Another update – so what's happened to Ianto?
Chapter 10
The Doctor and River sat by Ianto's bedside waiting for the young Welshman to wake. Gradually his vital signs improved while the nurses did their tests.
'Well?' the Doctor asked. 'Did it work? Will he recover?'
'All the signs are that he will be as good as new. You did the right thing bringing him here. I doubt anyone else could have saved him. Your actions and those of Captain Harkness gave him sometime but he was minutes away from dying,' the Matron explained.
'Could you not mention Captain Harkness once he's awake; it's complicated.'
Ianto groaned and moved as he began to regain consciousness. 'Jack,' was unsurprisingly his first word.
'No, Ianto, I'm the Doctor, you may have heard of me but don't worry you're safe and so is Jack. We just needed to get you out of that room very quickly.'
'But the virus; I breathed it. I should be dead. And I heard Jack; he spoke to me. At least I thought he did.' Ianto was confused now.
'You were dreaming, Ianto. We arrived there just in time to rescue you. We were delayed but we were able to get you here, to New Earth. The technology exists here to save you so we used it; you are too important to lose and well, Jack could take care of himself!'
'But I'm not important; I'm just an archivist from Newport. I'm nobody special.' The Doctor's eyes filled with tears as he was reminded of Donna saying much the same thing.
'Everyone is important, Ianto,' the Doctor explained. 'We all have our role to play and you have yours. This is River Song, by the way who's travelling with me at the moment.' River just nodded her head.
'Now, we'll make sure that you're fully recovered and then we'll return you to Earth in your time and to your Captain. I would imagine that he's pacing the floor and creating quite a furrow by now.'
'It's odd I could have sworn he was here. He kept apologising for not saving me. I must have been dreaming. And yes I expect he will be pacing the floor. Wait a minute, you said return me to Earth and my time; where am I then?'
'Don't worry, it doesn't matter; you'll be going home soon,' the Doctor said matter-of-factly.
Ianto lay back trying to take it all in. He'd thought he was dying but he'd been saved; he'd been saved by Jack's Doctor. He had a future; he had a future with Jack.
Meanwhile Jack was pacing the floor back on Earth in the 21st century. It had taken several hours for the room to be safe during which time he'd revived and died several ties. When he'd been alive for 30 minutes those watching had let him out. He'd seen the new Doctor pull Ianto into the TARDIS but he had no idea whether Ianto was alive or dead. All he could hope was that the Doctor was in time to save him. For now all he could think to do was to get to see his daughter and grandson. Frobisher was outside the room when it opened.
'Obviously as a government employee we can expect you to comply with the Official Secrets Act and not release any of that material you recorded to the public. We'd like you to sign these documents to that effect.' Frobisher pushed the documents at him as they went own in the lift. Jack pushed them away.
'Forget it. I haven't got the recordings and the person who has doesn't work for the government. Tell your boss that all bets are off. He'd better plan his resignation speech. All I'm concerned about is getting to see my family. Why don't you go back to yours? Remember your great and glorious leader was prepared to give 10% of the children of this country to aliens to use as drugs. I'd check the lists if I was you; see if your children were on it!'
Jack pushed open the door. A few streets away he found his car. Soon he would see Alice and Steven and then hopefully, Ianto. Jack clung desperately to that hope because it was all he had.