THE ADVENTURES OF THE DOCTOR'S AMAZING HAND

Chapter Twenty One

Rose yawned and opened her eyes. It was nearing dark now and the sun was low in the sky. She glanced down and saw John near her.

"Hello, you," she said with a smile.

She giggled when John flipped onto his wrist and waved at her. She reached down and caressed the back of his hand while John stood still.

"Thanks for being here with me. I know I've said it before but I really am grateful to have you with me."

You're welcome, he signed.

Rose sighed.

"Don't wanna move yet," she said. "We'll wait till it gets dark, yeah? Blimey, I'm spent. I don't know about Martha but I feel like I could sleep forever."

John saw her mood drop.

"Sleep forever. I've felt like doing that a lot since I was separated from the Doctor," she murmured. "Lost track of the number of times I considered killin' myself because I thought there was nothin' left."

John was alarmed at that. He hated that she was down in the dumps again and he thought of a way to bring her spirits back up. He smiled inwardly when he had an idea.

Sing, he signed to her.

"Huh?"

Sing something. I wanna show you something, he signed.

Rose thought for a moment and started singing Britney Spears's Baby One More Time. As she sang, she was pleased to see John dance around to it and her mood instantly lifted. She continued to sing while he danced around and then she had an idea. She turned on her stomach, put her hand down on the floor and arched her fingers. She began to imitate his dance moves with her fingers. John vibrated with silent laughter, walked over and danced with her hand while Rose giggled and sang. When they were finished, John flexed his fingers and bowed while Rose did the same.

Thank you, thank you, John signed. Now give me five!

He flipped onto his wrist and held his hand out while Rose slapped it.

Now, high five! He signed.

Rose giggled as he began to make little bounces on his wrist. He did that seven times and then made a big bounce. Rose slapped his hand in mid-air and laughed when he landed on his wrist and bowed his hand.

Now watch this, John signed.

He made a bunny head with his hand and began to bounce around on his wrist like a rabbit while Rose snorted out laughter. Once he got back to her side, he took another bow while she applauded.

"Hey," Rose said to him. "You wanna thumb wrestle?"

John vibrated with laughter and flopped down onto the side of his hand. Rose grinned and grabbed his hand. She counted to three and laughed when she tried to pin his thumb down. She succeeded and cheered while John shook his fist at her and then vibrated again.

"I love when how you shake when you laugh. It's so cute," Rose said to him.

John felt himself warm when she stroked the back of his hand.

"You're amazing, John. It's too bad you're just a hand," she murmured. "I wish you were a whole person."

I have dreams about that, John signed to her.

"What happens in the dream?" Rose asked.

John told her about being on the beach with her on the Doctor's hand while the other Doctor accused and condemned him. Rose frowned at that.

"Why would the Doctor condemn you? He likes you. I figured out that much in the short time we were together."

I don't know. That's what I see in my dream.

"And you're back on the Doctor's hand and there's another Doctor?"

I think the other Doctor is the original and I'm sort of a duplicate of him. That's what I think, at least, he signed.

Rose thought about that.

"Be interesting to see if it comes true," she muttered.

She shook her head.

"Listen to me. Few years ago I would hear stuff like this and think it was bonkers. I don't think that anymore," she said. "The strangest things could happen in front of me and I wouldn't bat an eyelid at them. First the Doctor and then Torchwood."

What did you see working at Torchwood? John asked.

Rose told him about a few of her experiences working there while John lay quietly on the floor and listened. The sun dipped lower in the sky and when it was just about to sink below the horizon, Rose finally forced herself to get up. She went to the bathroom and freshened up while John rested on the sink beside her. When she was done, John hopped into the sink and let the cold water run over him. Rose took a bit of hand soap and soaped him down before John went back under the water again.

"Feel better?" she asked when he was done.

Much better, he signed to her. How about you?

"My feet still hurt a bit but I'll live," she replied.

Rose picked him up and put him in her jacket before grabbing her rucksack and heading out the door. By now the sun had set and the moon began to rise over London. Rose looked around nervously for any other homeless men but to her relief no one was out. She kept to the shadows hurrying along as fast as she could, stopping every so often to rest on a bench. By now her feet were starting to ache and she had to keep slowing down and resting. After an hour of starting and stopping, she finally slumped down a bench and looked down into her jacket at John.

"This is insane, there's got to be a better way to do this. I'm never going to get through London at this rate."

John crawled out and sat on her shoulder while Rose put her hands in her jacket pockets and stared up at the moon. She heard a rushing noise behind her. Frowning, she got up to investigate and to her amazement saw a fountain running, lights illuminating the water and making it glow. She stared at it for a moment and shook her head.

"This is really strange, John. The whole of London is devastated and this fountain is still working and running like nothing's happened," she said, sitting down beside it. "I'm surprised the Master keeps it runnin'."

John hopped down and flipped up on his wrist.

Maybe this is his way of keeping everyone pacified, he signed. Give them a bit of happiness so they'll stay docile and won't resist.

Rose nodded.

"Hard to believe there's another time lord around. I thought the Doctor said he couldn't feel any others. How'd he miss this guy?"

He was hidden from him.

"How?" Rose said.

John briefly explained the chameleon arch to her. Rose's eyes boggled.

"He can become human if he wants?" she said.

John nodded. He noticed Rose was lost in thought and tapped her leg. She looked down at him.

What are you thinking about? He signed.

Rose smiled sadly.

"About the Doctor being human," she said. "Being human and growing old with me. I was just imagining what that would be like."

John was quiet while he considered that. He knew the Doctor loved Rose and wanted to be with her but held himself back because he would far outlive her. He wished there was some way for the Doctor to be with her for the rest of her life and grow old with her like she wanted but he had no idea how to make that happen.

"John!" Rose hissed at him.

John was jerked out of his thoughts and saw Rose ducking down under the rim of the fountain. He jumped down with her and then he saw why she'd done it. A Toclafane was heading their way. John and Rose kept perfectly still as it flew by. Then to their horror, the creature stopped a few feet past them. For one heart stopping moment they thought it had seen them but then it turned and went off to the right. They looked where it was going and saw a lone man walking along the pavement.

"Stop!" the Toclafane said in a male's voice.

"They can speak?" Rose hissed to John.

The man froze and stared up at the Toclafane when it got in front of him.

"Where are you going?" the Toclafane said.

"I'm going home. I've been out foraging for food for my family, since thanks to you and your friends all the shops are destroyed."

"You are prohibited from walking at this hour. There's a curfew," the Toclafane said smugly.

"Yeah, well you can take your curfew and shove it up your arse. I have a family to take care of so piss off and leave me alone!"

"You will stand still!" the Toclafane said when the man started to walk past him.

The man snorted and ignored him. Suddenly, they sat several sharp blades fly out from the underside of the Toclafane and to Rose and John's horror, the Toclafane attacked the man and began to slice him to bits while he screamed. Rose's heart stopped along with her breath and she could only watch in silent shock as the man was reduced to a bloody pulp by the laughing ball. Once he was done, the Toclafane rose up into the air and sped off leaving the mutilated man for the animals. John put his hand on Rose's head, comforting her while Rose let out a series of ragged, terrified breaths.

"John, what are we going to do?" she whispered. "How are we going to survive this journey with those things all over the Earth?"

John patted her head and rested there; giving Rose some comfort as she huddled under the fountain and cried softly.

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