Up To His Armpits

Gwen settled at her workstation and looked up at Jack's office. The light was on. The door was open, but she couldn't see or hear anything.

A few minutes later, Jack and Ianto descended on the invisible lift.

"Where have you two been then?" she enquired.

"Watching the sun come up," replied Jack.

"What sun?"

Ianto smiled, passing Jack. "I'll go make some coffee then, shall I?"

"Bloody brilliant idea, mate," came Owen's voice from beyond the cog door. "I need liquid revitalization."

"Pissed again last night, were we?" asked Gwen.

"Oi!" said Owen, moving to stand by the battered old couch. "What are you insinuatin', Cooper?"

Gwen smiled. "Oh, nothing."

Jack went up to his office after Ianto moved off toward the kitchen area and the coffee machine. Gwen settled down at her computer and Owen slouched his way down to the autopsy bay, putting on his white lab coat.

"Bloody Hoix! Got two…two autopsies to do. One after the other!" He looked up at Jack's office. "I'm gonna be armpit deep in alien blood and…" he scratched his head. "Blood and god knows what, until lunch."

"Chinese, then," quipped Ianto with a cheeky grin.

"Shut it, Tea Boy!"

Gwen laughed, carrying on the joke. "Or Italian."

"Leave it out, Copper!"

Toshiko Sato came in through the cog door, laptop in hand. "Morning," she said, to no one in particular.

Owen looked up, an inquisitive look on his face. "And what time do you call this, Tosh?"

Tosh ignored him, preferring to go straight to her workstation.

Ianto placed a cup of camomile tea on her favourite coaster, smiling at her. "Pay him no mind."

"Thank you, Ianto."

"No," added Gwen. "He was on the booze last night. Maybe he didn't pull."

"Oi!," protested Owen. "Less of that!"

Taking the rest of the mugs around, Ianto finally took Jack his favourite blue and while stripped mug.

"Feeling better?" he asked, placing the mug down on the cream blotter.

"Mmm? Actually, yes. Thanks." He picked up the mug and took in its aroma. "Smells great."

Ianto nodded. "New batch of coffee beans. I found this shop in Penarth…just for you."

Jack smiled. "What are you up to this morning?"

"I thought I might help Owen with his autopsies, actually."

Jack looked up, surprised. "Really?"

Ianto nodded. "I can write up the reports, too."

Jack laughed. "Good. I can't always decipher Owen's handwriting."

Ianto agreed, with a nod of the head. "Typical. What is it with doctors and their writing, anyway?"

Jack thought for a moment about his Doctor. Had he ever seen him write? Either of them in fact. "I suppose," he eventually answered. "It seems to be Universal."

"Right," said Ianto, moving back from the desk. "I better get on."

"Ianto…"

Ianto turned. "Yes?"

"Dinner tonight."

"Yes?"

"There's this intimate little restaurant just opening in town. Maybe we could go there."

Ianto smiled. "I'd like that." Then he turned and left.

Owen opened the black body bag and looked at the Hoix inside. No paling of the skin. No Riga mortise. For all intents and supposes, it looked asleep. Only the gapping hole between its large oval eyes gave it away. And of course, the back of its head, where the bullet exited. He looked up as Ianto walked to the rail and then down the stairs.

"Need a hand?" asked the Welshman.

Owen frowned, then said, "If you must."

Ianto smiled, taking off his jacket and rolling up his shirt sleeves. "Thought I'd do your report, too."

"What are you after?"

Ianto shook his head. "Nothing."

Owen's eyes narrowed. "Okay," he pointed. "Two pairs of gloves…just in case."

Ianto put the gloves on.

Owen pointed again. "Scalpel."

Ianto picked it up, offering it to Owen.

Owen shook his head. "Make an incision from here, to here."

Ianto complied, not batting an eyelid.

"And across from here to here."

Again, Ianto did as he was asked.

"Right. Okay." Owen picked up the rib spreaders. "Let's see what we have."

Ianto picked up the clipboard and pen.

"Jesus!" exclaimed Owen.

"What?"

"They have two hearts. Well…I think they're hearts."

Ianto leaned in for a closer look. "Yep, looks like it."

"Thank you, Doctor Jones," quipped Owen.

Ianto dipped his head. "My pleasure, Doctor Harper."

Jack was watching from his office. His face was set. His jaw tight. He could sense something in the air, even inside the Hub and he was guessing it wasn't anything good.

"Okay," said Owen. "Pass me those smaller spreaders and we'll take a look inside the stomach." Owen spread the chest so they could look deeper inside, then used the smaller ones to access the lower areas. "No genitalia, I notice."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "How do they reproduce, then?"

Owen shrugged. "Search me."

"Under the armpit," said Jack, raising his left arm as he walked down the stairs from his office.

Owen raised the Hoix arm. "Neat."

"Left arm, male. Right arm, female."

Owen frowned. "You are just full of information, Harkness,"

Jack looked at the Hoix. "This one's a male. I'm guessing the other's a female," he said. "They travel in pairs."

"How quaint," said Owen, screwing up his face.

Jack pointed to the other body bag. "He was probably defending his mate." He looked down at Ianto, who looked away.

"But, we didn't kill her," remarked Ianto. "She was already dead!"

Jack shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets and leaned against the railing above the autopsy bay. "Check for a cord. She could have just given birth.

"A baby!" exclaimed Owen.

"I'm betting its out there somewhere, looking for mum and dad," remarked Jack.

"And just how advanced are these Hoix babies, Jack?" asked Owen.

Jack sighed. "It can walk and fend for itself, but I'm guessing it's really hungry about now."

"Let me and Ianto finish this autopsy and we'll check mum after," said Owen, putting a hand inside the stomach cavity. "Yep," he quipped. "Up to my armpits."

TBC