The Way Home 1/?
Rose groaned as she slowly regained consciousness. She could already tell the headache that was forming behind her eyes was going to be massive and she kept her eyes shut not willing, or ready, to face the world beyond. She could envision the scene that awaited her when she finally did open her eyes. She knew her mother would be in a chair next to the bed, waiting for her daughter to awake. No doubt Jackie had already scared the nursing staff away with her constant barrage of questions and concerns. Rose knew that her mum wouldn't allow a pesky thing like a headache to stop the lecture that she meant to give; hospital bed or not, Jackie Tyler would have something to say about her daughter's latest escapade. Pete would be standing behind her mother, hand resting on her shoulder; he would notice Rose's distress and leave to fetch a nurse, after silently asking Rose if she was okay. Jake and Mickey would be hovering outside the door with Tony, giving her parents some time before swooping into regale her with the story of her fall and to give her a good ribbing about fainting while on assignment.
Rose tried to remember exactly what had happened. She couldn't be sure if she had fainted or fallen. She shifted her body as she tried to remember, noting that the hospital bed felt more like grated ground then the comfortable mattresses found in the Torchwood med center. That could only mean one thing, the injuries she sustained must have been serious enough that there’d not been time to get her back to Torchwood. She must be in a local hospital bed. Rose had heard stories from other unfortunate agents about the lack of comfortable beds in local hospitals, now she understood what they meant. How could a person be expected to get well if they couldn't even get comfortable? Rose shifted, hoping that she might find a more comfortable position, but it was of no use. As she settled back into her previous position, she tried to piece together what had actually happened and what she might have to face when she finally decided to open her eyes.
She and Jake had been called out to an early morning crash site, mere hours after finishing with a late-night weevil retrieval. She had barely put her head on her pillow when her mobile had rung and the Torchwood dispatcher had informed her that there had been an unidentified crash outside of Whitehall and the presence of herself and Agent Simmonds was requested. The only bit of joy that Rose got out of that call was she got to call her partner with the news that the long weekend he had bragged about was now officially cut short. When she’d called, Jake had complained that his holiday had to be the shortest in Torchwood history- an hour. Rose had simply laughed and told him that he could try again next weekend. Jake had picked her up in front of her flat fifteen minutes later and grumpily asked her why Mickey couldn't have come instead of him.
After they’d arrived at Whitehall, they had stood by the car, huddling against it and each other in the January chill while the techs had swept the area looking for what had fallen. Someone had handed them both a cup of coffee and had they clung to the Styrofoam cups as they watched the search, not wanting to escape to the warmth and protection of the car lest they were needed. Rose, awoken more by the weather than by the coffee, had made a joke to Jake about how he should have been on his way to the sunny (and warm) coast of France. Jake had scowled at her, but she was saved from any retort by the excited yells about 500 yards off. They raced to where the group of techies had huddled, all pointing to an object on the ground. Rose had to push her way through the group in order to see the object.
It was beautiful. An oblong chrysalis that was no bigger than the size of Rose's palm. It seemed to be in a state of flux as the color kept moving from a brilliant pink to a deep midnight blue. Rose had been entranced and reached out to touch it, but was quickly pulled back by an admonishing Jake. And he was right, she did know better than to touch a piece of alien tech before knowing what it was. She crouched down to get a better look, taking care to keep a safe distance. The chrysalis looked like it might be a container for something smaller - a small faint line ran across it, only visible when it was at its lightest pink. Rose had called for a pair of gloves in order to examine the object, and it had been then that it had happened. Someone behind had pushed forward, jostling Rose and causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. She had instinctively put her arms out in front of her in order to break her fall. She felt her left hand land on the chrysalis and slip, still clutching the foreign object. The last thing she remembered, as her head still continued to rush towards the street, was Jake's frantic yell.
Back in the present, Rose knew that it was time that she opened her eyes and face her family. Jake would be able to fill her in on what had happened and let her know where the chrysalis was now. Taking one last deep breath she opened her eyes. But there was no Jackie in a chair, no Pete standing at her side. No brother or best friends waiting outside the door. In fact there was no door. There was also no uncomfortable hospital bed. Not even a hospital. There was simply an empty darkness.
Rose tried to remember exactly what had happened. She couldn't be sure if she had fainted or fallen. She shifted her body as she tried to remember, noting that the hospital bed felt more like grated ground then the comfortable mattresses found in the Torchwood med center. That could only mean one thing, the injuries she sustained must have been serious enough that there’d not been time to get her back to Torchwood. She must be in a local hospital bed. Rose had heard stories from other unfortunate agents about the lack of comfortable beds in local hospitals, now she understood what they meant. How could a person be expected to get well if they couldn't even get comfortable? Rose shifted, hoping that she might find a more comfortable position, but it was of no use. As she settled back into her previous position, she tried to piece together what had actually happened and what she might have to face when she finally decided to open her eyes.
She and Jake had been called out to an early morning crash site, mere hours after finishing with a late-night weevil retrieval. She had barely put her head on her pillow when her mobile had rung and the Torchwood dispatcher had informed her that there had been an unidentified crash outside of Whitehall and the presence of herself and Agent Simmonds was requested. The only bit of joy that Rose got out of that call was she got to call her partner with the news that the long weekend he had bragged about was now officially cut short. When she’d called, Jake had complained that his holiday had to be the shortest in Torchwood history- an hour. Rose had simply laughed and told him that he could try again next weekend. Jake had picked her up in front of her flat fifteen minutes later and grumpily asked her why Mickey couldn't have come instead of him.
After they’d arrived at Whitehall, they had stood by the car, huddling against it and each other in the January chill while the techs had swept the area looking for what had fallen. Someone had handed them both a cup of coffee and had they clung to the Styrofoam cups as they watched the search, not wanting to escape to the warmth and protection of the car lest they were needed. Rose, awoken more by the weather than by the coffee, had made a joke to Jake about how he should have been on his way to the sunny (and warm) coast of France. Jake had scowled at her, but she was saved from any retort by the excited yells about 500 yards off. They raced to where the group of techies had huddled, all pointing to an object on the ground. Rose had to push her way through the group in order to see the object.
It was beautiful. An oblong chrysalis that was no bigger than the size of Rose's palm. It seemed to be in a state of flux as the color kept moving from a brilliant pink to a deep midnight blue. Rose had been entranced and reached out to touch it, but was quickly pulled back by an admonishing Jake. And he was right, she did know better than to touch a piece of alien tech before knowing what it was. She crouched down to get a better look, taking care to keep a safe distance. The chrysalis looked like it might be a container for something smaller - a small faint line ran across it, only visible when it was at its lightest pink. Rose had called for a pair of gloves in order to examine the object, and it had been then that it had happened. Someone behind had pushed forward, jostling Rose and causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground. She had instinctively put her arms out in front of her in order to break her fall. She felt her left hand land on the chrysalis and slip, still clutching the foreign object. The last thing she remembered, as her head still continued to rush towards the street, was Jake's frantic yell.
Back in the present, Rose knew that it was time that she opened her eyes and face her family. Jake would be able to fill her in on what had happened and let her know where the chrysalis was now. Taking one last deep breath she opened her eyes. But there was no Jackie in a chair, no Pete standing at her side. No brother or best friends waiting outside the door. In fact there was no door. There was also no uncomfortable hospital bed. Not even a hospital. There was simply an empty darkness.