Chapter 2
Owen watched as Jack walked into the isolation room and sit on the bed.
"I'm sorry, Jack," he said, as he locked the room, taking the key.
Jack smiled sadly. "Take care of my team, Owen. Especially Ianto."
"You can do that, Jack. You'll be fine in a few hours, you'll see."
Jack just shook his head.
Owen walked back up to the main Hub area. The rest of the team were waiting for him.
"What now?" asked Tosh, looking to Owen.
"We find out what we can about the worm," said Ianto.
They looked at him.
"We can sit around doing nothing. We have to find out where it came from and what it can do." He turned to Owen. "Kill the one we have and do an autopsy on it. See how it works." To Tosh. "Go through our data base. Every planet. Every species we know. There has to be something, somewhere about it."
"What do you want me to do, Ianto?" asked Gwen.
"Pray," replied Ianto, turning to walk up to Jack's office. "I'll be on Jack's computer. Maybe there's a log of places he's visited." He shrugged. "I don't know what else to suggest."
Owen smiled. "You're doing great, mate. Jack'd be proud of you."
Ianto carried on up to Jack's office, closing the door. Once closed, he leaned against it as tears rolled down his youthful face.
"Oh, Jack."
Jack started to pace around the room. He Hated being cooped up, reminded him too much of the Valiant. He began to think about the boring worm. Where had he picked it up? He shook his head with frustration, sitting back on the bed.
After a few minutes, Ianto made his way to Jack's desk and sat down in front of the computer. He knew Jack's password, so logged on.
Going through all of Jack's files, Ianto didn't find anything that would lead him to the origin of the worm. Then he heard Tosh squeal.
"Yes! Ianto, I've found it."
Ianto ran to the door and down the stairs.
"Where is it from?" he asked her.
"Sielcon 4. It's a parasite. It was eradicated about a millennia ago." She turned to Ianto."I'm going down to see Jack," Ianto told them.
Then he was gone.
Jack was pacing again when Ianto reached the isolation room.
"What do you know about Sielcon 4, Jack?"
Jack frowned, then raised an eyebrow. "I was there with the Doctor, the old one, about 200 years ago. Why?"
"That's were the worm came from. They got rid of it. It's a parasite."
"You can say that again."
"That's where you must have picked it up."
"200 years ago?"
"You said it lays dormant for years sometimes."
"Why now?"
Ianto just shrugged. "I don't know the answer to that, Jack. I was hoping you did."
"Ianto?" Gwen's voice in Ianto's ear piece.
"Yes, Gwen?"
"You better get up here right away. I think we have another worm."
Ianto looked at Jack. "We might have another one."
"Go," Jack said.
Ianto just nodded and left.
Owen was holding Gwen and Tosh away from him. Ianto entered the Hub and saw the Torchwood doctor holding a scalpel.
"What's happening?"
"I have one of those worm things in my hand. I need to cut it out." Owen smiled at Ianto. "Can you do me the honours and grab a beaker. Same as before."Ianto got a beaker, while Owen cut his hand open and took out the worm. He placed it in the beaker, while Ianto put the lid on.
"The other one is dead, but I haven't dissected it yet. That's your job," he told the young Welshman.
"Me? I…."
"You can do it."
Ianto sighed, taking a deep breath.
"But first, follow me down to the isolation room. Wait until I call out that I'm inside and come lock the door. Keys over there," he pointed to the cabinet.
With a nervous hand, Owen stitched himself up and put a bandage around his hand.
"Jack's gonna have company." Owen turned to Tosh. "Better find out what you can about the worm."
Ianto frowned. "Do you know something we don't? Did Jack tell you something?"
"It's what he didn't tell me that worries me."
Owen bid hi farewells and headed down to the isolation room followed by Ianto.
Jack was not surprised to see Owen. They exchanged knowing smiles and Owen went into the room, closing the door behind him.
"Ianto!"
Ianto appeared seconds later, locking the door.
"There is a rare plant that grew on Sielcon 4. The worms fed on it. When the plants were all gone, they took to living in the inhabitants of the planet. They converted their hosts into a juice that they could drink. Basically, they were living drinks machines," Jack smiled. "Taken down by a worm."
"What do you mean?" asked Ianto. Taken down. You can't die, you said so."
"If it goes into my brain, it will suck it dry. I'll come back, but the process will be repeated over and over. I'll never leave this room again."
"What about me?" asked Owen.
Jack shook his head. "You should be okay. It only got into your hand. If it doesn't swell, you should be okay."
Ianto looked horrified. "There has to be something we can do."
"There isn't. I'm sorry."
Ianto turned to leave and then stopped, looking back over his shoulkder at Jack. "I won't stop until I find a cure." Then he was gone.
Owen turned to Jack. "He really does love you, you know."
"Yeah, I know."
A tear slipped down Jack's face.
"Maybe too much."