Notes: Chapter four, which I would have had up last night if my computer hadn't gone frookie on me. Sorry if I wasn't clear on what happened to the alien, I clear that up down below. Hope you all enjoy, more to come soon in this one, and I'm cooking up a story for Ianto...
Jack tried to move back, but the hand wouldn't let him. He tried to pry the fingers loose, but it still was no good. Looking down, he stopped fighting when he saw what, or rather who, it was. Tamsyn. She was gasping for air, clawing frantically at Jack, panic clearly written all over her pale face.
"Tamsyn?" he gasped as he was able finally to get a hold of her hands.
"Dark." she whispered. "So dark, I could barely move." she panted.
"It's all right." he said as he hugged her, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"What happened?" she asked, shaking.
"What all do you remember?" he asked as he stepped back and held her firmly by the shoulders.
"I was in a cell with Owen." she ansnwered as she wiped sweat and tears from her face. "I was in so much pain." she went on. "You all and my dad were standing outside, then, it felt like something ripped my guts out." she closed her eyes, as though she could still feel the pain. "I was pregnant with something..." she trailed off as her hand went to her stomach. It was then that she noticed that she was sitting in the morgue of Torchwood, naked.
Jack's eyes were glued to her stomach, not paying much attention to much else. There was no sign at all that she had in fact had her stomach ripped open.
"You sit tight, I'll go find you some clothes." Jack said as he wrapped the sheet she'd been covered in around her.
"I'm not likely to take off into Cardiff in nothing more than a sheet, am I?" she asked as she pulled the sheet tight around her shoulders as Jack walked off.
Jack pulled out his phone and pressed a speed dial number and waited impatiently for an answer. Finally a groggy, "Hello?" could be heard.
"Owen, I need you at the hub, now!" Jack said as he rummaged in a cupboard, trying to think where Ianto might stash extra clothes.
"Oh, come on, Jack." Owen whined. "It's after four in the bloody morning, and I just got back not too long ago."
"Just get here." Jack answered firmly, hanging up the phone as he finally found some clothes. Just some old sweats, not very fashionable, and probably at least two sizes too big for the petite woman, but they'd have to do.
"Good, clothes." Tamsyn said with a forced smile when Jack came back holding the sweats.
"Not really designer stuff." he said. "Best I could do."
"Better than a sheet." she said as she took them and pulled the sweatshirt over her head. "I'm freezing." she complained as she put the sweats on as well, pulling the drawstring as tight as it would go. "What do we do now?" she asked as she folded the sheet.
"We wait for Owen to get here." he answered. "You need anything, food, something to drink?"
"I'd die for a cup of coffee." she said, then winced. "Bad choice of words there, eh?"
"Kinda, yeah." Jack agreed. "Come on, I'll make us both some coffee."
Jack had made the coffee, found a tin of biscuits Ianto had seemed to have hidden and handed them both to Tamsyn.
"Not to be rude, but you're awful at making coffee." she said as she swallowed the concoction.
"Now you see why Ianto is so valuable to us." Jack laughed.
"Jack?" they heard Owen call.
"In the kitchen." Jack called back.
"What the hell was so important that you had to drag me out of..." Owen grumbled as he walked in and froze.
"Surprise!" Tamsyn said rather mockingly.
"What's this?" Owen asked. "You didn't find another of those damned gloves did you?"
"No, she did this all on her little lonesome." Jack promised.
"How?" he asked as he stood in front of the woman, flashing a light in her eyes.
"I hatched from an egg." she mumbled, trying not to blink at the bright light.
"Yeah?" Owen asked, looking as though she were an escaped Bedlamite. "And I sprang forth from the Queen's loins."
"Oh, now that is just wrong!" Tamsyn complained. "Never say loins and Queen in the same sentence."
"I don't know, I think she's kind of sexy in a stuffy sort of way." Jack said. "I think it's the hats."
"Or perhaps you've a granny fetish." Tamsyn said.
"Just one of many." Jack smiled.
"I need to take a good look at you." Owen said, trying not to picture Jack and the Queen rolling around.
"Can I call Callum and my dad?" she asked as she stood up, getting ready to follow Owen.
"No." Jack said simply.
"No?" she asked in surprise. "Why not? I'd like to think they'd want to know I'm alive."
"We'll probably want to monitor you for a bit." Owen explained.
"For how long?" she asked, looking back and forth between the two men.
"Twenty-four to forty-eight hours." Jack answered.
"A day or two?" she asked. "And where am I to stay and what am I to do in that time?"
"You'll stay here." Jack answered. "And Owen and I will keep you company for that time as much as we can."
"Just you two?" she asked, "Why just you two?"
"I think it'd be best if Ianto, Tosh and Gwen didn't know." Jack said. "Tosh I know has grown very attatched to you, it wouldn't do her any good if she were to find out you're alive just for you to die again."
"Die again?" Tamsyn was shocked. "You think that could happen?"
"I don't know." both men answered.
"You just suddenly came back to life after having your stomach ripped open." Jack said. "Not an everyday occurance."
"Not for anyone but Jack that is." Owen put in. "Come on, let's start checking you out." he said as he took her hand and led her out of the room.
"What happened to the... thing?" she asked as she sat on the exam table, Owen checking her vitals.
"We killed it." Jack answered. "As soon as it popped out, it was dead."
"Pulse could be stronger, but it's there." Owen said as he got ready to check her blood pressure. "How's your stomach feel?" he asked.
"It's sore." she answered with a shrug. "But I've had worse from working out too hard."
"Blood pressure is good." Owen said. "Time to take your temprature."
"You'd better have an ear thermometer." Tamsyn said. "Or an oral one at worse."
"Don't worry, I don't like going around sticking thermometers into people's bums." Owen said with a look to show how disgusting he found that particular idea. "Temperature is a little low."
"Usually is." Tamsyn informed him. "Usually if I'm at the 98.6 I'm running a fever." she looked to Jack. "You're really gonna keep me here for a couple of days, away from my husband, father and friends?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Until we know you're safe."
"And where are you planning on keeping me during that time so that Tosh, Ianto and Gwen won't notice me?" she asked as she saw Owen getting ready to take some blood.
"None of them go down into my little room during the day." he said, as he thought of a place to stash her.
"You want me to hide in a rabbit hole all day?" she asked skeptically. "And what about when a certain someone decides to put in some overtime?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What's he been telling you?" Jack asked.
"Some things that would make even you blush I think." she teased.
"There's a room at the end of the hall of the cells." Owen put in as he put a bandage on Tamsyn's arm where he'd taken the blood. "Or one of the cells itself maybe."
"I don't think that'd be such a good idea." Jack said as he shook his head. "Too many of us go down there. There is a small room that isn't used for anything. Bigger than my "rabbit hole", take in a cot, some books. It'll be like you're on holiday."
"A holiday locked away from family and friends and where everyone I care about thinks I'm dead." Tamsyn said. "Who needs Italy?" she asked.
"Exactly." Jack said as he offered her his arm. "Let me show you to your room, madam." he said as she took the offered arm.
"If I don't die again, I'll make you pay for locking me away from everyone." she threatened.
"I'll be only too glad for you to make good on that threat." he smiled in such a charming way, she almost wanted to smack him.
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