A/N: Woohoo! A new chapter! End of term this week, so should be able to write a bit more. Enjoy, and please review!

xxxx

Her head felt dull and she felt something holding her down as she struggled to sit up. Opening her eyes, she blinked to clear the haziness and then looked down to find that she was being held securely in place by straps. Looking to her left, she saw an IV line attached to her arm.

She screamed.

"Doctor!"

Several seconds later the man in question came hurrying through the med bay door, his hair a mess and his eyes red.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to leave you alone, I just went to -"

"Untie me," Rose rasped, cutting him off.

The Doctor shook his head sadly. "I can't, Rose."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you mean you can't? Untie me! And while you're at it you can take this drip out too!"

No," he said, resolutely.

"Why? And what is this drip for anyway?"

The Doctor sighed and sat down next to her. He went to take her hand, but she balled it into a fist before he could.

"It's feeding you vital nutrients."

Rose's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Take it out, take it out NOW!"

"No," he told her, firmly, even though inside his hearts were breaking.

"TAKE IT OUT!" she screamed at him, struggling against the binds.

"No, Rose, I can't! You will die if you carry on as you are, that is why the drip is in you! And I'm sorry, but I am not loosening the binds until I know you won't rip it out," he said, more harshly than he intended.

Rose started at him for a second, then burst into tears.

"Please," she sobbed, "I'll be good, I promise. Just untie me, please."

"I can't," the Doctor said, gently this time, as tears dripped down her face, rolling down to the side and onto the covers. He wiped them away with the back of his hand.

"Please," she begged him again. "I'll behave, I really will."

The Doctor knew she was lying, but he couldn't help but soften a bit. "I'll tell you what. I'll untie them, but only while I'm in the room with you. If I have to leave at any point, they go straight back on. And all the while you're untied, you will not, I repeat, not, touch that drip – is that understood?"

Rose looked from him, to the drip, and back again, her face weary. "Okay," she nodded.

The Doctor carefully unstrapped her and helped her to sit up. "All right? Do you feel dizzy?"

"No, I feel fine. I keep telling you that."

"People who are fine don't black out every five minutes."

They sat in silence for a few moments, the Doctor watching Rose carefully as she eyed her drip.

"Could I have some water?" she said, turning her head to look at him.

"Of course," he replied. He got up and grabbed a glass and jug off the work-top, noting how disappointed she looked when he didn't leave the room. He sat down and filled the glass. "Here you go."

"Thanks," she said glumly, taking the glass and sipping the water delicately. She handed it back to him after a minute.

"Had enough?"

"Yes."

Again there was silence, and Rose began to fidget more and more, eventually unconsciously scratching her right arm.

"Rose, stop it."

"Stop what?"

"What you're doing to your arm – stop it."

She looked down and saw that her skin had become bright red and a small amount of blood had been drawn. She didn't even flinch. "It's bleeding," she said, sounding frighteningly detached.

The Doctor reached into the cabinet next to him, pulling out a bottle of TCP and some cotton wool. He poured out some of the liquid onto the wool and dabbed it gently on her arm. He was at least expecting her to jump a bit as it touched her skin, but if it stung, she didn't let on – she just stared straight ahead.

"All done."

Rose didn't say anything.

"Rose," he said, trying to sound as delicate as possible. "What do you know about anorexia?"

She ignored him.

"Rose?"

She turned to him, and through gritted teeth said, "I don't have anorexia."

The Doctor held his hands up in defence. "I was just asking what you knew about it, that's all."

"When's this drip coming out?" she said, changing the subject.

"When you start eating properly again."

Rose glared at him. "Are you enjoying this?"

That got him. "Do I looked like I'm enjoying it?!" he snapped.

She looked away from him and he instantly regretted losing his temper.

"I'm sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to shout at you."

Rose chewed at her lip for a second, then swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"Little girl's room."

He nodded. "Come on then," he said, getting up and taking her arm.

"What? You're not going with me," she said, pulling away from him.

"Rose, I either go with you, or you have a catheter put in. Not very pleasant and certainly not very dignified for you. What'll it be?"

Rose huffed. "Fine."

The Doctor helped her to stand and they slowly made their way to the bathroom. Once there, Rose went to close to door, but the Doctor held it slightly ajar.

"Now what're you doing?!"

"Keeping an eye on you."

"For goodness sake! Can't I have any privacy?"

He looked at her, his eyes full of regret. "Rose, you know I don't want to do this to you."

"Look, I promise I won't pull the drip out."

"I can't, Rose. This is how it's going to be until you start getting better."

Rose gave him a look of death and started to undo her trousers. The Doctor looked away until she had finished.

"There," she said, flushing the chain and washing her hands. "Happy now?" She stormed up the corridor, dragging the IV roughly along.

"You know I'm not," he whispered, before jogging to catch up with her.

xxxx

"How do you feel?"

"Pissed off. Anything else you want to know?"

The Doctor sighed. "No, I meant how do you feel in yourself? What are you thinking?"

"What are you now? My counsellor?"

He rubbed his face. "I just want to try and find out what's caused all this, that's all. Believe it or not, I want to help you."

"Funny way of showing it," she said grumpily, folding her arms over her chest.

He tried again. "Before, when you mentioned Reinette and you put yourself down -

Why did you do that? Because there is nothing about you that needs changing - you're beautiful. I told you, I only take the best."He smiled at her, but she just continued to glare.

"I'm tired," she said, putting her head down on her pillow and pulling the covers over herself.

"Okay," the Doctor said, and as she squeezed her eyes closed to shut him out, he bit down on his lip to stop the tears.