Title: A Failure to Identify
Author: Aeshna
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG
Word count: 481
Characters: Jack Harkness, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Suzie Costello
Summary: "You know what they say about silver linings...."
Spoilers: Major for the much-reported but as-yet unseen opening scene of episode 1.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no matter how many DVDs and toys I buy! Everything here belongs to RTD and to Auntie Beeb, who already has my licence fee. Notes: I'm not generally much of one for ficlets and I usually like to actually see an episode before I write something specifically related to it, but discussions about the leaked script for this scene made me realise that I was reading it in an entirely different light to most other people! I've not seen the scene in question (although I have seen the near-mythical trailer) but here's my take on the aftermath, prompted by neadods's rather neat little ficlet here, which takes pretty much completely the opposite tack. :)
Many thanks to my wonderful betas, mimarie and jwaneeta – any remaining weirdnesses are all mine. Feedback of any variety is much appreciated but not compulsory – I'll post anyway! I've suffered for my art, now it's your turn....

"And... time's up," Suzie murmured as the man shuddered, then stilled, slipping quietly back into death. She gently lowered his head back down onto the wet tarmac. "That could have gone better."

"Always the way." Jack sighed and pushed himself to his feet, running a hand back across his hair in a futile attempt to stop it dripping into his eyes. "The one situation you don't anticipate...." He reached out to give Toshiko's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Come on, Tosh – we couldn't know that he didn't see his attacker."

"I know, sir, it's just –" She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at the dead man. "What do you say to someone when they... it was for nothing, wasn't it?"

"Yes," he admitted, stepping back as Suzie began to pack away the equipment. "But if he had been able to tell us what happened, it could've saved other lives. Believe me, there's not much that focuses the mind like being told you'll be gone in two minutes and vengeance is a very basic human impulse. If he'd seen anything, we'd know."

"And what else were we going to do?" Owen asked, huddling in his coat in an effort to keep out the driving rain. "Feed him lies about ambulances? You think this was bad – at least we didn't have the poor sod acting out an episode of 'Casualty' for our amusement." He winced as water made its way under his collar. "You going to be long with that, Suze? I'm drowning here."

"This is delicate equipment, Harper – it'll take as long as it takes."

"Just so long as it's not too long – I reckon we could all do with a drink after that, especially Tosh, and I think the plods want their crime scene back."

"Well, they're just going to have to wait as well, aren't they?"

Toshiko shivered and turned back towards the tall black bulk of the car. "At least we know that it works now, I suppose."

Jack quirked a smile. "You know what they say about silver linings...."

"That they're attached to clouds?" Toshiko glanced up into the deluge and laughed softly. "God. Owen's right – I need a drink."

"You and me both," Jack muttered as he glanced back to where Suzie was closing the fastenings on the equipment case, her attention fully on the task at hand and not the corpse lying just inches away from her. Poor John Tucker, who never knew what hit him and whose resurrection was confined to a brief, rain-lashed exchange in a Cardiff car park, a pitiful means to an unrealised end. It hardly compared but –

But hell, at least he'd been given the who and the why of it.

Jack shook the thought off and joined the others as they retreated to the shelter of the car, leaving the body to the elements and the local constabulary.

~ fin ~