Ficlet: Mindless Routine
Title: Mindless Routine
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Lisa, Jack.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Set before Cyberwoman.
Summary: Getting the job with Torchwood Three had been a major step in Ianto’s plans to help Lisa, but now he’s working there his life is one endless round of mindless routine.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 56: Mindless at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Day in, day out, the same old mindless routine; Ianto felt numb, exhausted, drained of emotion, but he had to keep going, for Lisa if not for himself. Get up in the morning after too little sleep, shower, dress in a suit, and head for the Hub. Once there make coffee for himself and Jack, go downstairs, check on Lisa and spend a few precious minutes with her. Sometimes she was awake and they’d talk, more often these days she’d be in a drugged sleep. Keeping her mostly under was the only way he could ensure she was more or less free of pain. It was better that way; he felt guilty because of what he was doing with Jack, so if she was asleep he didn’t have to lie to her. He’d vowed to do whatever it took to help her, but still, there were some things she was better off not knowing; that he was cheating on her with his new boss was top of the list.
He refilled the drug reservoir, made sure the drip was running, and changed the bag. It was important to at least keep her hydrated and nourished since she couldn’t eat. If he had time he’d sponge her down. She didn’t seem to feel heat or cold; he’d tried covering her with blankets at first but their weight caused her pain and didn’t make her cool skin any warmer. The machine must be regulating her body temperature, keeping it steady at about one and a half degrees below human normal. He could only hope it wasn’t harming her.
Next, feed and muck out the residents, which meant Myfanwy, Janet, and whatever else might be in the cells. After that it was back up to the main Hub to make coffee for the rest of the team. Sometimes Jack or one of the others would bring in doughnuts or pastries for breakfast. Sometimes Ianto would even eat one. He had some cereal bars downstairs to keep his energy levels up; he needed to eat even though he had no appetite.
After washing the coffee mugs and any other dishes, there were repairs and general maintenance to carry out, and whenever he wasn’t needed in the main Hub he’d disappear to the lower levels, checking Lisa every hour or so but spending most of the time working in the archives, filing, sorting, cataloguing, cleaning… He carried out that last in a sort of daze, sleep-working.
Some days he had errands to run, dry-cleaning to take in or pick up, shopping to do, the SUV to fill up with petrol.
Around one, he’d order lunch, make more coffee, eat with the team, then clear up and return to the archives. In the evening the residents had to be fed again, and the main Hub cleaned and tidied ready for morning.
Check on Lisa, shag Jack, go home to his bedsit, sleep, get up and do it all over again. Mindless routine; would it ever end?
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Lisa, Jack.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Set before Cyberwoman.
Summary: Getting the job with Torchwood Three had been a major step in Ianto’s plans to help Lisa, but now he’s working there his life is one endless round of mindless routine.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 56: Mindless at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
Day in, day out, the same old mindless routine; Ianto felt numb, exhausted, drained of emotion, but he had to keep going, for Lisa if not for himself. Get up in the morning after too little sleep, shower, dress in a suit, and head for the Hub. Once there make coffee for himself and Jack, go downstairs, check on Lisa and spend a few precious minutes with her. Sometimes she was awake and they’d talk, more often these days she’d be in a drugged sleep. Keeping her mostly under was the only way he could ensure she was more or less free of pain. It was better that way; he felt guilty because of what he was doing with Jack, so if she was asleep he didn’t have to lie to her. He’d vowed to do whatever it took to help her, but still, there were some things she was better off not knowing; that he was cheating on her with his new boss was top of the list.
He refilled the drug reservoir, made sure the drip was running, and changed the bag. It was important to at least keep her hydrated and nourished since she couldn’t eat. If he had time he’d sponge her down. She didn’t seem to feel heat or cold; he’d tried covering her with blankets at first but their weight caused her pain and didn’t make her cool skin any warmer. The machine must be regulating her body temperature, keeping it steady at about one and a half degrees below human normal. He could only hope it wasn’t harming her.
Next, feed and muck out the residents, which meant Myfanwy, Janet, and whatever else might be in the cells. After that it was back up to the main Hub to make coffee for the rest of the team. Sometimes Jack or one of the others would bring in doughnuts or pastries for breakfast. Sometimes Ianto would even eat one. He had some cereal bars downstairs to keep his energy levels up; he needed to eat even though he had no appetite.
After washing the coffee mugs and any other dishes, there were repairs and general maintenance to carry out, and whenever he wasn’t needed in the main Hub he’d disappear to the lower levels, checking Lisa every hour or so but spending most of the time working in the archives, filing, sorting, cataloguing, cleaning… He carried out that last in a sort of daze, sleep-working.
Some days he had errands to run, dry-cleaning to take in or pick up, shopping to do, the SUV to fill up with petrol.
Around one, he’d order lunch, make more coffee, eat with the team, then clear up and return to the archives. In the evening the residents had to be fed again, and the main Hub cleaned and tidied ready for morning.
Check on Lisa, shag Jack, go home to his bedsit, sleep, get up and do it all over again. Mindless routine; would it ever end?
The End