(no subject)
Title: The Calm in the Storm
Rating: G
Prompt: Who
Claim: Nine
Summary: The next thing he knows, he’s lying on a hard metal floor and some guy with big ears and a black coat is flashing a blue light into his eyes.
Prompt table.
The first time Jack uses his vortex manipulator he gets stuck. He was told to keep his eyes closed and his mouth shut, but when the world dissolves around him and the vortex seems to stretch forever, he panics. He opens his eyes and mouth and time creeps in, tasting of oil and looking like fire.
He gets pulled into an eddy and sees his life splinter at all his different choices. The vortex goes into his eyes and ears, through his nose and mouth, forcing its way into his head until his mind is a blanket of noise and the only timeline he can see is the one where he is stuck inbetween worlds for eternity.
The next thing he knows, he’s lying on a hard metal floor and some guy with big ears and a black coat is flashing a blue light into his eyes. It makes a tinny whirling noise that drills into his ears and starts a pounding headache. He groans and tries to sit.
“Shut up and lie still,” the stranger says. He grabs the hand that’s trying to push him away, flips open the vortex manipulator and points the blue light into the display.
“Cute,” he says, “But practically useless. That should make it steadier for next time.” He drops Jack’s hand onto his chest and leaves him alone, finally. His footsteps circle and clash in Jack’s ears and he can hear machinery moving. Jack rolls limply onto his side and tries to force his voice to work, but all that comes out is a pathetic groaning noise.
“I told you to lie still,” the stranger says. He sounds like Jack’s mother when she knew Jack wasn’t listening.
He flicks a final switch and returns to Jack’s side, rolling him onto his back again. Jack feels two fingers on his forehead, then the jumble in his mind shifts and begins to fall back into place. Jack forces his concentration onto his voice.
“Who?” he finally manages.
“No one you’ll remember with the vortex rattling your brain, now hush.” He grabs Jack’s arm and pulls him onto his unsteady feet, helping him stumble down a ramp and out a door. They emerge in an empty alleyway off a quiet side street. The man helps him sit down against a wall, holds him steady while Jack adjusts to the open air and sunlight.
When he pulls away, Jack grabs at his arms.
“Wait,” he says. It’s the only word his scrambled mind can think of to express his need to know who his savior is. Jack doesn’t expect the stranger to understand, but he smiles slightly, crouches back down and lets Jack hold on for a moment.
“I’m the calm in the storm, Jack,” he says quietly.
Now it’s Jack who doesn’t understand. He looks down and shakes his head, trying to clear his mind so he can think straight for one second. The man slips out of his grip and stands.
“Just sit tight, you’re friends will be here in a moment.”
When Jack looks up again, the alley is empty and by the time his partners appear, walking from one time to another with only a hint of a stumble, he has already forgotten.
Rating: G
Prompt: Who
Claim: Nine
Summary: The next thing he knows, he’s lying on a hard metal floor and some guy with big ears and a black coat is flashing a blue light into his eyes.
Prompt table.
The first time Jack uses his vortex manipulator he gets stuck. He was told to keep his eyes closed and his mouth shut, but when the world dissolves around him and the vortex seems to stretch forever, he panics. He opens his eyes and mouth and time creeps in, tasting of oil and looking like fire.
He gets pulled into an eddy and sees his life splinter at all his different choices. The vortex goes into his eyes and ears, through his nose and mouth, forcing its way into his head until his mind is a blanket of noise and the only timeline he can see is the one where he is stuck inbetween worlds for eternity.
The next thing he knows, he’s lying on a hard metal floor and some guy with big ears and a black coat is flashing a blue light into his eyes. It makes a tinny whirling noise that drills into his ears and starts a pounding headache. He groans and tries to sit.
“Shut up and lie still,” the stranger says. He grabs the hand that’s trying to push him away, flips open the vortex manipulator and points the blue light into the display.
“Cute,” he says, “But practically useless. That should make it steadier for next time.” He drops Jack’s hand onto his chest and leaves him alone, finally. His footsteps circle and clash in Jack’s ears and he can hear machinery moving. Jack rolls limply onto his side and tries to force his voice to work, but all that comes out is a pathetic groaning noise.
“I told you to lie still,” the stranger says. He sounds like Jack’s mother when she knew Jack wasn’t listening.
He flicks a final switch and returns to Jack’s side, rolling him onto his back again. Jack feels two fingers on his forehead, then the jumble in his mind shifts and begins to fall back into place. Jack forces his concentration onto his voice.
“Who?” he finally manages.
“No one you’ll remember with the vortex rattling your brain, now hush.” He grabs Jack’s arm and pulls him onto his unsteady feet, helping him stumble down a ramp and out a door. They emerge in an empty alleyway off a quiet side street. The man helps him sit down against a wall, holds him steady while Jack adjusts to the open air and sunlight.
When he pulls away, Jack grabs at his arms.
“Wait,” he says. It’s the only word his scrambled mind can think of to express his need to know who his savior is. Jack doesn’t expect the stranger to understand, but he smiles slightly, crouches back down and lets Jack hold on for a moment.
“I’m the calm in the storm, Jack,” he says quietly.
Now it’s Jack who doesn’t understand. He looks down and shakes his head, trying to clear his mind so he can think straight for one second. The man slips out of his grip and stands.
“Just sit tight, you’re friends will be here in a moment.”
When Jack looks up again, the alley is empty and by the time his partners appear, walking from one time to another with only a hint of a stumble, he has already forgotten.