halfamoon Ficlet #4: What Ails You

[jadesfire]

Title: What Ails You
Author: jadesfire2808
Words: 814
Fandom/Character: Torchwood/Tosh
Rating: G
Spoilers: Set between S1 and S2
Notes: The dachshund is becky_h's fault, but the rest is mine. With thanks to donutsweeper and rustydog

Summary: Four weeks. Still no sign.



What Ails You

In the past four weeks, Tosh has restructured the reports database twice, shot four weevils, helped take down an alien in the body of a dachshund after it killed four people, and had her hair cut. It would be a pretty normal month, except that Jack's been gone for twenty-nine days now, and no one knows how to find him.

Gwen had her write a programme that alerts all their mobiles automatically if there's a time-spike through the Rift, but so far all they've gathered are mystery objects from the future and a Victorian watering can. But Tosh still jumps when her phone buzzes in her handbag, and she drops the other bag on the Tourist Information Centre's counter to fumble for it. It's hard to keep down the surge of hope that this time, maybe, it'll be what they're waiting for. They know Jack travelled through time to wherever he went; maybe this is him, coming back.

It isn't. The spike doesn't last nearly long enough for it to be anything person-sized, and she pushes the 'stop alert' button with more force than she really needs to.

Damn.

Most of the disappointment has worn off by the time she gets down into the Hub, replaced with the aching resignation that she's become accustomed to. Everyone's working just fine, maybe even better than they usually do, because there's no one yelling orders every twenty minutes, or calling impromptu meetings over a Chinese take-away in the conference room. Not that the conference room exists any more, not like it used to. Gwen hasn't exactly eradicated evidence that Jack was ever there, and his office is still untouched, but the new Hub definitely has the Cooper stamp on it. The botany lab is coming on nicely, and the new conference room is warmer, cosier almost. Owen calls it 'a woman's touch' but that's just to make Gwen glare at him.

Still, no one's suggested that maybe they don't need Jack, because the more they manage without him, the more obvious it is that they can't. Tosh has three boxes of mystery items that Jack would normally see to, and she lives in fear that one of them's going to turn out to be a bomb of some kind. Even Owen's struggling with some of his dissections and diagnoses without someone looking over his shoulder, pointing him in the right direction.

Putting her bag down on the desk, Tosh looks up to where the old conference room used to be, where they now have a sort of evidence room, for documents and artefacts that they're working on at the moment. Someone's moving about up there, and given it's only seven-thirty, Tosh knows who it's going to be. Even Ianto gets in later than that these days.

"Hi." Tosh hesitates in the doorway, not wanting to disturb Gwen if she really is in the middle of something.

"Tosh. You're early."

"You too." Gwen has about eight files open in front of her, and looks as though she's been there all night. "Anything important?"

Gwen's smile is half-sad, half-rueful. "Not really. Just catching up. You want some coffee?" She nods towards the pot in the corner of the room.

"Sure." Pouring herself a cup, Tosh pulls out a chair on the opposite side of the table and looks for somewhere safe to put it down. "Can I help?"

"Maybe." From under a heap of autopsy reports, Gwen produces a map which she unfolds and tries to lay flat between them. "I'm trying to see if there's any kind of geographical connection between the last three bodies. Something we're not seeing like power lines or water mains. Anything like that, really."

"Right. Though you know it could be almost anything."

"Or it could be nothing." Gwen shrugs. "It's worth a look, at least, don't you think?"

"Of course." After a moment's hesitation, Tosh reaches into the bag she brought up with her. "Maybe these will help."

"Oooh." The grin that spreads across Gwen's face is the biggest that Tosh has seen in weeks. "Ginger nuts. You're a star, Tosh."

They work in silence for a few minutes, drinking their coffee and trying not to get crumbs on the files. Eventually, Gwen gets up to make another pot, taking a biscuit with her.

"You know," she says, looking at it thoughtfully, "my mam used to give me these when I was little. Every time I was sick. She said there was nothing better for settling your stomach."

"She was right." Warming to the subject, Tosh goes on, "Ginger is highly effective in treating nausea, everything from seasickness to chemotherapy."

"Good for what ails you, eh?"

Tosh feels her smile turn into something smaller, more bitter. "Most things," she says softly, and turns back to her work. After a moment, Gwen joins her with the fresh coffee, and they carry on in silence.

Comments

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's nice. For some reason, there's very little 'everyday' fic of the Jack-not-there era, and this fills in a gap I hadn't realised was there until now.

Also, I love how you write Gwen and Tosh.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The re-design of the Hub has been bugging me, so it seemed like a good chance to plug the gap.

Thank you - they were a real joy to write :)

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Just lovely and perfect, from the survey of the "Cooperized" Hub to the comfortable, sad quiet between Tosh and Gwen.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you - that's just the mood I was going for.

[ticketsonmyself.livejournal.com]

Oh, Tosh and Gwen! Perfect atmosphere and characterization for them and their relationship. I wish we'd had something more like this on the show.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I love the quiet friendship moments - really glad you enjoyed, thanks!

[thalia]

Very nice, and it seems like just how things would have gone while Jack was missing. I love interaction between Gwen and Tosh, too, and I think you've got Tosh's state of mind just right.

Did you mean to back-date this? You didn't really post it 5 Jan, did you? I couldn't figure out why I hadn't seen it on my flist.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I figured Tosh's reaction would be much less flappy, but no less real than everyone else's. Really glad that worked.

Hee. I wrote 4 ficlets for halfamoon and posted them at the same time, so I backdated them a linked them from a single post so as not to spam people. Will probably do the same with the next lot, since I'm still behind!

[rabecka.livejournal.com]

Great capture of Tosh, Gwen and general atmosphere. I can believe that this is just how it was. Love the last paragraph - understated, and just sums it all up perfectly.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much :) I like stories that have quiet emotion - it doesn't have to be loud to be just as deep and sincere. Really glad you enjoyed!

[wolf-cadet.livejournal.com]

ooh. I love stories of the Jack-less time. we don't get enough!
i think it's great how you plug the gap between the harmonized team at the end of s1 and the arguing 'jack would know''but jack's not here' at the beginning of s2.
also - always welcome tosh *grins*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I like the way that they seem to have worked together without Jack, even if they do rub each up the wrong way sometimes. It's a great combination to write :)

Thanks!

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's nice. For some reason, there's very little 'everyday' fic of the Jack-not-there era, and this fills in a gap I hadn't realised was there until now.

Also, I love how you write Gwen and Tosh.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

The re-design of the Hub has been bugging me, so it seemed like a good chance to plug the gap.

Thank you - they were a real joy to write :)

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Just lovely and perfect, from the survey of the "Cooperized" Hub to the comfortable, sad quiet between Tosh and Gwen.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you - that's just the mood I was going for.

[ticketsonmyself.livejournal.com]

Oh, Tosh and Gwen! Perfect atmosphere and characterization for them and their relationship. I wish we'd had something more like this on the show.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I love the quiet friendship moments - really glad you enjoyed, thanks!

[thalia]

Very nice, and it seems like just how things would have gone while Jack was missing. I love interaction between Gwen and Tosh, too, and I think you've got Tosh's state of mind just right.

Did you mean to back-date this? You didn't really post it 5 Jan, did you? I couldn't figure out why I hadn't seen it on my flist.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I figured Tosh's reaction would be much less flappy, but no less real than everyone else's. Really glad that worked.

Hee. I wrote 4 ficlets for halfamoon and posted them at the same time, so I backdated them a linked them from a single post so as not to spam people. Will probably do the same with the next lot, since I'm still behind!

[rabecka.livejournal.com]

Great capture of Tosh, Gwen and general atmosphere. I can believe that this is just how it was. Love the last paragraph - understated, and just sums it all up perfectly.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much :) I like stories that have quiet emotion - it doesn't have to be loud to be just as deep and sincere. Really glad you enjoyed!

[wolf-cadet.livejournal.com]

ooh. I love stories of the Jack-less time. we don't get enough!
i think it's great how you plug the gap between the harmonized team at the end of s1 and the arguing 'jack would know''but jack's not here' at the beginning of s2.
also - always welcome tosh *grins*

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I like the way that they seem to have worked together without Jack, even if they do rub each up the wrong way sometimes. It's a great combination to write :)

Thanks!

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

I missed this before. Bad me. I love the way this is kind of sorrowful without being too sad. I think what gets me the most is the ginger nuts, and I adore the way you've written Gwen and Tosh (and the Cooper-ised Hub).

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much :) I get the sorrowful without being too sad vibe so strongly in KKBB - they're coping, but they miss him. It's just such a human reaction, to feel it but keep going anyway. I'm glad they came across well and that you enjoyed - thanks!

[aeron-lanart.livejournal.com]

I missed this before. Bad me. I love the way this is kind of sorrowful without being too sad. I think what gets me the most is the ginger nuts, and I adore the way you've written Gwen and Tosh (and the Cooper-ised Hub).

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much :) I get the sorrowful without being too sad vibe so strongly in KKBB - they're coping, but they miss him. It's just such a human reaction, to feel it but keep going anyway. I'm glad they came across well and that you enjoyed - thanks!