A/N: Written for the Last Author Standing Contest over at LiveJournal. 500 Word Maximum written for the word "Memory." This is not part of a larger fic; it's just a scene that may have occurred either season, really.
Gwen leaned across his desk, eyes darkened, palms flattened on the hard wood surface, heedless of the papers, shoulders tense. "You don't do this, Jack. You don't."
"I do," he replied hotly, leaning forward in his chair to meet her glare, the space between them shrinking with each word. "Gwen, we have to," he stated firmly. "He won't be able to stand it if we don't." Jack paused, leaning back in his chair and looking into her eyes. "Look, imagine if it were you. You wouldn't want to know."
Gwen was about to respond, but Ianto's voice, low and firm as he walked into Jack's office, said, "I wouldn't want to know." He paused as both of them turned to face him. "But I wouldn't want you to Retcon me, either." He handed each of them a cup of coffee.
"So what the hell do we do?" Gwen retorted, putting her hands on her hips.
Tosh came in at that moment and added, "I don't know, but he's going to be devastated if we don't." She took a sip of her coffee and then continued, "If we don't Retcon him then we have to accept that we may lose him." As Jack stood and came around his desk she added quietly, "I don't want to lose him."
Jack leaned against the desk and nodded, "No one wants to lose him. So we do it."
Gwen stepped back and ran her hand through her hair. "It's wrong."
Ianto agreed, "We're stealing from him. Those memories make him who he is."
Jack turned and slammed his fist down on the desk, rage darkening his cheeks to a purple tinge, "No. Experiences make us who we are. If we don't remember it then we didn't experience it and it's got no hold on us. None. We're removing an experience because it's going to cost him his sanity. You do realize that, right? His sanity is at stake."
"Jack, we don't know that. He may come through. He's tough," Gwen insisted.
"How long will he be sedated, Jack?" Ianto asked.
Jack shrugged as Owen's voice growled, "Who the fuck sedated me?" as he came storming into the office, face pale and shirt bloodied.
Everyone stiffened and Gwen stepped toward him, reaching out. "Owen, you shouldn't be up."
"Yeah? Why not? I feel okay," the medic said, sounding puzzled.
Suddenly Gwen, Ianto and Tosh looked over at Jack.
He shrugged and said, "Owen, you were in a lot of pain earlier. I sedated you as a precaution. You're okay, though."
Owen looked at the others. They were having trouble meeting his gaze. "Right. I'm gonna go shower. Then I'd love it if someone told me what the fuck just happened." He stormed out of the office and down the stairs.
Gwen whirled, "You had no right!"
Ianto rubbed his hand down his face, adjusted his tie, and picked up the empty coffee cup on Jack's desk.
"I won't lose him," Jack replied, sitting back down.