17
Gwen was part of the kitchen duty today according to others. She had helped prepare the evening meal. Ianto saw her over by the dessert table and he hesitated, then walked towards her intent on making himself known, only to slow as he caught the argument she was having with Rhys.
"I don't care what you think" she snarled at him as Rhys stood there in mute shock "I am not going to do this anymore. This is crap. Crap. I hate this boat, I hate all the water and to be honest with you, this is a waste of time. Look at us, hiding out here like cowards. There are still people out there needing us, needing help!"
"No one said we are not going to get help, get more people. Did you not hear the rumours of a second cruiser? A set of them so there are like… an island chain of them?" Rhys spluttered. "We can choose which one and even maybe one of the islands out there needing someone for the livestock and…"
"I do not fucking care" she repeated then glanced over at Ianto, looked him up and down and then tuned to wave her hand in his direction "See? This is what he is bringing back. Look at him. What the hell is he going to offer us?"
Rhys looked at him, then said softly "It's … shit. Where the fuck did you come from?"
"Don't be a fucking idiot. Look at him, likely Jack's latest squeeze toy or something" she spat "He came from the Captains Table right? About time Jack got a bed warmer I guess, he's been moping around groaning and moaning about Ianto for long enough. Christ, not that big of a loss."
Rhys visibly paled, stepping back from her as he looked at Ianto with apology "Sorry mate. She was not like this earlier, she seems to be getting more and more pissed off as the day wears on."
Ianto considered and then asked "Is she immune? Or not exposed?"
Finally Gwen swung to look at him and then frowned "What is that supposed to mean? We got out when it all took off and I have seen plenty of those fucking things."
"No. Not the Uglies. The dust clouds. Did you get exposed to them?" Ianto repeated. "You can't catch it form someone, you breathe it in."
"Don't' be feckin stupid, exposed. Listen to him" she said with a sneer and Ianto looked at the main buffet table.
"The corn" Ianto said softly to himself, then he abruptly walked away leaving her to start on Rhys again as Ianto sought out Toshiko.
.
.
"Well, it makes sense" Toshiko said as she pushed her plate back, not wanting the corn on the cob now.
Jack sat by Ianto with little Emma on his knee, listening with a dawning horror that Ianto was making sense.
"So, all the Genetically Engineered farms in the region are all about ready to be harvested. Maize and corn that are actually really ripe right now, let's consider the fact the GE plants might have created this, or at least added to it somehow" Ianto argued "The field of corn at the village is due to be harvested and we have the Uglies trying to attack the village from that field in particular, like for some reason they like the corn. Pretty coloured stuff, purple I think. So, is it the corn letting off the contaminant?"
"It's growing wild in amongst other corn so we would have to eradicate all corn to be sure, that's not an option" Owen pointed out.
"The problem is that our future children might not be immune. Just because we are, other family members were not, right? Gwen helped prepare this corn tonight and she is acting… off." Ianto said, then watched Jack's face change.
"That's…. what do you mean off. Gwen is … where?" Jack handed the little girl to Ianto and rose from his chair to look around, seeing her still in the corner with Rhys who was now sitting eating an entire cheese cake with a serving spoon while she ranted and raved.
"Huh." Jack grunted.
"Maybe it will pass, maybe because it is a low dosage it will pass? Not a wave of it, rather residue on her hands and she touched her face or something? The corn was not washed so it had the dust on it?" Ianto asked, and then there was an audible hasp as she punched Rhys in the side of the head.
Everyone rushed to stop the attack as Rhys sat there with the cheesecake in his lap, blinking furiously as he rubbed the side of his head "What the fuck Gwennie."
She reared back for another punch and Jack caught it, lifting her from behind and starting to carry her as she screamed and writhed in his grip.
Ianto shoved his child at Toshiko and ran to get the doors, letting Owen run ahead as they all headed to the medical wing and soon she was strapped down and sedated as she hopefully slept off whatever that was. Owen took bloods and muttered frantically to himself as Rhys stood to one side with his arms folded and a look of total resignation. Owen was sure some fluids and rest, she wound snap out of it. Hormones, some sort of hormonal imbalance or something caused from the corn. He kept telling Rhys she would be OK.
Ianto was not so sure.
He had seen this before, at the camp. He had seen this before.
Gwen had turned.
She was an Ugly.