The Day Björk Sang in Autopsy
The day they've heard strange music from the autopsy bay, Jack knew something was wrong. He went down there to investigate and found a very quiet doctor, busying himself with some kind of samples or another.
Over the years they all got used to Owen's choice of music he was listening to while conducting an autopsy or examination of some alien stuff. After all, they'd have to listen to it, too, since there had been no soundproof walls between the autopsy bay and the rest of the hub.
It has often been heavy metal music or dance and even Hip-Hop, but never before... this.
**
Jack leant on the railing of the autopsy bay, studying what Owen was studying. Or was pretending to do so. He looked very tired.
"What's that, mate?" Jack asked casually.
Owen never bothered to look up.
"An Entorrostorite," he said. „You know it. You've caught it."
"The music, Owen," Jack said.
Owen stopped a beat.
"Björk," he answered deadpanned.
"You sick?" Jack asked, not entirely kidding, taking in Owen's exhausted appearance.
Owen took a moment to think about it. That was what Jack troubled the most.
"No," he said finally. „Don't think so."
Jack descended from the stairs, looking slightly worried.
"Well," he said, "You're the doctor, after all. Hungover?"
Owen sighed heavily, then finally met Jack's gaze.
"No," he said. "Jack, I'm fine."
Jack scrutinized him once more.
"Of course you are," he said.
**
After listening to weird kinds of music the better part of the afternoon and the evening, Toshiko went down to the autopsy bay and pressed some buttons on the iPod until she found something more colourful. It was something played by Hard-Fi and she and Gwen made a show of singing along while Owen was uncharacteristically quiet about a girl messing with his iPod.
Ianto met Jack in his office. Seeing him standing at the window, watching Gwen and Tosh trying to cheer up Owen, he asked:
"Jack? You okay?"
Jack turned to him and smiled.
"Yes," he said. "Though I think something's wrong with our medic."
**
Owen didn't leave the hub that night.
At some random point just before two o'clock, Jack met him at his workstation, putting a mug of coffee in front of him. Owen looked up, puzzled.
"That's not healthy, you know," Jack said, letting himself slump into Toshiko's chair in front of her computer, turning it to face Owen. "Staring on that screen for hours without taking a break..."
"Really?" Owen muttered.
There was silence for a few moments and Owen almost forgot about the coffee or his boss. He continued checking his computer for certain documents he was working at for hours now and he-
"Hey," Jack said. "Don't you dare ignore me. Are you downloading something slimy or what?"
Owen sighed and turned to Jack.
"What is it, Jack?" he asked. "I'm actually working here!"
"At that time of the night with no emergency on?" Jack asked. "You should be asleep. Or clubbing. Or something."
"Yeah, well," Owen said. "I'm not. So bugger off."
With that he turned to his computer once more.
"What's nagging at you, Owen?" Jack asked quietly. "You can't sleep anymore. Something on your mind?"
He could tell Owen was considering, then the moment was gone and Owen shook simply his head, not looking at Jack.
Jack sighed heavily.
"Okay, then," Jack said and got up. "I'll leave you to your work. But I want you to bring it to an end this very hour and try and get some sleep. Tonight, Owen."
Owen nodded, than suddenly said:
"It's just a...feeling..."
Jack instantly sat again. When Owen didn't continue, he asked softly:
"What kind of feeling?"
Owen hesitated.
"A bad one," he finally said.
Jack nodded.
"Can you be more specific?" he asked.
Owen glanced at him and suddenly looked very young.
"A foreshadowing... or something," he said.
"Of some kind...," Jack said and sighed. It was like pulling teeth.
Owen nodded.
"But you don't know what kind... just a... feeling?" Jack asked.
Owen nodded again. He seemed to brood.
When it was clear that Owen wouldn't say any more, Jack squeezed his shoulder and pointed at the couch in the lobby.
"Get some sleep, Owen," he said. "Or go home. Let's hope that you're not infected with some strange alien virus or something. Whatever it is, just sleep it off, will you?"
Owen nodded. He turned to his computer, shut it down, got over to the sofa and collapsed on it. He didn't move anymore.
Jack has watched him bewildered. When it came to his own health, Owen never followed anyone's advices but his own. Jack has often asked himself if Owen was taking stimulants to survive through long days and nights of work, especially in a crisis. On how many occasions has Owen been on duty for 36 hours or even more without apparently getting tired?
Not this time, that much was true.
Jack sighed and went looking for a blanket.
**
The day after Owen was looking for him in his office.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Owen asked.
"Sure," Jack said, pointing to a chair, which Owen was ignoring.
"I need a day off," he spoke up.
Jack said nothing, trying to provoke Owen into a statement of some kind.
"It's a private affair," Owen added.
"Okay," Jack said. "No big deal, Owen. Take the time you need."
"Just one day," Owen said determined.
"I said it's okay, Owen," Jack verified. "Relax."
Owen sighed heavily and nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "Sorry." He wouldn't meet Jack's concerned gaze. "I'll be gone tonight and will be back on duty day after tomorrow, if that's okay with you."
When Jack didn't speak, Owen finally looked up.
"You need any help?" Jack asked.
Owen shook his head.
"You can't help," he said. "Thanks anyway."
He turned and left Jack's office.
**
Owen was late and Jack was getting worried when Ianto entered his office, a mug of coffee in one hand, a plate of sandwiches in the other. He was smiling.
"You've been in here for hours," he complained. "The girls went home some time ago."
Jack checked his watch.
"Ah," he said. "Yeah." He sighed. "Any word of Owen?"
Ianto shook his head slowly .
"Maybe it's the traffic," he said.
Jack glanced up.
"What traffic?" he asked. "Where?"
"The M4," Ianto said. "Can be crowded at times."
Jack stared at him.
"What are you talking about, Ianto?" he asked, puzzled. "Do you actually know where Owen is?"
Ianto smirked a bit, just for a second.
"You don't?" he asked.
Jack shook his head.
"I didn't ask," he said. "He wanted a day off. I granted him that day and he's late for reporting back."
"He was going to go to London," Ianto said. "His mother has passed away. Three days ago."
Jack simply stared at him for a minute, than sighed heavily.
"Jesus," he said. "Why didn't he say anything?"
Ianto shrugged.
"You know him," he said. "He can be... vulnerable when it comes to his family."
"I understood there was not much of a family," Jack said. "And the relationship to his mother isn't... wasn't very good." He thought for a minute.
"How do you know of the death of his mother, anyway?" Jack asked suspiciously.
Ianto blushed.
"I know everything," he said.
"Ianto," Jack said warningly.
"I've overheard a conversation," Ianto admitted. "I was getting everyone's coffee when I couldn't avoid overhearing Owen talking on his mobile. He has been agitated and afterwards very upset."
"The day after Björk sang in autopsy," Jack remarked. "That night he crashed on the sofa, too exhausted to go home. He's been haunted by some weird premonitions for some time." Jack sighed. "Turned out those visions were going to become real."
Ianto nodded.
"He'll come around," he said. "As he always does."
Jack nodded, too.
"Yeah, he will," he confirmed. "Just wish he would've announced his delay."
Ianto smiled sadly.
"Maybe he's already back in Cardiff," he said. "But busy getting drunk."
Jack stared at him deadpanned.
A moment later Jack's mobile rang.
*****