Chapter 12
(19th May 2009)
Caerau -5:00am
"To your left Captain!"
Jack turned on the spot and bolted down the street as Torin followed him, the two following a flash of silvery-green hair. The Bean Sídh was damn fast as she seemed to glide through the suburbs.
"Stop! Stop you green haired bitch!" Jack shouted after it.
"Mall síos anois." shouted Torin, sprinting ahead of Jack, who was astounded at the speed he was maintaining. The Bean Sídh seemed to stutter on her feet, slowing down and turning to look at Torin.
"Ha! No wonder she wouldn't listen." laughed Michaela over the comm. "She doesn't speak English."
"Fascinating." growled Jack as he caught up to Torin and aimed his gun at the Bean Sídh. "Now tell Miss screechy that she's going to go back and release Gwen."
Torin nodded, "Ok. Um… Téigh go dtí an teach agat, agus dean sláintiúil an bhean istigh ansin anois! Le do thoil."
The Bean Sídh stared at them unblinkingly, her hands raised as if prepared to cast a spell. She was the ugliest woman Jack had ever seen… and that was saying something. Her face was heavily lined, the wrinkled skin around her eyes almost hiding them. They were black eyes, empty and emotionless. She was skinny and worn looking, dressed in rags. She looked like a witch from nightmares. She stared at Torin, seemingly uncomprehending. Jack tightened his grip on his gun. Torin edged closer and lowered his gun slightly, "Maraiodh againn an contúirt." He beckoned to her.
"He's asking her to come back and heal Gwen." said Michaela quietly to Jack, "He's saying we killed the danger."
It seemed to be working on the Bean Sídh who edged closer. Torin smiled and said gently,
"Ba maith leat ag dul go dtí abhaile? Bogfaidh mé tú abhaile, teacht ar ais Eire."
"He says he'll take her home."
"What?" demanded Jack, irate that this newcomer was making promises to this thing.
"Jack, if she goes back to Ireland she'll probably never touch anyone. Torin said they're safe under normal circumstances. If we keep her here we're just going to cause her pain."
"Tough on her."
"Jack Harkness!" snapped Michaela, "Did I, or did I not defend you against UNIT by saying you were capable of seeing beyond the immediate and the strange? Do not make me a bloody liar because you're upset."
Jack was about to retort that this was different, but he cut himself off as the Bean Sídh lowered her hands and approached Torin. Her head dipped forward and she looked submissive. Jack hefted his gun higher, not prepared to be tricked. For all they knew this was the reason Owen was in the hospital. The Lethifold couldn't have done it. Torin backed away slowly and kept beckoning her, almost enticing her to keep following him like she was a puppy. Jack walked behind them, gun at the ready. They made their way like a row of ducks, joined by Archie, and continued to the house where Gwen was still trapped. Torin led the Bean Sídh up the stairs and gently herded Meiriona aside to avoid being touched by the Bean Sídh. The creature moved around to stand by Gwen and peered at her face, looking almost curious.
Then she reached out and held her hand under Gwen's hand holding the comb. Gwen slowed her motions and turned her head to look at the Bean Sídh. Then the comb was pulled from her hair and offered to the Bean Sídh, who pulled it from her hand. Gwen stiffened and then her legs buckled. Jack rushed forward and caught her,
"Gwen! Gwen, are you ok? Talk to me." he pushed her hair out of her face, making her blink up at him. She frowned in confusion then said quietly,
"Jack?"
Intense relief spread through Jack's body as he kissed Gwen's brow, hugging her close. "You're ok Gwen. It's ok."
"Wh-what happened?"
"You were possessed by a Bean Sídh lass." said Archie, grinning in relief.
"…Oh." Gwen looked around at the Bean Sídh who had curled up on the floor, hugging her knees with one arm and resumed combing her hair with the other. Where she had looked like a threat walking around the streets of the area, now she seemed small and weak. Jack held Gwen tighter and said stiffly,
"Captain Scully?"
"Yes sir?"
"Call your associates, have them take her back to Ireland."
"Yes sir." Torin's smile was audible as he pulled out his mobile phone. He would stay behind to sort out the Bean Sídh Jack helped Gwen to her feet and pulled her arm over his shoulder.
"Come on Gwen, let's get you back to the Hub."
"Ok." Gwen sagged against him, pale and exhausted, "I feel like I just ran a marathon. With the flu."
"Don't worry, we'll check you out… then you can go home to Rhys to rest."
"Great… for once I'll be happy to see Owen."
Jack hesitated as he realised he would have to explain that to her. He decided to wait until they were at the Hub, otherwise Gwen would insist on going straight to the hospital and there was nothing she would be able to do to help.
The Hub -6:00am
Michaela greeted Gwen with a bear hug of relief, which Gwen returned but was clearly baffled by. After they scanned her, they were forced to explain where Owen was.
"We have to go see him!" Gwen said at once, hopping off the Autopsy Table. Her legs buckled and Jack and Archer grabbed an arm each and lifted her back onto the table. "Let me go!"
"Gwen, you've been drained of all your energy. You need to rest, or you're gonna end up in the hospital with Owen."
"Bollocks to that! We have to be there for him!" Gwen shoved at Jack, her movements more like a weak kitten than her usual fiery temper.
"Rhys is on his way to pick you up." said Michaela coming over to join them. "He's been frantic with worry."
"I'm not going home. I can't." Gwen stressed, "Owen needs us."
Michaela walked down the stairs and stood in front of Gwen, resting her hands on her knees.
"Gwen, just think for a second. All we're doing right now is waiting for news. Ianto and Toshiko are at the hospital and that's all they'll allow in to see him. So you'd just be waiting in the waiting room for news. Owen wouldn't want to know you made yourself ill, after an experience like this, waiting to hear news. He'd much prefer you were healthy and strong and ready to mother him."
"Owen hates being mothered." said Gwen sulkily.
"Yep. But if you start mothering him, he'll know you're fine, and then he can focus on just getting better and bitching all the way through."
"But he might be paralysed!"
"And if he is, we will need you rested and composed to help him." Michaela squeezed her knees and Gwen sagged forward. Michaela caught her and held her up. "C'mon, couch and Jack'll help you out to the car when Rhys arrives."
Gwen made token noises of protest, but she was too drained to really put up a fight as Michaela pulled her along to the couch, and they sat down together. Jack smiled with pride and looked at Archie.
"Thanks… you and Michaela really held your own today. I should have held it together, but…"
"Jack, it's been a tough year for you as much as anyone else. And you've gotten through it by holding your team together. It makes sense you'd lose perspective a little if that team was threatened. Just… learn from it and I'll be satisfied."
Jack nodded, grinning as Archie clapped his hand on Jack's shoulder and the two went to join the women.
"Ok, Michaela, I want you to go home as well, you and monkey need your rest."
"But what about Ianto and Tosh?"
"I'll join them when you're both on the road. Archie will you look after Torin? I think we'll be keeping him around."
"Aye I will. Also, I think we ought to think about maybe offering Meiriona Pugh a job. She was helpful, and has the eye for weird shit and a surprising tolerance for it. She might be worthwhile."
"We'll talk about it later." said Jack, although he had to admit it sounded good. "In the mean time we'll focus on Owen."
Owen could hear the faint beeps of hospital tech, and his mouth was drier than a desert, as oxygen was pushed past his teeth with an oxygen mask. His throat, parched and sore, must have had a tube in it, he could almost feel the plastic sticking into the soft tissue, even though it was no longer there.
He had to open his eyes…
A hand rested on his arm and a soft, accented voice, Indian maybe, said
"Owen? Can you hear me?"
Owen tried to speak, but all he managed was a croak. The soft warm hand slipped down to his hand.
"Can you squeeze my fingers please?"
Owen had to concentrate, but after a long moment of trying to stretch his brain out to his arm, he gave the fingers a feeble squeeze.
"That's really good. Now, can you squeeze again with your other hand?"
Her hand shifted to the other and Owen managed to squeeze again, although he still could not open his eyes. He knew he was in a hospital, but he could not remember why.
"Ok, are you in any pain?"
He managed to nod, finally noticing the ache in his torso. His back was thrumming with pain… but he could feel the effects of strong painkillers already at work. Panic flared as he realised he should not be feeling any pain at all if he was on morphine already.
"Is it here?" she touched gently under his back. He nodded. "Ok, I will give you something in a moment. I just want to check one thing. Can you feel my hands on your legs?"
Owen waited for her to touch them, but when the moment drew out and she did not, he frowned.
"Owen, I've got my hands on your legs, can you feel them."
Owen shook his head, his breathing increasing.
"Ok, Owen, listen to me, just take deep breaths. I'm going to give you some morphine, and you can go back to sleep. Don't worry, it could just be a result of the surgery. You're ok."
Owen wanted to demand more information, but he felt the cold burn of morphine passing into his veins and he found himself slipping away to nothing.
University Hospital of Wales -06:10
Ianto nearly stumbled into the wall when the trolley bearing Owen rounded the corner and he saw his brother. Owen had always been small and scrawny, something he had gotten from their father. But he looked tiny and weak, like a child, as he lay on the bed.
Toshiko let out a soft noise, but her hand was strong as steel on his arm as they followed the trolley into a private room. As the nurses and doctors set up the equipment and settled Owen on the bed, Dr Courtenay came up to them looking through Owen's chart.
"Well?" Ianto prompted her. She looked up, her mouth strained.
"Ok, well we ran a few initial tests, he woke up briefly. He's retained mobility in his hands at least. But his initial reactions for his legs was less encouraging. He did not seem to be able to feel any sensations on his legs."
"So he is paralysed?" Ianto croaked, grabbing Toshiko's hand.
"We don't know exactly. It could be just temporary, we'll need to give him some time to heal from the surgery before we can definitively diagnose his condition."
Ianto sagged into the chair next to Owen's bed, head in his hands. Toshiko grabbed his hand and held it tight with her smaller, vice-like fingers.
"So what happens now?"
"We'll monitor him, and keep running tests to see just how much damage there is. He'll be out for a while yet, so maybe you should go get some rest."
"We're not going anywhere." growled Ianto. Toshiko nodded in agreement.
Dr Courtenay nodded in understanding. "Ok, well I'll be in the on-call room, and I'll be monitoring his progress through the night."
"Doctor!" Ianto called, looking up. Dr Courtenay turned back to him. "Is the chance of Owen recovering good?"
Dr Courtenay hesitated, looking up at the ceiling, looking more thoughtful than reluctant. "I believe that he has a good chance, but that it may be a difficult road." She looked at Owen carefully, "How stubborn is your brother?"
"Unbearably." Toshiko and Ianto answered at once. Dr Courtenay smiled faintly.
"Then I believe he has a very good chance."
"Thanks." Ianto said. She nodded and walked away. Ianto let out a heavy breath and got to his feet, going to Owen's side. "You hear that Owen, you just have to be yourself and everything will work out. Bet that's the first time being you is a good thing."
Toshiko let out a soft noise that might have been a laugh or a sob and Ianto turned to her. She was pale and tearful, her hair in disarray from running her fingers through it too much. Ianto moved from Owen's side at once and enveloped her in his arms. He had forgotten that while he was at risk of losing his brother, Toshiko had nearly lost her lover. He knew how much that hurt, and wished he had remembered while they were waiting for news.
Toshiko clung on to him and buried her face in his chest, but she did not cry. The door opened and Jack walked in, his eyes falling on Owen and he paled at the sight of him.
"Jack." Ianto called faintly, relieved to see him. "Is Gwen…?"
"She's ok, drained but good. The Banshee is dealt with, Torin is arranging for her to be sent back to Ireland."
"Torin?" Ianto had to think for a moment who that was. "Oh… Michaela called him in?"
Jack nodded, "It was a good call."
Ianto nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think he'll be good for Torchwood."
Jack nodded, inhaling and looking at Owen, "Have we had good news?"
"Of a sort." said Toshiko, still resting her head on Ianto's chest. "The doctor thinks he may be paralysed, but that there's a good chance it'll be temporary."
Jack nodded, a furrow between his eyebrows, "Ok, ok, so that sounds positive."
"We won't know until he wakes up again. It'll be a while before we have more definitive news." said Ianto in frustration. Jack kept nodding.
"Ok, ok that's at least not bad news."
"You look like a bobble-head toy." Ianto told him as he rubbed Toshiko's back. Jack stopped nodding and gave him a crooked grin.
"Is there any point in suggesting you two go home and sleep?"
"No." Toshiko and Ianto replied as one.
"Ok. Well, get some rest in those chairs, I'll go get you both some tea."
"What about the Hub?"
Jack tapped his wrist band and said, "I'll know if something comes up. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Ianto nodded as he left and he and Toshiko sat down to wait once more, holding hands tight.
Like I've said before, I've no intention of abandoning this fic, but I may have to change certain plans for it, otherwise it'll never get done.
Night's Darkness
