lj-cut text"A tincture of opium and alcohol"
bLaudanum/b
Owen's hands hit the keys. He could tell because words appeared on the screen.
His eyes moved back and forth in his head. He could tell because his field of vision changed. The sounds and movements of the hub continued as usual. As always, without a breath of wind. Jack never did install that air conditioner Owen pestered him about and now it didn't matter. Not to Owen. He could see people passing him but missed the draft as he passed. No wind. No air. No breath.
Jack appeared, striding forth from his office with purpose. A new mission.
He spoke. Commanding words. Names followed by orders.
Tosh. Gwen. Ianto. All were given tasks. Duties. Purpose.
Owen watched from his station. His face unreadable. His name was not called. There were nods and questions then heavy footsteps as they ran from the hub. Ran to save the world.
A minute passed.
Owen got up from his chair and wandered off in the other direction. His hand smacked the light switch on his way out. He could tell because he could no longer see the empty room behind him.
9.14 am. Owen was running late so he rode the invisible lift straight down into the hub. He figured the others must have been there at least an hour. At least Tosh would be there.
The room slowly appeared as the lift lowered.
It was dark.
No movement. No sound. Not even the computers were active. Owen frowned. It was like Gwen to be late but all of them? Something was wrong.
He tried the comm. but there was no answer from anyone.
He wished he has listened yesterday when Jack told the others about their mission.
He concentrated hard. Trying to remember any words from that conversation. Nothing was coming. Why did he have to be so self absorbed? Damn it! No.
Owen was stuck here, a prisoner of Jack's protection. The Captain wouldn't trust that Owen was fit for duty. Wouldn't trust Owen. It was Jack's fault. Jack and all his damn secrets.
A small part of him wanted to just leave him too his mess but then he thought of Gwen and Tosh. They had tried so hard to treat him normally. To keep the horror in their eyes well hidden. Much more effectively than Jack did.
He walked over to the computer bay and activated his machine. He opened his inbox. Tosh, bless her, had been giving him little tasks to do. Things that would be helpful without giving away too much about the mission, without betraying Jack's orders.
Maybe there was some clue in the latest batch of requests. His inbox was empty.
Owen kicked the computer desk and watched it shake. It wasn't very satisfying.
Maybe there was something in Jack's office.
The mess was unbelievable by the time Owen had emptied every drawer and cabinet. He didn't care. He looked down at the envelope.
"This had better be it," he said aloud.
He grabbed his lab coat and clipboard on the way out.
Toshiko knew the scent of prison. Before she opened her eyes she knew. She sat up and looked at the door. Heavy steal. The tiny cell. So familiar but different. Her stomach sank as she looked around the room. She was alone but perhaps the others were in cells nearby.
"Gwen!" she called out. "Jack! Ianto! Can you here me?"
There was no answer. Her head sank to her knees. She had to think but there was only a moment before the silence was shattered by a terrified scream.
It sounded like Gwen.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Gwen. The pain was unbearable, searing. It burned her soft flesh. Her nerves in her arm pulled taught as if trying to pull away from the pain. "I don't know about any Doctor! What the hell is a Timelord?" she screamed in fury as the blade was removed.
"You lie," said the mechanical voice.
"I'm not lying!" she screamed but they did not listen.
Owen pulled up in front of the dairy. Great, countyside he thought dryly.
He got out, stuffed his gun into his waistband and walked towards the long shed. Cows lined up for milking. White-clad technicians tending to them. A milk truck was being loaded in the driveway. It all looked very respectable. Owen felt a tad silly creeping towards a cow shed with a gun but he really didn't have much choice. He had to follow this lead.
"Phwar! Smells like zoo," he complained as he got closer.
He strode through the middle of the processing plant, looking down intently at his clipboard. No one challenged him. He reasoned if the team were captured they would be held underground, somewhere hard to reach. He hurried down ladders and corridors, meeting fewer and fewer people until there were none. Just empty corridors. After walking for another 20 minutes he realized he was way beyond the bounds of the building above. There was definitely something going on here. Yet security was non-existent.
Stupid, Owen. This is a trap. But it doesn't matter. I can't stop now and there is no point laying a trap unless you are protecting something big.
He went on.
Eventually the silence was broken but only by the ticking of an old-fashioned clock.
He never heard the footsteps. He didn't know anything was up until it all went dark.
They had smacked him on the head a number of times. He could tell because his head was thrown forwards over and over but they couldn't knock him out. In the end they gave up on that and simply dragged him along. He must have had a bag over his head blocking his vision. Protesting was pointless. He had walked into their den and, though he was putting up a good fight, he didn't want to escape. He just wanted them to think he did. They walked on for some time. He couldn't feel their hands but by their footsteps he could tell there were four of them. Little shame in being overwhelmed by those odds. Strangely, the sound of ticking clocks was following him.
A few more minutes and they stopped. The sound of a heavy door opening. A shove. Owen fell to the floor and ripped off the hood as the door slammed shut.
A tiny cell. Grey and steal-doored. He ran his hand along his waistband. Damn. His gun was gone. He kicked the wall then forced himself to calm. The others had to be here, had to be close. He pressed his ear to the door. Nothing and nothing and nothing and then a horrified scream.
It sounded like Tosh.
"I'm telling you the truth!" she screamed.
Jack smacked his fists on the door of his cell. "Leave her alone! Leave her the fuck alone! Take me! Take me instead!"
Footsteps approached, stopped outside Jack's door. "You are unsuitable," the mechanical voice said flatly and moved on.
"I'll give you unsuitable!" Jack roared as he punched the door so hard it actually rattled.
He started to sob in impotent fury. He barely heard a new voice from outside the door.
"Take me."
Owen? "Owen!"
He was strapped onto a tilted bed, cross shaped to hold his arms out from his body. There was little he could do but buy them time. The rest was up to Jack. Jack, at who's door he had dropped a sliver of wire, all he could manage.
They came to stand over him. All in masks and baroque clothing. Shiny masks and wigs. No expressions, their instruments extended from the end of their fingers. Blades and wheels. Owen could tell they were torturing him because he could see the blades tearing at his flesh. It would only be a matter of moments before they realized he was also unsuitable but maybe that's all he would need.
Tick tick tick
"Who is the doctor?"
Owen smiled.
"I am."
Bang
"They won't heal," Tosh said slightly reprovingly to Owen. "You know that. That was a very stupid thing to do." There was no anger in her voice now, just a lump in her throat.
Owen watched her stitch up the cuts with cool detachment. It should have hurt. It should have fucking hurt a lot. Tosh watched his eyes.
"Owen, the gang are going out for some pool and drinks. You want to come?"
He met her eyes and she smiled.
"Yes to the pool but Jack has banned me from drinking," Owen grinned nostalgically.
"Probably for the best,"Tosh smiled back. "Anyway, the pool is the best bit."
Dear Tosh, Owen thought as she slapped on the last dressing.
"How do you feel?" Jack asked Owen as he emerged from the pit before he flinched at his own words. This made Owen smile.
"My hard light drive is functioning within normal parameters."
"Huh?"
"Not a Red Dwarf fan. We'll have to remedy that."
"There are a few things we need to remedy," Jack said. Suddenly he pulled Owen into a hug. He put his hand on the back of Owens head. Owen could tell because he saw their reflection in the polished glass wall beside them. He missed that sensation almost more than anything. Almost.
"Welcome back to Torchwood Doctor Harper. Seems we can't do without you."
Jack let Owen go and he stepped back.
"Who were those things?"
"I don't know, to be honest. But I know someone who does."
Jack draped his arm over Owen's shoulders.
"Come on. Let's see what you can do with a stick and some balls."
"You're making me jealous," said Ianto. "You really are."
Owen smiled. To be back on the team felt really, really good.
/lj-cut