I'm really sorry this update took so long! I've been so so busy this week I really haven't had any time at all. Anyway, I hope you like it, and the next update should be up within a couple of days now that I have a bit more time on my hands. Let me know what you think with a tiny little button called review! Enjoy.

Jack was getting impatient. Ianto was a tease, but he wasn't THIS bad. He wanted Jack just as badly as Jack wanted him, that much was clear. His impatience got the better of him as he padded out of his office in search of the Welshman.

"Ianto?" he called out. "I know you like to play hard to get, but this is a bit much." When Ianto didn't answer, Jack started to worry, and it wasn't until he walked into the medical bay that he saw the younger man on the floor, eyes closed, the alien box open on the autopsy table.

"Yan!" He ran over to Ianto in shock, turning him over and feeling for a pulse. He found one, but it was weak, and he was breathing extremely fast, almost hyperventilating. Jack hurriedly got out his mobile and hit 3.

"Come on. Pick up, pick up, pick up…" Jack murmured, his heart pounding.

On the fourth ring he heard the familiar London drawl. "This better be bloody fucking important Harkness. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Owen, Ianto's hurt," Jack said, hoping he didn't sound as worried as he felt. "Something happened with that alien box we found earlier. Get over here now!"

Owen was instantly awake, in full Torchwood mode. He could tell it was something serious, and he rushed to get dressed. Jack was panicking, and that truly scared him. Jack NEVER panicked.

"I'll be there in 10."

30 minutes later, Ianto was still unconscious, stripped down to his underwear while Owen ran tests on both him and the box. Jack had sat by his lover's side the whole time, his hand never letting go of Ianto's. His other hand was stroking the younger man's hair as he murmured soothing nonsense into his ear.

"Jack." Owen watched as Jack looked up. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and his pale face betrayed just how worried he was. His heart went out to the immortal; even if he didn't exactly see eye to eye with Jack sometimes, he could tell he really did care about Ianto, and he would hate to see what would happen if they couldn't save him. "I have the test results back."

Jack stood up suddenly, but kept hold of Ianto's hand. "Well? What happened to him? Is he going to be okay?"

"Jack, you might want to sit down," Owen said in a whisper, trying his best not to notice the fear and pain in the Captain's eyes as he took his seat once again. He took a deep breath.

"His heart rate is normal, and there aren't any signs of internal or external injury. His blood pressure is elevated and his breathing is fast and erratic, but nothing life threatening at the moment. The box contained trace amounts of gases, so I analyzed the contents. Whatever is inside Ianto's body is definitely not a sentient life form, so we can rule out possession or parasites. But I don't think he's in the clear until whatever it is leaves his system entirely."

"But why hasn't he regained consciousness yet?" Jack had relaxed a little when Owen said Ianto's condition wasn't life threatening, but he still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"No idea. I'm running a comparative check against the known substances in the archives to see if I can get a better idea of what we're dealing with, but until then, your guess is as good as mine as to when he'll wake up."

As if on cue, Ianto let out a low moan. Jack looked down at his lover's face and saw an expression of intense pain that broke his heart. He ran a hand across Ianto's forehead. "Shh, I'm here, Yan. What's wrong with him Owen?" Jack couldn't keep the raw panic from his voice.

"I don't know! Physically, nothing's changed, but he's been having unusual spikes in brainwave activity for the past five minutes." The two men heard a low ping sound from the computer. "That'll be the test results," Owen said as he scanned the information on the screen. "Christ…"

"Well? What's wrong? What are we dealing with?"

"Well I was right. The gas that's inside Ianto isn't an alien life form. The box belongs to a race called the Xanos. They specialize in psychic manipulation. It was used in the prisons on their planet."

"Prisons? What does it do?" Jack asked, his face growing paler and paler.

"Jack…" Owen paused, his face almost as white as Jack's. "It's a torture device."