Torchwood: Fanfic: Bad day

[m_findlow]

Title: Bad day
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Owen, Torchwood team
Author: m_findlow
Rating: M
Length: 597 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for tg’s prompt "any, any, if he wants to be an asshole it's a free country. Millions before him have made the same life choice" at fic_promptly
Summary: Owen's having a bad day and taking it out on the team

It was easy to forget sometimes that Owen was actually a nice and caring person, just trapped in the body of a now deceased and bitter man.

You could learn to live with the sarcasm and the snark and the huffy moodiness most days. Sarcasm was half the reason any of them made it through some days.

But when Owen was in one of his feral moods, which had become more frequent since his untimely death and resurrection, there was little, if anything, you could do that wouldn't upset him on some level.

'Have you finished that report yet Owen?' Jack asked.

'No, I've been a bit busy being up to my elbows in alien autopsy if you haven't noticed, and if I had finished it, I wouldn't be hanging around here.'

'Well, you know, any time you're ready,' Jack left the question open ended.

'What's say I ring the Western Mail and let them know when I'm done. Then you can read all about it in the papers. '

Gwen was next.

'Owen, are their any bandaids in the cupboard? I can't find them.'

'Not my job. I didn't spend umpteen years at medical school for the sake of helping you put a sticking plaster on a paper cut. There's a Tesco three blocks from here. Why don't you go and sort it out yourself?'

'Fine, I'll ask Ianto then. Thanks for your help.'

'Come again soon. Or don't,' he replied.

Poor Tosh should have known better than to try and fix his bad mood.

'I'm just popping out for a bit. Can I get you anything?'

'I'm dead Tosh. I can't eat, drink or shag. And since they're the only things you could possibly offer me, and even the shagging is doubtful, so no, there's nothing you can get me. Oh, wait, actually there is. You can get out of my face.'

Ianto had overheard Owen's raised voice. He also saw the upset look on Tosh's face at the outburst. He'd overstepped the mark this time.

'Owen, I think you owe Tosh an apology.'

'Go fuck yourself Teaboy, or is Jack covering that department for you these days? Just because he fancies your cock doesn't mean I have to take instructions from you.'

'Stop it, Owen!' Tosh cried.

'No, no,' Ianto said calmly, intervening between them, 'If he wants to be an asshole it's a free country. Millions before him have made the same life choice.'

Owen scoffed at him. 'Whatever,' he said, pushing Ianto aside and making his way up the autopsy stairs. Before he reached the top, an arm thrust out against the wall and stopped him in his tracks. Jack was staring him down with a look that bore no argument.

'You might not have to take instructions from Ianto, or Tosh, or Gwen, but you do have to take orders from me. We all know you're going through some issues at the moment and that's fine. Be pissed off, I don't care. But you don't ever speak to my team like that. Never. Do it again and we'll find out if retcon works on a dead man.'

Owen's eyes were dark and burning, but he knew the argument was over.

'Go home and come back tomorrow when you've sorted yourself out. I expect apologies for everyone when you first get in.'

The arm came away from the wall and allowed him past, but he could feel the three sets of eyes bearing down on him as he left. He was still angry, but maybe he had gone too far this time.

Comments

[bk_forever]

I do feel bad for Owen, but if he alienates everyone around him, he's going to have even less that he's got now because no one will want to speak to him, or help him with anything. It'll be a lonelier existence than he can imagine with no friends at all.

[m-findlow.livejournal.com]

He's lucky that they know he's just having a hard time coping. They'll forgive him tomorrow.