The Matron and Torchwood
I wrote a story with absolutely no Ianto in it anywhere. I don't know what's wrong with me...
Title: The Matron and Torchwood
Author: szm
Rating: G
Summary: What happens to Joan after the Doctor leaves. WARNING If you haven't seen the Doctor Who episodes Human Nature/Family of Blood this will make no sense and will contain spoilers
betaed by jadesfire2808
It was every bit as chaotic as she had expected. Police, army, and parents milling around looking for explanations, demanding them in most cases. She wished the headmaster was still here. Most of the teachers were next to useless and the boys were all terrified. It was far more than they should have to deal with.
She found herself as spokesperson. At first no-one wanted to listen to her, a hysterical woman. But soon they had no choice as she was the only one with anything like a coherent story.
Even if it wasn’t entirely true.
The army men were the first to come round. A lot of them were ex-public school boys and the title of ‘Matron’ still held weight. She spoke to everyone as if they were disobedient children and found that it worked rather well. The sun had risen and was making good inroads into the morning sky when she excused herself for a moment. Tired of scanning every room, half expecting to see him, she went to the school kitchens. She absolutely was not going to cry, she didn’t have time. Later when this mess was sorted she promised herself she would curl up in bed and grieve for the brave man who gave himself up to save the world. Despite telling herself this quite firmly she felt tears pricking at her eyes.
“Matron Redfern?” asked a softly spoken voice from the doorway. She wiped her eyes quickly before turning to the stranger and giving him a reassuring smile.
“Yes, I’m sorry how may I help you?” she replied. She tried to place the young man in front of her. He didn’t appear to be with the police or the army. He wasn’t old enough to be a parent but he was too old to be one for the boys. Besides she knew all the boys. An older brother perhaps. He was in his late twenties, slightly shabby in dress, sandy blond hair, soft blue eyes, and a slight build. He absolutely could not have looked any less threatening.
“My name is David West. I’m with a group called Torchwood. You’ve had an impossible day; perhaps I could make you a cup of tea.” He gave her a soft smile.
“Thank you, but I really should get back, there’s a lot left to do.”
“My superior is there,” he said, his smile widening. “Trust me he’s got it under control by now. I’m sure you can be allowed to take five minutes.”
She found herself agreeing to tea. David West made his way around the kitchen with apparent ease. He chatted to her about all sorts of things, carefully talking around the subject of what had happened the night before. Joan was aware that the man was putting her at ease but found herself ‘going with the flow’ so to speak. He was soothing to her battered nerves and she found herself just wishing she could sleep.
“I wonder Nurse Redfern…” started David.
“Please, call me Joan,” she interrupted with a smile. She wondered idly why she was being so improper with such a young man.
But David just smiled and said ‘thank you’, and really he had a very pretty smile. Joan found herself wanting to tell him secrets, all her secrets. She frowned. That wasn’t right.
“I wonder Joan, if you could tell me about the Doctor.”
The Doctor, a reasonable request. He’d been here, he’d caused this. Not on purpose true… but, she frowned. Her head was fuzzy. She mustn’t give the Doctor up. He had a piece, the only piece left of John. Why was it so hard to think? She took a sip of her tea…
“Joan?” David asked gently. “The Doctor.”
“The girl…” she said, standing carefully. “She was going to be a doctor, she knew about hands… from a book, her exams,” Joan’s eyes shot up to meet David’s. “You drugged the tea.”
David tried to get to her; she backed away into another man. This one was older, and broader. She looked up into far more intense eyes.
“What did I tell you West? If you keep drugging pretty ladies, you’re gonna get yourself a reputation.” The other man supported her against his chest. “Joan isn’t it?” he asked. “You go to sleep, sweetheart, he overdid the dose again. We’ll talk when you wake.”
**
When Joan woke she was in her own bed, above the covers and fully dressed, thank God. Her head hurt, and there were aches and pains that she suspected were last night's bruises making themselves known.
Oh God! Last night. She sat up in bed suddenly, clutching at her head as it complained about the movement.
“About time you woke up,” came a voice from the chair by the vanity desk. “I’ve really gotta get West to be a little more accurate with his dosing, but what can I do? He’s young.”
“I don’t believe you were invited into my bedroom” she replied sharply, pulling her proper and prim ‘Matron’ around herself.
The man just smirked at her. “I never was much of a one for waiting.”
“Neither are children, but we all had to learn.”
“That’s what I’m doing,” said the man, sadly. “Learning to wait, everyday.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, suddenly sick of it all. She was long overdue her turn to cry.
“I work for Torchwood. We are an organisation devoted to protect England, the world, from alien threats. Like the ones you encountered last night.”
“You want to know what I saw…”
“West wants to know what you saw,” he stressed. “I want to offer you a job.”
Joan looked at the strange man. “You’re American?” she asked finally.
“Seems so.”
“And this… Doctor? What of him?”
The man shrugged, Joan saw a brief flash of something unnameable in his face. “I don’t believe he means to hurt us,” he said, suddenly unable to meet Joan’s eyes.
“But he can’t help it,” she continued for him. “He’s just so much… bigger than us. Like a boy playing with ants.”
The man didn’t say anything. The silence stretched on between them.
Finally Joan broke it. “Why me?”
“I saw you handle that room, and he wouldn’t have chosen you if there wasn’t something there.”
Joan didn’t need to ask who ‘he’ was. She thought for a few moments longer. “I want to be a doctor,” she said finally. “A real one. I want to learn how.”
“Okay.”
“Just like that? Just ‘okay’.”
The man stood up. “I always felt women made excellent doctors. Besides, this world is going to need all the doctors it can get soon.” He held out his hand to her. “Are you coming, Joan Redfern?”
“Who are you?” she asked, taking the stranger's hand.
“Captain Jack Harkness.”
Title: The Matron and Torchwood
Author: szm
Rating: G
Summary: What happens to Joan after the Doctor leaves. WARNING If you haven't seen the Doctor Who episodes Human Nature/Family of Blood this will make no sense and will contain spoilers
betaed by jadesfire2808
It was every bit as chaotic as she had expected. Police, army, and parents milling around looking for explanations, demanding them in most cases. She wished the headmaster was still here. Most of the teachers were next to useless and the boys were all terrified. It was far more than they should have to deal with.
She found herself as spokesperson. At first no-one wanted to listen to her, a hysterical woman. But soon they had no choice as she was the only one with anything like a coherent story.
Even if it wasn’t entirely true.
The army men were the first to come round. A lot of them were ex-public school boys and the title of ‘Matron’ still held weight. She spoke to everyone as if they were disobedient children and found that it worked rather well. The sun had risen and was making good inroads into the morning sky when she excused herself for a moment. Tired of scanning every room, half expecting to see him, she went to the school kitchens. She absolutely was not going to cry, she didn’t have time. Later when this mess was sorted she promised herself she would curl up in bed and grieve for the brave man who gave himself up to save the world. Despite telling herself this quite firmly she felt tears pricking at her eyes.
“Matron Redfern?” asked a softly spoken voice from the doorway. She wiped her eyes quickly before turning to the stranger and giving him a reassuring smile.
“Yes, I’m sorry how may I help you?” she replied. She tried to place the young man in front of her. He didn’t appear to be with the police or the army. He wasn’t old enough to be a parent but he was too old to be one for the boys. Besides she knew all the boys. An older brother perhaps. He was in his late twenties, slightly shabby in dress, sandy blond hair, soft blue eyes, and a slight build. He absolutely could not have looked any less threatening.
“My name is David West. I’m with a group called Torchwood. You’ve had an impossible day; perhaps I could make you a cup of tea.” He gave her a soft smile.
“Thank you, but I really should get back, there’s a lot left to do.”
“My superior is there,” he said, his smile widening. “Trust me he’s got it under control by now. I’m sure you can be allowed to take five minutes.”
She found herself agreeing to tea. David West made his way around the kitchen with apparent ease. He chatted to her about all sorts of things, carefully talking around the subject of what had happened the night before. Joan was aware that the man was putting her at ease but found herself ‘going with the flow’ so to speak. He was soothing to her battered nerves and she found herself just wishing she could sleep.
“I wonder Nurse Redfern…” started David.
“Please, call me Joan,” she interrupted with a smile. She wondered idly why she was being so improper with such a young man.
But David just smiled and said ‘thank you’, and really he had a very pretty smile. Joan found herself wanting to tell him secrets, all her secrets. She frowned. That wasn’t right.
“I wonder Joan, if you could tell me about the Doctor.”
The Doctor, a reasonable request. He’d been here, he’d caused this. Not on purpose true… but, she frowned. Her head was fuzzy. She mustn’t give the Doctor up. He had a piece, the only piece left of John. Why was it so hard to think? She took a sip of her tea…
“Joan?” David asked gently. “The Doctor.”
“The girl…” she said, standing carefully. “She was going to be a doctor, she knew about hands… from a book, her exams,” Joan’s eyes shot up to meet David’s. “You drugged the tea.”
David tried to get to her; she backed away into another man. This one was older, and broader. She looked up into far more intense eyes.
“What did I tell you West? If you keep drugging pretty ladies, you’re gonna get yourself a reputation.” The other man supported her against his chest. “Joan isn’t it?” he asked. “You go to sleep, sweetheart, he overdid the dose again. We’ll talk when you wake.”
**
When Joan woke she was in her own bed, above the covers and fully dressed, thank God. Her head hurt, and there were aches and pains that she suspected were last night's bruises making themselves known.
Oh God! Last night. She sat up in bed suddenly, clutching at her head as it complained about the movement.
“About time you woke up,” came a voice from the chair by the vanity desk. “I’ve really gotta get West to be a little more accurate with his dosing, but what can I do? He’s young.”
“I don’t believe you were invited into my bedroom” she replied sharply, pulling her proper and prim ‘Matron’ around herself.
The man just smirked at her. “I never was much of a one for waiting.”
“Neither are children, but we all had to learn.”
“That’s what I’m doing,” said the man, sadly. “Learning to wait, everyday.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, suddenly sick of it all. She was long overdue her turn to cry.
“I work for Torchwood. We are an organisation devoted to protect England, the world, from alien threats. Like the ones you encountered last night.”
“You want to know what I saw…”
“West wants to know what you saw,” he stressed. “I want to offer you a job.”
Joan looked at the strange man. “You’re American?” she asked finally.
“Seems so.”
“And this… Doctor? What of him?”
The man shrugged, Joan saw a brief flash of something unnameable in his face. “I don’t believe he means to hurt us,” he said, suddenly unable to meet Joan’s eyes.
“But he can’t help it,” she continued for him. “He’s just so much… bigger than us. Like a boy playing with ants.”
The man didn’t say anything. The silence stretched on between them.
Finally Joan broke it. “Why me?”
“I saw you handle that room, and he wouldn’t have chosen you if there wasn’t something there.”
Joan didn’t need to ask who ‘he’ was. She thought for a few moments longer. “I want to be a doctor,” she said finally. “A real one. I want to learn how.”
“Okay.”
“Just like that? Just ‘okay’.”
The man stood up. “I always felt women made excellent doctors. Besides, this world is going to need all the doctors it can get soon.” He held out his hand to her. “Are you coming, Joan Redfern?”
“Who are you?” she asked, taking the stranger's hand.
“Captain Jack Harkness.”