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Infiltrator - Part Nine
Title: Infiltrator - Part Nine.
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
magicom
Rating: Maybe PG at the worst.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of its characters. No money being made.
Pairing/Characters: Jack, Ianto, (Jack/Ianto), Gwen, Doctor Rupesh Patanjali, Johnson (well, off-screen).
Spoilers: Takes into consideration all of S1, S2 and Day One of CoE.
Summary: As a whole: He's a doctor... they need a doctor. What if the 456 fuckery didn't happen and Torchwood actually did recruit Rupesh, who was trying to get the gig to spy on them for Johnson, as discussed in Day One? This part: Jack invites Rupesh into the field to wind up the case.
Warnings: None to speak of.
Notes: Takes place starting just before and during CoE: Day One and goes AU from there onwards.
Later that afternoon, Rupesh was back in the medical bay, going over the autopsy results for what felt like the fiftieth time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Any small detail could help the investigation.
He looked up when he heard booted footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Captain Harkness,” he said with mild surprise. “Is there something I can… help you with?” he asked, wishing he didn’t always feel like he was about to get caught every time the captain approached him.
“My name’s Jack,” Harkness told him. “You may as well use it. Everyone else does. We’re pretty informal around here.”
Rupesh considered whether he should say something along the lines of ‘I’ve noticed that’, then decided it wasn’t the time to be cheeky and just nodded. Considering the conversation he’d overheard that day, he appreciated that he was being asked in. In. Like he wanted.
“Ianto has a lead,” Harkness continued. “We think whatever has done this is hiding as a human and has to recharge itself by feeding on something in the human body periodically.”
“Once every fifty years,” Rupesh said, starting to feel a small thrill of excitement in his stomach.
“What did you say all the victims were lacking when you did the scans?”
“Minerals. They were all lacking essential minerals: magnesium, calcium, potassium…,” Rupesh answered.
“Then that must be what it needs,” Harkness concluded.
“But… it could get minerals in lots of places,” Rupesh pointed out, his brow furrowing in thought. “Why kill people for them? It could… it could drink bloody spring water!”
“Who knows,” Harkness said with a shrug. “Ianto’s found a likely suspect. Looks the same now as he did fifty years ago. There aren’t a lot of people who can say that. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll ask him?”
The fact that Harkness was one of them wasn’t lost on Rupesh, but he didn’t comment. Just because Rupesh knew he recovered quickly from fatal wounds, didn’t mean Harkness believed the doctor was aware that he hadn’t aged in decades or longer. Johnson said she suspected he’d looked the same for over a century.
Rupesh sat quietly in the passenger seat of the SUV, appreciating that it was his first time doing so. He glanced at Harkness, wondering what was going through the man’s mind as he drove.
They pulled into the driveway of a completely nondescript semidetached house and Harkness got out as soon as they came to a stop. Rupesh followed him up to the door.
A man who looked to be in his forties answered the door to Harkness’ knock, then backed away immediately.
“Captain Harkness,” he said, his voice shaking. “What a pleasant surprise.” He didn’t sound pleased. He sounded scared. “Won’t you come in?” he added nervously. Rupesh wondered how he knew the captain.
Captain Harkness stepped inside as invited, and Rupesh followed him.
“Do a scan,” Harkness told Rupesh as they followed the owner of the house towards the small kitchen.
“Cup of tea?” the man asked.
“Where were you on the eighth of September?” Harkness inquired, getting straight to the point.
“Eighth September?” the man answered, appearing to cast his mind back to the date in question with some difficulty.
“I’ll narrow it down for you,” Harkness said. “About five in the evening?”
“Oh, let me think…” the man said, filling the kettle with water.
“Don’t play games with me Rudy. Your species has perfect recall.”
‘Rudy’ glanced at Harkness, then put the kettle on the stove.
“I told you I would keep my head down and live quietly, captain. I don’t make no trouble!”
Harkness looked at Rupesh. “Scan results?”
“You can’t come in here and…” Rudy started, but stopped short when Harkness held a hand up for him to be silent.
Rupesh glanced at Rudy, then cleared his throat and told Harkness that there were no anomalies.
“If it’s not you, it has to be her,” Harkness told Rudy in a warning tone. “Where is she?”
“Please,” Rudy pleaded. “It’s harder for her. She tries!”
“She’s been killing,” Harkness surmised.
“Barely any! She tries, sir! She really does try.”
“I told you what your choices would be if you harmed any humans,” Harkness reminded Rudy sternly.
Rupesh was almost dizzy trying to follow the conversation. This man and whoever ‘she’ was were aliens? Living in Cardiff? And Harkness knew about it?
“They’re not cattle,” Harkness was continuing. “They’re the indigenous sentient lifeform. ‘Barely any’ isn’t good enough.”
“We don’t have nowhere else to go,” Rudy said, practically begging by that point. “Please, Captain Harkness. Please. Give us one more chance. I promise. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again!”
“We know what to look for now,” Harkness informed him. “Next time you leave the planet or live in the cells. That’s it.”
“There won’t be a next time, sir. I swear it.”
Harkness held Rudy’s gaze for a long moment, then nodded and started towards the door, gesturing for Rupesh to accompany him.
Rupesh waited until they were outside before glancing back in confusion at the door that had closed behind them, then looking at Harkness.
“So, wait. That’s it?” he said, incredulous. “All that and we’re just… letting them go?”
“We’ll keep a closer eye on them,” Harkness said, opening the driver’s door of the SUV.
Rupesh got into the passenger side, but he wasn’t finished. He gestured towards the house. “They’re aliens and they just live here?” he exclaimed.
Harkness looked at him, completely unperturbed. “They’re refugees.”
“Oh, we’re in the business of taking in alien refugees, are we?” Rupesh shot back.
“Long as they behave themselves,” Harkness answered, starting the engine.
“But… they’re not,” Rupesh pointed out. “She killed people, whoever ‘she’ is.”
“Like I said: we’ll keep a closer eye on them.” He looked at Rupesh, meeting his eyes with an unwavering gaze. “I believe in second chances. You might appreciate that one day.”
Harkness didn’t say another word all the way back to the base.
In case you missed them:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight
Author:
magicom Rating: Maybe PG at the worst.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of its characters. No money being made.
Pairing/Characters: Jack, Ianto, (Jack/Ianto), Gwen, Doctor Rupesh Patanjali, Johnson (well, off-screen).
Spoilers: Takes into consideration all of S1, S2 and Day One of CoE.
Summary: As a whole: He's a doctor... they need a doctor. What if the 456 fuckery didn't happen and Torchwood actually did recruit Rupesh, who was trying to get the gig to spy on them for Johnson, as discussed in Day One? This part: Jack invites Rupesh into the field to wind up the case.
Warnings: None to speak of.
Notes: Takes place starting just before and during CoE: Day One and goes AU from there onwards.
9
Later that afternoon, Rupesh was back in the medical bay, going over the autopsy results for what felt like the fiftieth time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Any small detail could help the investigation.
He looked up when he heard booted footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Captain Harkness,” he said with mild surprise. “Is there something I can… help you with?” he asked, wishing he didn’t always feel like he was about to get caught every time the captain approached him.
“My name’s Jack,” Harkness told him. “You may as well use it. Everyone else does. We’re pretty informal around here.”
Rupesh considered whether he should say something along the lines of ‘I’ve noticed that’, then decided it wasn’t the time to be cheeky and just nodded. Considering the conversation he’d overheard that day, he appreciated that he was being asked in. In. Like he wanted.
“Ianto has a lead,” Harkness continued. “We think whatever has done this is hiding as a human and has to recharge itself by feeding on something in the human body periodically.”
“Once every fifty years,” Rupesh said, starting to feel a small thrill of excitement in his stomach.
“What did you say all the victims were lacking when you did the scans?”
“Minerals. They were all lacking essential minerals: magnesium, calcium, potassium…,” Rupesh answered.
“Then that must be what it needs,” Harkness concluded.
“But… it could get minerals in lots of places,” Rupesh pointed out, his brow furrowing in thought. “Why kill people for them? It could… it could drink bloody spring water!”
“Who knows,” Harkness said with a shrug. “Ianto’s found a likely suspect. Looks the same now as he did fifty years ago. There aren’t a lot of people who can say that. Why don’t you come with me and we’ll ask him?”
The fact that Harkness was one of them wasn’t lost on Rupesh, but he didn’t comment. Just because Rupesh knew he recovered quickly from fatal wounds, didn’t mean Harkness believed the doctor was aware that he hadn’t aged in decades or longer. Johnson said she suspected he’d looked the same for over a century.
++++
Rupesh sat quietly in the passenger seat of the SUV, appreciating that it was his first time doing so. He glanced at Harkness, wondering what was going through the man’s mind as he drove.
They pulled into the driveway of a completely nondescript semidetached house and Harkness got out as soon as they came to a stop. Rupesh followed him up to the door.
A man who looked to be in his forties answered the door to Harkness’ knock, then backed away immediately.
“Captain Harkness,” he said, his voice shaking. “What a pleasant surprise.” He didn’t sound pleased. He sounded scared. “Won’t you come in?” he added nervously. Rupesh wondered how he knew the captain.
Captain Harkness stepped inside as invited, and Rupesh followed him.
“Do a scan,” Harkness told Rupesh as they followed the owner of the house towards the small kitchen.
“Cup of tea?” the man asked.
“Where were you on the eighth of September?” Harkness inquired, getting straight to the point.
“Eighth September?” the man answered, appearing to cast his mind back to the date in question with some difficulty.
“I’ll narrow it down for you,” Harkness said. “About five in the evening?”
“Oh, let me think…” the man said, filling the kettle with water.
“Don’t play games with me Rudy. Your species has perfect recall.”
‘Rudy’ glanced at Harkness, then put the kettle on the stove.
“I told you I would keep my head down and live quietly, captain. I don’t make no trouble!”
Harkness looked at Rupesh. “Scan results?”
“You can’t come in here and…” Rudy started, but stopped short when Harkness held a hand up for him to be silent.
Rupesh glanced at Rudy, then cleared his throat and told Harkness that there were no anomalies.
“If it’s not you, it has to be her,” Harkness told Rudy in a warning tone. “Where is she?”
“Please,” Rudy pleaded. “It’s harder for her. She tries!”
“She’s been killing,” Harkness surmised.
“Barely any! She tries, sir! She really does try.”
“I told you what your choices would be if you harmed any humans,” Harkness reminded Rudy sternly.
Rupesh was almost dizzy trying to follow the conversation. This man and whoever ‘she’ was were aliens? Living in Cardiff? And Harkness knew about it?
“They’re not cattle,” Harkness was continuing. “They’re the indigenous sentient lifeform. ‘Barely any’ isn’t good enough.”
“We don’t have nowhere else to go,” Rudy said, practically begging by that point. “Please, Captain Harkness. Please. Give us one more chance. I promise. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again!”
“We know what to look for now,” Harkness informed him. “Next time you leave the planet or live in the cells. That’s it.”
“There won’t be a next time, sir. I swear it.”
Harkness held Rudy’s gaze for a long moment, then nodded and started towards the door, gesturing for Rupesh to accompany him.
Rupesh waited until they were outside before glancing back in confusion at the door that had closed behind them, then looking at Harkness.
“So, wait. That’s it?” he said, incredulous. “All that and we’re just… letting them go?”
“We’ll keep a closer eye on them,” Harkness said, opening the driver’s door of the SUV.
Rupesh got into the passenger side, but he wasn’t finished. He gestured towards the house. “They’re aliens and they just live here?” he exclaimed.
Harkness looked at him, completely unperturbed. “They’re refugees.”
“Oh, we’re in the business of taking in alien refugees, are we?” Rupesh shot back.
“Long as they behave themselves,” Harkness answered, starting the engine.
“But… they’re not,” Rupesh pointed out. “She killed people, whoever ‘she’ is.”
“Like I said: we’ll keep a closer eye on them.” He looked at Rupesh, meeting his eyes with an unwavering gaze. “I believe in second chances. You might appreciate that one day.”
Harkness didn’t say another word all the way back to the base.
In case you missed them:
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
Part Six
Part Seven
Part Eight