A Life Unexpected (9/15)
Apr. 9th, 2008 10:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberfocusChapter Nine: Explanations All Around
“I don’t understand it,” Martha said, holding up the scans of Gwen Cooper’s brain. “I’ve never seen so much damage done in a human brain before and had the patient walk out of hospital three days later, functioning perfectly well.”
She looked at Rose for answers. “I’m not sure I understand it myself,” Rose said. “But she’s okay, yeah? You’re saying she’s fine?”
“Perfectly healthy as far as we can tell. And it shouldn’t be so, the seizure, the aneurism this severe should have killed her. But she’s up and walking around like none of it ever happened.” Martha sighed. “Things like that don’t just happen, Rose.”
Things like skyscrapers didn’t just appear across from your work out of nowhere either, but Martha seemed to be focusing on Gwen. She seemed perfectly content ignoring the fact of the newly appeared office building. So was much of London. Maybe Torchwood 4 had some kind of skewed perception field.
Martha finished putting the packet of medical scans and written observations together and finally handed them over to Rose. “You’ll see that her personal physician gets these? Just in case this doesn’t turn out to be the miracle it seems and something does go wrong?”
“That’s what I’m here for. Dr. Harper wanted them.”
Martha nodded. “I sure wish I got to follow this case, though. Most peculiar one I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen some mighty odd things. Well, anyway, Mickey and I would like to have you come out with us this weekend, Rose. Are you up for it?”
“Oh, that sounds lovely, but I promised Mum I’d come out and spend the weekend with her and the family. She was hinting about packing up the whole lot and descending on my flat if I didn’t.”
“The next weekend then?” Martha persisted. “It’s better anyway, I’ve actually got both nights off then.”
“I’d love it. Now, I best be getting these back to work. I’ll see you soon, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Martha reached out and gave Rose an impulsive hug and Rose returned it happily, then they said their good-byes and Rose left the hospital. She really did like the woman. Mickey had gotten himself a right jewel with that one.
******************************************
“So how’d it go?” Jack asked when she returned with Gwen’s medical file.
“Well, enough,” said Rose, handing the file to Owen who immediately began to page through it.
“Anyone suspicious?” Jack pushed for more information.
“Not suspicious so much as curious, but I’ll think they’ll let it go.”
“That nano drug you slipped in her IV after surgery worked wonders,” Owen said, holding up the brain scan Martha had been studying before and comparing it to one he had taken himself that morning. “Completely rewired her brain around the damaged tissue. It’ll be a month before it’s completely repaired, but as of now, Gwen is almost completely back to normal.”
“You gave her nano drugs?” Rose said without thinking. “Didn’t you learn your lesson with the nanogenes during the Blitz?”
Jack gave her a very shrewd look. “You and I are going to have to have a very serious talk,” she said. Rose bit her lip then nodded. Would she never learn to keep her mouth shut when she needed to?
“Where’s Ian got to?” she said suddenly aware of his missing presence.
“He’s down with Gwen,” Tosh said. “We’re keeping her here for a few days just as a precaution.”
Rose nodded. “I’d like to go see her.”
“Go ahead,” Jack said waving her away, “But when you’ve satisfied your curiosity, I want you to come back up to my office and satisfy mine.” Rose nodded and headed down a level to where they were keeping Gwen.
As she paused at the doorway, Ian stepped outside and closed the door. “How is she?” Rose asked.
“She’s changed. I mean, I know I didn’t know the woman well, but she’s changed. I can’t explain it at all, it’s just a gut feeling. She’s okay, though. That’s the odd thing. Well, you’ll see for yourself. But if I ever get a brain injury, do me a favor and make sure they only inject me with those things if there’s no other hope.”
“Okay,” Rose said. She brushed past him, opened the door and went into the room. Gwen was sleeping. Rose sat down in the chair Ian had vacated and picked up Gwen’s hand. The woman opened her eyes.
“She’s gone.”
“What? Who’s gone?” Rose asked, startled.
“Gwyneth’s gone. She’s not in my head anymore. I can remember her, me, but that piece is gone. The visions are gone. I don’t know how I know that, but I do. I’m just Gwen Cooper now.”
“Is that okay?” Rose wondered.
“I think it is. I think it will be. She’s fading, but I think it’s a good thing. I’m not sure she’d have survived much longer. I can feel this life opening up before me now. Gwen’s life, if there had been a Gwen before I appeared, if I had been born to this time and place and not come a stranger to it.” She smiled.
“And I can’t remember how brightly it burned. That’s gone. And Owen said he loved me and that I’d really scared him almost dying on him like that. He apologized for being a useless prat. I think we might be able to give it a go, a real go. If he doesn’t turn around and mess me about first. Believe me, I have no illusions about the man. He was a womanizer when I met him and that really hasn’t changed that much, but he seems different after this. Like something really touched his heart.”
“Maybe it was me.” She laughed then and said, “Plus, he’s just so good in bed.” Rose stared at her stunned, remembering how Gwyneth had once been scandalized when Rose talked about watching boys with really nice bus. Gwyneth really must be gone. But she decided she really liked the Gwen she had become. And she burst out laughing.
“You’re going to be all right,” she said when she could catch her breath.
“I do believe I am. And I’ll be happier this way. It never was a gift, not really to see those futures. But Rose, the last thing I remember was that you will find him. And it’s all about Ian. Somehow it’s about him. So much power involved. I wish I could remember more.”
Rose nodded. “Thank you,” she said.
“Of course. We won’t see each other again. You’ll soon be on your way.”
“I’ll come back and visit,” Rose protested.
“You would, but you’re not staying.” There was a knock on the doorframe and Rose turned to see who it was.
“If you’re done now, she really needs to rest,” Owen said, putting on his best concerned doctor face.
“I am.” Rose exited the room and turned back to see Owen sitting on the bed next to Gwen as she snuggled against him and closed her eyes. Well, she didn’t know about the Owen Harper in her home universe, but this one definitely had potential.
******************************************
“I want to know what you know,” Jack said, crossing her arms and leaning against her desk. Rose sat down in the available chair.
“It’s a really long story.”
“Tell it. I’m not getting any younger.”
“I met my Jack Harkness in another universe,” she began. “He was a man, big and brash and full of energy, from the 51st century I think it was, and always on the pull. Man or woman, didn’t matter. Didn't even have to be human as long as it was vaguely humanoid. Not all that different from you as far as I can see, except for the obvious.”
Jack laughed and nodded. “He rescued me from the middle of a bombing raid during World War Two. I was hanging from a barrage balloon and don’t even ask how I got up there. He was a time agent and thought I was a freelancer. He had alien tech to sell me, though he was really a con man.”
Rose smiled fondly at the memories. “He romanced me and I soon found myself dancing on top of his space ship, his invisible space ship, mind, that he had parked right next to the clock face of Big Ben. I think I could have fallen madly for him if I hadn’t already given my heart to another man.”
“That man was a Time Lord, the last Time Lord in creation. And he put a stop to my Jack’s scheme, but not until he had to clean up the mess left by Jack’s screw up with an alien warship ambulance.”
“Gas mask zombies?” Jack asked.
“So the timeline runs parallel.”
“It sure seems to.”
“Tell me, was there a Time Lord in this universe?”
Jack shook her head no. “Might have been better if there had been. No, mine truly was a freelancer and he worked alone. And we danced and we romanced exactly the same way. But otherwise it pretty much went down as planned. Only in my case…” Jack closed her eyes. “The only thing that cleaned up the mess was the bomb that fell on the Chula warship ambulance, blowing the infected to bits so small they couldn’t be repaired even by the nanogenes. And some poor orphan children who had not left the city got blown up as well.”
Jack sighed. “I learned my lesson that day about cons. Went straight, con-wise anyway.” She arched an eyebrow provocatively at Rose. “Worked for Torchwood as soon as I found out about them. Skipped through time to do it. I’ve got a hopper. Tried to make up for the damage I’ve done by making sure alien tech gets used wisely and is put in the right hands. It’s all I can do.” Jack shrugged. “I’ve learn to live with it. But I'll never forget it.”
Rose nodded. “Thanks for telling me about your Jack. It might be something to meet him.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “You’d probably try to shag each other.”
Jack laughed again. “Who better to shag?"
Ch. 10: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/34139.html
“I don’t understand it,” Martha said, holding up the scans of Gwen Cooper’s brain. “I’ve never seen so much damage done in a human brain before and had the patient walk out of hospital three days later, functioning perfectly well.”
She looked at Rose for answers. “I’m not sure I understand it myself,” Rose said. “But she’s okay, yeah? You’re saying she’s fine?”
“Perfectly healthy as far as we can tell. And it shouldn’t be so, the seizure, the aneurism this severe should have killed her. But she’s up and walking around like none of it ever happened.” Martha sighed. “Things like that don’t just happen, Rose.”
Things like skyscrapers didn’t just appear across from your work out of nowhere either, but Martha seemed to be focusing on Gwen. She seemed perfectly content ignoring the fact of the newly appeared office building. So was much of London. Maybe Torchwood 4 had some kind of skewed perception field.
Martha finished putting the packet of medical scans and written observations together and finally handed them over to Rose. “You’ll see that her personal physician gets these? Just in case this doesn’t turn out to be the miracle it seems and something does go wrong?”
“That’s what I’m here for. Dr. Harper wanted them.”
Martha nodded. “I sure wish I got to follow this case, though. Most peculiar one I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen some mighty odd things. Well, anyway, Mickey and I would like to have you come out with us this weekend, Rose. Are you up for it?”
“Oh, that sounds lovely, but I promised Mum I’d come out and spend the weekend with her and the family. She was hinting about packing up the whole lot and descending on my flat if I didn’t.”
“The next weekend then?” Martha persisted. “It’s better anyway, I’ve actually got both nights off then.”
“I’d love it. Now, I best be getting these back to work. I’ll see you soon, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Martha reached out and gave Rose an impulsive hug and Rose returned it happily, then they said their good-byes and Rose left the hospital. She really did like the woman. Mickey had gotten himself a right jewel with that one.
******************************************
“So how’d it go?” Jack asked when she returned with Gwen’s medical file.
“Well, enough,” said Rose, handing the file to Owen who immediately began to page through it.
“Anyone suspicious?” Jack pushed for more information.
“Not suspicious so much as curious, but I’ll think they’ll let it go.”
“That nano drug you slipped in her IV after surgery worked wonders,” Owen said, holding up the brain scan Martha had been studying before and comparing it to one he had taken himself that morning. “Completely rewired her brain around the damaged tissue. It’ll be a month before it’s completely repaired, but as of now, Gwen is almost completely back to normal.”
“You gave her nano drugs?” Rose said without thinking. “Didn’t you learn your lesson with the nanogenes during the Blitz?”
Jack gave her a very shrewd look. “You and I are going to have to have a very serious talk,” she said. Rose bit her lip then nodded. Would she never learn to keep her mouth shut when she needed to?
“Where’s Ian got to?” she said suddenly aware of his missing presence.
“He’s down with Gwen,” Tosh said. “We’re keeping her here for a few days just as a precaution.”
Rose nodded. “I’d like to go see her.”
“Go ahead,” Jack said waving her away, “But when you’ve satisfied your curiosity, I want you to come back up to my office and satisfy mine.” Rose nodded and headed down a level to where they were keeping Gwen.
As she paused at the doorway, Ian stepped outside and closed the door. “How is she?” Rose asked.
“She’s changed. I mean, I know I didn’t know the woman well, but she’s changed. I can’t explain it at all, it’s just a gut feeling. She’s okay, though. That’s the odd thing. Well, you’ll see for yourself. But if I ever get a brain injury, do me a favor and make sure they only inject me with those things if there’s no other hope.”
“Okay,” Rose said. She brushed past him, opened the door and went into the room. Gwen was sleeping. Rose sat down in the chair Ian had vacated and picked up Gwen’s hand. The woman opened her eyes.
“She’s gone.”
“What? Who’s gone?” Rose asked, startled.
“Gwyneth’s gone. She’s not in my head anymore. I can remember her, me, but that piece is gone. The visions are gone. I don’t know how I know that, but I do. I’m just Gwen Cooper now.”
“Is that okay?” Rose wondered.
“I think it is. I think it will be. She’s fading, but I think it’s a good thing. I’m not sure she’d have survived much longer. I can feel this life opening up before me now. Gwen’s life, if there had been a Gwen before I appeared, if I had been born to this time and place and not come a stranger to it.” She smiled.
“And I can’t remember how brightly it burned. That’s gone. And Owen said he loved me and that I’d really scared him almost dying on him like that. He apologized for being a useless prat. I think we might be able to give it a go, a real go. If he doesn’t turn around and mess me about first. Believe me, I have no illusions about the man. He was a womanizer when I met him and that really hasn’t changed that much, but he seems different after this. Like something really touched his heart.”
“Maybe it was me.” She laughed then and said, “Plus, he’s just so good in bed.” Rose stared at her stunned, remembering how Gwyneth had once been scandalized when Rose talked about watching boys with really nice bus. Gwyneth really must be gone. But she decided she really liked the Gwen she had become. And she burst out laughing.
“You’re going to be all right,” she said when she could catch her breath.
“I do believe I am. And I’ll be happier this way. It never was a gift, not really to see those futures. But Rose, the last thing I remember was that you will find him. And it’s all about Ian. Somehow it’s about him. So much power involved. I wish I could remember more.”
Rose nodded. “Thank you,” she said.
“Of course. We won’t see each other again. You’ll soon be on your way.”
“I’ll come back and visit,” Rose protested.
“You would, but you’re not staying.” There was a knock on the doorframe and Rose turned to see who it was.
“If you’re done now, she really needs to rest,” Owen said, putting on his best concerned doctor face.
“I am.” Rose exited the room and turned back to see Owen sitting on the bed next to Gwen as she snuggled against him and closed her eyes. Well, she didn’t know about the Owen Harper in her home universe, but this one definitely had potential.
******************************************
“I want to know what you know,” Jack said, crossing her arms and leaning against her desk. Rose sat down in the available chair.
“It’s a really long story.”
“Tell it. I’m not getting any younger.”
“I met my Jack Harkness in another universe,” she began. “He was a man, big and brash and full of energy, from the 51st century I think it was, and always on the pull. Man or woman, didn’t matter. Didn't even have to be human as long as it was vaguely humanoid. Not all that different from you as far as I can see, except for the obvious.”
Jack laughed and nodded. “He rescued me from the middle of a bombing raid during World War Two. I was hanging from a barrage balloon and don’t even ask how I got up there. He was a time agent and thought I was a freelancer. He had alien tech to sell me, though he was really a con man.”
Rose smiled fondly at the memories. “He romanced me and I soon found myself dancing on top of his space ship, his invisible space ship, mind, that he had parked right next to the clock face of Big Ben. I think I could have fallen madly for him if I hadn’t already given my heart to another man.”
“That man was a Time Lord, the last Time Lord in creation. And he put a stop to my Jack’s scheme, but not until he had to clean up the mess left by Jack’s screw up with an alien warship ambulance.”
“Gas mask zombies?” Jack asked.
“So the timeline runs parallel.”
“It sure seems to.”
“Tell me, was there a Time Lord in this universe?”
Jack shook her head no. “Might have been better if there had been. No, mine truly was a freelancer and he worked alone. And we danced and we romanced exactly the same way. But otherwise it pretty much went down as planned. Only in my case…” Jack closed her eyes. “The only thing that cleaned up the mess was the bomb that fell on the Chula warship ambulance, blowing the infected to bits so small they couldn’t be repaired even by the nanogenes. And some poor orphan children who had not left the city got blown up as well.”
Jack sighed. “I learned my lesson that day about cons. Went straight, con-wise anyway.” She arched an eyebrow provocatively at Rose. “Worked for Torchwood as soon as I found out about them. Skipped through time to do it. I’ve got a hopper. Tried to make up for the damage I’ve done by making sure alien tech gets used wisely and is put in the right hands. It’s all I can do.” Jack shrugged. “I’ve learn to live with it. But I'll never forget it.”
Rose nodded. “Thanks for telling me about your Jack. It might be something to meet him.”
Rose rolled her eyes. “You’d probably try to shag each other.”
Jack laughed again. “Who better to shag?"
Ch. 10: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/34139.html
