As morning wakes, Ianto slowly opens his eyes to see his seemingly desolate room. He hears the cries of the other patients in his ward. Ianto knows where he is but not why. His subconscious mind knows that the worst thing for him is to remember anything and everything of the recent past.
Torchwood had been bombed with everyone in or slightly around it, including Ianto. He was the only survivor known. Nobody knew that his lover, Captain Jack Harkness, was imperishable. The government passed off the bomb as a terrorist act, even though they knew better. The Mercy Hospital carted Ianto's unknowing body to the emergency wing. Only days later did Ianto wake up in a haze. He knew nothing of what had happened in the past 72 hours. Ranting and raving about his lost lover, a cured, yet seemingly insane, Ianto was sent off the White Bridges Mental Institution.
"Checkmate." Ianto said while moving his piece to victory. Janet, his only friend in the ward was playing against him. "Fine, Ianto. Have it your way. Just know, I am and always will be better than you at hula hooping." She replied trying to redeem Ianto loss. "Yes, because that is what every grown man does on his Saturday nights, hula hooping." Ianto replied with sarcasm leaking out of every word. "At least you have yard time; they won't let me out of their sight." The taller boy replied by saying, "You can have mine, I don't need it. All I need is more paper to write to Jack…" He said, hesitating at the end.
Later that night after Ianto had gone to sleep, he let his nightmares take over his mind, taking him to his last night with Jack. "Don't worry about me, Ianto. Go! Save yourself, I'll be fine!" Jack said. "No, Jack! I won't let you stay, you'll die Ianto!" Ianto said persistently, even though he knew he wouldn't win the fight. "No... I won't…" The Captain replied as he sent Ianto up the lift. Just moments after he arrived at the top he started trying to get back down. He then heard and felt the explosion of the bomb.
Ianto wakes up from his nightmare with a scream. He knew only his dream was fiction. It had to be, he said to himself. After the nurses came in to check on him while all he could think about was that dream. He gave it more thought; only he didn't know that if he remembers he will lose all chances of returning to his love, Jack. After moments of contemplating the night's happenings he starts forgetting everything, anything that had to do with his dream was almost ripped out of his mind. Ianto knew he had to get out.
In the morning Ianto awakens and goes to the office to talk to a manager. He notices that he is much taller than this man. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, yet nothing like Jack's. "What do you mean, I have to be in here for another 4 days?!" Ianto replied. "It is recommended for a patient with your severity of post-traumatic stress disorder to stay in for two weeks for observation." The doctor replied, annoyed that this man wasn't cooperating. "You don't understand, I have a- a funeral to go to tomorrow and I need to start driving tonight!" the taller man exclaimed. "May I ask whom this funeral is for?" the doctor asked. "My sister and Ianto husband got in a car wreck out in southern Wales."
Ianto was driving to the lake late that night after being released from state custody. He started playing his cliché music of love and loss, when he noticed a dark figure dart past his car. He suddenly stepped on the breaks as fast as he could and got out of the car. "Hello? Is anyone there?" He didn't see anyone and didn't feel impact so if he had hit the man he would've noticed. "My name is Jones, Ianto Jones. I just want to make sure you're alright. Is anyone out there?" Ianto decided he was going to give up and get back into the car. Right when he got back in the car he heard a loud shuffling noise coming from the woods beside him. Ianto locked his car and got out for good. "Where are you? I know you're there." Right after that, he felt something hit his head and everything went black.
He awoke in the company of two unknown faces and slowly closed his eyes hoping that he wasn't noticed. He starts to wait for some conversation to start between the men so he could figure out where he was and why. After 15 minutes of pure silence he heard a small whisper come out of the man in the business suit and alligator shoes. He noticed a heavy Scottish accent but couldn't figure out to whom exactly he was talking to. "Ianto Jones," he heard, trying as hard as he could to hear. "Yes sir, that is him," he said. "Yes, he's the one who escaped from the bomb." "No sir, he doesn't know we have Jack Harkness." Ianto silently squealed in happiness and in fear.
With eyes still close Ianto dreams as to what their reunion will be like. Flowers, chocolates, music, I love you and why the hell did you say you wouldn't die. Ianto assumed it best to sleep and wake when told so with sleepless eyes he fell fast asleep even with the imminent danger right in front of him.
Around two hours later Ianto wakes up to the sound of a gunshot. He checks his whole body as quickly and quietly as he could. No wounds in sight, he turns his head to find out that there is nobody in the room. Ianto slowly gets up realizing that they tied up his hands with rope. While despair hits him he remembers what Jack taught him, relax, flex your fingers, wiggle out only one hand and then untie the rope.