23.25h
Owen helped Ianto out of his jacket and shirt, both stained with fresh blood. Owen carefully looked at the wound. "Not as bad as it seems. Needs about five stitches"
Without warning he inserted a syringe into the wound and injected a anesthetic. Ianto yelped for a second but a harsh look silenced his cries. Without waiting for the anesthetic to fully work he started stitching up the wound, much to Ianto's distress.
"I didn't mean for this to happen"
"You never mean anything to happen so shut your trap Ianto"
He kept on stitching the wounds and in ten minutes time he was done.
"If I were you, I'd stay away from me for a while. Unless you want to be thwacked"
Without saying any other words, Owen tread heavily out of the autopsy bay. Ianto was left behind, alone. Still in pain and sad.
"Need some help Yan?" asked Tosh.
"I can manage" responded Ianto.
"Jack gave me one of his T-shirts for you to wear. Might be a bit big but at least it's clean"
Tosh walked over to him and helped him get the shirt on. "There, that's better"
She wiped away a lingering tear, caressed his cheek and said nothing else. It was all that Ianto needed to keep his emotions in check.
00.10h
Toshiko smiled. "Jack, I've managed to cut down the lockdown to 12 hours but the protocol is bulletproof. I think I would've liked the guy who designed this program"
"I guess we'll have to stay the night here" said Jack. "Owen, where are the sleeping bags?"
"Got them. But only four. I guess tea boy can sleep on the couch. Away from us"
"I can sleep there" offered Jack.
"No" said Gwen. "I think Owen is right"
She glanced at Ianto and threw him a dirty look. She held him responsible for missing her birthday with her man so the last thing she wanted is to spent the night in the company of the culprit. Tosh gave Ianto a weak smile in an attempt to cheer him up. He smiled back but his smile never did quite reach his eyes. And it never had since the day he had lost Lisa. Ianto crept away from the team and checked the rift monitor. He knew he wasn't going to sleep much so he deemed it fit to start working again. Because if he didn't work, somber thoughts washed over him and he'd soon find himself in another depressing mood.
00.39h
Jack looked rather cheerful. When asked why, he just answered: "Well there is one bright spot in this situation. No matter what the rift vomits out next, we can't do anything about it. Meaning that for once, we get to sleep in"
They all picked up a sleeping bag and laid them on the floor next to each other. They took their shoes off and slid in the sleeping bags, still visibly upset. First lay Gwen, then Owen, then Tosh and last Jack. Within ten minutes everyone slept. With the exception of the injured Ianto.
02.11h
Jack noticed the soft lighting coming from the main area and wondered if the rift was active.
He got up, walked over to the monitors and was surprised to see Ianto still awake and typing away vigorously. "Something wrong?"
"Nothing bad. Just minor rift activity downtown". Ianto looked sideways and saw his boss walking around in nothing but snoopy boxers. He frowned and smiled cautiously. "Snoopy sir?"
"Laundry day"
"Right"
A small silence fell between the men.
Jack sat down on the desk and sighed. "Ianto what are you doing? It's two in the morning"
"It's fine. Don't need much sleep" Ianto lied. "If I'm stuck here I might as well get some work done"
"Right, yes I forgot you go by the name of Super Jones" said Jack sarcastically.
"Sorry sir?"
"You're human ergo need sleep. Go to bed Ianto. Besides you're injured. Should be resting that arm instead of typing away"
Jack looked down at the desk and saw an open book. "Wuthering heights?"
"Yeah, it's one of my favorite books" replied Ianto.
Jack chuckled. "She's one of my favorite writers"
"Is she?" Ianto looked up at his boss.
"Yeah" continued Jack. "Emily was an animal in bed"
Ianto sniggered and shook his head in embarrassment.
"I should get a medal for that" said Jack.
Ianto frowned. "For shagging Emily Brönte sir?"
"No for getting you to smile after tonight". He gently patted Ianto on the shoulder and walked out.
"Go to bed Ianto" he said in a louder voice.
03.00h
Ianto still wasn't asleep. Thought rushed through his mind. Thoughts of the love story between Heathcliffe and Cathy. Thoughts of Lisa. Of the team. He hated being the outcast. Before Lisa, he had always been the silent force behind the team but now he was pushed aside like dirt. No one trusted him, he doubted that the others even liked him. And it hurt. A lot.
Owen was always distant from him so his angry outbursts didn't get to him that much. But he hated the fact that everything he said was true. How disloyal he was. How he could have easily killed everyone. What a bloody bastard he was. That's why Ianto never complained or even so much as defended himself whenever Owen's anger was directed at him.
The girls, that was a different story. He liked Tosh and Gwen. Last thing he wanted to do is put them in danger. Or hurt them like he had done today. Gwen missing her birthday is one of the many things he's fucked up lately. But he was determined to make things right. He closed his book and neatly tucked it away in his drawer. He walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He searched through the content to find what he was looking for. "Aha, there you are"
He had bought cupcakes for today and he knew there were a few left. He took out a chocolate cupcake with pink icing on it, pushed in a birthday candle and placed it on the saucer.
"A little note" he mumbled to himself.
He picked up a pen and started writing.
Dear Gwen,
Happy birthday. I know this isn't what you expected but I hope it at least puts a smile on your face. I'm so sorry.
Ianto
He walked over to the sleeping four and placed the cupcake and note at Gwen's feet.
I hope no one steps on it in the morning he thought to himself.
He turned away from his team members and went back to the monitors. He hadn't noticed Jack walking after him. "That was nice of you" he said, startling Ianto.
"Least I could do after ruining her birthday".
"Ianto, It was an accident. And working yourself to the bone isn't doing anyone any good. C'mon".
He gently placed his hand in Ianto's and guided him to his resting place, the couch. He draped the blanket over Ianto and whispered: "don't let the bed bugs bite".
A few minutes later Jack returned to the couch with his own sleeping bag, placing it a feet away from the couch. This will keep him in the bed.
He looked at the youngest member on his team and he was content to see him sleeping. I knew he was exhausted.
