“Then that’s a good start.” Rose decided not to look at either of them. Them both being there was painful, and she knew it had been a bad idea letting them back into her life again. Yes, the second one seemed to know her better, but it still wasn’t enough to make her trust him
---
The Doctor finished wrapping her hands before releasing him. “We’ll get your knees and feet wrapped and then I’ll go and get some supplies to treat the soles of your feet and I’ll find you some crutches so you can get around until they heal enough,” he said softly.
---
Rose nodded. “I could really use Owen right now.”
---
The Doctor frowned. “Owen?”
“Medical doctor, likes to prod people and bitch and moan about it,” John supplied, as he began to wrap Rose’s feet.
---
“Has also saved my life a huge number of times” Rose replied tartly
---
“Which is why I put up with him,” John said dryly.
---
“He was around before you mate!” Rose shot back
---
John couldn’t help the flinch. Yes, this wasn’t new, he had been through this type of thing before with her but they had gotten past that and he was used to that now. “Right. Course. Pretty sure everyone has been… Tell you what, Doctor, I’ll go and get those supplies and find some crutches,” he muttered, finishing up wrapping her wounds before rising and moving towards the door.
---
“I don’t get it.” Rose said softly. “I just don’t...”
----
“What don’t you get?” the Doctor asked softly, watching his ‘twin’ leave.
---
“Him...I mean if he’s you...then why is he...like he is with me?” Rose replied
---
“He hasn’t told you? Actually, don’t answer that… of course, he hasn’t. He’s probably just said he is me but he’s also not me, right?”
---
“Yeah...told me what?” Rose demanded
---
The Doctor sighed softly, wondering briefly whether to tell her but considering the other man had his thoughts, John probably would expect him to tell her once he was gone.
“I don’t know the exact details on how, where and when it happened as he’s my future as well as yours. But.. he was created by an instantaneous biological metacrisis. Basically, from what he told me, I was injured and starting to regenerate but I used my hand… do you remember the hand that got cut off at Christmas? Jack had put it in a jar… which I still think is weird.” He wrinkled his nose up at that before continuing. “Anyway, instead of regenerating I used enough to heal before channelling the rest into my handy hand. Again not sure on the details but the regenerative energies in my hand then reacted with a human’s DNA and caused the metacrisis.”
He paused to let her take that in for a moment. “He has all my memories and feelings right up to that moment. He is me but with a few differences, the right hand for one thing.”
----
“I remember Christmas...of course I do...first...” Rose tailed off, trying not to look at him. “And that’s not what I asked, I...don’t...he looks at me how Mickey used to, but if he’s at least a bit you...then I don’t mean anything to him do I?”