Chapter 3
Within the next 20 minutes, the crew was on a small medical jet screaming its way to Cardiff.
"We should be at the airstrip within the next 10 minutes," Sergeant Graham announced. Chrissie was sedated and surrounded by nurses, while Emmie lovingly stroked her hand. JJ, leaning inside the door watching, nodded silently acknowledging the Sergeant. The Doctor was pacing in the small space behind them, muttering impatiently under her breath. "What's his problem?" Sergeant Graham whispered.
JJ turned from her watch and glared at the Doctor. "Must be some form of claustrophobia, I'll go talk to him." She walked to the Doctor and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder. "What are you doing?" she whispered.
"I do NOT understand how you people can do this waiting thing, it's driving me mad!"
"Oh I'll drive you mad alright! Low profile Mr. Turner, remember? You're drawing attention, and I can't be babying you, I've got more important things to do. Now go sit in the corner there and read or something, we'll be in Cardiff shortly."
"But I don't WANT to go to Cardiff. I don't want to be anywhere NEAR Cardiff, there are people there that I can't afford to run into, and there are events occurring that I should not be a part of; I don't belong in this univ-"
His sentence was interrupted with a sharp slap; the Sergeant and nurses all turned their attentions to them. "Sorry...he was overreacting...claustrophobia, needed a shock," she turned back and stared threateningly into the Doctor's syes, "he's going to go sit in a corner and watch some Mickey Mouse cartoons now and everything will be alright."
The Doctor stared at her open mouthed, speechless. She nodded her head in the direction of the corner, "Go on then."
The Doctor closed his mouth and pointed at her, "You are not the boss of me."
JJ raised her eyebrows, "Mickey Mouse is channel 37." The Doctor shook his finger at her and walked towards the small television screen and began fiddling with the dials.
JJ turned back to the tiny hospital room, Emelia was watching concernedly. JJ walked over to her and sat next to her, watching Chrissie breathe her slow, machine controlled breaths.
"It's going to be okay, Emmie," she whispered, "he knows it's a short trip and I've got him occupied for the rest of the time."
Emelia nodded slowly, "You know..." she said quietly, trying to speak in code to avoid drawing attention from the nurses, "he's a nice young gentleman." She hesitated before continuing, "once we get to Cardiff, you should take him to meet your parents."
JJ stiffened and her face turned stone, "I wasn't exactly intending on paying them a visit this time around."
"JJ, you really should stop by. At least call-"
"Emmie, I didn't ask your opinion on my family relations."
"I don't need you to ask, I think after all these years I've the right to offer you some small guidance," she said sharply, "JJ...they're not getting any younger."
"Do you really think its intelligent to bring HIM, though? Really, Emelia think!" It became suddenly apparent the nurses were doing their best not to eavesdrop, and a soldier paced outside of the door. The Doctor, also sensing a disturbance, walked and hid just outside the doorway, listening. "Emelia," she said quieter, "Now is not the time to be bringing a boy to the house. Think of the shock! I'm not going, and it's not up for discussion." She stood up sharply and turned to leave.
Emelia grabbed her arm, "Jacqueline Jane, you listen to me! If they pass and you haven't spent time with them, that precious time you're denying yourself, you're going to regret that for the rest of your existence, do you want that? You are their only child, and they are your only family, you need to cherish this time-"
"Quite enough of that, thank you." JJ yanked her arm free and stormed out of the room; the Doctor turned and quickly ran back to the television. JJ walked briskly past them towards the cockpit and disappeared inside. The guard shot the Doctor a quizzical and mildly judgmental look as he continued his patrol. The Doctor waited until his back was turned and ducked into the hospital room.
Emelia was again stroking Chrissie's hand, but her head was hanging and her breathing was staggered. The Doctor slowly approached her and sat in the chair JJ had been in. "Emelia..."
"Oh, Doctor," she mouthed silently, still staring into the floor. He put his arm around her shoulder as she cried.
"It's going to be alright, Torchwood is going to get Chrissie all fixed up."
"It's not just Chrissie I'm worried about." She looked up at him with piercing blue eyes, "I'm an old lady. Time is ending soon for Chrissie and I, even if its sooner than I'd like. But JJ...she's got so much life left to live, and I'm so worried she's going to spend it alone..." she heaved a heavy sob, "What I know of you, you're probably one of the few people who might be able to get through to her. Please, try and talk to her, and try get her to see her parents, please. They're all she has, and she's just going to let them go because its too painful to watch," she took another raggedy breath, "they need this visit. You need to take her, they need this. Please, take her, make her go."
"Emmie, I can't make her do anything..."
"Please Doctor..."
"No, Emmie I can't. You know who I am, I can't interfere-"
"Please!" She looked into his eyes, pleading desperately. "Please just try. Wouldn't you have wanted a chance to say goodbye?"
The Doctor didn't move, didn't breath; he simply stared back into Emmie's sad, imploring eyes.
The next moment occurred within the span of a second.
He reached into his jacket.
He pulled out his screwdriver.
He scanned Chrissie up and down her torso.
He held it in front of his eyes and analyzed the data.
His face went white, and his stomach dropped.
He returned the screwdriver to his jacket. "Emmie..." he said shakily, "I am so, so-"
"Attention everyone we are approaching the landing site, I need all personnel to assume landing positions please."
The Doctor jumped up and ran from the room, leaving Emelia frightened and confused as a nurse helped her strap into a landing chair on the wall. He ran towards the center room and jumped into the seat next to JJ and buckled in.
The ambulance transport pulled into the docking bay behind Torchwood 3, and the nurses rushed Chrissie and Emelia out. JJ and the Doctor jumped out from the back of the black Hummer that followed behind carrying the soldiers, and also followed, but were cut off at the door by security.
"I need to see your badges."
"This is a civilian under my watch, he has clearance to proceed," JJ said as she tried to push past.
"We'll then," he snarled, "I need to see his clearance paperwork."
JJ stopped and stood before him with her hands on her hips, obviously pissed off. She barely cleared his chest. "Do you know who I am, sir?"
"Yes, Miss Smith, I know who you are, and to get in I need badges and clearance paperwork. That's the protocol, and no one is exempt from that." He grinned triumphantly.
Suddenly the Sergeant was beside them, flanked by his men. "But a military commander of rank Captain or higher has permission to bring in civilians unquestioned. Now before you anger my charges any further, for your sake, open the bloody doors, you ignorant egotistical prick."
The guards face darkened as he quickly opened the doors and everyone filed inside.
"Officer Murphy?" JJ whispered as she read his badge. She grinned sweetly up at him, "I'll see you fired by the time the day is out. See if you'll not recognize my clearance level next time." She bounced inside at a borderline skip.
They were inside what looked like a hospital, except all of the glass was blacked out. The Doctor stood just ahead at the corner of the wall waiting for her. "I really really need to talk to you, JJ. That thing inside Chrissie-"
"Hush, Mr. Turner, hold for one moment." She grabbed his hand and led him down the hallway to the room the nurses from the jet were lined outside of, sharing medical information with the hospital's doctor. JJ pushed inside, dragging the Doctor behind her; the nurses looked as if they meant to restrain her but left her go inside.
Chrissie was transferred to a more permanent bed, and was hooked up to even more machines. Emelia was still by her side, and two new nurses were working around her hooking up what seemed to be an ultrasound machine.
"They're going to look inside and see if its safe to just pull the thing out..." Emelia whispered hoarsely. One nurse flipped the machine on, while another was rubbing thick globs of petroleum jelly on the old woman's slightly curved belly. The doctor came in and introduced himself as Dr. Carrow, and began explaining the basics of the procedure to JJ and Emmie.
Meanwhile, the Doctor stood in the back corner, watching the scene, the feeling in the pit of his stomach gradually increasing until he nearly felt sick. He watched as Dr. Carrow began the ultrasound, looking for the monster.
For several minutes, the machine showed nothing. Everyone sat on edge and the room was silent, save the beeping of the monitors. "This is quite strange," Dr. Carrow started, "there really ought to be something-"
Suddenly the whole room gasped, as what looked like a tentacle became visible on the screen. Dr. Carrow shifted the handheld to follow it, and the finally revealed the disgusting parasite inside Chrissie. The Doctor did everything in his power to not scream, or run or question the nearest Torchwood agent as to who's bright idea it was to grow one of the most despicable creatures in the known universe inside a human being.
"What is it?" Emelia asked, her voice shaking. She was gripping JJ's hand so tightly it may have broken, but JJ simply sat there, staring stoically at the monitor.
"It is a lab creation, derived from stories from another universe," an old, commanding female voice answered in the back. Everyone turned and faced the tiny wrinkled woman standing in the doorway. "Stories," she continued, "of a creature more loyal than any that's ever existed, and willing to do whatever it is commanded. A creature with such a grasp of perfection they would be admired and feared across the galaxy."
"Serena," JJ's voice was cold and controlled, "what is it called?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. Her voiced sounded as if one wrong word would crack the calm forced veneer.
"We're calling it The Ultimate Soldier, and-"
"WHAT is it called, Serena. Say it!"
She shouted. JJ stood from her chair and walked to the tiny woman and looked down at her, her eyes flashing violently with anger. "What is it called, Serena? Tell her," she pointed at Emelia, who was shaking and holding Chrissie's hand. "Tell her, Serena. Tell Chrissie's wife what you've done! Come now, show off your good work..."
"It was called a Dalek, and-"
"IS called a Dalek!" JJ shouted. "You were told, you can't change these creatures, all they will ever do is kill anything that's not them, and right now it's killing one of the best agents you've ever had, someone who was TRULY loyal. Someone who NEVER questioned what you asked of her even when that sent her to the edge of death. Someone," she grew quieter "that every single person involved with Torchwood looked up to, and respected for her work. And you-" suddenly Emelia broke into uncontrollable sobs behind her. JJ winced, and a tear trailed hot down her cheek. She shook her finger in Serena's face and looked as if she had something else to say, but she bit her tongue. She turned and sat back in her chair next to Emelia, who whispered something inaudible. JJ nodded and voiced her request with a single word;
"Out."
There was a half moment of hesitation, and then the room silently cleared. A nurse stayed behind to clean the jelly off Chrissie, then quickly ran out of the room under the dark glaring watch of JJ's caramel eyes, leaving only the Doctor with them.
JJ breathed a begrudging, exhausted sigh. "Emmie, if I go to get my parents...will you be alright by yourself here?"
She nodded slowly, still sobbing. JJ wrapped her into a warming hug and squeezed. "We should be back by this evening." She stood slowly and walked towards the door, "You're coming with me," and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the hallway. "The moment were outside of the building," she whispered, "you can scold me and tell me I should have listened to you."
"Listened to him about what?" asked Serena. She had stayed just outside the door, watching. JJ and the Doctor spun around to face the tiny woman. "I know who you are Doctor, and it's out of respect for Jacqueline and her parents that I not have you arrested. You knew about the Soldier before you arrived?"
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth, "and what you have done to that poor woman is revolting and inhumane!"
"Oh, yes Doctor, preach on about sacrificing one person to safe the universe," Serena said accusingly.
"What you're doing isn't saving the universe, if that thing gets out and multiplies it will DESTROY everything, and you too! You can't train it, you can't control it or send it to do your bidding, that's what makes it a Dalek, it doesn't think it doesn't feel, it only kills whatever isn't Dalek."
"You have no idea what were capable of here, Doctor."
"And you have no idea what IT is capable of!"
"Oy, enough then!" JJ shouted. "Serena, I'm going to get my parents. They already know we're here and are expecting the both of us, so don't try and stop us or I'll see to it you'll have hell to pay. Come along, Doctor."
The Doctor froze for a moment as the familiarity of the spoken words sent an echo through his mind, but follow JJ as she pulled him along. "Oh, and Serena, you may want to start getting your resignation in order." JJ and the Doctor stormed out of the door.
