A/N: Whump notice for both Jack and the Doctor, but nothing hardcore really. Oh, there isn't any slash either.
This is meant to be a little out of character for the Doctor, that's part of the mystery...what happened to him? :)
I do not own Doctor Who or Torchwood.
Enjoy!
Teresa blinked up at the bright sun in the sky and scowled. Sure the day was a beautiful spring day in Cardiff despite the chill in the morning air, but that was the problem. At least this was a problem for Teresa. As a traffic warden, the weather never did anything to alter her constant sour mood and today was no different.
The traffic warden drew in a deep breath and adjusted her hat as she marched down the pavement checking parked car after parked car ensuring each one was properly metered. The one thing that brightened Teresa's day just a little bit was issuing a ticket and slapping the paper on the windscreen of a car. Yes, she hated her job that much.
As if fate worked to darken her already foul mood, Teresa's foot caught on something and she almost fell over. Instead, she clumsily stumbled forward. "Bloody hell!" She snarled as she caught herself on the boot of a car, thankfully not triggering an alarm, and glared down to see what snagged her foot
Teresa's expression changed from embarrassed anger to shocked horror when she realized she tripped over the bare, bloodied leg of a dead woman lying haphazardly on the ground between two cars. The traffic warden's mouth gaped open at the sight of the corpse's head lolled to the side at an impossible angle.
At that moment, Teresa's mood was no longer foul. For the first time in a long time she felt something different. Fear. With shaking hands, she grabbed her receiver and called it in.
.
.
The beautiful spring day in Cardiff passed by unnoticed by the Torchwood team. Well, unnoticed by everyone except for Gwen. She was the only one who chose to spend the day outside the Hub, but then she was the only one with a significant other on the outside to spend the day with.
Captain Jack Harkness stood at the triangular bay window inside the conference room overlooking the main floor of the Hub. He took a sip of fresh coffee courtesy of Ianto as he watched Tosh type away at the computer. Good ol Toshiko. Always working. Never stopping. That can't be healthy, Jack thought and made a mental note to encourage her to go out and do something social.
That thought brought Jack's attention over to Owen. He was currently meticulously cleaning the examination table in the medical bay and Jack knew that that table would be absolutely spotless when he was done. Which was why Owen needed to get out more too and he should do it with Tosh before it was too late. Again.
Activity from the rift had been quiet these past several of days and it seemed like a good opportunity for the team to take a bit of a holiday. Jack smiled to himself and let his eyes fall on Ianto reading a book as he relaxed on the sofa against the tiled wall. A holiday indeed.
"Jack," Tosh called out as she stared at the array of computer monitors, "I think you should come take a look at this."
At the promise of something interesting and possibly exciting, Jack quickly walked over to Tosh's side and focused on the monitor she motioned to. "Find something interesting?" he asked as he took a drink.
"As a matter of fact, I did." She answered evenly as she continued to read the information on the screens. "The morgue just finished the autopsy of a woman that was brought in yesterday afternoon. An organic substance of unknown origins was discovered on the body."
Jack nodded once and crossed his arms. "Okay. I'd like you and Owen to go check it out."
Tosh shot him a look that wasn't much different than a deer caught in headlights, and she frowned slightly at Jack's knowing grin. "Alright," she said quietly and pursed her lips as she gathered her equipment and wondered if Jack did that on purpose, asking her to go with Owen.
She looked after her boss thoughtfully as he headed to the medical bay to let Owen know about the body and impending road trip with Tosh. If Jack did do it on purpose, she knew he was just trying to be nice. Her feelings for Owen was the best known secret at the Hub, and Owen's untimely death made it that much harder for her to cope with those feelings.
The man in question strode up to her as he pulled his leather jacket over his shoulders. "Ready?" Owen asked with his usual crooked smile.
She slung her bag over her shoulder and nodded with a strained smile. "Yes, and I'll drive this time."
.
.
A misty rain fell from the night sky, but it was the chill in the wind that made the young waitress shiver. A stark contrast from the bright sunny day of earlier, Sarah thought, but that's typical spring weather in Cardiff for you. With a sigh of reluctance in leaving the warmth of the diner, Sarah locked the door behind her and headed into the rain.
Clutching her thin coat tightly around her, Sarah walked quickly to the car park across the street. Nervously, she looked around the wide open lot. The last thing she needed was her jerk ex-boyfriend showing up and harassing her…again. She swore to herself that tomorrow, she was finally getting a restraining order. However, much to her relief, there was no one around. Other than her own car parked next to the amber-lit lamp post, the car park was empty.
A gust of wind kicked up and carried with it a strange grinding noise that sent shivers up Sarah's spine. She walked hurriedly to her car as she dug into her handbag in search of her car keys. The surge of fear reminded her just how cold she was, and she silently cursed her violently shaking hands as she fumbled with the keys.
Then the unthinkable happened, Sarah dropped the keys.
Fighting back the panic attack that threatened to overtake her, Sarah closed her eyes and focused on the simple task of picking the keys up. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist and a strong hand covered her mouth that did well to muffle her screams. She clawed frantically at the arms that held her tight and she kicked out her legs against the car, but the man's strength was incredible and unforgiving.
Sarah's abductor dragged her backwards kicking and fighting through a doorway with blue double doors. There was no wondering how there could be such doors so close to her car as Sarah reached out and franticly pawed at them. She only just barely missed an edge that might have helped her escape. Instead, her fingernails raked across the painted wood panels as she struggled to grab a hold of anything to break free from the man that held her.
Once inside, the doors slammed shut submerging the strange circular room in a low yellow light barely bright enough to see by. Sarah was too afraid to pay much notice to her unusual surroundings as she was thrown face down to the smooth floor. She whimpered at the throbbing pain in her elbows and knees from the hard landing.
Tears streamed down Sarah's face and running mascara burned in her eyes. Still, she lifted her head to see the person who grabbed her, but her gaze made it no further than his dirty white trainers and the cuffs of his brown pinstriped pants when she felt his foot dig painfully between her shoulder blades.
"W-what do want with me?" asked Sarah between sobs.
No answer came from the man and instead she felt a soft rope slide around her neck almost as if the rope had a life of its own. "No! No, please no!" Sarah begged and struggled fruitlessly when she realized what was happening. Suddenly the rope stiffened like a hard cable and dug tight into her throat, cutting off her pleas.
As she choked for breath, she felt a fist slam into her ribs sending sharp pain shooting down her body. Did he break her ribs? Another fist slammed into the same place and she heard a very audible snap. Now she suffered broken ribs, but her suffering was not over yet.
Blow and after blow landed on her arms and sides, and Sarah prayed that it would stop. But the torment didn't stop, and that man just continued to strike her over and over until her vision closed in around her. There was nothing she could do as she learned that this is what it was like to die.
.
.
To be continued.
A/N: What do you think so far? Please let me know!