Title: Fallout, Part Nineteen

Author: Emma

Characters: A whole bunch of folk.

Rating: Starts PG, but hey, it’s got Jack in it!

Disclaimer: Oh, please. If I owned them, would I let some of those idiots write the scripts? And if I were making any money off them, would I be where they could find me?
Author's Note: This fic is CoE compliant

Part One is here; Part Two is here; Part Three is here; Part Four is here; Part Five is here; Part Six is here; Part Seven is here; Part Eight is here; Part Nine is here; Part Ten is here; Part Eleven is here; Part Twelve is here; Part Thirteen is here; Part Fourteen is here; Part Fifteen is here; Part Sixteen is here; Part Seventeen is here; Part Eighteen is here

           “You know why you are here, professor Docherty.”

            “Doctor Jones explained.” The woman’s voice was weary. “If I can help you, I will, Captain Harkness, but you must understand that I was just her assistant. Half the stuff she had me build I couldn’t even understand.”

            “What we are interested in is the methods she used to wake the Ianto personality up.”

            “Ah.” Her hands twitched in the gesture of a smoker desperately in need of a cigarette between her fingers. “That wasn’t… well, the first time it was. I didn’t even know it could be done. But once the personality was awake, it was a simple matter to let it come to the fore. All it was needed was for the Yan personality to be dormant.”

            “Jack turned to Martha. “Can we do that?”

            “Yes. A hypnotic drug used to treat sleep disorders will do the trick. Do you know if she used one?”

            “Several, I think. There should be information in his files.”

            Martha refilled the coffee cups. “Is there anything else you can tell us, professor?”

            Doherty clutched hers. “She terrified me. I went to work for her because she offered me my son back. I would have done anything for that. But as I learned… as I saw what she was doing… I couldn’t stomach it.”

            “Why didn’t you run?”

            “I told you! She terrified me! There was something about her that froze your breath. Even her pet psychopath cowered when she went by.”

            “Her pet…”

            “Dr. Woolf. That man was evil. I give thanks to God every night for Captain Hart’s temper.” She smiled at their surprise. “People talk, and there are such things as surveillance tapes, which I am sure didn’t get into circulation accidentally. To those of us at Lazarus that survived the purge the night raid into the nineteenth and twentieth floors has acquired a kind of legendary quality. Believe me, I’m not the only one who gets on their knees every night. If good wishes alone could get a man into heaven, Captain Hart is safe.”

            Martha and Jack burst into laughter. “I am sure John will be very grateful.”

            “Not as grateful as I am. Have you ever gone so utterly mad that when you finally resurface into sanity your mind refuses to accept it was you doing whatever it was you did?” At Jack’s nod, she offered a bitter little smile. “Yes, of course. If anyone ever has had a reason, you have. Well, when I finally regained my sanity I was trapped in hell. You freed me, Captain, and for that I thank you.”

            She stood up, knowing the interview was over. “One last thing, Captain, for what it’s worth. She had friends in high places. There was a man who visited regularly.” She pointed in the general direction of Whitehall. “Imagine my surprise when I saw the new Shadow Home Secretary being interviewed by the BBC after the recent party reorganization. I think Torchwood’s last sweep through missed some rats.”