Title: Doctor's orders
Author: Torchedgirl
Pairing: gen
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I always forget this. This story uses main characters from the hit series Torchwood. Captain Jack, Owen, Tosh, Ianto and Gwen are all created by and owned by the ever-intelligent Russell T Davies. The other characters are my own.
Summary: Owen shows some compasion. Character study.

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"Well fine if you want to suffer then I'll leave you alone. But don't come crying to me when it feels like your skin will explode. 'Cause I wont care" shouted Owen over his shoulder as he stormed out of the autopsy area. Ianto had nearly lost his arm to a Weevil in their last excursion hunting for Weevils. Owen had told Ianto to take a strong form of morphine to keep the pain at bay…also he had to go home. In Ianto's opinion that was not an option. He point blank refused the drugs and hurried off to clean up the mess he had left. The path that Jack had used to carry Ianto happened to pass across Ianto's clean floor. So with his arm bandaged up Ianto began cleaning the mass of blood.

Owen swore under his breath and stomped towards his station. Every step towards his seat created a new curse. Owen slumped into his seat.

Half a bagel lay on his keyboard. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. He had once made the mistake of eating a donut that was slightly green on the opposite side. He then spent the rest of the week in the Hub bathroom regurgitating his insides.

Finding that the bagel was free of green things and intelligent life he bit into it and sat munching…still in a mood. The Weevil hunt and rush to get Ianto back to the Hub had left Owen tired and worn. He planned to sleep for the rest of the day till Jack said they could go home. He rested his legs on the desk and leant his head on his arms. He happened to glance at his screen.

Before the call came in about the Weevils Owen had been watching the CCTV outside the water fountain. He did wanted to watch the busy people completely oblivious to the fact that beneath their feet five under qualified weirdo's were keeping the world safe. He found it funny that even though the signs were there, the people of Earth were ignorant to the massive beacon that the world was becoming.

Something caught Owen's eye. A woman had fallen to the floor and was holding her side. A thin teen was running away with a very feminine bad. The woman sunk lower to the floor and people were gathering. Owen leaned forwards to get a better look. He dropped the bagel and began rapidly typing to enlarge the picture. She lifted her hand to her eye level, it was like a silent movie in the way that she screamed.

"Shit" cried Owen and he bolted from his seat. Bounding over to the invisible paving slab he grabbed his medical bag. Gwen shouted to Owen, asking what the hurry was. It was like he was in a trance. All background sound was blocked as he smashed his hand against the controls for the lift. The only this that he could hear was the pounding of his heart. Tosh and Gwen were at the bottom of the lift calling his name as the lift rose and Owen disappeared from view. Jack ran up to the girls and asked what the commotion was.

"Owen will not move from his seat unless it's an emergency" pondered Jack as the lift clicked into place.

"Sir. You better take a look at this" called Ianto from Owen's station. Jack jogged over and looked at the scene that flashed before his eyes.

"Oh shit" he breathed. Tosh and Gwen gasped as they saw what Jack and Ianto were looking at.

As soon as the lift was close enough Owen burst away towards the woman. The crowd were too intent on looking at the carnage, all huddled in a circle of gasping and pointing people.

"Out of the way!" shouted Owen. His loud voice moved most of the outer circle of people.

"I'm a doctor…MOVE!" he cried louderThis got people out of the way.

In droves thy cleared a path. Then he saw her.

Lying in a pool of her own blood lay a beautiful young woman. 17-18 years old. So young yet fighting for he life. There was a large gash on her right side; her pale fingers clasped the wound. A young man of the same age caressed her head in his lap. His jacket also pressed to the wound. Tears dripped from his nose onto her forehead, they mixed with her own tears.

Owen knelt beside her and began to pull gauze and bandages from his bag.

"Who…who are you?" stammered the young man. He had mid-length red hair. Obviously a college student, the woman had slightly longer black hair. There was a slight tinge of brown near her roots, the sign that she had dyed her hair.

"I'm a doctor. What happened?"

"He…jumped out and demanded her bag. She moved back towards me…and…he just…stabbed her."

Owen looked up at the young man.

"What's her name?"

"Sophia."

Owen nodded and continued to stem the bleeding.

"Have you called an ambulance?"

"Yeah…as soon as it happened."

"Any idea how long they will be?"

"Umm, 10 minutes. I think."

A small moan escaped Sophia's lips. The young man shushed her gently and ran his fingers through her hair. She looked up at the young man and smiled weakly. Owen sat with his hands pressed against her waist, holding a piece of material to the wound.

"Jason…" she croaked. Apparently the young man was called Jason.

"I'm here. It's ok." He whispered softly.

Suddenly a howl of sirens broke the hushed silence that had befallen the crowd. Paramedics dashed over and in the rush of the scene Owen slunk away. When Jason turned to thank the kind stranger, he was gone.

Owen trudged through the information centre and made his way down to where the team sat waiting for his return. He looked up briefly at them.

They rose to their feet slowly, Jack walked forward. He offered his hand to Owen.

Owen looked at the gesture and raised his own hands. They were covered in the blood of the young woman. He smiled slightly then walked down to his sink in the autopsy area. The warm water was a welcome relief. He then pulled off his blood soaked shirt and pulled on a new one.

The team left him to his own devices. So he was left to clean up and then sit in his chair. A new bagel was replacing the one that had fallen to the floor.

"I thought you might be hungry" came a small voice from behind Owen. He turned and saw Ianto stood behind him.

"Thanks"

"Can…you look at my arm. I think I popped one of the stitches earlier" muttered Ianto.

"Ohhh. So you actually want my help.," said Owen sarcastically. He sighed and gestured for Ianto to sit on the weathered couch.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen. I know you do care" apologised Ianto.

"Yeah…well. Don't let it get around that I care what happens to the tea boy" mumbled Owen. He looked up at Ianto as he finished looking at the wound. It was very raw…but healing.

Owen patted Ianto's shoulder and walked back to his station and collapsed into the seat with a tired grunt.

It was true that Owen cared…he just thought that feelings were for women…and Jack…oh and Ianto.

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