He stopped, and looked at Gwen and Rhys. He didn’t want them to hear this. He leaned in closely to Jack, and whispered the rest into his ear.
And whatever it was, it did the trick. Jack lurched forward, taking a sudden, gasping breath, and jumped to his feet, not realising how weak he still was.
‘Oh, MAN that’s a relief,’ he yelled, before falling forwards onto his face.
They manhandled him back to the sofa, propping him up. Gwen was fully recovered now, and able to stand without support, but Rhys clung on to her anyway, just in case.
‘Just relax, your muscles need a few minutes to warm up,’ said Ianto. ‘You’ll be fine. You’ll both be fine.’
‘Thank you,’ said Jack, quietly.
Ianto nodded. ‘Just doing my job.’
‘So what was it, then?’ asked Rhys. ‘What pulled him back? We couldn’t hear.’
Ianto looked at Jack, who grinned and said, ‘A gentleman never kisses and tells.’
Gwen howled with laughter. ‘Oh, you bloody do, though! Come on, give! What was it?’
‘Not this time,’ said Jack. He mimed zipping his mouth closed. Gwen looked at Ianto, hoping he would answer, but he shook his head.
‘Maybe I’ll tell you when you’re older.’
Later, just before Rhys took Gwen home, Jack bandaged Ianto’s wounded arm.
‘So could you hear everything?’ asked Ianto. ‘When I was rambling and trying to figure out what to do?’
‘Yeah,’ said Jack. ‘I remember it all. Including the kiss. Both of the kisses.’
Ianto looked embarrassed. ‘Let’s keep that between ourselves, eh? I don’t think Rhys would appreciate it, even if it was a last goodbye sort of thing.’
‘What’s it worth to you, for me to keep it quiet?’
Ianto thought about it. ‘A few things immediately spring to mind.’
‘I bet they do. But if I can remember everything while I was infected, then so can Gwen.’
Ianto stared at him. Then turned back to look at Gwen, who was just leaving. She winked at him, and blew him a kiss. ‘No tongue next time,’ she yelled, giggling.
‘Hey, what does that mean?’ asked Rhys, as they walked out.
Ianto sighed. ‘You two are never, EVER going to let me forget this, are you?’
‘Depends. You’ll have to be extra nice to me.’
‘I’ll consider it.’
Jack grinned, then finished bandaging Ianto’s arm. ‘So. . . if you couldn’t save us – would you have frozen me? Got rid of me?’
Ianto was silent for a moment before answering.
‘No. I’d have looked after you. Every day. And I’d have figured out how to fix you, somehow. Even if it was the last thing I ever did.’
Jack nodded. Took Ianto’s hand.
And for the rest of the evening, there were no more words.
Consequences
JOSEPH LIDSTER
‘OK, I wasn’t sure what was the best thing to open with. Because it’s kind of about the main girl, but it’s more about this Torchwood thing. So, I thought it could start with like a snappy teaser opening. Something like. . .’
Bigger than the police! Way bigger than the army! Catching aliens and fighting zombies! Putting things right that once went wrong! This is the story of a top-secret Government organisation called Torchwood!
‘And then, it cuts to the main character. Cos she’s like our. . . I don’t know what you call it. Focus character?’
The blonde woman smiled. ‘You mean we’re seeing it all from her viewpoint?’
‘That’s it! Sorry, this is sort of my first book so, erm. . . Right, anyway, she’s standing in Cardiff Airport. . . And, I’m babbling so, look, I’ll just read it, and you can tell me what you think.’
Nina Rogers was standing in Cardiff Airport’s car park, and she wasn’t sure why. She looked up at the grey clouds rumbling across the sky. Then she blinked as rain splashed into her eyes. She shook her head, trying to shake off the now-familiar fuzziness. How did I get here?
‘Oh, sorry,’ she muttered as someone bumped into her. She wasn’t sure why she’d apologised as it hadn’t been her fault. The problem for Nina was that she hadn’t been sure about much recently. Everything was all a bit grey. All the time. She looked over at a gaggle of smokers, huddled under the awning in front of her. They were a thoroughly miserable bunch. Sucking desperately on their cigarettes as they watched the rain splatter around them. One of them looked familiar. A man. In his twenties. Quite fit actually. As Nina watched, he finished his cigarette and flicked it down a nearby drain. Then, he looked up. And he looked at her. And—
he’s running towards her. Trying to get through the hospital doors. Trying desperately to get away from something and she’s pushing forwards and she can see others behind him but they don’t look right. They’re shambling towards her and the doors are closing behind the man. Glass doors. She can see them. They’re dead. And the pain in her leg is forgotten as she realises what they are and—
She blinked and looked down at her leg. It was fine. It’d healed up ages ago. She looked back up at the man as he gathered up various items of luggage and children and hustled them into the Terminal building. He seemed to have about forty-eight kids, all of whom were in various stages of having a tantrum. One of them, a little girl, dropped a doll. A horrible gothicky thing. As the girl bent down to pick it up, Nina watched as—
a girl and her Gran running down the aisle towards her and they’re all running. Running from the hideous black alien blob that’s absorbing everything in its path and they’re in an office and the Gran is exploding in a mess of—
She blinked as a woman’s voice cut through her thoughts.
‘I said, are you all right, luv?’
Nina turned to look at the woman. ‘What?’
The woman, resplendent in Elizabeth Duke’s finest, waved her hand in front of Nina’s face. ‘It’s pissing down. You’re getting soaked.’
Nina looked down at the puddles at her feet. The water rippling around her.
And realised, to her genuine surprise, that she was the centre of the universe.
Then she looked up and saw him. No, she wasn’t the centre of the universe. He was. The man striding towards her. The reason she was here. Again.
And he’s on the street, outside the house telling her to find somewhere else to live. And he’s in the hospital car park, fighting the zombies. And he’s in the toy shop with Jane Austen. And he’s saving the world. Always saving the world.
She blinked as she remembered. Captain Cheese.
‘Can you see him?’ Nina turned back to the woman. ‘That man. Can you see him?’
The woman gave her a funny look and walked off, muttering something about student loans and drugs. Nina wasn’t listening though. She was watching the man as he strode towards the car park. He seemed to be talking into the air. And grinning like an idiot.
‘OK, Ianto, so you got a bit wet. Just bring the car round.’ There was a pause, then he laughed. ‘It rains in India as well. We just got lucky.’ He jumped, looking startled. ‘And tell Gwen I heard that! That woman’s got a filthy mouth.’
Laughing, he strode right past Nina and towards the car park. Towards the now-familiar black SUV that was pulling up at the exit. He gave the car’s occupants a wave, then, suddenly, he turned around and looked right at Nina. His silvery-blue eyes were like car headlights slicing through the rain, and she found herself stepping back.
‘Hey there,’ he grinned. ‘We’ve got to stop meeting like this.’
Nina Rogers blinked once. Then she ran.
‘So, you’ve named the main character after yourself?’ asked the blonde woman, still smiling. ‘That’s. . . interesting.’
Nina Rogers looked up. ‘Sorry?’
The woman, whose name Nina had already forgotten, reached across the desk and touched the open manuscript. Nina looked down at it.
‘Oh, yeah. Well it’s kind of based on real events.’
/>
The blonde woman nodded, looking thoughtful. ‘Well, it’s got a good opening. Nice and mysterious. But I’d need to hear more, if we’re going to consider publishing it.’
Nina blinked, confused for a second. Then she looked down at the manuscript.
‘That was the introduction so now it carries on with the title and then into the proper story and—’ She cut off and grinned for the first time since she’d arrived at the publisher’s office. ‘Sorry, I’m babbling again. I do that when I’m nervous. Motormouth, my mum calls me. And now I’m babbling about me babbling and—’
The other woman put her hand on Nina’s arm and smiled reassuringly. Nina fell silent and took a deep breath. Then she began.
‘It’s just, this story. It needs telling. I have to tell my story.’
TORCHWOOD
CONSEQUENCES
Nina Rogers
You spin my head right round. . . right round. . .
Nina Rogers was curled up, eyes closed, and she was singing to herself. Hearing footsteps approach, she stopped singing and opened her eyes. Two smart shoes were striding towards her face.
‘Morning,’ she croaked, lifting her head and looking up at the owner of the shoes.
Rianne Kilkenny just frowned, stepped over Nina, and clicked on the kettle. Which was when Nina realised she was on the kitchen floor. Again.
‘Oh,’ she said, obviously bemused.
‘Late night, was it?’
Nina, using the oven to support herself, staggered to her feet. ‘Yeah,’ she answered weakly. ‘Guess it was.’
Rianne turned away from her and grabbed two mugs off the draining board. Silently, she popped a teabag in each one and stared at the kettle.
Nina cleared her throat. ‘You OK?’
Rianne nodded.
There was a pause. Then Rianne turned to face her.
‘OK, I wasn’t going to say anything, but I’ve got to, OK?’
Nina leant back against the oven, surprised at her mate’s outburst.
‘You’re drinking too much.’ Rianne paused. Then it all came out. ‘I know it’s not my place to tell you how to live your life but, come on, Nina, it’s every day now. Every day since you moved in, I’ve come downstairs and I’ve found you passed out. It’s not good for you.’
She paused for breath, but Nina interrupted her before the lecture could continue.
‘Well, I’m sorry, Nurse Rianne, but it’s not like you’re not on the wine every night. If you want me to move out, just say so.’ Instantly, she felt guilty for snapping. No, not guilty. Confused. It just wasn’t like her.
There was a pause before Rianne replied. She was clearly trying to stay calm. ‘I said you could stay here as long as you liked, and I meant it. I’m just worried about you.’ She turned away from Nina, then continued. ‘Where were you last night? Can you remember?’
Nina shrugged. ‘Yeah. I was out with Jess. We were. . .’
She trailed off as Rianne, still with her back to her, sighed and shook her head. ‘Jess came round last night. She was looking for you because you weren’t answering your phone.’
‘I. . .’ Nina didn’t know what to say. ‘But. . . I must have been out with. . .’
As Nina tried to remember, Rianne poured water into the mugs. She went to the fridge and got the milk. Then, unable to find a clean teaspoon, she gingerly pulled the teabags out of the mugs. She handed one to Nina, who took it without speaking. They stood there, in silence.
Then Rianne spoke. ‘Still can’t remember?’
Nina stared into her tea. Watching it ripple as she blew on it. ‘I. . . I dunno. It must have been someone else. I can’t remember.’
Rianne smiled sympathetically. ‘Look, it’s OK. We all get bladdered once in a while. But this is every night.’
Nina nodded, lost in thought. She was desperately trying to remember what had happened. She’d had no tutorials in the afternoon so she’d gone to the library. Then she’d gone. . . She thought about the various pubs and bars in Cardiff. Picturing them in her mind. Trying to force herself to remember which one she’d been in. Bar Reunion. . . Terra Nova. . . the Priory. . . Tiger, Tiger. . . Exit. . . None of them rang a bell. And she wasn’t sure she cared. She just wanted her head to stop spinning.
Rianne looked at her watch, then put her mug down. ‘Got to get to the hospital. I’m going to be late.’
She strode through to the hallway and grabbed her coat. ‘Remember, two of my ladies are due today, so I’ll probably be late back.’ She opened the front door then stopped. She came back to the kitchen and put a hand on Nina’s arm. ‘Just have a night off, yeah?’
Nina nodded and smiled at her friend. Then, as a plane flew over the house, she jumped, splashing her tea down Rianne’s uniform.
Rianne swore and rushed over to the sink. She grabbed a cloth and started scrubbing herself down. ‘No, it’s OK! No need to say sorry or anything!’
But Nina could feel herself drifting away. Rianne was becoming a blur, and all Nina could see were aeroplanes flying over her head and rain splashing into her eyes. She struggled to focus, staring down at her mug of tea. Oh God, not again. The tea was rippling. The puddles were rippling. Rianne was asking if she was OK. Elizabeth Duke Woman was asking if she was OK.
‘Nina? I said, are you all right, luv?’
Nina desperately tried to look at her friend but everything was so grey and unfocused. Then she heard another voice. And, gradually, she realised it was her own.
‘Nina Rogers was standing in Cardiff Airport’s car park and she wasn’t sure why.’
She was vaguely aware that, miles away, in a kitchen somewhere, Rianne Kilkenny was coming towards her. ‘What are you doing?’
‘She looked up at the grey clouds rumbling across the sky. Then she blinked as rain splashed into her eyes.’
‘Nina? Stop taking the piss.’
But Nina ignored her. She heard her own voice continue.
‘She shook her head, trying to shake off the now-familiar fuzziness.’
Somehow she was aware that her flatmate was storming off down the hallway, but it was only when she heard the front door slam that Nina blinked and her vision cleared.
She looked around the empty kitchen, confused. Then she shrugged and sipped at her tea. ‘I’ve really got to have a night in,’ she muttered.
Nina Rogers was standing in the Millennium Centre’s café and she was still waiting for her coffee. Her mate Jess, standing next to her, had taken a break from having a go at the desperately slow waitress to have a go at Nina.
‘Oh, come on! Just one night out. One little night out!’
Jessica Montague was officially a Bad Influence, and Nina told her so. They paid for the coffees and went to sit outside.
‘And why the hell have we come here?’ asked Jess. ‘We’ll have to get a bus to Uni, and I hate buses.’
Sitting down, they both looked around the Bay. As Nina put her bag down and wrapped the strap under the leg of her chair, she found herself staring across at the water tower.
‘I wonder where the water goes,’ she muttered.
‘What?’ asked Jess, already ripping open a third sachet of sugar. ‘What water? Where?’
Nina nodded over towards the metallic structure in the centre of Roald Dahl Plass. Water cascaded down it and into the ground at the base of the tower.
Jess laughed and shook her head. ‘Who cares! Now come on, please. Night out? Just one. Please. Even Jean’s up for it!’
Nina turned back to face Jess. ‘Oh, I don’t know. I really need a night off.’
Her friend frowned and, muttering something, determinedly stirred her coffee.
‘What?’ asked Nina. ‘And careful! You’re making a right mess.’
Jess’s stirring had sent coffee splashing onto the table. Nina watched as the breeze blew ripples across it.
Puddle. Rippling at her feet. Tea. Rippling in her mug. Coffee. Rippling—
She forced herself to focus on Jess. �
��You OK?’
‘It’s just that, I dunno. You seem to be out every night at the moment, but it’s never with me. God, I don’t want to sound like a needy bitch but you’re meant to be my mate. I had to go out with Tess last night. Tess!’
‘Things that bad?’ Nina smiled. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. OK, OK, we’ll go out tonight. On one condition.’
Jess took a sip of her coffee, leaned back and lit a cigarette. ‘What?’
‘We go to the library. Today. And we work our arses off.’
‘Nina!’
‘I mean it! We’ve fallen well behind this year already.’
‘Can you blame us?’ Jess shook her head, laughing. ‘After everything that’s happened, really can you blame us? First, there were those bombs! Then there was that serial killer—’
Nina laughed. ‘Yeah. He went after people who could sing, Jess. You were never in any danger.’
‘Bitch!’ Jess grinned. ‘My “Pokerface” is still talked about. But yeah, come on, we had that mad bugger then. . .’ She trailed off. And they both stopped smiling.
‘It was a gas leak,’ Nina muttered, remembering that night. The night the city had been overrun by the living dead. So many had died and, still today, people weren’t sure what had happened. There was talk it might have been terrorism or even aliens, but terrorists used bombs and aliens came in spaceships. And they kept coming. Over and over again.
‘And then there was the Happy Price,’ continued Jess. ‘We could have—’
‘Oh God, let’s get pissed tonight,’ announced Nina, desperate to forget. ‘Let’s just get really, really pissed.’
Jess smirked and reached down into her handbag. She sat back up, brandishing a hip flask. ‘Why wait till then? Splishy-splashy?’
Nina laughed as Jess poured some whisky into their coffees. Then she looked over at the water tower and she stopped laughing.
A man was standing next to it. Him. Why was he following her? Why was she following him? Captain Cheese gave her a wave. . .
She quickly bent down, untangled her bag from the chair and stood up.
‘Come on. Library. Work then play.’
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