THE INNER LIGHT: PART FOUR
Owen did a double take as Jack stepped in through the roller door. Ianto was at his side and Dr Kelly on Ianto's other side her younger brother's hand tightly clasped in hers. Owen leapt to his feet and helped her guide her vacant brother through the door. It was the strangest thing to see, Ianto being lead, sheep like across the Hub and down to the autopsy bay. Rhianna didn't take in her surroundings as she was completely focussed on Ianto. Owen was just wondering how Jack had managed to prize their Welsh Tea Boy from the clutches of the Jones family. Gwen and Tosh watched the spectacle in horrified silence as this was the first time they had seen Ianto since the Lisa incident. Tosh's hand went to her mouth but she got up and followed them to the autopsy bay and went straight to Ianto's side. Rhianna was rather shocked when the petite Japanese girl embraced her catatonic brother.
"Don't worry Ianto, we'll fix this." Toshiko assured him even though he did not respond. Rhianna smiled faintly, at least there was someone here who seemed to care about him. Tosh stepped away and offered Rhianna a look of concern and sympathy.
"I'm Toshiko, Ianto's friend."
Rhianna met her look a trifle stonily. "Not his co-worker then?"
Tosh was a little taken aback. "Friend first." She left the bay. Only to be replaced by Jack who was proffering a glass of water. Rhianna shook her head.
"No thank you, knowing Torchwood it's probably poisoned."
Jack shrugged and put the glass on the counter and went to help Owen get Ianto settled on to the exam table.
"So Owen anything with the initial tests you did this morning?" Rhianna asked eyeing the glass of water with suspicision. Owen glanced at Jack for guidance before responding and Jack gave him a nod.
"Tell her everything. We'll deal with the protocols later."
Owen understood, Retcon then, but she was preganant, he'd need to check whether that was safe. Ianto was settled lying flat on his back still in the hospital overalls, hands limp at his sides. Owen pulled up the cot sides not trusting his patient to simply roll off the couch, he avoided looking into Ianto's eyes.
"Blood work confirms presence of a drug named R381. It matches with the stuff they were using at T1 when they were running the experiments. I have no idea what it is supposed to do, part sedative definitely. I'd suggest it's designed to induce the state required to remove whatever it is they took from him. The drug is concentrated in the tissue around the puncture marks on his chest." Owen was pulling out various pieces of equipment as he spoke. Rhianna stood there frozen in fascination.
"I'm going to run deep tissue scans and a detailed analysis of his brain activity, try and get a better picture of the extent of the damage."
"And this stuff?" Rhianna gestured at the equipment.
Owen gave her a slightly smug look. "Let's just say it's better than anything the NHS have got."
"Can I help?"
Owen once again looked at Jack, who nodded. "Sure."
Jack left them to it, there was nothing more he could do down there so he went to Tosh and Gwen for an update, just as Gwen let out a whoop of joy.
"I've got him! I found him Jack, he's living in south London."
Tosh and Jack were at her side immediately. Gwen was grinning happily and even more so when she found Jack's hand rested firmly on her shoulder.
"Good work Gwen. Looks like we'll have to go out there and pick him up. Tosh will you have any idea about what gadgets he's using?"
Tosh nodded, "I'll know what to look for, not certain I'll be able to use it though."
"Fine." Jack dropped his hand from Gwen and went to the steps that lead to the autopsy bay. "Owen, Gwen has located Patil, we're going to have to go to London to pick him up."
Owen's head snapped up and he narrowed his eyes at Jack. "Why not get UNIT to do it?"
"Because I don't trust them and if they get their hands on that device we'll never see it again and Ianto will be stuck like that. Gwen will stay here with you, Tosh and I will head out."
Gwen was pouting behind him but she kept her mouth shut as Jack swung round to face her. "Gwen." His voice lowered dramatically. "I need you to pull up all the information we have on the effects Retcon. I will have to dose Rhianna before this is over and I want to be certain her baby doesn't come to any harm. Use the computer in my office."
Still pouting she nodded. "Of course."
As per usual Jack broke the speed limit all the way to London. It was 2 am when they finally arrived at Patil's Wimbledon house. The brick building was in darkness pulling out his Webley and a set of skeleton keys and without considering etiquette Jack let them in Tosh two paces behind with her own weapon raised. They searched the house room by room but it was deserted and from the smell lingering and the mess in the kitchen no one had cleaned it for months. From the kitchen they burst through a door into the garage, weapons ready, blinking in the strong light. Jack froze at what he saw unable to comprehend what he was looking at. Tosh halted in mid stride a horrified look on her normally composed face.
"Oh, god How many of them are there?"
Jack frowned. "Tosh?"
She edged forwards past her leader moving in to the room filled with shelves laden with glowing spheres. She faced Jack.
"This is awful Jack. Those things they're containers for the....for the souls that have been stolen."
Jack baulked. "You're certain?"
She nodded then turned back walking cautiously forwards. "I found Patil Jack."
He was behind her looking over her shoulder at the man sitting quite obviously dead in the chair surrounded by shelves. Jack leant forward to double check anyway, the body was cold and looking strangely peaceful. As Jack straightened up he was hit by flood of dizziness and an explosion of sound in his head. He dropped the Webley hands going straight to his temples.
"Oh shit!" He sank to the concrete floor.
"Jack?" Tosh knelt at his side and watched worriedly as he hauled in steadying breaths, his face white and sheened with sweat. He managed to look at Tosh.
"I can hear them Tosh. I can hear them all." It was like an incessant wailing slamming straight through his skull, Jack thought he was going to faint and it took all of his will power to get himself under control. "Need to get out of here for a moment."
Tosh helped him to his feet and he staggered back into the kitchen gaining instant relief. Tosh was at his side.
"You Ok Jack?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I just need to prepare myself before I go back in there. Go in Tosh find everything you think you'll need."
"What about you?"
Jack grinned at her. "Ianto will be in one of those things, I have to find him." He got to unsteady feet with Tosh's help but he waved her off. "I'm fine. Come on let's get to work."
Tosh searched around the room, steadfastly avoiding coming into contact with any of the shelves for fear of dislodging their contents. She felt horribly uncomfortable able to perceive a feeling of sadness and fear washing over her in great waves. On inspection it became clear that there were many hundreds of the glowing globes every single one a different colour with it's own luminessance and other colours swirling around inside them, but still she couldn't bring herself to look more closely. She finally found what she was looking for.
Jack re entered the room rather more slowly, needing a moment to compose himself, his telepathic barriers fully in place.
Owen systematically ran his tests and Rhianna watched from Ianto's side, his cold lifeless hand clasped tightly in hers. Owen tut tutted to himself, making notes and talking to himself as he studied the data. His tests took well over two hours and finally with the last one complete he realised just how tired Rhianna was so he went to fetch her a chair to sit on. It was obvious she had no intention of leaving her brother's side. Rhianna took the seat with a smile of gratitude.
"Thank you Dr Harper." She got comfortable rubbing her baby belly with one hand and Ianto's still arm with the other. Her face was drawn with exhaustion.
"I'm going to make some coffee, you want some?"
"Can I trust you?"
Owen frowned. "Anyone one would think....."
Rhianna glared at him. "I know all about Torchwood Owen. They tried recruiting me, remember? Ianto's told me about your pills for selective memory, making people disappear. Do you know what it does to a man asking him to deal with things like that every day? Asking him to shoot his own girlfriend?" She paused. "He told me about that too. He was terrified you'd steal his memories of Lisa. At least when he's better he'll never have to come back here again."
"So he is planning on leaving us then?"
"What choice does he have? His life is damaged enough. I won't let him come back here."
Owen snorted. "Hardly your choice love."
She shot him the filthiest look. "Do not call me love, and it is my choice. If I have to protect my brother then I will and keeping him from this place is top of my list of things that need to be done." Rhianna returned her gaze to Ianto. "He's seen too much, he's just a baby."
Owen paused with a scowl on his face. "That 'baby' managed to sneak a partially converted Cyberman into our basement, he's responsible for the deaths of two civilians and nearly all of us, be assured Dr Kelly that Tea Boy is as grown up and dangerous as the rest of us!"
"Tell me something Dr Harper as his doctor did you offer him any counselling after Canary Wharf? Did you suggest any treatment for his PTSD?"
Owen glowered at her. "Fuck you! You're welcome to take him, he's bloody useless anyway." He strode out of the autopsy bay shaking with rage and went to make himself a mug of coffee. Gwen was watching him, having heard the argument, she silently had to admit that she wouldn't be unhappy if Ianto did leave them, he always gave her the creeps.
Rhianna sighed and wiped angrily at the tears on her cheeks, god she was hormonal at the moment, she pulled out her mobile from the pocket of her trousers and sent a text to her husband explaining why she was still at work.
AN: Am about to change broadband providers so apologies for the delays that are inevitable.....next installment as soon as I can and thank you for reading and reviewing!