Different but sane (5/?) Torchwood
Chapter four
Doves were quietly playing in the corner on the stereo while I was looking through the security footage from the hospital. They were one of my favourite bands because of their large epic sound and nobody else seemed to mind listening to them so I had put on their first ever album Lost Souls. The footage was hard to follow because well it went fuzzy once the patient disappeared from their room so I couldn’t make out what had actually happened. I never thought it was going to be easy.
Ianto hadn’t found any reference to an asylum in the history of the hospital but he was going to keep looking just in case he had missed something. Though he did make us coffee which to me was better than nothing. Martha was looking at the object in her hands. On the way back in the car, Martha had shown it to me and explained that she had no idea what it was. I didn’t care as it was my job to find out anyway. Even Jack wasn’t sure what it was when Martha had shown it to him and by the look of his eyes, he really was telling the truth.
“Nearly finished with the footage?” She asked, “So we can find out what this is.”
“Yes, it’s all the same; the camera goes fuzzy just as the patient disappears.” I replied, swivelling my chair to face her. “I didn’t think it was going to be easy.”
“No, though it would be nice once in awhile.” She said with a laugh. “Are you ok? I mean after what that man said to you?”
“Yes, it doesn’t fuss me what he said, I mean should I be worried?” I asked standing up from the chair. She handed me the object.
“No, well maybe, I mean how did he know?” Martha replied, worry showing in her voice. “How did he see that you were a troubled soul?”
“I don’t know, maybe he just guessed.” I replied, placing the object under the scanner. “I really do give off a creepy vibe.”
“James, when I first met you, you just seemed to be a happy guy who loved his job.” Martha told me truthfully. “I didn’t know that underneath you were battling inner demons as you never showed it.”
“Still it didn’t scare you off.” I said turning around, “Though you’re the first woman I haven’t fallen in love with that I’m close to.”
Martha nodded, “You’re just a very misunderstood guy that’s all.”
I shrugged my shoulders and looked back at the scanner. It was true that I had never fallen in love with Martha. There was a time that I though I had because I cared for her too much. After a heart felt talk to her we both realised that we were very close friends and nothing would ever come between that including love. She was happy with Tom and I was just a happily single man with a troubled past.
“Still shouldn’t we talk to him?” Martha asked, “Or you could.....”
She was interrupted by the sound of her mobile phone. I managed to drown out the conversation by looking at the screen to see the inside of the object. It seemed to have complex circuitry, common with many alien devices Torchwood had found over the years. The object had reminded me of a scanner or even an old game boy. The metal it was made of was certainly alien in origin but the program couldn’t seem to tell me anything else.
“So?” Martha asked snapping me out of my thoughts.
“It’s certainly an alien device.” I replied pointing to the screen. “The circuitry is complex, the metal is alien in origin but apart from that, it can’t seem to find anything else.”
“Maybe you should experiment with it.” Martha suggested, “Then you might be able to find out that way.”
“I could, though I would have to use the firing range to experiment.” I replied with a nod.
“Maybe you could go and find the others first.” Jack suggested from the doorway of his office. I looked up.
“Are you suggesting that the device may have played a role in the disappearance?” I asked, folding my arms.
“Well its one theory but I need to be sure before you experiment.” Jack replied with a shrug. “If we have missed any of those objects then we should check before they are found by the wrong hands.”
I nodded and grabbed my jacket sitting on the back of the chair. Martha went to get hers but I stopped her.
“I’m going alone as it’s more a one person’s job.” I told her then I leant over to whisper in her ear. “Also I am going to talk to him.”
Martha nodded and went back to her desk while I made my way across to the elevator.