Torchwood drabble: Baby Teeth

[littledoglaughed]

Title: Baby Teeth
Author: rustydog
Characters: Gwen, Jack
Rating/warnings: rated G; spoilers for 2x13 "Exit Wounds"
Note: Written for tw100's challenge #108, "slip of the tongue"



Jack found Gwen sitting at Toshiko's workstation, absently stroking the mouse, thoughtful.

"Miss her?" As if he had to ask.

"I'd never thought about Torchwood without them, Jack."

"Now everything reminds you." Jack nodded. "It's like a tooth."

Her look said he was mad.

"Okay, remember losing your baby teeth?"

Thinking that far back almost felt like the Rift was opening. Rocking her wobbly incisor, the tinny taste of blood, until... "The hole, I could never keep my tongue from feeling in that empty space."

"Not until the new tooth grew in, right?" Jack's eyes held hers until she understood.

Comments

[topgeargirl2.livejournal.com]

very good

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[phoenix64.livejournal.com]

Just right.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much! :)

[hab318princess.livejournal.com]

wonderful way of looking at it

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This week's challenge has been so interesting.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Lovely. I like the notion of Jack remembering what he felt at the age of six. It's so true, how that experience stays with you.

I also like "memories of Toshiko" stories.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

In an early draft I had Jack asking if Gwen had ever had a tooth pulled and she hadn't, so he had to change his example. And she wondered if he ever had to worry about dental hygiene, and whether *he'd* had teeth pulled. But of course that was complicated and way too wordy. It remains true that Jack has to remember what it was like to lose a tooth. Those memories are in there somewhere.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Awww that's a lovely analogy...

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Thank you! (I'm a little afraid I'm relying too much on analogies, but it's a comfort zone when I'm a little uncomfortable with the prompt. :)

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Don't you dare apologise - I like a good analogy - whether it's someone using one within the body of a story or the body of the story itself.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

That's very nice.

Also? Guess what I'm ushering for this weekend? This! (http://www.sig-online.org/littledog.htm)

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

And hee! That's so cool. It sounds like an entertaining show, too. :)

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

*eyes your icon*
I want an icon that really does that - but only if it's *good* stuff.

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

And can boil an egg at thirty paces whether you want it to or not? You'd have to stay away from hens; it's not pretty when they blow.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

er NO definitely not with the thing with the hen..

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Love that bit.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

http://mad-jaks.livejournal.com/tag/phobia

[taffimai.livejournal.com]

Oh. Okay.

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

It's okay, you weren't to know :D