Time Doesn't Always Run Straight

Reset

Part 6

Super sorry about such a long delay since the previous update, things just have not been working out for me. Work has been crazy, my laptop broke and then I got bronchitis (which I still have) Thank you for all those people who continued to support this story during such a long absence. If it weren't for you this story would not have made it this far. Not sure when the next chapter will be up. Hopefully sometime in the next month.

Martha lets out a silent sigh of relief as they pass the security gate. Tosh's idea to tape Billy to the steering wheel to pretend he was driving was genius, although a little disturbing. Martha focuses herself as the vehicle comes to a stop. Being distracted would not help Jestine and Martha felt she was to blame for having Jestine in there in the first place. She should have been the volunteer, not Jestine. Martha pushes the guilt to the back of her mind. The team needed her focus, Jestine needed her to be focus.

Jack indicates for them to split up and head to their pre-determined destinations. Ianto, Tosh, Gwen and Martha zone A and Jack and Owen looking for Jestine. Tosh could only hope that they found her in time.

Jack rushes towards the building as stealthily as possible without losing a moment. It was his fault Jestine was in there and it would be his fault if they were too late. He mentally shakes his head. He could not allow himself to be distracted. Pharm were extremely dangerous and this mission needed his full attention.

Owen follows Jack on high alert for any sign of his patient. He too felt blame for the situation Jestine was in. He was her doctor and it was his responsibility to look after her. He knew she had a checked past and she had already proven herself capable in a hostage situation but that didn't make this any better. Owen knew he would have to have a chat to Jestine sooner or later about the mental toil Torchwood would be having on her. None of them had it easy working for Torchwood but it seemed at the moment Jestine was suffering more than normal, each case a new wound.

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Copley watches the single mayfly on the monitor. Jestine is struggling, still strapped to the table.

Jack bursts through the door, his gun open, Owen on his heels.

"Hands above your head!" He orders.

Copley complies as Owen moves to the side and takes off his backpack.

"What have you done to her?" Jack yells at Copley as Owen checks the IV drip.

"Tell me that's not Reset!" Owen glares at Copley.

"She's survived the larval stage, the only subject to do so." Copley grins as Owen checks Jestine's pules. "Fascinating" He adds as he turns and types something on the monitor after checking Jestine. "Turns out these bugs practice sibling cannibalism. Only the strongest individual is left now. God knows what happens next." Copley looks like a child at Christmas.

"Put a stop to this!" Owen demands.

"I can't." Copley answers. "I don't know how." He informs Jack as Jack raises his gun.

Jestine lets out a gasps, the mayfly movement visible under her skin. Owen watches on helplessly.

"Jack, this thing's killing her. I don't know what I can do." Owen admits.

"Owen, stay calm, there has got to be something." Jack tries to reassure Owen even if he himself feels helpless.

Owen looks to his bag for help, settling on the singularity scalpel.

Jack answers his comm, hoping for some good news. He nods as he listens to Ianto. "Understood, Ianto. Tell Tosh to go for total shutdown." He switches the comm off before turning to Copley. "This place is a torture chamber."

"I don't need to debate medical ethics with you." Copley glares at Jack indignantly.

"You abused the Mayflies, you turned them into parasites!" Jack refutes Copley as Owen prepares a syringe.

"We didn't understand how the Mayflies reproduced. We tried to limit the damage." Copley argues.

"What, by murdering people?" Jack is sicken by Copley, his actions and justifications.

"They were going to die anyway. We're on the edge of the greatest discovery in history. It's got to be worth a few sacrifices!" Owen injects Jestine as Copley tries to justify himself to Jack. "You must understand that, Jack, you're involved in alien research."

"Not like this." Jack snarls but Copley doesn't care. "I'm closing this place down."

"In your dreams. This is a state of the art, official facility." Copley smirks confidently.

"Oh, I'm not going to do it by sending a memo. We're in control of your IT systems. As we speak, we're crashing your data banks, wiping your records." Jack smirks back.

"That's cyber terrorism!" Copley is outraged.

"And that's just for stares. We're going to trip the systems of your fire, radiation and biohazard safety networks." Jack enjoys gloating over such a callous man. Owen takes out the singularity scalpel and turns the knob as he calibrates it. "The power will cut, sprinklers will be activates, and a large part of this facility will be sealed and flooded with inert gases."

"The aliens will die." Copley points out.

"They're already dying. This way they'll be put out of their misery." Jack replies harshly.

"For God's sake, we're on the same side." Copley declares.

"No. Combating hostile aliens is one things, but this is slavery, exploitation, a war crime!" Jack replies in anger. How dare Copley even compare the two.

"Jack, I need your help!" Owen calls out to him.

Jestine convulses as Owen continues to fiddle with the knobs on the scalpel. Jack rushes to hold Jestine steady. "What the hell are you doing to her?" Jack demands as he realises Owen has the scalpel out.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Copley slips out the room.

"This is the only way we'll save Jestine. I think I understand how it works." Owen tries to sound confident but isn't so sure.

"You better be sure because it's never worked before." Jack glares at Owen as the mayfly appears on the scalpel's monitor. "Owen, are you sure it's safe?"

"Okay, Jack." Owen ignore the question, instead instructing Jack to move out the way.

Jack lets Jestine go, she writhes in pain.

"Owen, tell me you're sure! You could kill her with that thing!" Jack looks for reassurance.

"We're losing her!" Jack yells as Jestine starts to flatline.

Owen zaps and the mayfly image on the scalpel's monitor vanishes as it's obliterate from the inside. Jestine surges upward but the monitor continues to flatline. Jestine falls back down hard on the table with a thud, unconscious.

"What have you done?" Jack screams at Owen.

Owen scrambles to deliberate Jestine but it doesn't work. The monitor continues to flatline.

"Come on." Owen mutters as he charges it again. Again it doesn't work.

"Owen!" Jack yells as he looks at Jestine. He couldn't lose her. He just couldn't lose another team member. But it was too late. Her heart had stopped.

Owen looks at Jestine, lost. He had done everything he could but it didn't matter. "I tried. Dam it, I tried." Owen slams his fist on the table.

Jestine suddenly jerks forward with a gasp. She looks around in panic before seeing Jack and Owen.

"Bloody hell." Owen curses. "We thought you were dead." The monitor starts beeping steadily again.

"Can't get rid of me that easily." Jestine gives them a weak smile.

Jack helps Jestine to her feet, relief flooding though him. Owen collects up his things.

"Let's get out of here." Jack informs Owen as he tries to help Jestine walk.

Jestine shrugs him off despite being unsteady on her feet. "They're keeping aliens here. Testing on them, using them to make drugs. We need to stop it." Jestine demands as she takes a few shaky steps towards the door.

"Whoa, calm down. We've sorted it." Jack tries to get hold of Jestine to support her but she shrugs out of his grasp.

"I need to stop him." Jestine goes to run out the door but Owen grabs hold of her.

"I am not letting you out of my sight until I have done a full medical. You almost died, Christ, we thought you were dead. The others can sort this place out, you are out of commission." Owen informs her forcefully.

"I'm fine." Jestine shakes Owen off. "Not like it's the first time."

"You are under my care." Owen reinforces. "Not leaving my sight until I say so."

Jestine glares for a moment before allowing herself to be lead out.

"Heading to the front, then Tosh can initial their shut down procedure." Jack informs them as they make their way to the front.

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Jack, Jestine and Owen head for the front doors to join the rest of the team. Gwen has her gun on Plummer, Toshiko is working on her laptop and Ianto and Martha are heling UNIT roundup the PHARM workers ready to close the place down.

"You are off field duty for two weeks, at least." Owen orders Jestine. "No arguments. Same rules go for everyone when they have had a near death experience. Well everyone but Jack." Owen counters Jestine's argument before she can make it. She glares but doesn't comment.

Jack turns to Tosh. "Do it." He orders.

Tosh nods as she starts the program. "AREA LOCKED" flashes up on her screen.

Plummer's voice echoes throughout the facility. "Facility shut down in progress. All personnel must evacuate immediately." Plummer's voice instructs as lights turn off all over the facility, signifying the end.

"Okay, let's go!" Jack informs his team, UNIT in charge of rounding up all of the workers, Torchwood's job done.

They head towards the vehicle with Jestine and Owen at the back.

Copley suddenly burst out the doors, his gun pointed squarely at Jestine. "Did you really think I was just going to let you walk away." He glares at her. Owen steps in front of Jestine. No way was he letting the guy near his patient.

"Now, let's not be stupid. Okay?" Owen tries to calm Copley down, at least enough for someone to disarm him. He can hear the others click their guns off safely.

"We're both rational men, scientists." Owen tries to reason with him. Sure Copley had gone off the deep end but the idea behind what he was doing was the same as any doctor, he was just trying to find a way to treat his patients.

"Owen to your right, I need a clean shot." Jestine hisses so Copley can't hear. Owen ignores her and moves closer to Copley.

"I know you don't want to shoot." Owen is close to Copley now, too close.

BANG!

In an instant Copley's gun has been fired. Jestine's follows almost immediately but it's too late. The bullet gets Owen in the chest. He goes down hard. Toshiko gasps in horror, Gwen starts to shake. Jestine looks at the body of the man who had just shot Owen.

Tosh starts forward to Owen but Ianto blocks her, pulling her close as the tears start to fall.

"Owen! Can you hear me, Owen?" Martha rushes over to him.

"You've got to help him!" Tosh begs.

"Owen, stay with me. Owen. Owen, look at me. Owen, look right at me. Stay with me, Owen, stay with me. Stay with me, buddy. Come on. Come on." Jack begs at Martha grabs a syringe. She injects it into Owen's chest.

"Owen, speak to me!" Martha demands.

What had been harsh breathing turns to silence. Owen blinks a couple of times before nothing. There is no sign of movement from Owen.

Martha shakily checks for a pulse. She hesitates for a moment before looking to Jack.

"He's dead." The words hang heavy around the group.

Gwen is stunned. Tosh has tears pouring down her face as Ianto holds her tight. He watches in disbelief, it was too fast to process. Devastation is written all over Jack's face. Jestine continues to stare blankly at Copley's corpse.

"Owen…" Tosh calls out, her voice breaking.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Please told me what you thought. Thanks.