(Untitled)

[gwencoopa]

Who: Gwen, Owen
Where: The Hub
When: Shortly after Jack, Ianto, and Tosh leave
Status: Incomplete

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[torchwood_doc]

Owen looked up at the projected image on the wall of the storage area, the more he looked at it, the less sense it made. There was no way it could have grown that big with circulatory system it had. The only sizeable organ (if you could call it that) was what appeared to be some kind of poison sack, connected directly to its fangs, the rest was just bulk to make it stable when in moved or attacked something.

There didn't seem a lot of point in cutting it open if he didn't have to, he could get a sample from the contents of the poison sack with a syringe, the only other thing of interest (that it actually had) was some kind of circular device- maybe a tracker of some kind, he thought vaguely. He didn't feel inclined to mess about with that until Tosh was around, just in case it wasn't that at all, but something more dangerous. Keeping the body temperature down had obviously turned off the device (whatever it was), so it could stay in situ now

[gwencoopa]

"Jack's gone," she replied, folding her arms, careful not to put pressure on the bandaged part. "There was some rift activity near the Retail Mart and he, Tosh, and Ianto went to check it out."

Gwen took a few steps closer, surveying the alien and glancing up at the images, "So, how's it coming?" she asked again, realizing she would have been the one to come check it out had Jack not been back. Then again, without Jack, this thing would have most definitely skewered her instead.

[torchwood_doc]

Shrugging, Owen prepared the syringe and then checked the position of the poison sack on the display. "Well it's not really worth doing a full autopsy on- at least not at the moment."

Inserting the needle, he drew up the sample he wanted for testing, then turned his attention to taking tissue samples. "These should give us some answers." He just hoped they weren't the ones he was beginning to suspect, that this thing was designed to do one basic thing and one only.

[gwencoopa]

Gwen stood back as Owen inserted the long syringe and took a sample from the alien. "Good," she said, nodding, "I hope they're good answers." She knew she was being overly hopeful, but since her arm was on the line, she had to be. Plus, who knew what the others were hunting now. Hopefully--there's that hope again--something completely different.

She sucked in a breath before she asked her next question, "Owen, how long do your painkillers usually last?"

[torchwood_doc]

Owen nodded and let it pass, but he would have been lying if he'd said he understood. If it had been him, he'd want to be with, well, someone that... he shook his head and began to clear up. Truth was, if it had been him, there wouldn't have been anyone to go home to.

"There's a blanket, I used it before," he said, going through the nearest doorway arch, then returned with it. "and that." He nodded towards a small oxygen unit. "It should help if your chest starts to feel tight."

[gwencoopa]

Gwen sighed inaudibly, glad that Owen didn't press the issue. She was guilt-tripped enough by Jack for making sure she maintained her "normal" life. Then again, it was on his orders that she was gladly staying in the Hub.

She took the blanket with a slight smile and nodded to the oxygen unit, "Thanks, Owen." She lay back and stretched out on the settee with a slight wince, careful not to bump her arm. She looked up at him, "Go do your work. I think I'm---what's the fancy doctor word--stable? For the time being," she said with an air of teasing.

[torchwood_doc]

Helping her to pull the blanket around her, he smiled. "I've just got to go and get those samples and then I'll only be down there," he said, jerking his head towards the autopsy archway, although quite why he was bothering to tell her what she already knew....

Hesitating for a moment, he turned and headed for the storage rooms. "And don't start arsing around with anything while I'm gone either," he yelled over his shoulder.

[gwencoopa]

"I'll be here, obviously, trying not to die" she said with a slight smirk, snuggling into the blanket. She hadn't realized just how bloody cold she was.

She turned over on her side as he started heading away, "Don't worry, I'll be sure to break everything while your back is turned," she called after him.

She curled her body up and closed her eyes, idly wondering how the others were faring. She was trying desperately to think of anything other than the pain spreading through her. She hoped Owen found something because she really wasn't feeling any better, despite all his little pricks--that thought made her snort slightly before she desperately tried to rest her mind.

[gwencoopa]

Gwen woke with a start some time later, gasping for air, until she finally caught her breath. She could practically feel the metallic taste at the back of her throat again as she sucked in painful, wheezy breaths. She weakly grasped onto whoever she'd fallen asleep against and whose arms were still wrapped around her. Her eyes fluttered open and blinked several times to bring Owen back into focus.

For a moment, she'd forgotten where she was, who she was with, and what was happening to her. And it all came flooding back. She really didn't mind the having a cuddle part (she never claimed she was the perfect girlfriend or fiance...), but she certainly minded feeling this horrid.

"Sorry if I woke you," she murmured against him, taking in another sharp, painful breath.

[torchwood_doc]

Owen sat, eyes closed, very aware of her breathing. The fact that she was sleeping was a good sign. He hadn't needed to check she was okay, he had touched the skin of her neck a few times (just to be sure she was warm enough), but other than that, everything seemed fine.

When she woke up, he instinctively tightened his hold, then released it again when she spoke.

"Wasn't asleep," he replied, then waited while she got her bearings a little. "Want a drink?"

[gwencoopa]

"Oh, right. Makes sense," Gwen said, mostly to herself, "You're not the sickly one here."

With much effort she lifted her head to look at him as he asked her if she wanted a drink. Did she? She had no idea. She was mostly unsure if she wanted Owen to get her anything, in case she would only get that much colder. But, now that he mentioned it, something to drink could help and maybe prevent her from coughing, which she could feel her body wanted to do.

"I s'pose," she said, reaching up to rub her tired eyes. "I wish I could get a proper sleep. Keep having ridiculous dreams. Like this one just now; you were going to amputate my arm because it was so badly infected. My brain is bloody nuts."

[torchwood_doc]

"Well, a hot drink probably wouldn't be a bad idea," he said, not moving. His left leg had gone to sleep (even if the rest of him hadn't) but he just didn't want to move. "Not that it'll be anywhere near Ianto's, probably hot and wet is the best you can realistically hope for."

"I wouldn't worry about the dreams, just your brain trying to make sense of things," he said, then in an attempt to make light of her words, added, "and besides, I don't think I've got the equipment for a quick amputation. If Ianto had rubber stamped the last bloody requisition I put in, maybe, but as things stand... not a hope in hell!"

[OOC: Won't be around now until after Christmas. Have a great time and don't do anything I wouldn't do :D ]