Sick Days

Jack

Driving back from the Brecon Beacons. Well that brought back some unwelcome memories, Jack thought as he sat in the passenger seat of the SUV. He had decided to let Ianto drive home. Saying it meant he could get a better look at him if he wasn't concentrating on the road. Owen in the back had snorted at that and rolled his eyes then carried on bitching about the countryside, as usual.

"Why did I have to come anyway?" Owen asked again from the back

"I told you" Jack replied "We needed 3 of us to be on the safe side, Gwen has the day off, and Tosh was better off co-ordinating from the hub and working on that piece of tech I need. Besides, it's just as well it was you and not one of them. That species really doesn't like females."

"Oh" was all Owen could think of to say

"We're 40 minutes out of Cardiff sir. sorry Jack." Ianto said "Did you want to stop for lunch on the way or order something in when we get back?"

"Umm, I'm not that hungry actually, If you two really want something soon. I don't mind waiting if you want to eat."

Ianto glanced over at Jack. He was nearly always hungry something wasn't quite right, but other than getting Ianto to drive he didn't seem too out of sorts. Perhaps a little quieter than normal. He looked to Owen in the back

"What do you want to do?" he asked

"I'd kill for a coffee" Owen said earning an eye roll from Ianto

"OK we'll stop for coffee and a sandwich" he decided "That alright with you Jack?"

"What? Oh yeah sounds good" he replied distractedly. Truth be told he was actually feeling a little nauseous, not a feeling he was particularly used to anymore. With the whole immortal thing he had going he rarely got ill anymore. That was the main reason he'd asked Ianto to drive. He just hoped it would pass soon and no one would notice.

Ten minutes later Ianto had found somewhere for lunch and pulled into a parking spot. Letting Owen walk on ahead he walked next to Jack. Putting a hand on his arm to get Jacks attention. "You OK?" he asked "your rather quiet today"

"Yeah just a bit tired, you've been wearing me out." Jack laughed and Ianto smirked in reply.

Owen got them a table. they sat and had a quick lunch. Coffee all round and sandwiches for Owen and Ianto. Soon they were back in the SUV and on the way back to the hub. It was actually a fairly peaceful journey. Owen got Tosh's computer and played games on it. Tosh put them on there so he didn't annoy them on long journeys with his moaning and bickering. Ianto drove whilst keeping an eye on Jack who sat quietly with his head against the window and watched the scenery. 20 minutes away from the hub Ianto decided to engage Jack in conversation. He would soon discover that was not his best idea so far.

"So this Unit meeting next week," he said "are you going on your own or taking one of us with you? What's it for anyway? we only had a meeting last month."

Jack looked up pushing himself up from where he'd been leaning against the door.

"Umm, I'm not sure actually. I think I......" his sentence was interrupted as without warning he was hit with a sudden wave of nausea. His coffee burning it's way back up and he vomited violently in to the foot well.

Ianto hurriedly pulled up on the side of the road. "God, Jack, some warning would have been nice. Are you OK?" he asked.

Getting no reply He climbed out of the car and walked round to the passenger side. He opened the door just in time to help Jack turn in his seat and vomit into the grass.

"You done for now?" he asked taking in his lovers pale sweating face.

Jack nodded "for now." he said "sorry"

"Don't worry about it. Come on, sit on the tail gate while I clean this up, and let Owen check you over." Ianto said helping Jack out and round the back of the SUV.

Owen was there already sorting what he needed to check Jack at the roadside. Luckily he'd brought his slightly more extensive kit with him today. Well who wouldn't after their last trip to the country.

"Why didn't you tell us you felt sick?" Owen asked "I'm sure Ianto would have stopped if you'd asked."

Jack glanced up at Owen and Ianto who were both watching him.

"How long have you been feeling sick for?"

"I started feeling a bit nauseous after lunch yesterday." he said with a sigh "It's been on and off since then. I had absolutely no warning I was going to throw up just then though."

Ianto rubbed his back, then found him a bottle of water under one of the seats. "Here you go" he said "I'm glad I started keeping some cleaning stuff in the SUV. saved me bringing it out each time I had a clean up job. means I have what I need right here."

He grabbed a bucket and some cloths. filling the bucket with some water, he went to clean up the mess in the foot well, while Owen gave Jack a once over.

Jack sat sipping at his water and staring unseeing at the grass between his feet. He answered any questions Owen had while he checked Jacks temperature and ran the handheld scanner over him.

Ianto finished cleaning and threw the water away. coming back to see how they were getting on.

"Well" Owen said "looks like food poisoning to me. your gonna feel rough for a couple of days but you should be OK. Make sure you keep drinking so you don't get dehydrated. I don't want you on your own but I presume Ianto will stay with you." he finished, glancing at Ianto who nodded his reply.

"Back to the hub or stay at mine?" Ianto asked him

"Yours, please, if you don't mind" Jack answered and took another sip of water.

"I wouldn't have offered if I did" Ianto smirked "Right lets get a towel on the floor and get back home."

"Why have you got towels in the SUV?" Owen asked looking perplexed

Ianto laughed. "That's for when you lot decide to blow things up and try to get back in the car covered in alien guts, or fall in a river."

They both turned at a groan apparently alien guts wasn't the best conversation as Jack threw up again. Owen rubbed his back while Ianto put the towel in the foot well, then they both helped him round to sit in the passenger seat.

Ianto put the bucket between Jacks feet. They still had another 20 minutes until they got home and he was pretty sure the bucket would be needed.

Twenty five minutes later they pulled up outside Iantos flat. Jack was dozing in the passenger seat. He'd been sick 3 more times on the way home and was exhausted already.

Ianto and Owen got him into the flat and sat him on the bed.

"You alright from here?" Owen asked Ianto "You know what to do. Phone me if you need to and i'll come back and check on him in the morning."

Ianto nodded "Yep thanks Owen we'll be fine."

"OK I'll see myself out. bye guys." and he was gone.

Ianto got Jack out of his clothes and tucked up under the duvet as soon as Owen had left. Then he went to find the things he needed to look after Jack.

When he came back into the bedroom Jack was asleep, though he shifted in the bed uncomfortably. Ianto placed a bucket by the bed and a glass of water on the bedside table along with a thermometer so he could make sure Jacks temperature didn't rise. Jack looked so cute when he was sleeping, Ianto thought then rolled his eyes at himself. Leaving Jack to sleep he went and made himself a coffee and checked his emails before sitting down to watch some TV.

A little later Ianto heard a rustle from the bedroom, getting up to check on his patient and lover he got to the bedroom door as Jack looked at him blearily.

"nto..." he groaned and retched over the side of the bed luckily hitting the bucket. Ianto went to him, gently rubbing circles on his back and held the bucket until he was done.

"Thnku, srry" Jack mumbled his throat was so sore from all that puking he could hardly talk.

"Not a problem. " Ianto replied and went to clean out the bucket.

"Drink" Ianto said when he returned, helping Jack lift the glass of water.

He tried to drink it slowly, he really did, but his stomach churned as soon as the water reached it anyway.

"Ianto.. "

"Yes Jack?"

"I think I'm gonna puke again" Jack groaned

Ianto passed the now clean bucket back and went to refill the glass with water.

When Jack was done Ianto tried to pass him the water again. Jack just shook his head.

"You have to drink Jack" Ianto said patiently "You may be immortal but it's not going to be nice if you get dehydrated."

"It makes me sick" Jack whined

Ianto smirked he'd not seen Jack ill before. Apparently it turned him into a child.

"No Jack. The water doesn't make you sick the food poisoning does. But if you drink it you'll get better sooner. Just take a couple of sips OK?" he coaxed

Jack nodded faintly and took the glass. Ianto was in for a long night.

When Owen arrived at 10am the next morning Ianto was exhausted. Jack had been sick on and off throughout the night but hadn't put up too much of a fight about drinking luckily.

"How's the patient?" Owen asked as he walked into the bedroom

"Bit better I think" Ianto yawned. "he hasn't been sick for 3 hours, actually we're closer to 4 hours now. Do you want a coffee?" he asked

"Love one thanks" Owen said sitting down on the bed to check Jack

"me too" the duvet groaned

"Not a chance mate the coffee will make you throw up again."

The duvet whined slightly as Jacks head peeked over the top at them . Owen raised his eyebrows at that but Ianto just shrugged and tried not to laugh.

"If you still haven't been sick in 30 minutes I think you can try some toast or crackers." Owen said looking at Jack who nodded slightly but still grimaced at the thought of food. If you can keep that down then maybe some chicken soup this evening."

"I thought you said a couple of days?" Ianto asked from the doorway

"Well it appears that Jacks accelerated healing applies to illnesses as well. Anyone else would probably still be....well you know."

"Now go back to sleep Jack. I'll check on you again this evening. Oh and keep drinking." Owen collected up his stuff and joined Ianto in the kitchen for his coffee.

"You got everything you need?" He asked eyeing Ianto who looked ready to fall over.

"Yep, got all those things you said, oh except soup."

"I'll get one of the girls to pick some up and i'll drop it round later when i come to check on Jack." "

Now you need to get some sleep or you'll end up ill aswell. Sleep when he does if you can. I'll see you later." After placing his cup in the sink he was out the door heading back to the hub.

Jack continued to improve throughout the day, and was allowed soup in the evening when Owen came round. By the following evening he was allowed a small cup of coffee so he'd stop moaning.

"Ianto" he said looking over at his lover as they curled on the sofa together.

"Hmm, what is it?" Ianto asked

"Thank you." he said snuggling in

"No problem." Ianto smiled.

End

AN- Really not sure how good this one is. It's longer than I meant it to be but hopefully OK please review it makes me happy :) thank you