doctor…” She pressed herself close to him and he slid his arm around her. She did feel nice, warm and soft and he was glad of her nearness. It soothed his body and mind knowing that she was near him. 

“Twelve hours…” she laughed. “It’s nice to think that you wanted to… It really is. But as long as you are around… as long as you are in my life… that’s enough.” She kissed him quickly on the lips and that did almost as much as an hour’s meditation for restoring his soul, but it did nothing for the confusion in his head.  She laid her head on his chest, a hand over one of his hearts. “Just hold me,” she said. “And let the universe look after itself until tomorrow.”

“The universe…” he murmured. “Why can’t it leave me alone. I wish I could put this planet in some kind of shield, keeping all the lowlife of the universe away from it, and then I could stay here with you, and know you are safe… and that Susan and the children are safe… Or why can’t I be an ordinary man, with no responsibilities except to my family… to you…”

“Because you’re not….” She said. “You’re the Doctor. You’re the man who saves the universe when it calls out to him. And I wouldn’t have you any other way. But… if it calls today, the answering machine is on.”