Nightmares 10

You liked the cab driver - thanks. So did I. We get a little bit more of him.

A bit more Owen whumping, poor Tosh, and some witches.

Thanks to the people reviewing.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ianto woke up because he could hear his phone ring. The noise intruded into his sleep as if it was a long way off. When he woke up everything was just wrong. The phone was a long way off. Where was his phone? And what was really wrong - Jack wasn't in the bed. He sat up with a gasp. Where the bloody hell was Jack?!

Why was he wet? Had one of them wet the bed? Jack?

No.

The phone was still ringing. That's right he'd left it in Jack's office when he'd emptied his pockets to wash his clothes.

He frantically tried to look in all directions. 'Jack!'

No answer.

Ew. He discovered why the bed was wet. The IV canula, sticky tape attached was dripping onto the sheet. Jack had pulled out his IV but he hadn't turned it off. Yuck.

The phone stopped.

And that IV's been dripping into the bed for quite some time.

Shit.

'Jack!' He tried shouting again but knew it was useless. He could just feel that Jack wasn't anywhere in the Hub. What the fuck was the bloody idiot doing? What time was it? Christ, what if it had been him on the phone? Sprinting up to the office he nearly fell over Owen who was groggily getting to his feet. 'Jack's gone,' he shouted as he shot past. 'My cell phone was ringing.'

He snatched the phone off Jack's desk. One missed call, number he didn't recognise and a message from the same number. He dialled the message service, waited impatiently for the tinny voice to do its thing. "You have one new message. Message received at three fifty nine pm," Then, "Er hello there Ianto Jones." Of course his message simply said. 'Hello this is Ianto Jones. Leave a message.' "My name is Ian Mc Farlane, I'm with Cardiff Cabs. You know, call us anytime, we'll get you there on time.

"I know I shouldn't be making this call. I mean client confidentiality is a big thing with our company but I just thought you might want to know that your American poofta boyfriend is out and about and he really looks like he shouldn't be. I still had your number from when I rang you the other day to see if you'd pay for Mr Shiny Teeth when he'd been jogging and I just felt I ought to ring you now.

"He says you went to sleep, you're probably still asleep and that's why you haven't answered the phone. He said he needed to get out and go somewhere to think, but I figure that the state he's in you're probably going to wake up and have a cow when you can't find him. I mean he looks like a refuge from a war or an extra in a disaster movie. His clothes don't help, why is he dressed in his granddad's cast offs do you know? But the fact is he is ghost white and you can tell he is really sore and he really isn't wearing enough clothes. There's a freezing wind out here today. Anyways, I left him at the park on top of Conway Hill about five minutes ago. I wanted to stay and wait for him but he told me to go.

"I figure Mr Ianto Jones, that when you get this message you should be getting yourself up there as quick as you can.

"Oh, if you need me to pick you up and take you there then ring me back on this number."

'FUCK!'

'Was that Jack?' Owen asked.

'Not quite. Here, press one.' He threw the phone at Owen who of course couldn't catch it. It skitted out the door and stopped, fortunately, just before the edge of the grill. 'Oh sorry.' He picked it up, checked it was still working, pressed one and gave it to Owen. 'I've got no bloody clothes to wear. They're in the washer. Fuck!' He shot down to Jack's room, he'd have to wear more than just his underwear. He hadn't restocked his spare clothes cupboard here since getting covered in a some nasty alien amniotic fluid two weeks ago.

Jack did own some jeans. They were incredibly dense fabric and not in a modern style. He wondered if they might actually be Levis originals, weird though that was. What mattered was that they did fit him, sort of. Nothing like a hoody or an anorak though. He pulled on one of the trademark blue shirts and the leather bomber jacket that was hanging in the closet. It would do. Christ knew what he looked like.

Owen was sitting on the desk. He sniggered when he saw him. 'Not quite your look Teaboy.'

'Shut it. Grab your kit. Let's go find him.' He was really pissed off. 'Then I really am going to kill him this time.'

'Stop panicking. We know where he is and he's not in any danger. This is like a Torchwood conspiracy to stop me getting to Tosh isn't it? First you drug me, now Jack fucking Harkness goes AWOL.' He stood up carefully. 'Can you give me another shot before we go?'

'Okay.'

'Don't ask me if I'm all right. I'm not.' Owen's eyes were blazing as Ianto filled the syringe. 'I know I'm not but I haven't got anytime to do anything about it. Especially when my bloody patient takes it into his head to take off into the sodding wild blue yonder. Just give me a shot and make up some amipicillin and have some fun sticking that in my arse as well. I think I've got an infection.'

Ianto decided the best thing to do was to keep his mouth shut and do as he was told. He was worried though.

He managed to remember to throw his clothes in the drier though before they left.

When they went up to the garage they found that Gwen had wedged an ancient filing cabinet under the roll down door then wedged a hammer into the latch at the bottom so that the sensors thought the door was closed. 'Shall we leave it like that?' Owen asked.

'Can't see why not for now. We need as much fresh air as we can get and this is the easiest way to do it.'

'Right,' Owen said, 'I think you should drive this time. Good practise for you.'

Ianto gave him a look because he knew it was expected. 'You know where this place is, this magic spring?' The outer door rolled down behind them as they turned into the street.

'Yeah, I picked him up there yesterday morning?'

'Were you going to tell me about his nightmares?'

'No. Of course not. Patient doctor confidentiality.'

'Bullshit. Jack is hardly your patient. Not really. You're not here to be his doctor, that isn't your job.'

'Of course it is. Jesus Ianto if there was something wrong with you I'd look after you and I wouldn't tell Jack or any of the others either. I'm a doctor. It's what I am first and foremost. I can't not be a doctor. Just because I autopsy bloody aliens and dead things doesn't mean I can't look after living people.' He gave a small gasp as Ianto took a corner fast and bumped him against the door. 'Can we give it a rest for now. I'm not in the mood.'

'Sorry.' He looked across to where Owen was hunched in his seat. 'Look Owen, don't take this the wrong way, but you ought to be in hospital yourself. You look like shit.'

Owen blazed at him. 'I fucking know that okay. I know.' He sighed. 'When we've got Jack and I've got back and seen Tosh, then yes, maybe I'll take myself off to Emergency and let them have a go at me. It will be a bit hard to explain why it's taken me so long to get seen, but yes I know I need more help than what I can do for myself.' Miserably he held his bandaged hands up. 'I've got full thickness burns on my left hand with I don't know how much nerve damage to go with it. I've got nearly as much damage on the right. And now I think the whole lot is infected because I feel like crap. I'll be lucky if I get any use back in my left hand at all and I really don't know if I'll be out of hospital before next Christmas. So yes Ianto, I fucking know.

'And you know what,' he rounded on him, 'all I can think of is Tosh.' He held up his hands, 'this is a level of pain like you wouldn't believe and she's got this and it's not just her hands it's her face. Her face. I can't believe feeling like this over my face. Do you get that. She's going to have scars on her face. For the rest of her life.' Owen was crying now. 'And bloody Jack,' he said softly as Ianto looked at him appalled. 'With his fucking accelerated healing, by the end of the week he'll be completely recovered. He'll be fine. Yet here I am, out looking for the fucker, whose fault this all is by the way, instead of being with Toshiko who is never going to be all right again.' He turned and stared out the window, breathing hard.

Ianto didn't know what to do, what to say. He'd been so wrapped up in looking after Jack he hadn't thought. He had done it because he wanted to help but it had still seemed a bit of fun to trick Owen with the sedation. He knew he was hurt and that his hands were bad, the implications however, for him and especially for Tosh just hadn't sunk in. 'Owen, I am so sorry.'

'Of course you are.' Owen's voice was choked. 'But it doesn't help. Does it?' He sat up a bit. 'It's just up there somewhere. Take that road off the roundabout and head up the hill.'

'I'll take you straight to the hospital after we've picked up Jack.'

'Thanks.'

They pulled up at a turning bay by a white picket fence. On the other side of fence was a playground. Sitting on a swing was Jack. Spreading his arms wide as if to say look at me, he had a huge beaming smile on his face. 'Will you fucking look at that,' said Owen bitterly. 'His fucking accelerated healing's set in and he's bloody cured.'

There was a messy pile of dressings and bandages on the ground beside him and the right side of his face showed fresh pink newly healed skin. 'Ianto,' Jack said, reaching out for them. The inflection on his name made Ianto weak at the knees. 'Owen.'

It obviously didn't have the same effect on Owen. 'Sometimes I just want to punch those perfect teeth in,' he growled as they walked towards him

'I knew you'd come. Come here,' Jack took Ianto's hand, reached out for Owen, put an arm around him. 'I have something wonderful to show you.' He was positively euphoric. Ianto realised why he looked a little odd. His skin might have healed but he was missing his right eyebrow, it didn't appear to have regenerated. It was definitely a strange look.

'Jack, why are you wet?' Ianto asked. 'You're soaking.'

'Come here,' he gave an excited smile and led them up the hill and into the trees. Owen rolled his eyes at Ianto behind Jack's back. Ianto felt a frisson of … something as they entered the dark wood. He could feel something here in this place. Something odd. A runnel of water trickled out of a small dark pool. Jack dropped to his knees and pulled Ianto down beside him onto the muddy ground. Reverently he placed his hand, his cured hand Ianto noticed now, into the water. Then he reached up and traced water across Ianto's forehead, ran the water down his nose, touched his chin and then placed his wet palm on his bruised cheek.

Ianto's eyes widened with surprise. The water was cool on his forehead and nose, but on his cheek, under Jack's hand it seemed to fizz. The feeling moved in, caressed his cheek, spread through the bone, and then was gone.

He gave a gasp. Jack moved his hand away, gave him that smile again and he reached his own hand up to feel. There was no pain. He pressed the cheek bone, felt across his face, pressed it hard, but there was no pain. The bruise was gone. 'What?'

Jack was grinning. 'It's a magic spring. There is rift energy here, well I think it's the rift, but it's a good energy. And … it heals!'

Owen suddenly sat down. 'You're joking.' He looked scared.

'Here,' Jack addressed him gently. 'Come closer.'

Owen inched closer. He was pale.

'It's all right.' Jack said. 'You'll be all right.'

'What if it doesn't work for me? I don't believe in witchcraft and stuff like that.'

'It will. Here.' Jack placed his hand back in the water, anointed Owen with what looked to Ianto something awfully like the sign of the cross. 'Feel it Owen. Can you feel it?' Owen was making the panting noise that he made when seriously stressed. He was white. He gave a brief nod. Jack took his right wrist and lowered the bandaged hand into the pool.

'Ohhh.' He was still panting. His eyes shut. 'Ohh God. Oh God' Jack held on to him. He was trembling violently.

He suddenly sat back, lifting his hand up, the soggy bandages falling off as he flexed his fingers. A look of wonder spread across his face. 'My God, it worked. It worked.' he looked at Jack. 'My other hand?'

Jack's smile was so wide it nearly split his face. 'Go ahead. It will work.'

Kneeling Owen placed his other hand in the dark water. He gave a sob. Jack knelt behind him and wrapped his arms around him as he started to cry.

Ten minutes later they were back in the SUV, the engine on and the heater going. Owen's tear stained face was split by a wide mouthed smile. He and Jack were in the front huddled over the heating vents. They were both wet and cold and euphorically happy. Jack in particular was drenched, he'd needed to bathe wounds over most of his body. That ancient cardigan was wringing wet, and everything seemed hilariously funny. Ianto felt an unfamiliar joy bursting out of him. They were well. They were healed. Everyone would be okay. Owen sat there flexing his fingers, looking at the pink new skin. 'So now,' he said, 'we have to bust Tosh out of hospital.'

They dropped Owen at the hospital. His job was to rendezvous with Gwen and find out routines, routes and other information necessary to decide on the best way to steal Toshiko away. Jack and Ianto went back to the Hub. They needed to work on the cover up and, they'd had a heated argument about it, keeping their options open just in case it didn't work and they needed to get her back in to care.

Jack could not believe that Ianto could even entertain the idea that the spring might not work its magic again. 'Look at me,' he said, getting right in Ianto's face. 'Christ look at me Yan. You know what I was like this morning. I'm healed for Christ sake.'

Ianto was trying to work his way through the hospital computer system and really didn't need a hyped up Jack in his face. 'That's as may be sir, but you do have accelerated healing and that may have had some influence on the matter.'

'What about Owen?' Jack wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled into his neck. He caressed his check. 'What about you?'

'I know sir. It seems pretty conclusive but I just want to be sure that we don't burn out boats before we've actually seen the proof of the pudding, to mix metaphors.' He removed the hand that was fondling his crotch. 'Please don't do that Jack.'

'Come on Yan.' God that voice. It was all he could do not to press back against him. He turned. 'Let's just wait until Tosh is well again too then shall we. Then we can relax. Okay?'

'God,' Jack gave a frustrated moan. The hands on his hips tried to pull him closer. 'I feel so… zingy. Please? Just a quick one?'

'Zingy?' He slapped the hand. 'I said don't do that.'

'Come on. I need a shower, come with me.'

'Sorry Jack,' he looked at his lopsided face. 'You go do what you need to do. I need to work. But after,' he leant in and kissed the missing eyebrow, 'When Tosh is feeling zingy too, I promise I'll make it up to you.'

When Jack emerged from his shower he still had a shit eating grin on his face but he could at least keep his hands to himself.

'Owen called,' Ianto told him. 'He's given me a list of things he wants in his kit to keep Tosh comfortable until we can get her to the spring.' And in case it doesn't work was the thought that had been in both their minds. He handed Jack the list. 'Can you sort it please? Owen says we need to be ready about 8.30. There is a lull then after they've settled people for the night but before they start two hourly cares at ten.'

'Okay.' Jack leant in and gave him a gentle kiss. 'Thank you.'

'What for?'

'For caring.'

Ianto blushed. 'Did you … erm… you know?' He waved his hands vaguely in the direction of Jack's crotch.

Jack laughed, suggestively grabbing his package. 'Yeah, I did. Sorry lover but I just couldn't wait.'

'That's all right. If you're so "zingy" I'm sure you'll manage again later.'

'Oh yeah!'

Breaking Tosh out went ridiculously smoothly. Owen had prepped her as soon as the nurses left her for the night. He removed her IV, medicated and sedated her to minimise the discomfort of movement. Gwen distracted the nurse on the desk allowing Jack to slip into the room. He was quite discomforted to see her face completely covered with a soft mask like bandage. It was some how much more gruesome than his own half covered face had been. He said hello quietly. She couldn't speak easily but she knew he was there, he could tell from her pain filled eyes. Jack checked with her, had Owen explained? Did she want to go with them?

'Yes,' she managed to say.

Owen and Jack lifted her onto a gurney and wheeled her out and into the service lift. Ianto was waiting with the SUV at the loading bay. A hospital at that time of night was a quiet place.

They carried her out and Owen climbed in the back of the car with her. She was making small noises of distress and Owen gently tried to soothe her.

As soon as Jack shut the car doors Ianto was pulling away, heading for the hill and the magic spring. He drove incredibly gently. Gwen followed in her car.

When they pulled into the turnaround at the top of the hill they got a surprise. There were lights flickering under the trees. There was someone here. 'Shit,' the three men said unanimously. 'Wait here,' Jack said sliding out of the car. 'I'll go see what's happening.'

He made his way silently up towards the lights. There was a quiet chanting coming from inside the copse. Moving bodies threw strange shadows on the trees as he got close enough to see a path of candles laid along the ground. A group of people, women, he counted thirteen of them were moving in a circle, stepping slowly anticlockwise in time to their chant. 'Oh bloody hell, it's a witches' convention.'

Suddenly the chanting stopped. The path of candles ran alongside the little creek, ending in a tear drop shape that encompassed the pool. Coming along the path towards him as if she had been expecting him was a middle aged woman in flowing robes. As she got closer it came as no surprise to recognise the "witch" from the café at the bottom of the hill. He could also see enough to tell that her robes were made from bed sheets.

He held up his hands. 'I'm sorry,' he apologised. 'I didn't mean to disturb you.' He had to get rid of them. He couldn't keep Tosh waiting.

The woman picked up a candle and held it up examining him. 'Oh,' she said, 'it's you.' She reached up a hand and ran a finger across the tender new skin of his jaw. 'It has already worked for you, I can see that. So why are you here now?'

'I was healed,' he said. She obviously knew that. 'Why are you here?'

'We…' she seemed a little confused in how to explain herself. Jack knew that feeling. How to explain what to most people was unexplainable. 'We knew someone had used the spring for healing. We were… surprised. Most people who find the spring need a little … help… in making it work.' She held the candle closer to his face and he feared for his other eyebrow. She smiled at him. 'You are a strange one aren't you? I felt that when I met you the other day. But you weren't injured then?'

'Not physically, no.'

'Why are you here now?'

'My friend, my colleague, she got burnt too. I've brought her here to heal her.'

'You're very arrogant to think the spring will heal just because you want it to.'

'You mean it won't?' he asked with a shot of panic.

'I didn't say that. The lady of the water doesn't always share her services. She chooses who to help.'

'I didn't know that,' Jack said thinking frantically, 'but I can feel her here. How can I know if she will help my friend?'

'Has she been of service to you?'

'Immensely.'

'And you can feel her?'

'I feel something here. A sense of calm and peace. And a clarity. Of mind,' he added.

She placed the palm of her hand over the fresh tingly new skin on his face, cupping his jaw. Her hand was cool and dry. Jack felt something stir deep in his mind. The panic, fear and pain of the last few days rushed past his consciousness and he gasped, would have fallen except for her other hand firmly holding his arm. Then it was gone, replaced with a strange lightness and a feeling of well being.

She held him a moment more, both hands firm on his arms until he was steady again, then she stepped back leaving him feeling bereft. She smiled a little sadly. 'You really are different.' She moved backward away from him along the lighted path. 'Bring your friend.'

Jack bounded back down the track to the car park. Gwen's car was only just pulling to a stop. He'd been gone moments, no longer. 'Bring Tosh,' he yelled to Owen. 'They're the keepers of the spirit of this place. They'll help us.'

Owen carried her while the others flanked him in formation, Jack at his right, Gwen on his left and Ianto in his place beside Jack. As they entered the trees the women came forward and took Tosh from Owen's arms. He looked wide eyed at Jack who nodded, he handed her over. Heavily sedated she barely stirred.

The chant grew in volume, became a sound that included the wind, the moon, the women and the water of the spring. Jack found himself visualising water flowing clear and pure through the earth, the veins of the earth, whirling and swirling, collecting the energy of the stones and of the earth herself. Ianto's hand found its way into his.

Tosh was laid gently on a bed of fallen leaves, as the women danced and weaved - complicated patterns of birth and death and renewal sung to the night and the trees. The peaty smell of the forest invaded his head to be washed away by crystal water as the leading lady took up the cup and dipped it in the spring. Jack found himself along with his team and the twelve women in a circle. In the centre of the circle was the spring and Tosh on the ground beside it. The cup was held to his lips and he drank before it was offered to Owen and Gwen and around the circle of women and back to Ianto at his side. The chanting increased in tempo invoking circles and spirals reaching out through the galaxy as the head woman dipped the cup again and this time poured the water over Tosh. The woman danced and dipped and whorled and poured water, over and over, dipping, and pouring, dancing and calling and suddenly Tosh sat up.

Jack gasped, realised they all did, all of the people there. The spell was broken and Tosh was ripping at her bandages, Owen was racing to her, the women were babbling in joy and he was left reeling, the stars of the far galaxy still seeming exceedingly close. He grasped onto the only sure and constant thing in the maelstrom, Ianto's hand.

'Tosh,' Owen was calling. 'Tosh, are you all right? Are you healed? Has it gone?'

Gwen fell on her, wrapped her in her arms. 'I'm all right,' Tosh said in wonder. 'My God. I'm all right. The burns are gone.'

Jack watched it, heard them as if they were behind a glass wall, part of a different reality. Held on to Ianto and felt his wonder and his love for him and suddenly it was as though he were reviving from a death. He felt his heart kick start, the gasp as his lungs filled, and suddenly he were connected with the world again. He grip tightened on Ianto's hand and Ianto turned to face him, tears running down his face. 'It worked Jack.' He threw his arms around him. 'Oh thank God. It worked.'