1. Vodka
Jack slammed back another shot, determined to knock himself out before the clock struck midnight. It was the only way he'd get some respite, the only way to quiet the never ending report of the shot that blew out the back of Suzie's head, the sound of her body hitting the ground, Gwen Cooper screaming in the background.
He'd lost people before, of course. Hell, he'd watched Alex shoot himself on New Year's Eve seven years earlier. But he'd been a freelancer then, not in charge. This had happened on his watch. Suzie was part of his team, he'd hand picked and groomed her to be his second-in-command. Had he seen the darkness within her? Of course. They were all touched by it in one way or another. It had never occurred to him that she would fall into it like Alex. That she would give in to despair and be consumed by it. That she would fucking shoot herself in the—
With a guttural curse that came out more like a sob, he threw the crystal glass against the wall. And now he'd have to clean it up and replace it, because he wasn't even drunk enough to pass out and forget it all—forget for just one minute how completely and utterly he'd failed his team. How he'd failed Suzie Costello.
Grabbing the bottle, he downed another shot and stood on shaky legs, enjoying the lack of balance that came from drinking half a bottle of vodka on his own. He staggered around the room, muttering to himself, slugging it straight up with a shudder every time, until he finally collapsed on the sofa, one hand over his eyes as they leaked tears, the other barely grasping the half-empty Grey Goose between numb fingers.
And then the bottle was gone, a blanket was pulled over him, and the lights were turned down. Jack could have sworn he heard a gorgeous Welsh accent murmuring something soothing as he finally drifted into blessed unconsciousness.
Ianto Jones pulled the door shut behind him, took a long swig from the expensive bottle of liquor, then nodded to himself and decided to finish it downstairs.
Author's Note:
And thus begins my summer drabble project! One drabble for every episode (well, almost every episode...some blur together, and some don't need one.) Each drabble centers around the Torchwood team and a drink, whether they are drinking alone, in pairs, or all together. Each installment will be short, but there will be many, covering all sorts of angsty things, all sorts of pairings, and all sorts of liquor. Enjoy!