Burning Cosmos {A Torchwood Story Three} [COMPLETED]

30. Exit Wounds

"Relax everybody, Torchwood's here!" I shout out as soon as Owen and I walk through the hospital doors, after standing outside holding hands for as long as we could.

Staff flood the reception area, some crying, some close to. The power is on but the Rift has interrupted everything, messing with electrics and scaring patients by plopping aliens and people from the past right beside them.
I approach one of the nurses closest to me and ask, "What's happened?"
"There's this thing," she says worriedly, the whites in her eyes contrasting with her dark skin. "In the basements."
"Are there more of them?"
"No, just people in period costume; we put them all in the waiting room."

I blink; you'd think long-dead people wouldn't have to wait anymore. "Owen," I call, getting him away from the wailing patient trying to claw his attention. He looks round, the crows feet around his eyes lessening when he sees me.
"Where do I go, Evy?"
"Basement. Some alien; this nurse knows more." I gently push the woman towards him and they walk off together, whilst I am lead by a staff member to the waiting room.

Holy shit, is the first thing I think when I look through the doors. That's a lot of Vikings and Celts.

~∆~

We haven't heard from Jack for over an hour. Which isn't unheard of, but when Captain John Hart takes over his comms, it becomes an issue.

"Attention, Torchwood employees."
"No," I whisper, ankle deep in sedated Celts. I thought I should probably lock the Vikings in the temporary containment cell first.
John doesn't seem to hear me. "Evening all. Now, stop what you're doing."
"Jack, what's going on, are you okay?" Gwen asks over the comms. Well, obviously not if John has his tech!

"Jack can't come to the comms right now, but if you leave a message I'll be sure to pass it along," John says in his lilting tone, and Gwen really wants to let loose. If she were in the same room as John, I'm sure she'd get one more punch in again.
"What've you done to him?"
"No no, wrong question," John corrects. "You should be asking, what am I about to do to you?"

I want Owen.

I finish dragging sleeping bodies to the containment field and reinforce the barriers as Ianto comes in: "Put Jack on right now!"
"Eye Candy!" John rejoices, smile evident in his voice. "So masterful, so bossy, so basically powerless. Get up to the roofs of your buildings, quickly now, spit spot."

I really want Owen.

I run to the reception at the same time Owen arrives, and as he asks where the nearest flight of stairs is, I ask John in a steely voice, "Why?"
"Because if you don't, well, you'll miss all the fun. Hold on a minute, do I mean fun or do I mean carnage? I get them confused."
"Evy! Stairs, now!" I hear Owen shout, getting closer to me, pulling my arm, but as I'm dragged along I say to John with anger breaking its way from my throat, "You know what I mean. Why are you doing this?"

"Even when I don't put you in a time loop, you're still missing half the info," he says over the comm. "And I thought Time Lords were meant to be clever!"
Running up the stairs, Owen glances to me, worry in his eyes. "How do you know?" he breathes out, and the Time Agent laughs in our ears.
"I had to learn everything. In order to do what I was told."

At the foot of a flight, I halt. My brain's going too fast. I need to slow down.
But Owen grabs me again, and we continue running, John's voice saying, "Are you running yet? No dawdling now," in a teasing yet firm tone.