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Mar. 30th, 2010 04:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lone_defender"I wonder how many people never get the one they want, but end up with the one they're supposed to have." -Fried Green Tomatoes
It didn't register where she was, only that it was somewhere safe—somewhere vaguely resembling a 'home'. Somewhere she might get the hundred or so stitches she probably needed after her run in with that angry lava salamander. Who knew they came in such big sizes? Maybe she could have used a companion on that trip after all, as Jack'd insisted...but she'd just needed to be alone. Had to be out there, proving to herself that she could find a way to bring the Doctor back.
Five years. Five years since she'd promised him forever, and she couldn't find one little crack in the wall to say hello through. Oh, he'd done his job so well. He'd done it so well, and now he was trapped, all alone in another universe. And all her universe had was Torchwood and Rose.
The Doctor would have known the size of the Salamanders, he'd have known the difference between a hiss and a sizzle. Of course, that rumor she'd heard about a man with the ability to open windows to another world had led to nothing but the Salamander's strange cult. He was a very clever Salamander.
Now...she tasted blood, she smelled coffee, and something was conveniently holding her away from the floor. It could do with being softer, but it was...nice. Dimly, she thought it was cozy. Someone might have spoken, or that was just the ringing in her ears. Everything had been a dull roar since the Salamander screamed.
Either way, it was nice.
Everything blurred together into a happy fuzz after that, and it was probably right to assume she'd been injected with something to shoo her along to unconsciousness. It wasn't the heat of the nanogenes or the shock of some of Torchwood's more inventive medicines, so perhaps the wounds weren't so bad after all. Only stitches.
She could have used more of that happy fuzzy medicine when she woke up, judging by the way her body happened to be screaming at her. Nothing was broken, if it was, they'd have known to use nanogenes on her—she couldn't be grounded that long. Not when she had so much to do, so much to protect, and so little time. But oh, it felt like everything was.
Rose blinked against the light of the medical bay. One of Torchwood's doctors was puttering about on the other side of the room, probably checking vitals or whatnot, but what was more pertinent at the moment was the smell of coffee filling the room.
She bit back a pained groaned as she failed to sit up properly. “Oi, I get it. You're unhappy. But this is cruel and unusual!”
She might have started when Ianto walked into view, if it didn't hurt so much to move. But really. He was so silent and sneaky walking about sometimes she wondered if he were truly human. Of course, the TARDIS confirmed it, but that was beside the point. He was as impeccably well dressed as ever, and maybe there was some of that medicine left in her system, because she was having trouble recalling any time he hadn't been.
“I'm gravely injured here, Ianto. I need coffee.”
He directed a briefly admonishing look in her direction as he set up a table just out of reach to fix a cup of it. However he did that. She hadn't ruled out his swiping a hand over it and sprinkling in some sort of alien contraband magic powder. “You're lucky to be eating anything. If you'd waited much longer, even the nanogenes wouldn't have done any good.”
“Nanogenes can bring someone back from the dead.”
“You wouldn't have made it here to use them.”
Yes, well. That was the point. Always cutting it close, because she couldn't afford to glide through it like the Doctor did. She had to push herself to the very limit to even begin to make up for this universe's lack of a Doctor. “I saved three worlds and I'm still alive. Very alive and wanting coffee, Mr. Jones.”
She'd come to the conclusion that he'd begun fiddling with the coffee just so she could see and smell it and not have it. Evil, evil man.
“You need back up.”
“I take people with all the time! Took Jack just the other month, remember?”
Flat look. Still no coffee. “You're going to get yourself killed, and then no one is going to rescue your Doctor.”
She scowled. “He's not my Doctor. This whole universe needs him...it's crying out for him, and a substitute's not going to be good enough.”
He set the spoon—which surely hadn't been doing anything effective with the coffee—down on the table, and settled a cool frown on her. “As you say, Ma'am. As Torchwood head, I'm officially placing you under arrest.”
“Excuse me?”
“If the universe needs the Doctor,” honestly, he didn't sound all that convinced. She'd thought she'd taught him how important the Doctor was. “Then you are endangering every life in this universe by treating your well-being recklessly.”
“Oh, come on, Ianto. That doesn't even make sense!” She sighed in frustration, and tossed her head back against the pillow. Once, only. It hurt too much to throw a fit. The arrested bit wasn't really a problem, of course, she'd just escape, nip out to the TARDIS, and be gone...but not having Torchwood to fall back to...she might have wanted to be the Doctor, might have played surrogate Doctor to the universe, but she knew she wouldn't survive without a place to fall back to. Without back up.
Still. “I didn't even...it wasn't as if I'd expected it to literally be a 'giant lava salamander of destruction'.”
“You could have taken someone with.”
“You know, it's nice to be alone once in awhile, yeah?” Folded hands at his waist. Not buying it, then. Right. “I'm not the Doctor. It wouldn't be safe taking along innocent people. And no, I won't take along Torchwood agents.” She might have taken to using weapons and guns and sometimes she thought her Doctor would be horrified if--when, always when--he finally saw her again, but taking along agents into the TARDIS...it was wrong. Dirty.
And...the TARDIS was still the only thing left that felt like home. Sacred. Taking along fellow travelers and companions was one thing. Soldiers were another.
“Captain Harkness has expressed interest in traveling with you on a long term basis.”
“Jack's got Torchwood Three to deal with and you know it Ianto.” She frowned. “I do take someone with me from time to time!”
Ianto arched an eyebrow. “Not often enough, it seems.”
“Ianto...”
“Find someone.” He frowned, picking up the cup of coffee, but still holding it out of reach. “Find someone to ensure you'll make it back here the next time you find a...'giant lava salamander'. Otherwise you're a danger to yourself and this universe, and as head of Torchwood, I can't let you out of this room.”
Rose bit her lip, glowering at the man for a few long moments, before finally sighing, and settling back against her pillow in defeat. “Fine then. I'll look, alright? But I'm not magic. I can't just pop out and find someone like that.”
He nodded incrementally, and lifted the cup up to take a drink of it himself.
“Oi, I said I'd do it!”
Another nod. “You're free to go, once you can stand.”
“Ianto...the coffee. I saved a whole world!” Back to whining again, but really! It was just cruel depriving her. She was exhausted, anyway.
Prim eyebrows arched, and he nodded to a table near her head, one she hadn't noticed previously, before offering a wan smile and wandering off toward the door. Rose craned her head to the side, and blinked at the table a few moments. Fresh, steaming coffee. Just the way she liked it. Had been sitting there the entire time she'd been talking to him.
Damn those Torchwood perception filters.
It didn't register where she was, only that it was somewhere safe—somewhere vaguely resembling a 'home'. Somewhere she might get the hundred or so stitches she probably needed after her run in with that angry lava salamander. Who knew they came in such big sizes? Maybe she could have used a companion on that trip after all, as Jack'd insisted...but she'd just needed to be alone. Had to be out there, proving to herself that she could find a way to bring the Doctor back.
Five years. Five years since she'd promised him forever, and she couldn't find one little crack in the wall to say hello through. Oh, he'd done his job so well. He'd done it so well, and now he was trapped, all alone in another universe. And all her universe had was Torchwood and Rose.
The Doctor would have known the size of the Salamanders, he'd have known the difference between a hiss and a sizzle. Of course, that rumor she'd heard about a man with the ability to open windows to another world had led to nothing but the Salamander's strange cult. He was a very clever Salamander.
Now...she tasted blood, she smelled coffee, and something was conveniently holding her away from the floor. It could do with being softer, but it was...nice. Dimly, she thought it was cozy. Someone might have spoken, or that was just the ringing in her ears. Everything had been a dull roar since the Salamander screamed.
Either way, it was nice.
Everything blurred together into a happy fuzz after that, and it was probably right to assume she'd been injected with something to shoo her along to unconsciousness. It wasn't the heat of the nanogenes or the shock of some of Torchwood's more inventive medicines, so perhaps the wounds weren't so bad after all. Only stitches.
She could have used more of that happy fuzzy medicine when she woke up, judging by the way her body happened to be screaming at her. Nothing was broken, if it was, they'd have known to use nanogenes on her—she couldn't be grounded that long. Not when she had so much to do, so much to protect, and so little time. But oh, it felt like everything was.
Rose blinked against the light of the medical bay. One of Torchwood's doctors was puttering about on the other side of the room, probably checking vitals or whatnot, but what was more pertinent at the moment was the smell of coffee filling the room.
She bit back a pained groaned as she failed to sit up properly. “Oi, I get it. You're unhappy. But this is cruel and unusual!”
She might have started when Ianto walked into view, if it didn't hurt so much to move. But really. He was so silent and sneaky walking about sometimes she wondered if he were truly human. Of course, the TARDIS confirmed it, but that was beside the point. He was as impeccably well dressed as ever, and maybe there was some of that medicine left in her system, because she was having trouble recalling any time he hadn't been.
“I'm gravely injured here, Ianto. I need coffee.”
He directed a briefly admonishing look in her direction as he set up a table just out of reach to fix a cup of it. However he did that. She hadn't ruled out his swiping a hand over it and sprinkling in some sort of alien contraband magic powder. “You're lucky to be eating anything. If you'd waited much longer, even the nanogenes wouldn't have done any good.”
“Nanogenes can bring someone back from the dead.”
“You wouldn't have made it here to use them.”
Yes, well. That was the point. Always cutting it close, because she couldn't afford to glide through it like the Doctor did. She had to push herself to the very limit to even begin to make up for this universe's lack of a Doctor. “I saved three worlds and I'm still alive. Very alive and wanting coffee, Mr. Jones.”
She'd come to the conclusion that he'd begun fiddling with the coffee just so she could see and smell it and not have it. Evil, evil man.
“You need back up.”
“I take people with all the time! Took Jack just the other month, remember?”
Flat look. Still no coffee. “You're going to get yourself killed, and then no one is going to rescue your Doctor.”
She scowled. “He's not my Doctor. This whole universe needs him...it's crying out for him, and a substitute's not going to be good enough.”
He set the spoon—which surely hadn't been doing anything effective with the coffee—down on the table, and settled a cool frown on her. “As you say, Ma'am. As Torchwood head, I'm officially placing you under arrest.”
“Excuse me?”
“If the universe needs the Doctor,” honestly, he didn't sound all that convinced. She'd thought she'd taught him how important the Doctor was. “Then you are endangering every life in this universe by treating your well-being recklessly.”
“Oh, come on, Ianto. That doesn't even make sense!” She sighed in frustration, and tossed her head back against the pillow. Once, only. It hurt too much to throw a fit. The arrested bit wasn't really a problem, of course, she'd just escape, nip out to the TARDIS, and be gone...but not having Torchwood to fall back to...she might have wanted to be the Doctor, might have played surrogate Doctor to the universe, but she knew she wouldn't survive without a place to fall back to. Without back up.
Still. “I didn't even...it wasn't as if I'd expected it to literally be a 'giant lava salamander of destruction'.”
“You could have taken someone with.”
“You know, it's nice to be alone once in awhile, yeah?” Folded hands at his waist. Not buying it, then. Right. “I'm not the Doctor. It wouldn't be safe taking along innocent people. And no, I won't take along Torchwood agents.” She might have taken to using weapons and guns and sometimes she thought her Doctor would be horrified if--when, always when--he finally saw her again, but taking along agents into the TARDIS...it was wrong. Dirty.
And...the TARDIS was still the only thing left that felt like home. Sacred. Taking along fellow travelers and companions was one thing. Soldiers were another.
“Captain Harkness has expressed interest in traveling with you on a long term basis.”
“Jack's got Torchwood Three to deal with and you know it Ianto.” She frowned. “I do take someone with me from time to time!”
Ianto arched an eyebrow. “Not often enough, it seems.”
“Ianto...”
“Find someone.” He frowned, picking up the cup of coffee, but still holding it out of reach. “Find someone to ensure you'll make it back here the next time you find a...'giant lava salamander'. Otherwise you're a danger to yourself and this universe, and as head of Torchwood, I can't let you out of this room.”
Rose bit her lip, glowering at the man for a few long moments, before finally sighing, and settling back against her pillow in defeat. “Fine then. I'll look, alright? But I'm not magic. I can't just pop out and find someone like that.”
He nodded incrementally, and lifted the cup up to take a drink of it himself.
“Oi, I said I'd do it!”
Another nod. “You're free to go, once you can stand.”
“Ianto...the coffee. I saved a whole world!” Back to whining again, but really! It was just cruel depriving her. She was exhausted, anyway.
Prim eyebrows arched, and he nodded to a table near her head, one she hadn't noticed previously, before offering a wan smile and wandering off toward the door. Rose craned her head to the side, and blinked at the table a few moments. Fresh, steaming coffee. Just the way she liked it. Had been sitting there the entire time she'd been talking to him.
Damn those Torchwood perception filters.
