Everything Changes (Torchwood)

[AngelEyes]

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He wondered to himself if he would be able to forgive Owen if that trust was misplaced, now.

Not a happy though!

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack gave up on trying to carry on a conversation and instead pressed a kiss gently into Ianto’s tousled hair, which was slightly damp with sweat and smelled deliciously of unwashed Ianto.

Yum. Perfection.

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

The warmth of the shower made them both sleepy, and not long after, Ianto drifted off sheltered in the curve of Jack’s arm, hair still damp on the pillow, snoring softly.

Awwww. Yay for some comfort!

[queenie]

This is darling! Poor Ianto, good thing Owen sent Jack to cuddle him. 

[Jelloicious]

Thanks @AngelEyes and @queenie for the feedback.  Only so much good can come from cuddling...   Turning it up a notch here...
 

TWTWTWTWTW

When Ianto woke, he was alone again in Jack’s bunker. He felt reasonably well-rested, if still thoroughly bunged up. He reached for a handkerchief, and blew his nose, which, thankfully, served to pop both ears and properly restore his hearing, which was a great relief. He took this as a positive sign, even as he was obliged to sneeze rather messily several times and blow his nose again as his sinuses woke up for the day.

The sudden unexpected sound of a muffle sneeze that wasn’t his from above caught Ianto’s attention, and he ascended the latter to investigate, mentally running through scenarios, none of which were good.

He found Jack at his desk, tissues pressed against his nose, breath hitching against another sneeze.

“Bless you,” Ianto said, cautiously, taking in his lover’s appearance. Jack didn’t look well at all. Not as immune as he thought, then. “How bad?” Ianto asked softly.

Jack groaned. Then sniffed. “Feeling pretty rough just now,” he said hoarsely, causing Ianto to wince in sympathy.

“I’ll make you some tea.” Ianto offered, moving to lay a hand on Jack’s forehead.

Jack pulled back.“You should probably keep your distance.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. Sneezed. “Bit late, don’t you think? Did you call Owen?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not? Not like he’d be sleeping. He needs to know about this...latest development.”

Jack drew a breath and sneezed again mightily.

“And you should be back in bed,” Ianto scolded. “You sound utterly miserable”

“Cad’t,” Jack admitted.

“Jack, you’re no good like this, if you’re ill, you need to get some rest,” Ianto urged.

Jack shook his head. “You don’t understand. I cad’t stay down there. Dark and close and” ‘chiew! “no air down there. Had to come up here just to breathe.”

Ianto’s brown knit in concern. Something else was going on here. When Ianto spoke, it was in a low, calming tone.

“I’m going to call Owen, and I am going to make you some tea.” Ianto waited for Jack to nod before moving to do those things.

twtwtwtwtw

An hour later, they were assembled around the conference table. Jack was shivering despite being wrapped tightly in his greatcoat, and his vitals were on the screen, reflecting a sharply elevated temp, and white cell count, and other measurements Ianto did not recognize. Ianto blew his nose, and waited for Owen’s pronouncement.

“You’re definitely ill, Jack.”

“Thank you, Owen, for your diagnostic brilliance. I...” HehyaSHeww! “noticed.”

“I’m running cultures now to confirm whether you have what Ianto and the weevils have. When did the symptoms start?

Jack considered. “I felt fine yesterday. Maybe a bit of a headache by the end of the day, but I assumed that was from the stress of the day. It resolved last night, with some” he paused to glance at Ianto “relaxation techniques.”

“Dammit, Jack, I need to know about every symptom. I don’t need your assumptions.” Owen didn’t even try to hide his frustration. “This has been universally fatal in the weevils. Now you and Ianto are both ill. We are racing against time to sort out what this thing is and I can’t afford for you to second guess what symptoms you feel you should mention, no matter what. You should have told me you had a headache.”

Jack coughed, then nodded. “Understood. Just the headache, and maybe a bit tired last night. Then, around 4 this morning, I woke up, definitely felt ill. Head hurt. Everything hurt. Throat felt like I swallowed glass." hh…Eyashuuu!! Yaaasheeww!!  "Sneezing.... Endless sneezing.” He sneezed again to provide his point.

“And now?” Owen pressed.

Jack sneezed again. “Still sdneezing, obviously.” Jack sniffed, and coughed slightly. “Cad’t breathe, throat hurts, head hurts...eyes hurt...everything hurts.” Hesitated, looked to Ianto. “I’m also feeling a bit claustrophobic. Like I can’t get enough oxygen in here. Like I’m trapped. Like I really, really just need to get outside in the open, right now.” Jack shifted in his chair, restlessly, as discussing it seemed to make it worse, seemed to make the urge to escape stronger.

“Huh.” Owen commented, scientifically, as he made a note. Owen’s PDA beeped, and the doctor peered at his screen at the data. “Congratulations, Jack. You have Weevil Flu”.

Jack sneezed.

Owen turned his attention to Ianto. “And you?”

Ianto shrugged, cleared his throat. “I’m not nearly as ill as Jack, for whatever that’s worth. Still feels like a head cold. Sniffing, sneezing. Bit of a headache, but not bad. Throat’s a bit scratchy, but really, that’s it. Actually feel a bit better than yesterday—my ears are not all stopped up.”

Owen scribbled some more notes, and Jack sneezed. Ianto blew his nose.

“Any feeling of claustrophobia?”

Ianto shrugged. “I’m Welsh. I was bred to be underground.”

Owen glowered.

“No, nothing. I feel exactly like I’ve come down with a cold.”

Owen nodded.

“So, what do we do now, Owen?” Ianto asked.

Owen put down his pen. “What I do, what Tosh does, is try to work out a way to cure it, or at least contain it, before it gets out. What you do, is first, give me more blood, and let me know immediately about even the slightest change of symptoms.” Owen considered. “And I’m going to want you exercise full exposure precautions from here on out. Gown, mask and gloves.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Honestly, Owen, what’s the point at this juncture?” He sneezed, pointedly.

“The point,” Owen said, bitingly ”is that this thing is clearly spreading. The point is that I don’t know why Jack is more seriously ill than you, and I don’t know why he’s experiencing claustrophobia, but I’ll be damned if I take further risks than that.

Ianto exchanged a look with Jack, and nodded.

They stood. Jack swayed, dangerously prompting Owen to place a steadying hand on his shoulder. “Jack, you’re no good like this. Get some rest.”

The look Jack gave him was painful. “I can’t, Owen. I can’t go back in my bunker. It’s suffocating.”

Ianto exchange a worried glance with Owen, before saying, “I’ll just make up the couch for you, then...is that okay?”

Jack sniffed miserably, but nodded.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Jelloicious

[queenie]

Oh noooo the plot is here to torture my sweethearts 

[2SHY222]

Hurray Jack caught it (I mean "Oh no Jack caught it 😉). This is by far my favorite Torchwood fic 😍😍😍🙌🙌🙌🙌

[AngelEyes]

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Only so much good can come from cuddling

Uh oh!

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack groaned. Then sniffed. “Feeling pretty rough just now,” he said hoarsely, causing Ianto to wince in sympathy.

Poor baby!

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto rolled his eyes. Sneezed. “Bit late, don’t you think? Did you call Owen?”

You think? LOL!

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto’s brown knit in concern. Something else was going on here. When Ianto spoke, it was in a low, calming tone.

Not good!

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It resolved last night, with some” he paused to glance at Ianto “relaxation techniques.”

Oh Jack.

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

"Sneezing. Endless sneezing.” He sneezed again to provide his point.

Mmmm.

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto shrugged. “I’m Welsh. I was bred to be underground.”

LOL! Oh Ianto...

 

14 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto exchange a worried glance with Owen, before saying, “I’ll just make up the couch for you, then...is that okay?”

Cue caretaking!Ianto. 

This is fantastic. I'm feeling very concerned for our dear boys....

[Seeker]

Uhoh! Seems Jack got the worst of it. I like where this is headed 😊

[Shamaël]

Oh, my God, I'm so late for the comments! I'm sorry for this. I've been without an Internet connexion for almost 2 weeks... But it's back now, so I've been reading all the parts I had missed and honestly, this is brilliant! I can't wait for what's coming next. What I prefer is probably... well, Owen and his perfectly balanced sarcasm/concern, and Ianto's thoughts about how death looks like a cold and how unimpressed he is. The fact that Jack caught it too and seems much more ill that Ianto is just perfect.

[Jelloicious]

On 5/6/2018 at 9:31 PM, 2SHY222 said:

Hurray Jack caught it (I mean "Oh no Jack caught it 😉)

Ha!!  Of course he did!!!  You don't think it would be fair to just pick on poor little Ianto, do you?

Thanks @queenie and @AngelEyes and @ReidSeeker and @Aliena H.  I really appreciate the comments!  (it's nice to know I am not...well, I won't say not crazy, but it's nice to know I'm not alone in this particular brand of crazy!)

Onward with more torture  drama:

 

TWTWTWTWTW

Ianto was ascending the ladder from Jack’s quarters, arms loaded with blankets and a pillow and a few other items, to make the couch over for Jack, when the lights dimmed sharply, then turned an ominous shade of red, and the lockdown alarm sounded, blaringly, knifing right through Ianto’s skull. Ianto wished for half a moment that his ears were still clogged as the siren echoed from above and below his precarious perch on the ladder.  He scrambled quickly to the top, dropped his load, and cupped his ears against the shrill alarm. He raced through Jack’s office to the central hub, to find Owen Harper squared off against Jack, holding a menacing-looking hypodermic needle. Jack, for his part, was wild-eyed and panicked, with a sheen of sweat beading across his forehead in the pulsing red lights and screaming siren of the lock down.

Ianto stepped quickly to Tosh’s computer, and keyed into the mainframe, silencing the piecing alarm.  The red lights kept flashing, amplifying the rhythm of Ianto's headache, which he shoved to the side as he tried to sort out what had happened.

“What the hell .....?” Ianto shouted raggedly to his colleagues.

Jack flinched at Ianto’s tone, his breath coming in desperate gulps.

It was Owen who answered. “He tried to make a break for it! Break bloody quarantine! The utter twat! If I hadn’t put the hub in lock-down….” Owen was breathless and angry and concerned all at once. He was also moving slowly in an attempt to get within striking distance of Jack with his hypodermic. From the look of things, with Jack’s wary stance and wild eyes, that wasn’t going to happen.

Ianto turned his attention to Jack, no longer huddled up shivering, he practically radiated heat now. Jack was clearly amped up on adrenaline, and more than strong enough despite his condition to inflict some serious damage to Owen. Or, Ianto, for that matter. But damage to Owen would be permanent. Ianto stepped carefully between Jack and Owen, voice, low, reasonable and soothing.  Which, in itself, took some effort.

“Jack?…..Jack...it’s okay. Let me help you.” Ianto moved slowly toward Jack..

“I’m sorry!” Jack gasped, hoarsely, shifting the focus of his fever-bright eyes from Owen to Ianto. “I have to get out of here! I have to get out of here now! I can’t breathe! We’re all going to suffocate!” The desperation and panic was evident in Jack’s voice.

“I know, I know,” Ianto crooned softly, reaching with an open hand toward Jack. “Jack, you’ve got to trust me. You’ve been ill. Let me help.”

Jack’s eyes still betrayed wild panic, but after an appraising moment, he sniffed, closed his eyes and was able to summon the force of will to stretch a hand toward Ianto, despite every fiber in his body screaming at him to run, to ecape this place.

Ianto took Jack’s hand carefully.

“Ianto I’m sorry!” Jack said again, still shaking, even as he let Ianto pull him close. “I can’t….”

“I know, Jack, it’s okay. I’ve got you, now. You’re okay...” Ianto repeated, in a soothing tone, as he drew Jack into a full embrace, giving Owen a better angle with the hypodermic. “Let me help you, Jack.”

“I don’t...” Jack broke off, interrupting himself with a series of sneezes harsh enough to have doubled him over if Ianto hadn’t been supporting him. Owen seized the opportunity and slid the needle home directly through Jack’s trousers and into his hip. Ianto was surprised that this didn’t even seem to register with Jack, who wiped his nose messily across the back of his wrist, sniffling. Ianto ran a hand over his own face, damp from Jack’s violent sneezes, thinking to himself that at least he’d now have a proper argument against Owen’s useless insistence on wearing a bloody mask.

Ianto tried again. “Jack, let’s sit down, shall we? You can catch your breath, and then we’ll see how we can work this out.” Jack’s eyes were becoming unfocused but he nodded, cautiously, at Ianto’s suggestion, and allowed himself to be led toward the couch, one arm over Ianto’s shoulder, Owen’s hand at his elbow, helping as Jack became less and less coordinated, as the shot took effect, until they dropped in a tangled heap on the couch, Ianto continuing to murmur soothingly to Jack.

Owen raked his hand through his hair and tried to figure out what the hell Jack’s evident sudden and extreme case claustrophobia had to do with this infection.

Twtwtwtwtw

Jack was snoring softly, still entangled with Ianto as Owen aimed a scanner at him. Ianto, unwilling to leave Jack, uncertain if he could disentangle himself, was sniffling periodically against sinuses that decided that now would be an opportune time to start running again. He was desperate to blow his nose properly, but until he could free himself, it seemed that he was resigned to sniffle repeatedly. He adjusted Jack's heavy form, and sniffed, wetly.

Owen was muttering to himself as he checked the scanner. He must have reached some conclusion, because he suddenly headed briskly down the stairs to the medical bay, riffled through a cabinet, and filled another syringe.

He returned, rolled up Jack’s sleeve, found a vein and injected it. “I’m going to try and bring down his temperature, see if that will help. He’s quite hot.”

“I’ve actually noticed that,” replied Ianto, smiling fondly at Jack, even as Jack’s dead weight was making Ianto’s leg go numb. He sniffed, and leaned his head back on the couch, in an effort to keep his nose from overflowing altogether.  “And anyway, how come you are medicating him when you wouldn’t let me take anything for this?” Ianto sniffed again, inelegantly.

Owen refused to rise to the bait. “He’s a danger to himself and others in his present state. I’m hoping that reducing his fever will also reduce his symptoms of claustrophobia, bring him round to his senses, but I don’t know. I may need to put him in restraints until we see what happens.

Ianto nodded. It was a sensible precaution. He didn’t bother asking how long Owen expected the sedative to last. Jack metabolized things so quickly, it would have been hard to say at the best of times. And this was definitely NOT the best of times.

“I’ll stay with him,” Ianto sniffed again.

Owen nodded, and left to locate some restraints, returning a short time later with some rope. Ianto was not impressed.

“You’re not going to just tie him up!” Ianto said, with an indignant sniff.

Owen propped one hand on a hip and demanded, “What would YOU suggest, TeaBoy? I can strap him to my table, but you’ll have to lug him down to autopsy!”

Ianto sniffed, and then colored. “You’ll, um,  find a set of padded restraints in the drawer of Jack’s bedside table. They are quite strong.” He met Owen’s eyes, just daring him to make a comment, sniffling defiantly.

Owen just stared at Ianto for a prolonged moment, wrapping his brain around this, before throwing his hands up in the air, turning and muttering something about how he wasn’t possibly paid enough for this, but he followed Ianto’s instructions and soon returned with the restraints, a bottle of water and a box of tissues for  Ianto, and together, they soon had Jack fully secured, and in as comfortable a position as possible under the circumstances.

 

 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Jelloicious
narrative clarity

[Shamaël]

Wow this escalated quickly!!! I love your story because it's funny and angsty. 

2 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

he drew Jack into a full embrace, giving Owen a better angle with the hypodermic. “Let me help you, Jack.”

I don't know if I must find it cute or tricky. Anyway, I enjoy immensely the fact that Jack's condition takes a turn for the worse...

2 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“You’ll, um,  find a set of padded restraints in the drawer of Jack’s bedside table. They are quite strong.” He met Owen’s eyes, just daring him to make a comment, sniffling defiantly.

[Seeker]

5 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto sniffed, and then colored. “You’ll, um,  find a set of padded restraints in the drawer of Jack’s bedside table. They are quite strong.” He met Owen’s eyes, just daring him to make a comment, sniffling defiantly.

This is fabulous 

[AngelEyes]

12 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It was Owen who answered. “He tried to make a break for it! Break bloody quarantine! The utter twat! If I hadn’t put the hub in lock-down….” Owen was breathless and angry and concerned all at once. He was also moving slowly in an attempt to get within striking distance of Jack with his hypodermic. From the look of things, with Jack’s wary stance and wild eyes, that wasn’t going to happen.

Not good!

 

12 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“I know, Jack, it’s okay. I’ve got you, now. You’re okay...” Ianto repeated, in a soothing tone, as he drew Jack into a full embrace, giving Owen a better angle with the hypodermic. “Let me help you, Jack.”

Awww. Lovely Sweet Ianto to the rescue. He'll take care of you.

 

12 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto sniffed, and then colored. “You’ll, um,  find a set of padded restraints in the drawer of Jack’s bedside table. They are quite strong.” He met Owen’s eyes, just daring him to make a comment, sniffling defiantly.

LOL, poor Owen. I can totally picture this.

As a side note, my mind was wandering while I was driving today and suddenly became very concerned for Janet. You're not going to actually kill her off are you? She's sort of special. LOL. Random thoughts.

[Jelloicious]

On 5/9/2018 at 11:00 AM, Aliena H. said:

I don't know if I must find it cute or tricky. Anyway, I enjoy immensely the fact that Jack's condition takes a turn for the worse...

Actually, what I am shooting for here, is the idea that despite the back and forth bickering between Ianto and Owen that runs along through almost every one of their interactions, they are very much able to seamlessly act as a team.  This is set after Jack's vanishing off with the Doctor.  While he was gone, the dynamic of his team changed.  I don't think Ianto and Owen liked each other much before.  They might not actually like each other much now, but they most assuredly respect each other, and definitely have each other's back under all that snark.  I also think that Jack doesn't always understand this.  Or maybe he does, but was just in too much of a state to recognize when he's being double-teamed!  

On 5/9/2018 at 2:10 PM, ReidSeeker said:

This is fabulous 

Only two possible places to find that sort of restraints in the Hub.  Only one of those places is guaranteed to get a rise out of Owen.  

20 hours ago, AngelEyes said:

You're not going to actually kill her off are you?

You aren't allowed to ask that question!  Spoilers!  (and someone has to die..besides the redshirt weevils, you know!  Otherwise, how do we get angst?)

Thanks everyone for reading and leaving feedback...I have a plan for the ending!  (Just need a plan to get there, now...)

 

TWTWTWTWTW

By the time Jack woke, his temperature felt to be near normal to Ianto. The crease in jack’s forehead, however, suggested that he still was suffering from quite a headache. “Hey there.” Ianto said softly, by way of greeting. Jack coughed, and moved to sit up, finding himself hampered by the restraints that bound his arms. He frowned, mind still foggy from the sedative and working to make sense of it.

“You, um, might’ve been a little out of control earlier.” Ianto informed him. “How are you feeling now?”

Jack closed his eyes, inhaled sharply, and sneezed. Once, twice, three times. He sniffed wetly and groaned. “I thidk I caught your cold,” he said thickly.

“Seems that way,” Ianto agreed. “Only, it’s not actually a cold, it’s Weevil Flu. And you’ve been pretty ill.”

Jack sneezed again, and Ianto passed him the tissue box, Jack pulled one out and blew a gurgley blow, pulled out a couple more.

“What do you remember?” Ianto asked.

“I remember…..” Jack frowned. “I remember feeling like I couldn’t breathe. Like I was going to suffocate if I didn’t get outside,” Jack admitted. The cobwebs from the sedative made him slow and stupid. “Did I try to leave the hub? Is that why we are on lock down?” he asked, piecing things together slowly.

Ianto nodded, pulled his own tissue out of the box and sneezed.

“Bless you,” Jack said automatically, before sneezing himself, not quite able to catch it properly with a soft restraint binding his wrist. “These too, I suppose?”

“Well,” Ianto said, pausing to blow his nose, “I suppose we might have used them for other things, but Owen gave you a pretty strong sedative, and you didn’t seem interested.”

Jack wheezed a laugh.

“I think,” he started, tugging at the restraints, “I think I’m okay now.”

“I think you’d better take it easy. You had us pretty worried, there for a bit.”

Jack sniffed. “I’ll be fine. Really.” he coughed, wetly, and Ianto frowned with concern.

Ianto weighed Jack’s rational demeanor, the security of the lock down, and nodded, before unbuckling the straps.

“Hey, are these ours…?” Jack asked, examining the restraints after pulling them off.

“Owen wanted to use ropes,” Ianto said darkly. Jack grinned. “Ropes could be fun, too, you know.  There was this one time when...”he broke off into a coughing fit, which served to intensify the throb of his headache.

“Ugh,” Jack said, rubbing his temples. “You know we really could disengage lock down now, I’m fine. Or, I think at least I will be if we could do away with the flashing red lights”

“Not. A. Fucking. Chance.” Owen’s tone was clipped and firm as he joined them and moved to examine Jack. “Not until I understand better what’s going on with you. You’d have happily infected the world!”

Jack gave up his retort in favor of a mighty sneeze. And another. And another. When he was done, he sniffed wetly, and sagged back against the couch, the combination of illness and dissipating sedative and a damnable headache making it hard to marshal an argument. He closed his eyes. He felt awful.

“Are you any closer to curing this?” Jack asked as he sneezed yet again, into a handful of tissues and blew his nose wetly.

“We are doing what we can,” Owen admitted. “Janet is the last weevil we have still alive, and her condition appears to be deteriorating, but I’m going to try her on an antipyretic. You, the weevils, all have run high fevers. Ianto, on the other hand, seems to have nothing more than a case of the sniffles. Contrary to most human adapted infections, this bug seems to like it warm, and for whatever reason, Ianto hasn’t been running a temp.”

“Lucky me,” Jack growled, darkly. The red flashing lights really were making it hard to think. “Anyway we can kill those lights?” Jack asked, wincing against the pain.

Owen shook his head. “And you’ve been unconscious for the past hour and a half. Trust me, we’ve tried.”

“I was thinking spray paint might do it,” Ianto suggested. “Or, a gun. I could probably take them out one by one.” Ianto blew his nose.

Jack pressed his ears closed against the very thought of hearing gunfire. God, his head hurt! Still, there was work to be done. Weevils were dying. Ianto was ill.

“Okay kids, that’s it for the break. We have work to do.” Jack hoisted himself off the couch, swayed slightly but kept his balance and began to move unsteadily toward the conference room. Ianto and Owen exchanged a look.

“Jack,” Ianto said, softly. “Jack you really should lie down a bit. You’re no good like this.”

Jack clamped his jaws tightly shut, muscles working, swayed slightly and closed his eyes again. Opened them and found Ianto, and surprisingly enough, nodded.

“You’re right. I’ll go to my office. Close my eyes for a bit.” He swallowed thickly. “Can you make me some coffee?” he asked, almost pleadingly.

“Of course. Do you need help to get to your office?”

“No, I can make it.” Jack steeled himself and strode purposefully and mostly steadily toward his office.

 

Ianto was just transferring freshly ground beans to the coffee machine when he heard the single sharp crack of Jack’s Webley.

 

 

[Shamaël]

18 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

someone has to die..besides the redshirt weevils

I laughed so hard at this... 

Well, it seems that Jack isn't out of trouble. Which is totally fine. I'm just curious to know why he's clearly been more affected than Ianto.

18 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack hoisted himself off the couch, swayed slightly but kept his balance and began to move unsteadily toward the conference room. Ianto and Owen exchanged a look.

“Jack,” Ianto said, softly. “Jack you really should lie down a bit. You’re no good like this.”

Jack clamped his jaws tightly shut, muscles working, swayed slightly and closed his eyes again.

That's the kind of things I could read and re-read like forever. Just after sneezing, fever and loss of balance are my favorite things in a sickfic...

[AngelEyes]

23 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He frowned, mind still foggy from the sedative and working to make sense of it.

You paint such a great picture of him swimming into consciousness.

 

23 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“Hey, are these ours…?” Jack asked, examining the restraints after pulling them off.

“Owen wanted to use ropes,” Ianto said darkly. Jack grinned. “Ropes could be fun, too, you know.  There was this one time when...”

LOL Jack!

 

23 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto was just transferring freshly ground beans to the coffee machine when he heard the single sharp crack of Jack’s Webley.

Oh No!!!!!! You just leave us hanging like this? After saying someone has to die? How could you? (Oh but you know we keep coming back, because it's such beautiful crack! LOL!)

[Jelloicious]

On 5/11/2018 at 0:30 PM, Aliena H. said:

That's the kind of things I could read and re-read like forever. Just after sneezing, fever and loss of balance are my favorite things in a sickfic...

Oh, well...then...let's have some of that, shall we?

 

On 5/11/2018 at 5:08 PM, AngelEyes said:

Oh No!!!!!! You just leave us hanging like this? After saying someone has to die? How could you?

Cliff hangers...dragging you back to read more crackfic....it's what they are for, you know!  (No weevils were harmed in the writing of this chapter).

 

TWTWTWTWTW

 

Despite the gunshot, despite having a good idea of what that meant, Ianto wasn’t prepared for the sight of Jack’s brains splattered across the back wall of his office. It took him a moment to recover his senses and recognize that the spreading pool of blood was about to reach a stack of papers on Jack’s desk and he reflexively moved them, even before the wave of annoyance at Jack that he would expect Ianto to retype them if they were ruined actually hit him. Bastard... Idiot!... Damn-you-Jack-Harkness!!. Those were his next thoughts.

Ianto felt it must have been a combination of the stress of the situation and being ill himself, but he wanted to scream, wanted to cry and most of all, wanted to punch Jack on his perfect, lifeless chin. Instead, he pulled Jack’s body roughly onto the floor, not caring about the mess, and sat, slumped against the wall with Jack’s head in his lap. He gave up a single anguished sob. Snuffling, waiting for Jack to revive, he repeated over and over to Jack what a certifiable bastard arse Jack was and that he was just lucky he was already dead. Jack’s blood soaked Ianto’s trousers and Ianto could not bring himself to give a damn. Owen, wisely, left Ianto to it, and returned to his lab to continue his own battle.

Ianto must have dozed off. He woke when Jack drew a gasping breath and sat up suddenly. Ianto gingerly moved his leg which had fallen asleep, trapped between the concrete floor and Jack’s previously lifeless head. Ianto felt thoroughly wiped out, but wondered how long it would take for the pins and needles sensation to end so he could balance properly and summon the strength for the punch Jack Harkness so richly deserved. Instead, he asked Jack, “Better now?”

“Much.” Jack’s voice was clear and strong. “Sorry about the mess. How long have I been down?”

Ianto automatically checked his watch. “About 45 minutes, give or take.” Ianto sniffed.

Jack stood, and reached a hand down to Ianto, and apologetically said. “Didn’t mean for you to find me.” As if anyone else but Ianto would have.

Ianto coughed. “I hate you sometimes, you know it? You’re a real tosser,” but he took Jack’s offered hand, let Jack pull him to his unsteady feet.

Jack pulled Ianto close. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave you and Owen to sort through this alone. I couldn’t think. I needed to be able to think. I needed to be able to help.” Jack was earnest, and Ianto knew that Jack was only doing the most practical thing he knew how to do, but he still wasn’t ready to forgive him, so he just sneezed. Hehh’Choo!….Heh...Hehh’CHOO! Jack waited while Ianto blew his nose, then kissed the top of his head gently. “Look, let’s go get cleaned up, shall we?”

Ianto navigated the ladder to Jack’s quarters awkwardly, as the feeling found its way back into his leg. Still, he managed, and without landing himself in a heap at the bottom, though he almost lost his balance when he sneezed again, quite forcefully. He let Jack peel the blood soaked clothing from each of their bodies, and mutely followed him into the shower, where he let the pulsing water and Jack’s sure hands soothe him and cleanse him. He sneezed.

Afterwards, he worked his way numbly through the motions of pulling on clean dry pants and a soft t shirt, but didn’t move from the edge of Jack’s small bed. He allowed himself to add a layer of annoyance at Jack for curing himself of Weevil Flu with a bullet, as he sneezed again three more times, and blew his nose. He thought of the mess in Jack’s office, and weighed whether he had the energy to bother with it just now.

He was surprised when Jack dropped onto the camp bed next to him, took him into his arms and just held him without saying anything for several minutes. Ianto thought he might give up being annoyed with Jack, if they could just stay like this. When Jack kissed Ianto’s temple, he frowned. “You’re warm”.

“Mmmmm.” replied Ianto, drifting, just slightly. “I just had a hot shower,” Ianto pointed out, without bothering to open his eyes. ‘m warm and sleepy.”

Jack frowned. Owen had said something, earlier, he was almost sure, that suggested a climbing temperature would be a very bad sign.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Jelloicious
formatting...I always forget the formatting

[Shamaël]

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He allowed himself add a layer of annoyance at Jack for curing himself of Weevil Flu with a bullet

...  ... Okay, that was quite... drastic, but efficient, so I won't complain about the method. I do love Jack, really.

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Owen had said something, earlier, he was almost sure, that suggested a climbing temperature would be a very bad sign.

Oh. Yes. Yes, I definitely remember he said something like that. That last line is... very promising and I hope you'll update soon! I love your story!!!

[AngelEyes]

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It took him a moment to recover his senses and recognize that the spreading pool of blood was about to reach a stack of papers on Jack’s desk and he reflexively moved them, even before the wave of annoyance at Jack that he would expect Ianto to retype them if they were ruined actually hit him.

I love that this is how Ianto thinks.

 

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Instead, he pulled Jack’s body roughly onto the floor, not caring about the mess, and sat, slumped against the wall with Jack’s head in his lap.

Sad!

 

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack stood, and reached a hand down to Ianto, and apologetically said. “Didn’t mean for you to find me.” As if anyone else but Ianto would have.

Right.

 

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He allowed himself add a layer of annoyance at Jack for curing himself of Weevil Flu with a bullet, as he sneezed again three more times, and blew his nose.

Typical Jack. Poor Ianto.

 

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack frowned. Owen had said something, earlier, he was almost sure, that suggested a climbing temperature would be a very bad sign.

Uh oh. Not good!

[Jelloicious]

5 hours ago, Aliena H. said:

Okay, that was quite... drastic, but efficient, so I won't complain about the method. I do love Jack, really.

Yeah, well, Jack Harkness and all.  There is a persistent split between Jack's willingness to be reckless, and the care his team takes with him, (Ianto in particular, of course).  Jack believes he can never die.  Ianto knows he can't but somehow believes deep down that this might not be true.  Jack has very practical reasons for what he did.  Ianto weighs in with fear that this really will be the last time, and at least some understanding that just because Jack can't stay dead, doesn't mean he doesn't feel the dying, (and the ripping back into life) every single time.

5 hours ago, Aliena H. said:

That last line is... very promising and I hope you'll update soon! I love your story!!!

Ummm...about that..gotta figure some more out, I think.  I know what we do in the last chapter.   We just aren't there yet, and now I have Jack all better, so he can Help Owen, when he wasn't just a ton of help before.  Owen is going to be just so pleased...

1 hour ago, AngelEyes said:

I love that this is how Ianto thinks.

Yeah... me, too!   I also like to think that there's always a whole lot more going on in Ianto's head beneath that calm and courteous exterior.  You get to see that in some of his outbursts, and some of the points at which he relaxes a bit, but you never forget that he would MOP YOU UP if you tried to play poker with him.  Yeah.   We gotta take Ianto out and get him drunk one of these days...

[AngelEyes]

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Owen is going to be just so pleased...

Oh I'm sure. LOL

 

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

I also like to think that there's always a whole lot more going on in Ianto's head beneath that calm and courteous exterior.  You get to see that in some of his outbursts, and some of the points at which he relaxes a bit, but you never forget that he would MOP YOU UP if you tried to play poker with him. 

So true.

 

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

We gotta take Ianto out and get him drunk one of these days...

Wouldn't that just be brilliant!

[Seeker]

On 5/15/2018 at 9:34 AM, Jelloicious said:

Jack frowned. Owen had said something, earlier, he was almost sure, that suggested a climbing temperature would be a very bad sign.

Oh...oh, no. Poor Ianto

Owen's going to be super pissed. Jack's illness was providing data. And who's to say Jack can't just get re-infected? He didn't have time to let his body build immunity...now he's in a refreshed body, practically asking for it. Also he better clean up his own mess and not let Ianto do it! 

[AngelEyes]

1 hour ago, ReidSeeker said:

Also he better clean up his own mess and not let Ianto do it! 

Agreed. Cause that's just not fair!

[Jelloicious]

On 5/16/2018 at 11:51 PM, ReidSeeker said:

And who's to say Jack can't just get re-infected? He didn't have time to let his body build immunity...now he's in a refreshed body, practically asking for it.

Isn't that the truth?  My theory is that Jack actually does develop immunity just like a typical human.  Which generally means he doesn't often catch a cold, because he's been around a long time and already met lots of those viruses out there.  But not all of them.  And they mutate, so he's still vulnerable if exposed to the right virus.  (Which, in fic, he periodically is because he keeps snogging on Ianto even when the poor boy has the sniffles, and all the bravado in the world can't help Jack when we want to see him sneeze again).  But, yeah,  how much immunity d'you suppose Jack's had time to develop by the time he spattered his brains?  I'm sure it's just not nearly enough, but nobody's worried about that just now, because Ianto is really ill...)

 

TWTWTWTW

 

“Ianto….” Owen’s voice, in a sing song rhythm, seemed to come from a great distance.

“Oi! Teaboy!” Sharper now, but still far away. Annoying.

A sharp pinch. Ianto opened his eyes, and worked painfully to focus them, flinching at the over-bright light that seem to inflame his very nerve endings, until he sneezed, weakly. h’sheww!   He shut his eyes again, resolving to leave them that way, focusing on the drum beat of his pulse as it pounded his brain into something mushy. He was just so tired. He sniffed reflexively, then swallowed, painfully.

Rough hands moved him closer to upright and a glass of water was pressed to his lips. He was desperately thirsty, he realized but swallowing was like drinking fire. He choked. Coughed. And couldn’t catch his breath.

Someone was holding him, soothing him, voice murmuring low. Jack? Oh, God, Jack!

He tried opening his eyes again, but the room spun dizzyingly and he had to clamp shut his eyes along with his jaws to keep from vomiting. His hands were shaking. Or maybe he was shaking.

The feeling subsided slowly, and he opened his eyes cautiously and tried to focus on Jack’s. It took him a moment to recognize the feeling of a needle sliding home in his arm. He wondered if he should be worried about this. He meant to ask, but couldn’t seem to find the words and he was just so tired.

“Well?” Jack demanded, voice urgent, but low.

Owen shook his head, brow creased. “He’s not responding to the antipyretic like I’d hope. His tests show that his body is mounting an immune response, and that’s a good thing. If we can just keep him alive long enough for it to do it’s job before his brain cooks….” Owen trailed off, fiddling with the scanner, reading numbers that did not make him happy. Jack noticed that Owen’s close cropped hair was sticking up slightly, where he ran his hand through it. “We have to lower his body temperature, and do it quickly."

"What do you suggest?" Jack said, eager to be doing something.

"Ice water bath would be my preference, but we don't have enough ice and can't get enough in time to do any good."  Owen frowned.  Wondered how freaked out Ianto would be if he woke in a morgue drawer.

“Shower?” Jack suggested. The old pipes in the hub could produces some seriously cold water.

“Look at him...he can’t stand.”  Owen was doubtful.

“I’ll hold him," Jack insisted.

Owen looked at Jack a long moment, then nodded.  It would have to do. “You’ll freeze your balls off.”

Jack shrugged. “They grow back.”

It took the two of them to carry Ianto, trembling, into the shower. Once there, Jack stripped quickly and sat himself behind Ianto, where he could support the shaking young man, who seemed suddenly and surprisingly frail. Jack braced himself and nodded at Owen, who turned on the water. Jack was pretty sure it wasn’t quite as icy as it must have felt but damn it was cold. Ianto flinched under the freezing spray, but it was Ianto’s lack of active resistance that caused Jack to push aside the discomfort, and bear it, waiting for his skin to become numb.

Owen kept his scanner trained on Ianto, tracking his body temperature as it slowly began to drop. Ianto’s body shook with the force of several wracking coughs, but Jack allowed himself to believe it was a good sign when Ianto abruptly flung an arm out and threw his head back in an effort to escape the icy water, smacking Jack’s upper lip against perfect teeth painfully. Jack tasted blood, but grasped Ianto firmly. “Ianto. I’m here. It’s okay, we have to bring down your temperature.” Jack soothed through his own chattering teeth, and Ianto, despite waves of violent shivers that coursed through his body, stopped struggling. Jack himself was starting to shake, when Owen nodded curtly, cut off the water and handed Jack a towel.

Ianto was trembling, as shuddering waves of shivering shook him, even as Jack dried his skin with efficiency. Owen helped Jack pull Ianto to his feet, and guide him unsteadily back to the small bed, where Jack climbed in next to Ianto, and drew a thin blanket around the two of them, as Owen examined his patient.

“How are you feeling?” Owen asked, eyeing his patient critically.

Ianto found his voice, rough and unsteady. “Better, I think.” He coughed. “Cold.” He drew a sudden breath and sneezed. “Ill.”

Jack pressed a handkerchief into Ianto’s hands, and when the young man struggled to bring it to his nose with shaking hands, held it for him as he sneezed again. “Blow,” Jack said, as though speaking to a child, as he held the handkerchief in place. Ianto colored, deeply, and with determination, took the handkerchief from Jack, in time to catch a third sneeze himself, blow his nose wetly, and then drop, exhausted, back on the pillow.

“I hate weevils,” he announced. Then, remembering, lifted his head and asked pointedly “How’s Janet?”

“Better patient than you, Teaboy,” Owen said. “She hasn’t managed to bust Jack’s lip yet.” He ran his hand through his hair as Ianto looked at Jack, seeing his swollen lip for the first time. “And I am not sitting naked under a cold shower with Janet, either.” Jack proclaimed, just in case it was a question in anyone’s mind.

Ianto closed his eyes for a moment, but gathered himself, and said, “Owen, don’t you dare let me die. I swear I will haunt you if you do.”

“Doing my best, Teaboy. I’m doing my best.”

Ianto closed his eyes, satisfied with this answer, or maybe just exhausted, and Owen turned his attention to Jack.

“I have an idea.”

Edited May 22, 2018 by Jelloicious
left words out.

[Seeker]

5 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

I'm sure it's just not nearly enough, but nobody's worried about that just now, because Ianto is really ill...)

I just...I just love you, you know? 

[AngelEyes]

9 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Which, in fic, he periodically is because he keeps snogging on Ianto even when the poor boy has the sniffles, and all the bravado in the world can't help Jack when we want to see him sneeze again

Truth.

 

10 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It took him a moment to recognize the feeling of a needle sliding home in his arm. He wondered if he should be worried about this. He meant to ask, but couldn’t seem to find the words and he was just so tired.

This is not good!

 

10 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Owen looked at Jack a long moment, then nodded.  It would have to do. “You’ll freeze your balls off.”

Jack shrugged. “They grow back.”

LOL!

 

10 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“Better patient than you, Teaboy,” Owen said. “She hasn’t managed to bust Jack’s lip yet.” He ran his hand through his hair as Ianto looked at Jack, seeing his swollen lip for the first time. “And I am not sitting naked in the shower with Janet, either.” Jack proclaimed, just in case it was a question in anyone’s mind.

Oh Jack. (And yay for Janet hanging in there!)

 

10 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto closed his eyes for a moment, but gathered himself, and said, “Owen, don’t you dare let me die. I swear I will haunt you if you do.”

 

Somehow I can see this! LOL!

 

10 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“I have an idea.”

Can't wait!