Chapter 7.

"Where are they?" Jack paced around the conference room.

"They'll be here soon, Jack, don't worry," Ianto placed his hand on Jacks shoulder, an offered him a coffee.

"Mm…But I told them to both to have a relaxing night in-" Jack took the coffee and nearly spilt it

"Sorry we're late!"

"Sorry! Jack, Sorry!" Toshiko and Owen both burst through the hub door, Toshiko brushing her hair violently, and Owen shrugging his jacket off at the same time as holding Toshiko's bag.

"Sorry, late night, forgot to set my alarm…" Owen said as an excuse.

"I bet you did" Jack said, it took Owen a time to understand this before he exclaimed,

"Yeah well, don't go tell me that you and Ianto had an early night!" Owen raised his eyebrows as he sat down. Jack merely shrugged whilst Toshiko and Ianto both blushed heavily.

"Anyway, this is not the chat log for shags, thank you very much, if it was would you like to know what Rhys and I did last night?"

"No,"

"No thanks,"

"Naa, I'll give that a miss,"

"Nope,"

"Exactly, so, back here at Torchwood," Every now placed their attention on Gwen, "now Owen is back he can have a look at Bobby's body,"

"Who?"

"Bobby, he is a small boy we found in a night club, it seems his brain is working, but he is not breathing at all. He has no heart beat, and we are not sure whether he has any blood, or if he can eat, so we need you to find that out for us,"

"Okay, I'll get on with it now," He stood up, let go of Toshiko's hand and headed to the autopsy room. Jack spoke in a voice just above a whisper.

"How was he Tosh?"

"Does, Do they know?" Toshiko gestured to Gwen and Ianto,

"Yes, I thought it was fair if they understood the reason why Owen may forget something, or if he forgot them," Toshiko nodded

"Yes, he was fine last night. We were looking through photographs, many from his childhood and he remembered stuff from when he was like 6 years old!"

"That's good then,"

"Although he did forget to get dressed this morning, though that isn't a bad thing…"

"Right okay, moving on," Jack did not want the image of a naked Owen in his mind when Ianto was stroking his leg, not a very good mix.

"Sorry,"

"Don't worry, so you had a nice time last night with him?"

"Yes,"

"Good, I think the answer is to find out what exactly is in his mind, and also to train his brain,"

"How do we know it's an alien? Couldn't it be Alzheimer's?"

"No, we have already done a scan and it was an alien energy pattern,"

"Okay then,"

"His fiancé had Alzheimer's, you knew that right?"

"Yeah, we were talking about it last night; we found a photo of them together," Toshiko looked down at the table and Jack beckoned for Ianto and Gwen to leave,

"He loves you, Tosh, you know that?" She nodded,

"It's just-"

"What is it Toshiko?" Jack pulled out a chair next to Tosh and put his arm around her shoulder,

"What if he forgets me again? Or what if he forgets himself? I'm so scared Jack,"

"You have a reason to be, but I will tell you something Tosh," She looked up in curiosity, "When me and him first sat down and talked about his condition he made me promise to look after you. Whatever happens, he said to me 'If I ever forget myself, If I ever forget to love, If I ever forget Toshiko, look after her, help me remember' He does not want to lose you Toshiko, he will always love you, even if he forgets too, Okay?" She nodded,

"Thanks Jack,"

"Anytime," He gave her one last squeeze and stood up, "Now, let's go and see how Owen is getting on with Bobby," Toshiko nodded, stood up, and followed Jack out of the room.

"Owen?"

"Mmm?"

"Have you got anything yet?"

"Well, that thingy-mi-bob is definitely working" Owen started hitting his head lightly"...Umm…what's it called? Shit, you know what I mean Jack…" Yes, Jack did know what he meant, but he wanted Owen to remember. Toshiko stood behind Jack and walked in front of him, and just stood staring at Owen, who was struggling to remember one word,

"Jack…please help him..." She whispered as she watched Owen squint his eyes to try and think what word he needed to use.

"No,"

"But-"

"He needs to remember on his own Toshiko," Jack walked over to Owen and pulled out a chair, "Sit down, Owen, and tell me what you have forgotten." It was like watching a father talk to his son, teaching him to talk, Toshiko thought.

"It is a human organ, highly important,"

"Good. Anything else?"

"Oh Jack please just tell me what it is?"

"No Owen, carry on, what do we use that organ for?"

"It sends signals to the rest of the body, we can't live without it, it belongs in the head, inside the skull of the human, fucking hell! What is it called?"

"I don't know Owen, you tell me!"

"You tell me what I have fucking forgotten Jack Harkness!" Owen stood up in fury and gripped the front of Jacks shirt; Toshiko stood back in fright as Ianto entered the room and tried to split them up.

"Whoa…Owen, come on mate, sit down,"

"He's not helping me, Ianto…He's making me struggle…" Owen sounded like a small boy, whining for a packet of sweets

"No, Owen, he's trying to help you. I promise you that, all he wants to do is help you," Toshiko had never seen Ianto this affectionate towards anyone, especially not Owen. Owen bullies Ianto no end. Now Owen was crying into Ianto, like a child would to its mother, "Shh…it's okay, now sit down and tell me what you are trying to remember," Owen nodded and sat down opposite Ianto, where he was sitting before with Jack. Jack walked out of the way over to Tosh, who was having her back rubbed reassuringly by Gwen.

"Ianto is always better at this sort of stuff," Jack whispered in Ianto's ear. Toshiko didn't reply, she was too interested in what Ianto and Owen were doing. Owen seemed to be holding his breath trying to remember what he had forgotten; Ianto was repeating everything Owen said, helping him along the way. "None of us realise how hard it is for him, forgetting the simplest of things, which he knows that he can remember. You have to help him Toshiko, but never tell him the answer; he needs to learn how to remember,"

"But what if it never stops? What if his forgetfulness is to stay?"

"It won't, Gwen came up with an idea,"

"What is it?"

"The singularity scalpel,"

"What!"

"It saved your life," Owen looked over at Toshiko, hearing the panic in her voice,

"Tosh, love, it's a good idea,"

"I know, I know, it's just the scalpels reputation…"

"I understand," Owen stood up, and walked over to Toshiko and held her in his arms, "But it's our only choice. I reckon Gwen was pretty clever to use her brain to think of something like that," Owen laughed but Toshiko pulled out of his arms and looked up at him in surprise.

"What did you just say?"

"What? That it's our only choice…."

"No, no, the last bit,"

"That Gwen was clever to use her…brain!" Owen shouted the last word, pleased at him self for remembering what he had forgotten…finally!

"Yes!" Toshiko leapt into Owen's arms and he lifted her up and spun her round and round until she got extremely dizzy and had to sit down on a chair. Ianto stood up and smiled weakly and Jack, who smiled and raised an eyebrow at Ianto, in a kind of way which said 'Do you reckon I could lift you like that?'

"Little Bobby is breathing, and his Brain! Is in full working order! Fuck my brain hurts now…" Owen rubbed his head and Toshiko stood up and kissed his forehead lightly,

"Go on, carry on with the scan," Owen nodded and went over to his computer. Jack led Ianto, Gwen and Toshiko out of the room, leaving Owen to do his job.

"Toshiko?"

"Mm?" She answered, whilst taking a sip from the coffee Ianto had just given her.

"Can I have a word please? In my office?" She swallowed her coffee and replied;

"Yeah, sure," She made her way up to Jacks office slowly, knowing what the chat was going to be about. She entered his office and took a seat at his desk, "Yes," She said.

"What?"

"I think we should use the singularity scalpel,"

"Oh,"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing, it's just, this is different to how we used it on you, and Gwen at her wedding,"

"How?"

"The alien is in his brain, in his skull. The skull is very thick and strong bone, it may not let the alien out, it may cause the brain to explode, or implode," He saw the fright painted on Toshiko's face, "He could die,"

"No…no, no, no, no, no…" Toshiko whispered these words to her self and stood up out of her chair and walked over to the window of Jacks office, thinking to herself the possibilities.

"But, it's the only chance we have, unless we find a cure…" Toshiko kept quiet as Jack continued, "Or, we could not help him and let him stay forgetful, that's better that him dying isn't it?"

"No,"

"What?"

"If her were to stay forgetful, it would end up killing him one way or another, he wouldn't want to day like that, but I just don't want him to die Jack! Why does shit always happen to us!? When I signed up for Torchwood you said we would protect people! Who protects us!? When we were out in the countryside, with those cannibals, Ianto asked me exactly the same thing! Who! Protects! Us?"

"I…I don't know," He replied weakly, "but if it was me, Tosh, I would rather die trying to cure myself, yeah?"

"But you can't die Jack! There is a difference! You cannot put that kind of stuff in perspective for us…normal people!"

"I know and-"

"What's all this shouting about?" Owen walked into the room,

"Nothing Owen, go back downstairs," Jack tried to force Owen outside of the door, but Owen just pushed him backwards,

"You're talking about me aren't you?"

"No, we were just-"

"You were. You were talking about finding me a cure for this fucking forgetfulness!"

"Owen, calm down, I was just talking to Toshiko about what the consequences will be,"

"Shit, aren't they Tosh?" He said in a calmer voice, making his way over to her, "They are complete and utter bollocks,"

"You got that right..." She said, trying to prevent tears washing down her face like a waterfall

"Hey…its okay, it's going to be okay…everything is going to be alright. Hmm? It always turns out okay in the end, doesn't it?" Toshiko nodded, "You did this to her," Owen turned on Jack

"What?"

"You made her cry Jack! You forced her into choosing, basically, what way I would rather die!"

"No, Owen,"

"Yes you did Jack! Why can't I choose for myself? Hmm?"

"Because your brain is-"

"I'm not deluded Jack, I'm not senile!"

"I know that,"

"Who the fuck are you anyway? To tell me how to die, when you go on, living forever? Hmm?"

"I'm sorry, Owen, I should have thought-"

"Well you didn't! Did you!? You take life so easily Jack, you don't bother looking across the road, because there is no point! If you get knocked over you can stand right back up again. We look, and we could still die! Gone! Forever! Never to come back! You understand now?"

"Owen," Toshiko pleaded,

"No, Come on Tosh; let's leave him to his thoughts…" Toshiko followed Owen out of the room, taking one last look at Jack, standing their flabbergasted, "You are a fucking, thoughtless, selfish….wanker, Jack Harkness, and I hope you realise that, before you go and get some one killed with your selfishness and stupidity," Owen said those last few words, walked out of the office, and slammed the door behind him. Jack watched and saw Owen give Toshiko a reassuring hug. For once in his life, Captain Jack Harkness, was speechless.


A/N: The normal...Read And Review x