Time Doesn't Always Run Straight
Meat
Part 5
First, thank you to everyone for your support. It has just blown me away how many people are reading this story. I can not express enough just how awesome you all are. Special mention to sandysan2013 (Guest). The team are trying to help Jestine. She just needs to learn to let them in more. She is getting there and they are willing to support her any way they can (well maybe not Gwen just yet.) Also thank you for your suggestion on Adam. I have decided to use your suggestion as I think it seems interesting and is definitely exciting to write the changes.
WARNING: Violence, swearing, medical produces and other nasties.
Other than that, enjoy the story and let me know what you think.
"You ok?" Tosh asks as she watches Jestine stumble slightly.
Thankfully clean up hadn't taken too long and they had just returned to the Hub. Rhys was stable and would make a full recovery in time. The space whale had been incinerated along with the warehouse. Ianto had planted the cover story and the workers were all either home or hospital, depending on their injuries.
"Fine." Jestine mutters as she grips onto one of the desk.
"Has Owen checked your injuries yet?" Tosh notes Jestine's pale face, a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead.
"I don't need him. Nothing serious." Jestine starts to sway.
"Owen!" Tosh calls out as Jestine collapses. She rushes to grab her as she hears Owen running up from the medical bay.
"What's wrong?" Owen asks before he sees Jestine.
"She was stumbling slightly. Pale with sweaty forehead." Tosh informs Owen. "She was swaying but collapsed before I could get to her."
He quickly checks her pulse. "Too fast, far too fast." He mutters. "Help me carry her down." Owen orders Jack who had come down from his office.
"What happened?" Ianto asks Tosh.
"She just collapsed. I don't think Owen had a chance to look at her. I hope she's ok." Tosh replies.
"She'll be fine." Ianto comforts Tosh.
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"What the hell were you thinking?" Owen checks Jestine's vitals as she starts to stir. She had been unconscious for only a few minutes but more than long enough to worry the team.
"I'm fine." Jestine slurs slightly. "Had worse."
"From now on if you get hurt in the field you have to tell me." Owen grumbles. "What injuries?"
Jestine tries to get off the bed. "No, you aren't going anywhere till I've checked you over." Owen blocks her exit. "You right to get your clothes off or do you need a hand?"
Jestine smirks. "Tosh mightn't agree."
Owen glares at her. "Just get it off so I can check your injuries."
"Ruin all the fun." Jestine mutters as she takes off her coat and top.
Owen whistles at the bruising that has already formed up and down her torso. "Any other injuries?" He asks as he feels for broken ribs. "Going to need to X-ray but feels like you have at least 6 broken ribs." Owen informs her. "And I need one of your cheek. I'll say you'd be lucky to have a fracture. Concussion too but no bleeding."
Owen checks all the injuries he had seen. "Did you get hurt in anywhere else? And tell me the truth or I will get Jack to ban you permanently from the field." He threatens.
Jestine reluctantly unravels a piece of material that was wrapped around her upper thigh.
"Shit." Owen curses as he takes in the wound. "When were you shot?"
"One of the stray bullets when Ianto and Dale were fighting." Jestine informs him.
Owen frowns. "You should have said something. God knows what damage you've done from running around with a bullet in your leg."
"I tried getting it out but couldn't find it." Jestine informs him.
"What with?" Owen's voice is laced with suspicion and concern.
"My fingers." Jestine confirms Owen's suspicion.
"Do you want an infection?" He quickly hurries to get the required materials.
"Don't worry about anesthetic just get it out." Jestine grumbles.
"You sure? It'll hurt like hell." Owen points out.
"It'll be quicker." Jestine retorts.
"Your choice." Owen mutters as he starts to sterilise his equipment.
"Stay as still as you can." Owen orders before he starts the search for the bullet.
"No problem." Jestine hisses slightly but other than that doesn't complain, although her fingers are white from grabbing the autopsy table.
Owen easily finds the bullet and takes it out. "I'm going need to stitch it up. Are you sure you don't want anesthetic. Now isn't the time for being brave."
Jestine rolls her eyes. "Not brave, just easier."
"Again, your choice." Owen mutters before he sets to work. While she flinches every now and again, Jestine doesn't complain as Owen sews her up.
"She finished?" Jack asks as Owen stitches the last stitch and cuts the thread. "All done." He confirms.
Jack nods. "My office, now." Before turning and leaving.
"You be careful on that leg." Owen warns her as she hobbles up the stairs. Jestine gives no indication of hearing him.
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"Next time tell someone." Jack tells Jestine.
"I was fine." Jestine mutters.
"You collapsed. We were just lucky it happened in the main area. What if you had been in the archives, or lower levels? It could have been hours before we found you. Just let us do it our way." Jack warns her.
"Fine." Jestine reluctantly agrees. "What did you actually want to talk to me about?"
Jack sighs. It wasn't an easy topic but he had to get it over with. "Ianto told me what you did to Dale." He pauses to see what Jestine would have to say for herself.
"So?" Is all Jestine says. Jack had expected her to defend her actions, not mutter one word.
"So you disobeyed orders. Not to mention just how sadistic it was." Jack struggles to keep himself calm.
"I didn't actually use anything other than the stun gun." Jestine points out.
"Not helping your case." Jack frowns at her. "Do you see why threating Dale would be seen as the wrong thing to do?"
Jestine pauses in thought for a moment. "I guess some people might think it was bad." She looks to Jack for confirmation.
Jack sighs. He was sure that Jestine didn't actually understand what she did was wrong and it sickened him. "Yes, most people would consider it bad. You threatened to cut someone open while they were still alive."
"I was just giving him a taste of his own drugs." Jestine comments.
"Medicine, taste of his own medicine." Jack absently corrects her. "Still not ok. Plus I told you to not bring anything other than stun guns. I know you brought guns and a knife after I specifically told you not to."
"I took them as a precaution. You saw how the acted when they had the upper hand. Ianto was almost shot." Jestine snarls.
"You disobeyed my orders. Again." Jack retorts.
"I did what I thought was the best thing to do." Jestine responds.
"Enough." Jack shouts. "No more of it. You have shot two people, you threatened to cut someone open while still alive, kept information from me and disobeyed orders. All because you thought it was what needed to be done. That stops now. Either you start listening to orders or you leave Torchwood."
Jestine slams her fist on the desk. "Just because you can't do it, doesn't mean I shouldn't."
"Not if you want to continue to be at Torchwood." Jack warns. "You can't just do those kinds of things." He continues at a quieter volume. "If we go around doing that, what makes us any better than them?"
"What does it matter whether we are better than them or not? All that matters is that we get the job done." Jestine retorts.
"No. We are protecting the people of Earth from any threats. That includes threats from us. Why did you really do it? You had no interest in the creature before we got the warehouse." It had been nagging at the back of Jack's mind since they got back.
Jestine avoids looking Jack in the eye as she answers. "I felt it. It had low psychic levels. I could feel it's pain. I saw everything it had gone through." Jestine confesses.
Jack frowns. "You should have been able to easily block it."
Jestine pulls a face of disgust. "I had my barriers down. I've allowed myself to get complacent."
Jack decides to not comment on Jestine's disgust. "But once we were there you could have easy put them back up."
Jestine looks away. "I couldn't. It had been alone for so long, with no-one that understood it. How could I have just shut it out when it was calling out to me?"
Jack's anger fades slightly at the confession. Jestine didn't need to say it, he knew she related to the space whale. His heart twists at the thought.
"Regardless, you still disobeyed orders. I can't let you continue to ignore my command. I give you those orders for a reason. You have two weeks suspension from all field duties starting tomorrow." Jack declares. "It'll give you a chance to heal up too. That or you leave Torchwood." Jack warns.
Jestine looks like she is about to argue until Jack's last sentence, at which point she seems to deflate in the chair. "You going to retcon Rhys?" She asks instead.
Jack raises an inquisitive eyebrow. "Why wouldn't we, its policy."
Jestine shrugs. "Maybe you shouldn't."
"Why do you care?" Jack asks with suspicion.
"I don't really. But maybe it would be good for Gwen. Apparently people like to talk about their day and their issues. Tosh and Owen have each other and you have Ianto. Maybe Gwen would benefit from having someone to talk to." Jestine suggests.
"What about you? Who do you talk to?" They still knew so little of Jestine, Jack couldn't resist the opportunity to find out more.
Jestine shakes her head. "I don't need anyone."
Jack can see Jestine's defenses rising again. He wished she would let them help her more but decided now was not the time to push the subject. Emotions were running high enough without adding more. "Why do you think we should trust Rhys? We can't let just anyone know about what we do."
"We shouldn't. But doesn't mean we can't give him the chance. Who would believe him if he did start telling people. I not saying you should but maybe it would help Gwen. And if she has someone else to complain to, we won't have to hear her."
"I'll think about it." Jack compromises. "You need to get some rest."
Jestine opens her mouth to argue before Jack interrupts her. "You just had a bullet dug out of your leg. Rest here or I'll send you home."
"Fine." She mumbles as she gets up and leaves the room.
Jack sighs. One meeting down, one to go. He had already been considering letting Rhys keep his memory before Jestine suggested it. The policies were centuries old and maybe it was time to update them. Before he made a concrete decision he wanted to talk to Gwen first.
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"Gwen we need to talk. My office now." Jack orders as he enters the medical bay where Owen was checking on Rhys.
"But Rhys needs me here." Gwen huffs at Jack being so inconsiderate.
"He will be fine for a few minutes." Jack frostily replies.
"What happened to the blokes?" Rhys asks, thankfully interrupting Gwen and Jack before they could get into a full blown argument.
"We gave them amnesia pills. They'll remember who they are, but not what they did over the past few months." Jack tells him.
"So they got away with it?" Rhys asks, disgusted, after everything they had done they just got to forget it.
"It would never stand up in a court of law." Jack replies.
"And the creature?" Rhys looks around at the team as silence falls.
Tosh squeezes Owen's hand as he looks down in sorrow.
"Incinerated." Jack breaks the silence.
"So there's nothing left. It was never there." Rhys asks distraught.
Jack gives a nod. "Gwen, my office now, no argument."
He turns and leaves. Gwen glares at his back before leaning forward and kissing Rhys.
She storms off after Jack.
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"What is it Jack? Can't you see Rhys is in pain?" Gwen huffs into Jack's office.
"Owen is giving him the best pain medicine. You being there won't stop the pain." Jack answers tersely. "I need to talk to you about what happened today."
"Rhys got hurt today. That's what happened." Gwen glares at Jack.
"That's not what I want to talk to you about. I want to know why you disobeyed orders."
Gwen looks at Jack in disgust. "Rhys was in danger. How could I just stand by and let that happen?"
"So were Ianto and Jestine. You didn't see anyone else breaking command." Jack points out.
"You don't understand. I love Rhys and couldn't let anything happen to him." Gwen declares.
Jack take a deep breath to try and calm himself. "You don't think I feel the same about Ianto?"
Gwen shakes her head. "It's not the same. Rhys and I love each other, we're serious about each other."
Jack slams his fist on his desk. "And what do you think Ianto and I are?"
Gwen looks at Jack in shock. "You're just some fun, you're not a couple." She stammers.
"Not that it matters to you, but Ianto and I are in fact a couple." Jack coolly informs her. "Regardless, there is no excuse for what you did. You put everyone on the team in danger. Because of your actions Ianto was almost shot while Jestine and Rhys were."
Gwen's eyes are wide with shock from Jack's revelation. "That wasn't my fault."
"You put us all in a very dangerous situation. I have had enough of disobedience in this team. You will be getting a week suspension from the field."
Gwen opens her mouth to protest but Jack interrupts her. "Save it. You should be grateful you didn't get longer. The only reason you didn't was because I know you did it to try and save Rhys. But it can't happen again."
"What about Jestine?" Gwen snaps. "Where's her punishment? I heard Ianto telling you what she did. You should get rid of her, she's a danger."
"What punishment Jestine gets is between me and her, not you." Jack silences Gwen. "Your week starts tomorrow. Now about Rhys."
"No, you can't retcon him, I won't have any more secrets." Gwen shoots up from her seat. "I won't let you."
Jack raises any eyebrow. "You think you could stop me if I wanted to."
"If you drug him, I'll, I'll leave Torchwood." Gwen declares.
"If you did that we'll have retcon you too." Jack retorts.
"You wouldn't." Gwen challenges.
"I will do what I have to do." Jack answers.
"I won't let you do this." Gwen stamps her foot.
"You're not in charge. I am." Jack reminds her forcefully.
"No. I am not letting you retcon him. He is in pain and you dragged me here for no reason." Gwen storms out of the office.
"Gwen, come back now or I will fire you." Jack threatens from his door.
The arguing attracts the attention of Ianto and Tosh who had moved to the coffee machine and terminals respectively.
"What's happening?" Tosh asks.
"He wants me to drug Rhys. Make him forget everything he did today." Gwen spits at Jack.
"It is policy." Ianto points out.
"What would you know? None of you have anyone you care about." Gwen glares at Ianto.
"You really think that's true?" Jack scoffs at Gwen.
"You all think it's cold and lonely out there, but it isn't for me, because I have him. He matters, and I've lied to him for long enough. What he did today was so brave. Braver than any of us, because we signed up for this, but he didn't - he did it because he loves me! And I won't take that away from him! I won't! And if that means I have to quit, or you retcon me or whatever, then, fine, fine." Gwen rants at Jack.
"Shut the fuck up." Jestine shouts at Gwen.
The team look around in surprise. She had been sitting on the couch and no-one had seen her get up and move so quickly to the main area.
"You think you are so much better than us because of Rhys. Because you love him and you know what it means to be human." Jestine mocks Gwen. "None of that is true."
"How dare you. I love Rhys, you know nothing about love." Gwen storms over to Jestine.
Jestine moves right up into Gwen's face. "And you do? Was it love when you had sex with Owen? Do you show your love by drugging Rhys to confess, knowing he wouldn't remember it? Or when you accepted his proposal, 'because no one else would have you'? How do you show this love that you supposedly have with Rhys? Because all I've seen is you make eyes at Jack." She snarls.
Gwen pushes Jestine. "You bitch. Don't you talk to me about love. You could never know what love was. I think you are lying about your parents. They probably abandoned you because they couldn't stand a monster like you." Gwen taunts. "Or maybe you killed them, that's something you would do."
Jestine pushes back, her eyes ablaze with anger. "You think you're so much better because of your morals and love. You think love is easy, it's happy, that it doesn't require pain or sacrifice. What you have with Rhys isn't love. You settled with him because you knew Jack wouldn't have you. You think you deserve his love but you don't. And that's the bitch of love. Things." Jestine hiss the word at Gwen. "get them, whether they deserve it or not."
"Don't you talk to me about love. You don't know what love is. You're just some monster that no-one could ever love." Gwen scowls. "Everyone will always leave you when they know what you really are." Gwen doesn't notice Jestine's flinch at the mention of everyone leaving and continues on. "You're just jealous of what I have. No-one will ever love you like Rhys loves me." Gwen turns to leave.
"You know nothing." Jestine sneers. "You think you're better than us because you love but have never lost. But you're wrong. That's what makes them better than you. Because they have fought so much and lost everything. Because they never gave up, even when they should have. Because they are broken but still continue fighting, that's what makes them better than you. You will never understand. You're just a stupid little girl pretending that you're important. Guess what, you're not. You are the most replaceable person in this team. You should be replaced." Jestine sneers at Gwen's back.
Gwen suddenly turns around and slaps Jestine. It echoes around the base for a moment before Jestine lashes out.
Jestine punches Gwen's right cheek. Gwen stumbles from the impact as Jack and Ianto lunge for Jestine, grabbing hold of her before she can inflict more damage to Gwen.
"Grab Rhys and leave this instant. NOW!" Jack yells at Gwen as he tackles Jestine into his office.
Thank you so much for reading. Please let me know what you thought. Next chapter both Jestine and Gwen will get their revised punishments and that will be the last of Meat.