worn out places (end narrative, closed)
hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
It is but a few minutes before the launch. The rockets are ready to launch for The Master intends to plunge this Earth into war. She stands now with large gathering of people. The launch is going to be televised and the countdown is ticking away. During those final minutes, Kate reflects back onto a year filled with misery and death.
The first few months could almost be considered easy. People died. Horrible things were done but perhaps what made that time easier was the hope that they were going to fight back. Some were not going to go quietly into the night.
It was to be an exercise in futility. Nothing got better. Everything just got worse.
The plague had come. It was a horrible, wasting disease that by the time it had finally left, most had been decimated in the underground base. Kate, with her regeneration capabilities, had not been stricken. Everyone else had not been so fortunate. But given what was lost, could you really call her fortunate?
Ix never stood a chance. She was just five months and three days old on the day she had died.
From the moment she was born, Ix was never really healthy. Her big blue eyes that were the very image of Jack’s, were never so bright. She was underweight and didn’t exhibit a lot of life most days. Possibly, her condition had everything to do with her surroundings. They were constantly cold and wet. Certainly, they weren’t ideal. It could have been the mood of everyone else inside of Torchwood. There were some days where Ix never seemed to find comfort in anything. But she never cried, instead she just whimpered which was the worst thing of all.
Kate had done all that she could for her daughter but it never was enough. Ix didn’t die during the first wave of victims which had given hope to Kate that perhaps Megan had her gifts. Hope had vanished when Ix finally contracted the fever. Kate couldn’t cure the illness. The only thing she could do was to survive it. Perhaps it was a blessing that Ix had been taken so early in life. Ix would never have to grow up in a world with the Master as overlord. Kate, grief stricken, just didn’t know.
Why should a parent have to survive their child? There were no words to describe her anguish at losing her daughter. From that point on a large part of her died. She wasn’t bitter. She wasn’t angry. She was just numb.
When the decision was made to leave the base, Kate didn’t fight it. A part of her didn’t care what happened now. But she couldn’t just lay down and surrender either. She wasn’t wired for that.
Kate couldn’t go with Ianto. He was a reminder of Jack and Jack just reminded her of her dead daughter. There was no place for her with him or with anyone She would survive, though. She always survived.
So she walked... She found people and she told them a story that she had problems believing herself. The story wasn’t the important thing, she told herself. Remembering what to do at the right moment meant everything now.
And now she stands, her eyes glued to a screen. Slowly, the countdown ticks away. Three... Two... One... She thinks of a single word with a small sense of hope that she didn't even think herself capable of.
Doctor.
It is but a few minutes before the launch. The rockets are ready to launch for The Master intends to plunge this Earth into war. She stands now with large gathering of people. The launch is going to be televised and the countdown is ticking away. During those final minutes, Kate reflects back onto a year filled with misery and death.
The first few months could almost be considered easy. People died. Horrible things were done but perhaps what made that time easier was the hope that they were going to fight back. Some were not going to go quietly into the night.
It was to be an exercise in futility. Nothing got better. Everything just got worse.
The plague had come. It was a horrible, wasting disease that by the time it had finally left, most had been decimated in the underground base. Kate, with her regeneration capabilities, had not been stricken. Everyone else had not been so fortunate. But given what was lost, could you really call her fortunate?
Ix never stood a chance. She was just five months and three days old on the day she had died.
From the moment she was born, Ix was never really healthy. Her big blue eyes that were the very image of Jack’s, were never so bright. She was underweight and didn’t exhibit a lot of life most days. Possibly, her condition had everything to do with her surroundings. They were constantly cold and wet. Certainly, they weren’t ideal. It could have been the mood of everyone else inside of Torchwood. There were some days where Ix never seemed to find comfort in anything. But she never cried, instead she just whimpered which was the worst thing of all.
Kate had done all that she could for her daughter but it never was enough. Ix didn’t die during the first wave of victims which had given hope to Kate that perhaps Megan had her gifts. Hope had vanished when Ix finally contracted the fever. Kate couldn’t cure the illness. The only thing she could do was to survive it. Perhaps it was a blessing that Ix had been taken so early in life. Ix would never have to grow up in a world with the Master as overlord. Kate, grief stricken, just didn’t know.
Why should a parent have to survive their child? There were no words to describe her anguish at losing her daughter. From that point on a large part of her died. She wasn’t bitter. She wasn’t angry. She was just numb.
When the decision was made to leave the base, Kate didn’t fight it. A part of her didn’t care what happened now. But she couldn’t just lay down and surrender either. She wasn’t wired for that.
Kate couldn’t go with Ianto. He was a reminder of Jack and Jack just reminded her of her dead daughter. There was no place for her with him or with anyone She would survive, though. She always survived.
So she walked... She found people and she told them a story that she had problems believing herself. The story wasn’t the important thing, she told herself. Remembering what to do at the right moment meant everything now.
And now she stands, her eyes glued to a screen. Slowly, the countdown ticks away. Three... Two... One... She thinks of a single word with a small sense of hope that she didn't even think herself capable of.
Doctor.