Different but sane (2/?) Torchwood
Chapter One
Martha Jones was pouring milk on to her cereal when I entered the kitchen. She lived across the corridor and always had breakfast with me before we went off to work. Her fiancé Tom Milligan worked in paediatrics so he was always out the door before she woke. He didn’t mind because apparently he trusted me.
“Morning, I heard you in the shower so I decided to help myself if’s that alright.” Martha said, looking up from the table.
“No, you’re always welcome Martha.” I told her with a smile before walking over to the toaster which sat on the counter. I put two pieces of bread into the toaster and leant my head against the cupboard while I waited. Martha picked up the newspaper.
“I see that another patient has disappeared from the mental hospital.” She observed, looking over at me.
“I thought the police ruled that they had escaped?” I replied, still leaning against the cupboard.
“According to the newspaper, it’s starting to get suspicious.” Martha explained with a smile. “Though it was also on the news last night.”
“I know, I thought I heard them say disappearance.” I said, looking back at the toaster. “Jack also heard and left in a hurry.”
“Was Jack here last night?” Martha asked turning around in the chair.
I nodded, “Nothing happened though; He wanted to know if I wanted to go weevil hunting.”
Martha nodded and turned back to the newspaper. I always knew that she knew something I didn’t about Jack. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if Jack was attracted to me, he seemed to be attracted to everyone else. The flirting was just one of his many perks. Though Martha seemed to worry about how he treated me for some reason. Gwen on the other hand wasn’t like that. She was married to the lovely Rhys but it wasn’t that hard to see she was in love with the enigmatic Captain. She couldn’t help but show jealously.
I quietly spread vegemite on to my toast and walked over to the table. Sitting down I noticed her skip through the pages of the paper before offering it to me. I declined as I didn’t like reading in the morning until I had a cup of Ianto’s coffee. I bit into my toast.
“Martha, you know I can look after myself.” I said while Martha moved the paper onto an empty chair. “Seriously Jack flirts with everyone.”
“I know he does, it’s just....”
“What?”
Martha looked back at her cereal. “Oh it’s nothing really....”
“Martha, I know my coffee will be swapped to decaf if I try anything.” I replied with a smile. “So it’s not really worth the risk.”
Martha laughed. “Good save, James Elton.” She said before going back to her cereal. I smiled as I knew that wasn’t what she was referring to but at the moment I didn’t want to talk about Jack. Well I did but about something else.
“So what were Gwen and Jack arguing about yesterday?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I don’t know but your name was mentioned.” She replied. “So I assume it was about Jack’s decision about you going to London in a month’s time.
Great, I thought. Now I’ll never get to go to my friend’s wedding.
“Are you alright?” Martha asked.
“I’m fine, Gwen doesn’t want me to go but I’m going to be best man.” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. “Jack wants me to have a life and I don’t want to let my friend down.”
“I can understand that and I agree with you.” Martha said putting a hand on mine. I put a hand through my light brown hair and got up from the table.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My light brown hair was still untidy; no matter how I tried to comb it I could never get it quite flat. My blue eyes stared back at me while I looked at the black shirt and brown corduroy jacket I was wearing over it. It was me, a man who didn’t care what he looked like but always seemed like he dressed appropriately to impress. I never did to of course.
I wasn’t a perfect man as I did have my habits which including smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, though not a heavy drinker. I had joined Torchwood after an investigation two months back when Jack had turned up at the office where I worked at the time and I ended up helping by hacking into the company’s main frame. Turns out the company I worked for was selling a supply of alien designer drugs on the side. At the time I worked in the IT department. To keep me out of trouble, Jack offered me a job as they needed a new alien technician and computer expert.
The sound of a ringtone went off my bedside table snapped me out of my thoughts. I walked over to the table and picked up my mobile. It was only a text message but it wasn’t from a friend.
“What’s wrong?” Martha asked as I walked back out into the kitchen.
“Jack wants us to meet him at Breyview mental hospital.” I replied before picking up my keys and packet of cigarettes.