Stupid 21st Century Germs - (12 Parts)

[snuffle-bunny]

This is totally yummy! I've just read all of it in one go, and now I can't wait for the next bit!

[angora48]

Here's Part 10. It's long, to make up for yesterday's Jack-less update. Hope you like it!

Rose, sitting at the foot of the bed, gave Jack a hard, suspicious look. “Oh, all right,” she said. “I’ll raise.” She tossed one of the bolts they were using as chips to the center of the bed.

Jack smiled. “Bold boove, Tyler,” he said.

“You’d be surprised at what I’m capable of, Harkness,” she replied, leaning forward with mock severity.

Jack chuckled, then began to cough. He pressed his face into the crook of his arm. “You all right?” Rose asked with a concerned frown.

Jack nodded, covering his mouth with his fist as he stifled a few more coughs. Setting his cards face down on the bed, he grabbed the water glass on the table beside him and took a long drink.

Rose looked him over. “Better?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Jack said, clearing his throat. After a brief consideration, he flicked another bolt into the pot. “Rai… eh… Heh-SHOOOO-ehhh!” As he sneezed, his cards fell out of his free hand and dropped to the floor. Jack groaned a little, wiping his nose with a sniff. “Those, roughly, would be by cards,” he said. He and Rose peeked over the edge of the bed at his hand, four of a kind.

“That was lucky – I only had a straight,” Rose said. “Wanna go again?”

“It isn’t over udtil wod of us busts,” Jack told her. He sniffled and pulled a tissue from the box beside him.

Rose hopped off the bed to retrieve Jack’s cards. She watched him blowing his nose. “You feeling as bad as yesterday?” she asked.

“Doh,” Jack told her. “Dot quite.”

“Oh really?” Rose said with a smile. She began to shuffle the deck.

“That’s right,” Jack told her. “I’be actually feeling slightly less biserable.”

“I wonder whatever could have caused that to happen,” Rose teased.

“Yeah, I wodder,” Jack replied. “Hih-eh-SHUHHHH!” He cupped his hands over his mouth.

“Bless,” Rose said. She reached forward to grab Jack another tissue.

“Thadks,” Jack said, grimacing a little as he wiped off his hands.

“Let’s be good now,” Rose told him as she started to deal. “No more spoiling the round with sneezes, you got that?”

“I had the better hadd!” Jack argued. “I would’ve wod!”

“That’s what you think,” Rose replied. “I had you right where I wanted you.”

“Poised to bake a bundle?” Jack asked.

“That’s right,” Rose said with a playfully sly nod. “Nice and cocky. Once your guard’s down, that’s when I strike.”

“You doh, the last tibe sobewod called be cocky, we weren’t playing cards,” Jack pointed out as they began to play.

“Oi! Behave,” Rose warned him. “Didn’t your mum ever tell you that colds and sex don’t mix?” At Jack’s perplexed startled look, she chuckled to herself. “Well, I guess not, since no one gets colds in your time. Plus, I don’t reckon too many people in the 51st century use ‘sex’ and ‘don’t’ in the same sentence.”

“Pretty buch just id a double degative scedario,” Jack agreed. “But who said addything about sex? We’re just playing a friendly gabe of cards.”

“Right,” Rose replied. “Friendly and cocky?” Jack grinned at her. They continued to play, making light small talk.

It had been a wonderful day. Well, it had been a miserable day, but at the same time, it had been very not-miserable. It had begun with Rose bringing Jack toast and tea to have in bed and it had continued on, surprisingly pleasant. As far as Jack could tell, the only times Rose left his cabin were when he was napping, and even then, she didn’t leave until he was asleep. He slept better with her there. He’d lain on his stomach, half-listening as she’d chatted away and lightly scratched his back, gradually drifting off to sleep. She was quick to get him anything he needed, and she understood the ins and outs of illness in ways that he didn’t. Sore throat? Put a little lemon juice in the tea, adding honey to mask the taste (he hadn’t even known she’d bought lemon juice and honey). Headache? Dim the lights and gently massage the temples. She was masterful.

All of that – the food, the service, and the know-how – would have been more than enough to please Jack. But of course, Rose, lovely Rose, didn’t end with that. More than anything, she was just there. She talked, she read aloud, she played cards, she asked thoughtful questions about how he felt… She exuded such care, and Jack felt utterly protected with her around.

“Rose,” the Doctor said, sticking his head in. “I’ll take over – you oughta be getting to bed.”

“In a bit,” Rose replied. “We’re in the middle of an hand.”

“You’re playing for bolts,” the Doctor pointed out. “Meanwhile, you’ve been in here most of the day, and those cards have been passed between you and Jack for quite a while. You don’t wanna get ill, do you?”

“That’s it – you’ve discovered my secret plan,” Rose teased.

“I mean it,” the Doctor pressed. “Scrub your hands, have something with vitamin C in it, and get some sleep.”

Jack swallowed a sigh. While the Doctor seemed fond of him, Jack knew that Rose always came first. “It’s fide,” he assured Rose. “I’be feeling kide of tired, anyway.”

Rose glanced from the Doctor to Jack and frowned. “You sure?” she asked.

“The Doctor’s right – I dod’t wadt you to get sick because of be,” Jack said. “I’ll see you id the borning.”

Rose smiled sweetly. “All right, you win this round,” she told the Doctor. She jumped up from the bed and began gathering up the bolts on Jack’s bed. “Jack, I leave you in the Doctor’s very capable hands. And you –” she continued, turning toward the Doctor. “You’re going to be very good to Jack, aren’t you?”

“Don’t worry about us,” the Doctor replied. “Go scrub up.” Rose made a face at him and gave Jack a wave as she left the cabin.

While Jack knew that he’d feel horrible if he got Rose sick, he sort of hating the Doctor’s belaboring of the point. It made him feel guilty for wanting Rose around, like he was too selfish to keep to himself. He briefly imagined Rose in a hazmat suit, feeling his forehead through her gloved hand. It was thoroughly depressing.

The Doctor picked up Rose’s cards and looked at her hand. “I say, Rose wasn’t doing too bad for herself!” he exclaimed, showing Jack Rose’s full house.

“Wow,” Jack said, chuckling a little. “You doh what I had? A pair of sixes!”

“She would’ve cleaned you out,” the Doctor commented.

Jack shook his head. “I would’ve gotten her to fold,” he insisted. “I’be ad excellent bluffer.”

The Doctor laughed. “Aren’t you just?” He collected the cards, shuffled them expertly, and set them on the table beside Jack’s bed.

“You dod’t wadda play a hand?” Jack asked. He’d figured not, but the part of him that had hoped was a little disappointed.

“Better if you rest,” the Doctor told him. “That’s what’ll help you. Playing cards won’t make you well, no matter how many bolts you win.”

“I suppose you have a point,” Jack replied. “Heh-i-eh-SHUHHHH!” He turned toward the wall as he sneezed forcefully into his hands.

“Anything you need?” the Doctor asked.

Jack shook his head. “Just a tissue,” he said, sniffling. The Doctor quickly provided. “Thadks.”

“Right – you want the light off?” the Doctor said.

“Id a binite,” Jack told him. He gently wiped his nose. “Okay, I’be good.”

The Doctor flicked off the light switch and took a seat in the chair Rose had brought to Jack’s cabin. “Pleasant dreams,” he said. There was a box of half-broken gadgets at his feet. He pulled one out of it and began examining it with his screwdriver.

Jack sighed a little. “Thadks,” he said, facing the wall as he pulled the blankets up to his chin.

The Doctor was a hard one to read. Sometimes he was friendly with Jack, sometimes he was all business, and sometimes Jack felt like he annoyed the Time Lord. In all matters, Rose’s thoughts, interests, and safety were more important than Jack’s. He knew how close they were, and he tried not to let it bother him when they were off in “Rose and the Doctor Land”, but it was unpleasant just the same.

At the moment, he supposed that the Doctor was irritated with him for being sick. Jack hadn’t stopped moving since he’d met the Doctor, and he couldn’t imagine the Doctor was thrilled with having to sit around and wait for Jack to get well. It was oddly pressuring, and it didn’t exactly do much to help Jack actually feel better.

Jack coughed into his pillow. He only hoped he could get over this cold quickly. Besides the fact that he felt half-dead, he hated the idea that the Doctor was displeased with him. He squeezed his eyes shut, determined to fall asleep right away.

Will the Doctor come through for Jack? Find out tomorrow!

[quietsucker]

Aww! The Doctor just has to come through for Jack. Yes, Rose comes first, but clearly he has a soft spot for Jack as well. Can't wait till tomorrow's installment!

-QS

[Merino Sheep]

Yay, long chapter!

Oh, I hope the Doctor comes through for Jack.

Cannot wait till tomorrows chapter!

[Lady K]

This fic is absolutely adorable! I'm a Jack/Ianto girl at heart, but period where Jack, Rose, and Nine are all together is my second favorite time in the Whoniverse to read about.

Also, that bit about colds and sex not mixing? It practically begs for a Torchwood fic!

[angora48]

Lady K, I like Jack and Ianto, too. Between those two and the delightful Eleventh Doctor, with whom I'm just becoming acquainted, my brain is filling up with ideas for Whoniverse fics!

Part 11:

Jack’s eyes opened with a snap as he bolted upright, gasping as he clung to his sheets. The cabin was completely dark; he couldn’t see a thing.

Suddenly, a cool hand was on Jack’s arm. “Oi, Jack,” said the Doctor’s voice. “It’s all right; take it easy.” A glass of water was pressed into Jack’s hand.

Jack shakily drank his water and tried to regulate his breathing. “You okay?” the Doctor asked.

Jack nodded, then remembered that it was dark. “Yeah,” he said. “I – it was just – I was – bad dreab…” He trailed off at the end, and he imagined his ears were turning red.

“Not surprised,” the Doctor commented, placing his hand against Jack’s forehead. “Your fever’s gone up. You ready to lie back down?”

“Mmm hmm,” Jack mumbled, and the Doctor helped him ease back onto the mattress, setting his glass on the table. The Doctor briskly pulled Jack’s blanket off of his legs and pushed it to the foot of the bed, leaving Jack with just a sheet.

Jack wiped his sweaty face. “I always forget by dreabs,” he told the Doctor.

“That’s handy for nightmares, yeah?” the Doctor replied.

“Dot for be,” Jack admitted. “Wheh… eh-SHOOO-ehhh!” He grimaced and sniffed. “Whed I cad’t rebebber by dreabs, I always wodder if it was about the two years that are bissing frob by bebbory.”

The Doctor handed Jack a fresh tissue. “Blow your nose,” he instructed. “And anyway, this wasn’t a memory.”

“Doh?” Jack asked. “How do you doh? Did I… was I… talking?” He winced as he blew his nose. This was definitely not the way to win the Doctor’s affections.

“Just sort of mumbling – couldn’t hear anything distinct,” the Doctor told him. “No, it’s nothing worth knowing. You’re ill, see? Fevers make you have mad dreams – I’m sure you were ice skating with a Dalek whilst a giraffe poured gravy on you both.”

Jack had to smile. “A giraffe?” he asked.

“Or something,” the Doctor said. “Nonsense, I’m sure of it. Don’t worrying about a thing.”

Jack sighed with weary relief. “Thadks, Doctor,” he said.

“Don’t mention it,” the Doctor replied. “Are you terribly uncomfortable?”

“Just hot,” Jack told him, “add by head is swibbing a little.”

“Back in a moment,” the Doctor said, and Jack heard him leave.

Jack sniffled, coughing into his hands. Whatever he’d dreamed about, it had him feeling wary about being left alone in the darkness. He shut his eyes and faced the wall.

He lay that way for a few minutes before the Doctor’s voice was at his side again. “Jack,” he said, touching Jack’s shoulder lightly.

Jack coughed into his fist as he rolled over. “What?” he mumbled.

The Doctor handed Jack a fresh water glass – this one had ice in it as well. “Hold it to your forehead for a bit,” he advised.

Jack did as he was told. The cool beads of condensation running down the side of the glass felt wonderful on his sweaty brow. “Thadks,” he croaked.

The Doctor stood patiently over the bed. “Better?” he asked in time.

“A little,” Jack replied.

“Think you can sleep?” the Doctor asked. His voice was soft now. He made no demands and gave no orders. He simply asked, no pressure.

“I-I think so,” Jack said. The Doctor carefully took his glass and placed it back on the table. Jack closed his eyes. He soon realized that he hadn’t heard the Doctor leave or return to his chair. Presently, he felt the Doctor’s hand rest on his shoulder. There was no movement, just a bit of contact to let Jack know that he wasn’t alone in the dark room as he slowly fell asleep once more.

[swann_ee_song]

Awww that chapter was really sweet.

[Merino Sheep]

Awww... That was such an adorable chapter.

[angora48]

Here's Part 12, very short - it's the end of the story.

Rose stood over Jack’s bed, peering down at the sleeping captain. “Jack?” she said softly.

With a long stretch, Jack rolled onto his back. His eyes blinked open as he looked up at her. A sleepy smile spread across his face. “I could get used to being woken up by a beautiful blodde,” he told her.

Rose chuckled. “Enjoy it whilst you can,” she advised. She held out a plate which held toast and apple slices. “Ready for breakfast?”

“Uh, yeah,” Jack said, clumsily pushing himself up to a sitting position. “Defiditely.”

Rose sat down on the bed beside him and handed him the plate. She liked the way he set about eating right away – he wasn’t lethargically playing with his food like he had the past few days. His coloring was better as well; his face had been so pale before. “How’re you feeling?” she asked him.

“A little bit better, I thidk,” Jack told her. “I… eh-SHOOOO!” He dropped an apple slice onto his lap so he could cover his nose.

“Bless,” Rose said, passing him a tissue.

“Thadks,” Jack replied. “I felt pretty awful last dight, but I finally got sobe good sleep, and I dod’t feel so rubbish today.”

“Glad to hear it,” Rose said. “Still got a sore throat?”

“Kide of,” Jack admitted, “add by dose is rudding, but by cough is better, and I dod’t feel too hot or too cold.”

“There – you see?” Rose cried. “I told you we’d get you fixed right up. You’ll be up and about in no time.” Jack gave her a small smile, rubbing his nose a bit as he sniffled.

“Oh, you said you were pretty ill last night,” Rose commented. “How was the Doctor? Did he see to you?”

Jack smiled to himself whilst he swallowed a bite of toast. “Brilliantly,” he said.

“That’s good,” Rose replied. “I was ready to get cross with him if he wasn’t caring for you properly.”

“Doh complaits from be,” Jack assured her.

“I knew he could do it,” Rose commented. “He can be quite considerate when he wants to be, you know.” She slipped her legs beneath the blankets and got cozy, chatting and laughing whilst Jack ate his breakfast.

Thanks for reading, everyone! I hope you enjoyed it!

[Merino Sheep]

I wasn't expecting an ending to be waiting for me today, it threw me for a loop. XD This story was really great. You did a fantastic job with the characterization and that pesky plot was so adorable. Thank you bunches for writing this story, I enjoyed every word of it.

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Just back from vacation (expected) without 'Net (unexpected), and I must say, I was/am SO thrilled to come home to this fic! I mean, I'm sad that it's over, but it was so nice to be able to read it all, especially since I enjoyed it so much. I have such a soft spot for Jack, and I was just thinking (well, talking to someone) about both him and Rose, and several doctors including Nine, this past evening. Plus, I love the story itself: the details, the light sweetness...and, I love how you spell Jack's sneezes. Awesome.

Edited August 13, 2010 by SneezeChick523

[IcyFlame]

Wow. :drools: this....this is beautiful.