Chapter 1

"I… Ianto…" Jack moaned as he placed an unsteady finger to his intercom system. His voice sounded weak even to his own ears, and his breath was coming in short, sharp gasps. Keeping his breathing shallow was helping to still the stabbing daggers as they spread along the entire length of his spine, but still the pain in his back was unbearable. He tried to manoeuvre himself into what he hoped would be a more comfortable position, but barely managed to stifle a scream of pain, before realising that he couldn't move. With panic Jack began to realise that he was paralysed.

"Jack?" He heard Ianto's soft Welsh voice answer him, and Jack swallowed. The pain was making him nauseous. "Jack?" Ianto asked again. "Where are you? Are you alright?"

"I'm… I'm still at the office building!" Jack managed to answer, although it took every ounce of what little strength he had left. He was having to fight though the pain, to focus very hard on breathing – the effort of talking making his words painfully slow. "I've got a bit of a problem…"

"So do we Jack." Ianto began to explain. "We've found Gwen… she's been poisoned…" Jack didn't hear the rest of what Ianto's conversation – he was rapidly tiring and could only process one piece of information at a time. The young Welshman's words passed in a blur of increased pain and anxiety at the mention of Gwen's name. He was however still lucid enough to catch the tail end of what he was saying.

"Don't worry though, Owen's with her! She's going to be fine!"

At least that was something, Jack thought. He sighed – partly in relief, and partly in an attempt to slow his laboured breathing – closing his eyes slowly as a soft flow of breath escaped from between his slightly parted lips.

Curse John Hart! If he ever got his hands on him he'd regret the day he'd ever crossed paths with Captain Jack Harkness!

Despite his careful attempts not to move however it seemed to Jack as though every muscle in his throbbing back was suddenly and viciously thrown into a succession of violent spasms, and he let out an involuntary cry of pain. His coat felt heavy against his burning skin, and the daggers of before were suddenly back, digging their blades even deeper into his flesh – tearing chunks out of the already raw and open wounds, and plunging into each individual vertebrate of his spine. He hadn't known pain like it since the Dalek attack on the Space Station years before – and even the memory of that now paled in comparison

"…Jack?" Ianto suddenly demanded. "Jack are you alright? I didn't tell you… you need to be careful… John's been there! He…"

"I know…" Jack groaned.

"What?" Ianto asked, tone indicative of his sudden alarm.

"I know…" He explained. "He pushed me off the roof of the building… I landed with my back on a bench!"

"What? Jack? Are you alright?" Ianto exclaimed… scared by how strained Jack's voice suddenly sounded.

This wasn't supposed to happen, not to Jack… Jack was immortal… invincible – but for the first time since Jack had initiated contact with his team, Ianto could hear that there was a weakness to the Captain's voice. Although he didn't say as much Ianto could tell that he'd only recently revived from what must have been quite a traumatic death.

"I… I don't think so…" Jack faltered in response to Ianto's concerned question. "It hurts too much Ianto… I can't move… Owen… I need…"

"Alright Jack…" Ianto reassured him. "Stay where you are, don't move! We're on our way!"