THE DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER

Chapter Eleven

They took a white passenger van to the institution. The van had room enough for everyone. Ianto drove while Jack sat beside him and chatted with him. Pete was behind him chatting with Mickey and Martha. Behind him, Sarah Jane was talking to Wilf and Sylvia and behind him were the Doctor, Amy and Rory. Hannah sat in the back by herself, watching the scenery while they drove across Tower Bridge to the other side of London.

"Nervous?" the Doctor said, turning in his seat to look at her.

"A bit. I just hope she's okay."

"She is. Rose may be down but she's not out. Believe me, I know," the Doctor said.

Ianto drove them a large building near theThames. The building looked familiar and then the Doctor realized it was the Bankside Power Station. The building had been converted into the Tate Modern back in his universe but here it had become a mental health facility.

"This is the Tate Modern," Sarah Jane said as they pulled into a carpark in front of the building.

"No, this is Bankside Sanitarium, it used to be a power station but they converted it."

"But in our universe, this is a modern art museum," Mickey said to him.

"There are subtle differences between the universes," the Doctor said. "That's why there are zeppelins in the sky here."

Ianto parked the van and everyone got out. They followed Pete towards the entrance and the Doctor took Hannah's hand and gave it a squeeze. When they entered the building, the Doctor whistled. The interior was completely different from the Tate Modern and it resembled a hospital rather than an art museum. White was the most used color and the Doctor shivered at the sterile and unwelcoming atmosphere.

"I hate hospitals," he muttered to himself as they followed Pete to a reception area manned by nurses in starched white uniforms. Around them were several residents. A few of them were talking to themselves and one was sitting on a wooden bench near the nurse's station, staring blankly at the wall across from him. Jack sighed when he heard someone screaming and cursing in the distance.

"Get…Rose…out…of…here…now," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Hannah noticed one of the schizophrenics was coming towards her. The young woman's blonde hair was disheveled and she had a wild look in her eyes as she pointed at Hannah.

"There you are, I thought I killed you," the woman said to Hannah. "Shut up, you didn't kill her, I did!" she said, turning her shoulder and yelling at the wall to her right.

"Daddy," Hannah whispered, drawing close to the Doctor.

"Here, come over here by Rory," he said, directing her to stand on the other side of his body so he could be between her and the woman.

Rory held out his hand to her and smiled when Hannah glanced fearfully over her shoulder and moved away from the mentally ill woman. Pete finished signing in and beckoned to everyone to follow him.

"Is she gonna hurt us, Other Dad?" Hannah said, pointing to the woman.

"No, I don't think so," the Doctor said, patting her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you safe," Rory said to her.

Hannah smiled at him. They walked past the woman but she was busy talking to the wall and paid no attention to them. But as they headed towards Rose's room, they saw several other mentally ill patients. Some ignored them but a few were drawn to Hannah, excited at a child coming to see them. The adults protected Hannah and told everyone to leave her alone and they backed away. Rose's room was near the end of one of the corridors and Pete stopped everyone at the closed door. Beside the doorframe was a small white plaque that had Rose's name on it.

"Wait here a moment. I'll see if she wants visitors," Pete said.

He knocked on the door and the Doctor's hearts raced when he heard Rose's muffled voice asking who it was.

"It's Pete, love. Can I come in?" he said loudly.

"Yeah," they heard Rose call out.

Pete held up a finger, opened the door, slipped inside and closed it. They didn't hear any voices while the waited except for the screams and yells from other residents. But five minutes later, the door opened and Rose stepped outside and looked at everyone. She was wearing a pink t-shirt and white scrub trousers and she was barefoot. Her hair was a bit mussed but otherwise she looked healthy. She had her arms folded over her chest but the Doctor could see a hospital ID bracelet around her right wrist. Hannah ran to her and Rose smiled as she embraced her daughter.

"I'm so glad to see ya," Rose said.

"Me too. I missed ya, mummy," Hannah said.

"So did I," Rose said.

She looked everyone over as she hugged her daughter and her eyes fell on the Doctor and she mouthed his name to him. The Doctor nodded and smiled and Rose let go of Hannah and put her hands on Hannah's shoulders when Hannah turned to face everyone.

"Pete told me what Hannah did," she said, pointing to Pete who was standing in the doorway. "I can't believe you came all this way just to see me."

"Well, we were charmed by Hannah so we thought we'd help her out," Jack said. "Besides, this place sucks; you need to be out of here big time."

"You're telling me? I hate it here," Rose said. "Come inside though."

She took Hannah's hand and everyone followed her inside. The inside of the room was a bit homelier with a few photos on a shelf opposite Rose's hospital bed and a pink quilt folded across the end of the bed. There was a tiny pink throw rug beside the bed and a rocking chair in the corner facing a small television on a small wooden table. There were a couple of framed paintings on the walls, a scene of a man fishing in a lake and a mother and daughter in a flower garden.

"I don't have many guests so there's only the rocking chair," Rose said.

"It's alright, we'll stand," the Doctor said.

Rose sat on the side of the bed and Hannah sat down beside her while everyone else gathered around the bed. Rose looked at the Doctor for a moment and then Amy and Rory.

"I know everyone here except you," she said, pointing to them.

"I'm Amy Pond and this is my husband, Rory. We're traveling with the Doctor at the moment," Amy said as she and Rory stepped forward a bit.

"Rose Tyler. I traveled with the Doctor in the past but he probably told ya that," Rose said. "Nice to meet ya."

"Rose, you realize you're in the Tate Modern," the Doctor said.

Rose chuckled.

"Yeah. And this place could do with some artwork besides this," Rose said, gesturing to the lake scene over her bed. "There isn't much decoration, except in people's rooms and then its only stuff like that painting. It's very dreary."

"That's why you need to come with us," Jack said.

"To the other universe?" Rose said.

"Yes, you and Hannah can stay with me. I have a spare room you can use," Sarah Jane said. "We thought you might enjoy a change of scenery."

"Actually, yes. I'd love to come," Rose said. "But I don't know if mum would like that. Have you told her about this?" she asked Pete.

"Not yet. When they came back, they landed in Torchwood and we came here without consulting her," Pete said. "But you're an adult and if you want to go, that should be your decision."

"And it was her decision to come here?" Jack said, pointedly.

"They made me come here, after I tried to kill myself," Rose said, holding up her right wrist and showing them and scar across her wrist. "They put me here for my own good."

"Well, if you want to go with them, I'll arrange it so you can leave," Pete said.

Rose looked at everyone and her eyes lingered on the Doctor.

"Doctor, can I speak to you privately for a moment," she said.

The Doctor nodded and Pete told Hannah to come with him. Hannah gave her mother a side hug and Rose smiled as she hugged her back and kissed her. The Doctor stepped to the side and everyone else exited the room.

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