CHAPTER SIX
Ianto paced back and forth in the Hub, his hand worrying at the back of his neck.
Gwen stood at her desk, arms folded over her bosom as she listened to Ianto ramble on and on.
"It doesn't make any sense! I tracked Jack on the Satnav. It showed that he was there. But where was he?"
"Maybe he found another lead and rushed off to investigate it," Gwen suggested, trying to stay positive.
"He hasn't answered any of my calls. His comms are down."
"Maybe he's undercover."'
"Jack undercover?" Ianto shook his head emphatically. "He sticks out like a sore thumb, Gwen."
"Fair enough."
Gwen chewed her lip, contemplating it all. The last time that Jack had gone missing like this had been when he'd seen the Doctor's TARDIS up on the street. Jack had gone with the Doctor for awhile on an adventure that still made her head hurt to think about too deeply.
"He wasn't at the sanatorium. I checked it top to bottom," Ianto continued.
"Rhys said he used to play in those woods all the time as a kid and that he never saw any sanatorium out there."
Ianto faced Gwen and scrunched his face up in bafflement. It had been so easy to find the building, why was everyone else having such a hard time with it?
"I was there, Gwen."
Gwen held up her hand in surrender.
"Okay, Ianto, you were there. That still doesn't answer the question of where Jack is. I checked for Rift activity, but the Rift has been eerily quiet the last few days."
"It's almost like…."
"What?"
"Like the sanatorium is occupying a space in time that's somehow disconnected from our reality."
"Like another dimension?"
"Or another plane of existence?"
Ianto had never been very good at science or maths. He could grasp the basic concepts, ,but when it came to the actual formulas and everything, he got lost.
"Tosh would be in her element right now," he muttered sadly.
Toshiko had been brilliant with computers and electronic devices; she had been a genius. The Torchwood team hadn't realized just how much they'd relied on her brilliance until she'd died.
"The only other person we know who grasps the vast concept of space and alternate dimensions is Jack…"
Gwen chewed on her fingernail, shaking her head.
"What?" Ianto asked, confused.
"We do know one more person who's traveled through time and space..."
"Martha!"
Dr. Martha Jones had traveled with the Doctor for awhile before returning to her ordinary life on Earth. The Doctor had fast-tracked her certification and put in a good word for her at UNIT – the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce. Martha now worked for UNIT in their New York branch as the Medical Director on Project Indigo. Most recently, she'd been working with CERN in Geneva. Before Tosh and Owen had passed away, Martha had helped the Torchwood team out on a mission. She'd become good friends with everyone
Ianto pulled put his mobile and scrolled through his contacts. He was relieved to see that Martha was still in his phone.
"What time is it there in Switzerland?" he wondered aloud as the call went through.
"Erm, they're about an hour ahead, I think," Gwen offered.
Ianto flicked a glance down at his watch. It was quarter past three, so that would make it….quarter past four in Switzerland?
After a few rings, Ianto was about to disconnect when Martha picked up.
"Dr. Martha Jones," Martha answered brightly.
"Oh, Martha, thank God. It's Ianto. Ianto Jones."
"I'm sorry, Ianto. I didn't recognize your number."
"It's not problem."
"How's It going, Ianto?"
"Not well, actually."
"What's wrong?"
"Jack's gone missing."
"Missing as in displaced in time, or missing as in he didn't come in last night and probably went home with someone?"
Ianto inhaled sharply at Martha's joke.
"I'm sorry, Ianto. That wasn't very kind of me," Martha said apologetically.
"It's-it's fine," Ianto lied.
"Tell me," she urged.
"A few weeks ago, a teenaged girl went missing in the woods outside Cardiff. Yesterday, she was found – alive. She said that she had been meeting her boyfriend in the woods and after he'd taken her to an old sanatorium out in the woods, he'd been murdered. Authorities were unable to find the hospital."
"Interesting," Martha hummed, enraptured.
"Jack went to investigate last night. Something attacked him in the woods and he got lost. I was able to locate him and guide him to the asylum via Satnav. That's the last I've heard of him."
"So, the sanatorium is real?"
"It exists in the Torchwood Archives, though information on it is pretty scarce."
"I see."
"I went out to investigate this morning. I found the place – no problem – but Jack was nowhere to be seen. The place was completely abandoned. There wasn't even a sign that Catrin and her boyfriend had been there."
"That's odd. Is there some kind of time flux or something from the Rift affecting the woods?"
"That's what we're trying to figure out. When Jack was in the woods he was experiencing time at a different, slower, rate than I was. He also told me he had had to take a rope bridge, I followed his path as closely as I could, and there was no rope bridge that I could see."
"Nothing about this is adding up. There's a sanatorium out in the woods that doesn't exist officially, yet it does. When Jack went out there to investigate, he experienced time displacement and went missing. You went looking for him and everything was perfectly normal, except that Jack is MIA…"
"Exactly," Ianto confirmed.
Gwen tapped her foot as she listened to the conversation – well, Ianto's side of the conversation. She hated not being able to take action. What was the point of working for a badass government agency like Torchwood if they just stood around with their cocks in their hands?
"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha mused. "He's the best person to assist you in a situation like this."
"Jack has his number in his mobile," Ianto said hopefully, realizing that Jack's mobile was with Jack.
"I could try calling him, but I haven't heard from him since the Medusa Cascade incident. I think he needs time."
"Yeah."
Ianto had no idea what Martha was referring to as he and Gwen had spent the entire incident trapped in the Hub by Tosh's time lock – it had kept the Daleks from getting in and killing them, but it had also kept them inside, unable to take part in the action. They had interacted with Jack and the Doctor via the subwave network, and used the power of the Rift to broadcast the SOS call into outer space so that it would –hopefully – be picked up by the TARDIS.
"I could come help you out if you'd like," Martha offered.
"It would be useful," Ianto agreed, "but you're all the way in Switzerland . That's quite a long flight."
"I'm not in Geneva anymore."
"You're not?"
"Relations between CERN and UNIT have been tenuous since Oliver Harrington's betrayal. Plus, I missed England, so I resigned as Medical Director and left UNIT."
"That's…unexpected."
"There were some recent…developments back home anyway."
Ianto recalled that Martha had mentioned her engagement to a pediatrician called Tom Milligan. I hope everything is okay, Ianto thought.
"I was just visiting my family, actually," Martha continued. "To be he honest, though, I could use a break. My mum is driving me mad! Ever since the Year That Never Was, Mum's been treating Leo, Tish, and I like we're made of glass. It's ridiculous."
Once again, Ianto wasn't one hundred percent sure what Martha was referring to. Jack had filled him in a bit on the Year That Never Was, but he still couldn't fully wrap his mind around it.
Apparently, the Doctor's old Time Lord nemesis the Master had integrated himself into London politics and won the election for Prime Minster as Harold Saxon. Once in office, he'd allowed the Earth to be invaded and ravaged by a race known as the Toclafane. After a year of wandering the Earth, spreading word of the Doctor, Martha had used the power of the Archangel Network so that when the surviving people of Earth all collectively thought of the Doctor at the same time, the Doctor had been restored to his former self and was able to set the time line right, making it so the horrible year had never happened. Only the people that had been aboard the Valiant had retained their memories of that nightmare.
"Look. Ianto, I need to go pack a bag and say goodbye to my family. I can be there in about four hours, I reckon."
"Thank you, Martha. …we…appreciate it."
"Don't mention it. See you soon."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Ianto turned to see Gwen regarding him with intense interest.
"Well, it is good news or bad news?" she asked. "You made more faced during that phone call than a pantomime actor. Have you ever considered a job in children's television?"
"Sod off." Ianto feigned disapproval. "It went well, by the way. Martha's on her way."
"Great." Gwen clapped her hands onto her thighs. "She'll be here by tomorrow, then, right?"
"She's not in Geneva, she's in England," Ianto corrected her.
'Oh, thank God." Gwen groaned dramatically. "I didn't know how long I could sit around here doing nothing. I need action."
"Tell me about it, I'm half out of my mind with worry. I haven't even slept."
At that, a gregarious yawn forced its way of Ianto's mouth.
"Why don't you go have a rest?" Gwen suggested softly. "I can do some research on the asylum while you're asleep. By the time you get up, Martha will be here and we can form a plan."
"I shouldn't…" Ianto protested feebly.
"You're no use to Jack exhausted out of your mind," Gwen chastised.
Ianto hated to admit it, but Gwen had a point. The human body could only run for so long without sleep. He'd do more damage by forcing himself to stay away than he'd do If he just had a quick lie down while they waited for Martha to get there.
"Okay," he relented, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'll go lie down. If anything develops..."
"You'll be the first to know," Gwen replied with a cheeky grin.
"What's that for?" Ianto queried.
"This is a side of you I've not seen before."
"What are you talking about?"
"Taking charge. Being bossy.'
"Yeah, well…my boyfriend has gone missing and my world is slowly collapsing."
"Jack would be proud"
They shared affectionate smiles before Ianto went into Jack's office and down the ladder to his bedroom.
He didn't even bother to get out of his suit. He just laid down on the bed and, inhaling Jack's scent from his pillow, drifted off into unconsciousness.
Across Cardiff at St. David's hospital, Catrin Foster lay in her hospital bed, her chest rising and falling evenly as she slept. Underneath her eyelids, her eyes flickered rapidly.
Catrin looked at Aeron, the man she loved. Despite his faults, he really was a great guy.
He'd gone through all the trouble of arranging all of these candles and bringing her out here. How had she ever gotten so lucky?
Aeron was on top of her, his weight on his forearms as he kissed her neck, his breath hot on the tender flesh.
"I'm pregnant," she moaned, wrapping her thighs around his slim waist.
Aeron stopped kissing her and paused, looking down at her stone-faced.
"Pregnant?" he asked, blinking in shock.
"About a month, yeah."
Aeron drew his brows together and got off of her, sitting on the edge of the old bed.
"I want to keep it," Catrin said softly. "It's a girl, I think."
"A girl?"
"I reckon so, yeah."
Aeron's face broke out into a beaming smile as he whooped loudly and swept her up into his strong arms.
"Will she be as beautiful as her mother?" he asked, kissing her neck again.
"I'm not beautiful," Catrin replied, blushing puce.
"You, Catrin Foster, are the most beautiful woman in the whole world!" Aeron insisted.
Even though she knew that that wasn't true, Catrin could feel her heart swell. Aeron truly loved her! He really did!
A loud bang out in the distance caused both of them to bolt upright, all passion – temporarily – forgotten.
"I thought you said that we were alone!" Catrin hissed.
"We are. We're suppose to be!" Aeron insisted.
She felt his the mattress rise as his weight was lifted off of it.
Aeron stood and picked up a rusty old pipe that was likely to give him tetanus.
"Stay there," he said quietly, taking a cautionary step forward. His hands held the pipe like it was a cricket bat. Whoever was out there would learn the hard way not to mess with Aeron Hughes or his girls.
When he reached the door, Aeron tightened his grip on the pipe and cast a last, furtive glance over his shoulder at Catrin. Whatever it took, he had to keep Catrin and the baby safe.
Aeron opened the door and leapt into the corridor, swinging the pipe threateningly.
After a few seconds, he shone his torch down both ends of the corridor and lowered the pipe. There was nothing there. It must've been the building settling or a wild animal or something.
"What is it?" Catrin asked quietly. "Aeron?"
"It's nothing, babe. Just the wind."
Aeron turned back to Catrin and walked back into the room.
Before he could close the door behind him, something massive dropped to the floor and a pickaxe stabbed through his chest.
Catrin screamed shrilly as Aeron looked down at the sharp end of the pickaxe jutting out his chest. Blood oozed from the wound with each pump of his heart. He spluttered as his lungs filled with blood.
He dropped to this knees and then to the floor.
Catrin stood as the monster with the pickaxe regarded her from across the room. It sniffed at her and groaned deep in its throat before sprinting from the room.
She rushed to Aeron's side, placing his head in her lap and stroking his damp hair lovingly.
"Aeron!? Aeron, answer me!" she begged, breaking down into tears.
Aeron's eyes shot open and he got to his feet.
Catrin gasped and stood as well, hands at her mouth. How was this happening? How was Aeron still alive?
"Catrin?" Aeron said in wonderment.
"Aeron?"
"How…?" He trailed off and looked about him, frowning in confusion.
"I'll call 999!" Catrin said, reaching in her bag for her mobile.
"Don't bother." Aeron sighed. "This is a dream."
"A dream?"
"I'm dead, Cat."
The truth of his words hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt the wind knocked out of her.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be. I died saving your life. My life was not in vain,"
"I never got to tell you…"
"You did, here, now. I can feel your dreams."
"Our baby's gone," she cried.
"I know."
"Now every part of you that I had is gone."
"Not every part." He touched her head and placed a hand on her chest, over her steadily beating heart. "I'll always be in here."
"It's not the same!"
"I know, but, it's something, right?"
Aeron's body shook intensely.
"Please, save me, Cat," he said suddenly.
"Save you? How?" she demanded.
The darkness surrounding them started to turn to light and Catrin watched as Aeron was ripped away from her, remaining apart of the darkness.
"Cat!" he yelled, his cry trailing after him.
"Aeron!"
"Save me, Cat! Free my soul!"
Catrin jolted awake, her body drenched in sweat.
A nurse stood over her, hands on her shoulders.
"You were having a bad dream, dear," the older woman said gently.
"A dream."
That made sense, now. She had had a dream of Aeron's murder, except, he wasn't really dead, and he'd begged her to save him. Begged her to free his soul.
"A bad one, from the look of it," the nurse said, offering her a Styrofoam cup full of cold water.
Yeah."
Catrin drank the cold water gratefully. It felt amazing against her dry, parched throat.
"What did you dream about?"
"My boyfriend being murdered." Her voice shook as it all came back to her. She'd been pregnant. That had been why she'd met Aeron in those woods.
Instinctively, she knew that she was no longer pregnant. Call it a mother's intuition.
With a silent sob, she curled in upon herself – into the fetal position – and cried and screamed until her throat was raw and she felt hollow inside.
The nurse gave her time to grieve, and then injected a sedative into her IV.
"This will help you sleep, dear," she said, her words fuzzy.
"I don't want to sleep," Catrin slurred as the drugs started taking effect.
"It's the best thing for you. You can't heal if you don't get any sleep. It takes the pain away, I promise."
At least I'll be with Aeron, Catrin thought as sleep overtook her once again.
