Revelations and Recollections Epilogue
Epilogue. Two weeks after.
It took Owen two weeks to declare that Jessica was fit enough to be
discharged. This was why he found himself stood at the docs at Four
Am in the morning. He had no idea what compelled him to come here,
maybe he was growing too fond of his patients again. On the other hand, maybe it was
something else. He leaned on the railings thoughtfully as he waited
for Jack and Ianto to finish loading up the boat. Next to him Jessica
looked out equally thoughtfully. He caught her eye as she smiled.
"You sure about this?" Owen asked.
"Why you going to miss me?" Jessica asked. The wind blew her loose
hair into her face. To Owen it looked like a spider's web.
Owen laughed. "No, I have spent way too much time with you lately."
"I'm going to miss you too Owen." Jessica replied with a grin. "Seriously though I'm sure. If they can help me then it is worth a shot. I don't want to end up like Ianto's mum."
"Yeah. Yeah from what I know they can help. Maybe I will come visit you."
"That would be nice.” Jessica replied. They both knew he wouldn't.
They both knew the rules of flat Holm. "I thought I would be scared about going over but I ain’t. It is what happens after that scares me shitless. “
“What do you mean?” Owen asked turning to face her.
“Having to go it alone. Sober. Not having Sophie to boss me around. Not going in to work and dealing with alien stuff. I don’t know if I could do a normal job without going mad. How can I do a normal job after Torchwood? Normal life?” She asked.
“I honestly don’t know,” Owen replied. It was not a situation that had come up before. It was not one he had not contemplated before.
“Yeah. When I get back maybe, we could go for a drink sometime, not as a date just to say thanks. Friends maybe."
"Yeah okay you’re on." Owen said. He pulled out a pen and a bit of paper. "Call me when you’re settled yeah?" He jotted down his number and handed it over to her. She looked at it and pocketed it into the
jeans. Owen jeans that she was wearing.
"Sure. You decided what you're going to do about what happened?"
"That was not Gwen. I just have to keep reminding myself about that otherwise I ….." He broke off unable to finish that sentence. He resumed watching the boat bobbing on the waves. "This job," he sighed.
"You deserve better." Jessica said, "I'm sorry."
“Stop apologising. None of this was your fault. None of it.” Owen said hoping that if enough people told her that she would start to believe it.
"Jessica time to go." Jack called out from the now loaded boat.
"Okay." Jessica called back to Jack. "look after yourself Owen. I will give
you a call yeah."
"Yeah." Owen grunted in return. He turned and glanced as she walked
away and paused. She spun back on her heel and ran back up to Owen
giving him a big hug. Owen returned it and rubbed her back gently.
"Oh go on then" He said as he picked her up and give her a quick kiss.
She returned it and just for a moment, she seemed uncertain.
"Thanks ", she said, “for everything, could not have asked for a better doctor during this." She said as he put her down.
"Just doing my job. You better get going," He said. This time she walked away onto the boat. He watched as Jack helped her down before the boat set off. He watched until he could not see it no more. Sighing he checked his watch. Too late to go back to bed, too early for work he thought. He ended up heading to the Hub anyway.
Helen was waiting for them on the other side of the journey.
"This who you called about Jack?" She asked.
"Is indeed. Relatively simple compared to the others." He said as he climbed out the boat. "Unfortunately has not got sea legs." He added as a green looking, Jessica emerged from the boat.
"Ianto why don't you get her settled in?" Helen said, "show her around."
Ianto nodded as he offered Jessica his arm.
As they walked around Jessica was quiet as Ianto played tour guide. He quietly led her to her new home even as along the island the working day was starting.
"Here we are. Your new home." Ianto said as he put Jessica's bag down.
"Its erm nicer than expected. I thought it would be like a hospital, "she said looking around it. They both sat down on the couch.
"This is not the main facility. It would be too dangerous to have someone with your abilities to be around some of the other patients." Ianto explained, "this is where we stay if we cannot get back."
"That explains a lot."
"Yep" Ianto agreed. "Look Jess none of this is your fault."
"That’s what Owen said. Still doesn't feel like it. Erm we are still friends right? "
"Yeah Jess we are still friends.” Ianto replied kindly.
"Cos I would totally understand if you never wanted to see me again."
"How long you known me?" Ianto asked.
"Since I was four." She replied. "And I dumped ice-cream on your head because you looked too hot."
"In the park, and I spilt my slush puppy on you. Look the point is I cannot say what's going to happen in the future, you probably have more idea than me…"
"Yeah, just a bit."
"Then you probably know the answer," he said as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. He handed it over to her and she handed one back over to him.
"Some things never change eh?" Jessica commented as she set it down on the table. Before either of them had a chance to open them Jack came bounding in.
"We got to leave soon if we are going to get back in time.” He said. "I explained everything to Helen; you're going to be okay. There going to take good care of you."
"Yeah." Jessica mumbled as Ianto give her a hug. He could sense her getting tearful.
"I will visit soon as I can. Hey come on you're not going to be here forever, just a month and then they will review." Ianto said. "You will get out."
"Yeah people do leave you know, settle back in." Jack added as he gave her brief hug and kiss on the forehead. "We best be off. Helen will be along in a minute okay?"
"Okay" Jessica said as she picked up the bag and opened it. Goodbyes exchanged she slowly began to unpack.
As Ianto and Jack sailed into the sunrise, Ianto was quiet.
"You okay?" Jack asked.
"Just thinking." Ianto replied. "Do you think she will recover?"
"Nothing is certain Ianto but she has a better chance than most." Jack replied. "I think she will."
And with that, the pair got themselves ready for a brand new day.
All the previous bits
The chapter before
It took Owen two weeks to declare that Jessica was fit enough to be
discharged. This was why he found himself stood at the docs at Four
Am in the morning. He had no idea what compelled him to come here,
maybe he was growing too fond of his patients again. On the other hand, maybe it was
something else. He leaned on the railings thoughtfully as he waited
for Jack and Ianto to finish loading up the boat. Next to him Jessica
looked out equally thoughtfully. He caught her eye as she smiled.
"You sure about this?" Owen asked.
"Why you going to miss me?" Jessica asked. The wind blew her loose
hair into her face. To Owen it looked like a spider's web.
Owen laughed. "No, I have spent way too much time with you lately."
"I'm going to miss you too Owen." Jessica replied with a grin. "Seriously though I'm sure. If they can help me then it is worth a shot. I don't want to end up like Ianto's mum."
"Yeah. Yeah from what I know they can help. Maybe I will come visit you."
"That would be nice.” Jessica replied. They both knew he wouldn't.
They both knew the rules of flat Holm. "I thought I would be scared about going over but I ain’t. It is what happens after that scares me shitless. “
“What do you mean?” Owen asked turning to face her.
“Having to go it alone. Sober. Not having Sophie to boss me around. Not going in to work and dealing with alien stuff. I don’t know if I could do a normal job without going mad. How can I do a normal job after Torchwood? Normal life?” She asked.
“I honestly don’t know,” Owen replied. It was not a situation that had come up before. It was not one he had not contemplated before.
“Yeah. When I get back maybe, we could go for a drink sometime, not as a date just to say thanks. Friends maybe."
"Yeah okay you’re on." Owen said. He pulled out a pen and a bit of paper. "Call me when you’re settled yeah?" He jotted down his number and handed it over to her. She looked at it and pocketed it into the
jeans. Owen jeans that she was wearing.
"Sure. You decided what you're going to do about what happened?"
"That was not Gwen. I just have to keep reminding myself about that otherwise I ….." He broke off unable to finish that sentence. He resumed watching the boat bobbing on the waves. "This job," he sighed.
"You deserve better." Jessica said, "I'm sorry."
“Stop apologising. None of this was your fault. None of it.” Owen said hoping that if enough people told her that she would start to believe it.
"Jessica time to go." Jack called out from the now loaded boat.
"Okay." Jessica called back to Jack. "look after yourself Owen. I will give
you a call yeah."
"Yeah." Owen grunted in return. He turned and glanced as she walked
away and paused. She spun back on her heel and ran back up to Owen
giving him a big hug. Owen returned it and rubbed her back gently.
"Oh go on then" He said as he picked her up and give her a quick kiss.
She returned it and just for a moment, she seemed uncertain.
"Thanks ", she said, “for everything, could not have asked for a better doctor during this." She said as he put her down.
"Just doing my job. You better get going," He said. This time she walked away onto the boat. He watched as Jack helped her down before the boat set off. He watched until he could not see it no more. Sighing he checked his watch. Too late to go back to bed, too early for work he thought. He ended up heading to the Hub anyway.
Helen was waiting for them on the other side of the journey.
"This who you called about Jack?" She asked.
"Is indeed. Relatively simple compared to the others." He said as he climbed out the boat. "Unfortunately has not got sea legs." He added as a green looking, Jessica emerged from the boat.
"Ianto why don't you get her settled in?" Helen said, "show her around."
Ianto nodded as he offered Jessica his arm.
As they walked around Jessica was quiet as Ianto played tour guide. He quietly led her to her new home even as along the island the working day was starting.
"Here we are. Your new home." Ianto said as he put Jessica's bag down.
"Its erm nicer than expected. I thought it would be like a hospital, "she said looking around it. They both sat down on the couch.
"This is not the main facility. It would be too dangerous to have someone with your abilities to be around some of the other patients." Ianto explained, "this is where we stay if we cannot get back."
"That explains a lot."
"Yep" Ianto agreed. "Look Jess none of this is your fault."
"That’s what Owen said. Still doesn't feel like it. Erm we are still friends right? "
"Yeah Jess we are still friends.” Ianto replied kindly.
"Cos I would totally understand if you never wanted to see me again."
"How long you known me?" Ianto asked.
"Since I was four." She replied. "And I dumped ice-cream on your head because you looked too hot."
"In the park, and I spilt my slush puppy on you. Look the point is I cannot say what's going to happen in the future, you probably have more idea than me…"
"Yeah, just a bit."
"Then you probably know the answer," he said as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. He handed it over to her and she handed one back over to him.
"Some things never change eh?" Jessica commented as she set it down on the table. Before either of them had a chance to open them Jack came bounding in.
"We got to leave soon if we are going to get back in time.” He said. "I explained everything to Helen; you're going to be okay. There going to take good care of you."
"Yeah." Jessica mumbled as Ianto give her a hug. He could sense her getting tearful.
"I will visit soon as I can. Hey come on you're not going to be here forever, just a month and then they will review." Ianto said. "You will get out."
"Yeah people do leave you know, settle back in." Jack added as he gave her brief hug and kiss on the forehead. "We best be off. Helen will be along in a minute okay?"
"Okay" Jessica said as she picked up the bag and opened it. Goodbyes exchanged she slowly began to unpack.
As Ianto and Jack sailed into the sunrise, Ianto was quiet.
"You okay?" Jack asked.
"Just thinking." Ianto replied. "Do you think she will recover?"
"Nothing is certain Ianto but she has a better chance than most." Jack replied. "I think she will."
And with that, the pair got themselves ready for a brand new day.
All the previous bits
The chapter before