The Travels of Rose Harkness... Age 16, Part 2
This is part of the adventures of Rosie Harkness, index is at http://jovialien.livejournal.com/20976.html
Rose rubbed her arm, trying to get blood back into it. A nurse had taken what seemed to be pints of the stuff from her whilst Owen labelled it up for tests. There had been blood pressure tests, height, weight measurements…. She had a horrible feeling they weren’t going to stop short of any test and watched closely for anyone with rubber gloves coming near her. There were some things about her biology she would really rather not share with the entire Torchwood institute for all eternity. Owen was by her side the whole time, acting as her guard in spite of the fact he was unarmed. She figured it must be they didn't think an unarmed 16 year old girl was much of a threat to them now she was in their territory. Other than that brief contact Owen had not looked her in the eye. She was unsure what was going on now, whose side he was on. He was different to when she had seen him last and she couldn’t get a read on him at all. She knew he and her dad had had their differences but she really hoped he wouldn’t hold that against her. Was his close watch over her to keep her safe or to make sure she didn’t let slip anything that might get him in trouble? She sighed as they entered yet another room, this time with a large scanner at one end. She was getting chilly now, her bare feet covered in dirt as she hopped up onto the flat bed of the scanner.
“Any chance of some socks at least? I’m freezing my arse off over here.” Owen nodded to the guards to get them to leave, leaving just them and a single medic in the room. Rose lay back and stared at the ceiling. Two against one. Best odds she’d had so far…..
“Lie still please.” Owen sounded pissed off so she started to fidget, trying to use his anger to break through and get a read on him. Nothing. He came over and grabbed her wrist and held a strap in his other hand. “Lie still or I will restrain you.” Rose closed her eyes and focused on the touch. Come on, give me a sign here. But she couldn’t read him, he was blocking her. Just one image came through. She winced as she saw her dad fall to the floor, shot through the head. Ok, that’s not a good sign… she nodded and lay back, perfectly still. Owen let her go and backed away again as the scanner started to move, sliding her inside.
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The Doctor continued to look inordinately pleased with himself as the SUV came to a stop and they were dragged out into the light again. The TARDIS was under quarantine at Canary Wharf, they were surrounded by armed guards and his daughter was in the hands of his old employers. Jack knew they had been in worse situations before but usually they didn’t walk right into them willingly. He kept his hands above his head as they were marched forwards into yet another Torchwood facility. He didn’t recognise this one but guessed it must be the new London facility based on the short journey. Ianto had told him about it when he requested reassignment, offering to do what he could to protect Rosie. But Ianto was gone now, there were no friends to be had here. He hadn’t seen any of the others for years, not since the accident in Cardiff after Ianto left had led to them all being reassigned or fired. It wasn’t safe to contact them again and he had no idea what had happened to the others. Jack couldn’t help it, he was slightly afraid now. Not for himself but for Rose. What did they want with her? The Doctor turned to look at him, that grin on his face really starting to annoy Jack now.
“Doctor, please tell me there is a step 2 to this plan?” The guard shoved a gun in his back, forcing him to keep marching forwards with a ‘shut-up’ implied. The Doctor's grin faded slightly but he continued to hold eye contact with Jack. Without the TARDIS helping Jack's telepathy was weak here, without touch anyway, and Jack wished he knew what was going through his head. The guard shoved him again and this time Jack twisted slightly, turning it into a fall against the Doctor. They fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs, causing the guards to panic.
“On your feet, slowly!” The guards backed up, afraid of a trick of some sort and let the Doctor and Jack help each other to their feet. As they did so the Doctor took advantage of the moment to grasp Jack's hand tightly and send just one thought through to him in that split second.
She’s here…
Jack took a deep breath and let himself be helped up. To be fair, it had been the fastest way to find Rose but that didn’t mean they weren’t still in deep trouble. At least this way they would all be in it together. Hopefully.
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Rose was halfway into the scanner when she became aware something was wrong. Owen had received a phone call and was agitated now, and she could hear guards running past the door. Then she caught it, that prickle at the back of her mind. A Time Lord. The Doctor was coming. Rose started to laugh, just gently at first then she couldn’t stop it and was practically in hysterics. Owen's voice came bouncing in to her, angry, but she was too happy to notice.
“Keep still or I will make you keep still.” Rose nodded and tried but she couldn’t stop laughing. With a snarl the machine reversed and she slid back out of it again. Owen came over, a syringe in one hand and a strap in the other. “If you don’t keep still I will be forced to sedate you.” Rose nodded but still shook with laughter. “What’s so bloody funny?” Rose glanced over his shoulder. The technician was a good few seconds away, busy with the equipment and unarmed. Rose continued to laugh, waving her arms about hysterically as he came closer then suddenly stopped and focused on Owen. She grabbed his head in both hands and took a deep breath, time standing still for a brief moment as she focused on him alone.
Whose side are you on Owen? Can you help me or do I have to have another old friend’s death on Dads conscience?
Owen tried to resist for a moment then opened himself up to her. She saw it all, all that he had been doing, all that he had tried to do, all that he intended to do with her. She nodded sadly then pushed. Owen screamed as his knees buckled but she kept holding on to him, holding him up as the technician rushed over. Even as he passed out she kept on holding him up, giving the technician a chance to get close enough to…
With a snap of her arm Rose released Owen and punched the technician hard. He crumpled to the ground and she jumped down and hit him again, knocking him out fully this time. Rose grabbed both of their ID cards and bolted for the door, her bare feet pounding on the floor. Ok, so she wasn’t exactly dressed for a quick getaway but it was a start. She slipped the key out of her underwear and placed it round her neck. She had no illusions that it would stop most of them seeing her but hopefully it would throw their aim off enough to stop them killing her. She had no intention of having to put her abysmal regeneration skills to the test. Dying was something her dad was so much better at than she was. She stopped at the door for a moment, trying to get her bearings. Then she headed off to the right and didn’t look back.
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