10
Ianto was crouching in the flowerbed as he turned the soil to plant the pansies he loved so much, their happy faces watching him from their little pots as they waited for their new beds to settle into like babies. He smiled as he thought of it that way.
Taddy seeded you, grew you and is now tucking you in.
Ianto was humming an ABBA song as he worked, then he found a lump that did not want to break apart so he crushed it in his hand, sitting back on his heels to try an work out what it was.
Hard.
A… not a rock, too symmetrical. He frowned as he brushed the dirt off it and found it to be sot of little disc, like a coin almost. Ianto frowned deeper, turning it over in his fingers as he mentally assessed his files and went through all the things it could be. All the things allowed in here, all the things he had signed off on.
He got a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he knew was the gnawing rat of reality and he groaned, easing to his feet to go in search of Owen, the other rat in this story.
.
.
"Wow. It's had a hard life" Owen said as he turned the disc over in his hands, much the same as Ianto had when he first found it not ten minutes ago.
Owen walked over to a microscope and popped it inter the lens to peer at with excitement.
"You know what?" Owen said after a while "I think it might still work. How's that for workmanship."
"Can you tell whose it was?"
"No, it was implanted before me, I don't… Toshiko might be able to find the corresponding numbers" Owen nodded as he turned and whipped t out as he faced Ianto "come on. Let's find the missus."
.
.
Jack knew something was up, Ianto and Owen moving fast with purpose was not something you see every day. He decided to follow and found them in a heated whispering debate with Toshiko who seemed to be getting more pissed by the minute.
"What's going on?" he finally asked.
They all swung to stare at him like he had screamed BOO in a haunted house as midnight… on all hallows eve.
Ianto finally held out his hand and said softly "I found this in the flower beds of Dome Eest."
Jack felt something hit his palm as he held out his own hand to receive whatever it was and he looked down at the small disc with confusion, then looked at them all "what is it?"
"It's a Birth control Implant. All the women had them implanted before we started this, a pregnancy not a good idea in here." Owen explained.
"Oh." Jack looked at it some more as he wondered how it might wind up in the flower bed when it was supposed to be… oh. "OH!"
"Yeah. Exactly" Ianto huffed "Someone has removed their implant. This can only mean they are hoping to get pregnant. Something that we are explicitly told not to do."
"Could be the press… maybe the blonde?" Jack was surmising.
"Captain… only the team got these. The others are not supposed to be here, remember? It has to be one of US women who dug it out and then… dug it in… as it were." Toshiko hissed.
"But what is the point? We were told this was because in an emergency situation like a world ending event or something the first year would be unadvisable for child. That no births should occur in case of fallout or poisoning or something. I mean… we've already stuffed things up with the extra people" Jack argued.
"And that is why I provided birth control via injection to all those women" Owen countered "Every woman on here is supposed to be covered. This… this shows someone is deliberately nuking that and it can only be one of the original team!"
Jack considered this and then nodded gently "OK, that makes sense. You're right. I was not thinking about that, you're right. OK . So… thoughts?"
"OK… it's not Tosh. It's not going to be Suzie…"
"Why not?" Jack asked.
Owen hesitated as he was rudely interrupted and he glanced at Ianto before making a face and answering "Doctor patient privilege is also not a thing in here as per the contract so I can tell you that her mother died of ovarian cancer and when she was old enough she found a doctor willing to give her a full hysterectomy. So… no implant was provided. She didn't need one."
"And it's not me" Ianto said, and then started to blush as they all laughed at his attempt at lightening the situation.
"OK… so… Owen. Check everyone out and find the culprit." Jack demanded.
"Well this is not going to be pretty for someone" Owen sighed as he rose "all the women will feel targeted if I demand … what. I know that look. Come on Ianto... you've had an idea?"
"Who questions everything and thinks she knows better?" Ianto asked. "Who argued against the implant and tried to get a bloody doctor's exemption on the grounds of human rights but was told she would be denied a spot on the team if she kept it up?"
Owen groaned as Jack looked flummoxed, turning to face Owen "Who?"
"I bags not to be the one to check her out. Sorry Toots, you're gonna have to examine that one." Own said as he flapped his hands.
"Who?" Jack repeated.
"Who do you think! Gwen Bloody Cooper!"