A/N: Hey I'm back, by now you all know I don't understand the words regular or quickly, so I hope the chapter is good enough to make up for it :D Thank you so much for reviewing and being way understanding about my time issues the comments were awesome :D Hope you enjoy!
I still own nothing . . .*sniff*
PC Gwen Williams sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, her shift had started less than an hour ago and already she was one tension headache worse off, desk jockey nights sucked.
Raking her fingers through her let out hair Gwen focused once more on her most current aggravation "You want me to what?"
"I need green lights Williams, green!"
"Look Jack I know you think the world revolves solely around you but I can't just bend the whole of Cardiff's traffic to your whims. Not even if I wanted to, which I don't."
"Fine, then prep the emergency services Williams because I will not slow regardless of what I encounter." The line went dead and for a moment Gwen was stunned she'd thought Harkness was off on one of his 'holier than thou' acts, she'd expected an argument, a tantrum at the very least. In hindsight Gwen wondered why she'd ever thought it folly, Jacks words had been short and steely, he was deadly serious. "Shit" Gwen breathed, this better be life or death, "SARGE! Sarge I need an all green west bound on the A4232 and the local emergency services on standby."
Xxx
Jack almost growled in frustration and he threw down the mobile he'd just been using, "Owen!"
"He's still breathing, pulse is weak but steady. He's lost a lot of blood all I can do is patch it and try and prevent him losing more. He needs to be at the house Jack."
"I'm working on it." Jack ground out, hands clenching tighter at the steering wheel, knuckles white. He could only prey Gwen was good at her job as he levelled the accelerator to the floor.
Xxx
Ten minutes and one possibly broken land speed record later Jack was helping Owen haul the limp body from the back of the SUV. Tosh had run in front to prep the 'medical bay' broken from the haunted silence that held her in the car. Jack knew she believed this to be her fault, he'd have to talk to her later, regardless of her decision there'd have always been one body on the table tonight, and at least she'd prevented it being the doctor.
Xxx
Twenty minutes down the line found Jack pacing the kitchen, if he'd been in the mood to find things funny he'd have smirked at the concerned partner act.
He'd been booted from the 'medical bay' almost as soon as Ianto's head had hit the gurney. Jack's only medical understanding was the slapdash temporary fix taught in war, he didn't understand proper medical procedure, couldn't grasp the sometimes 'worse to make it better' aspect of long term healing. As a result he hindered Owen or at the very best severely wound him up, Jack was best left outside. Unfortunately Jack hated waiting.
Xxx
Ah hour or so later saw Owen emerge from his 'clean room', he looked tired and drawn. Jack, who had finally sat down, kicked out a chair toward him.
"Thanks" Owen placed himself down carefully and rolled his shoulders, left hand coming up to wipe his brow and squeeze at his temples. The room was still, Jack held his breath waiting on Owen's answer. "He's fine. Weak and definitely unconscious for the next couple of hours, but fine. He lost a lot of blood, I've given him a transfusion to sustain him till he starts regenerating some of his own, but I need him to stay on a saline drip because he's been out for so long. He needs to rest that shoulder, I've stitched him up but those teeth tore muscle and there's nothing we can give that but time. You need to suspend the drop Jack, unless they want him back half dead."
Jack had stopped listening around about 'he's fine' but mention of the drop brought him up quick, "Honestly? I doubt they'd care."
Xxx
Ianto's head felt like it had split open right down the middle, there was a deep pounding just above his left eye like someone was jamming a chisel into his brain with a hammer. His mouth was dry and his tongue felt like a wad of sand paper, an attempt at swallowing only revealed a raw burning further down his throat.
A panicked jolt sent a fresh wave of teeth gritting pain through him while simultaneously curing his fears for the rest of his body. The pain centred in his left shoulder telling him that the weevil had not managed to do any more damage than its first bite, or at least not anything worse, and the fact that the pain had been caused by movement told him his shoulder wound had not become a spinal one.
Ianto's painful revelation had prised a small shout from his lips, not a word just a small exclamation of vulnerability, but it was enough to wake the sleeping figure to his right.
Xxx
Tosh had been sat in that chair since the moment Owen had stopped sewing Ianto back together. She'd been there for five hours now and she couldn't bring herself to move. She felt that if she was the reason that Ianto was there lying silent on the gurney then the very least she could do was be there for him when he finally came round.
Jack had been in of course to check on her but ultimately to check on Ianto. Tosh hadn't had to look very hard to see the sheer relief Jack felt at Ianto's recovery. He'd told her that it wasn't her fault, that in fact she'd done them all a favour; her actions had saved Owen so he could save Ianto. His reasoning was perfect and as usual a little blunt and never sugar coated but it was better for Tosh that way. She could see the logic; if Owen had ended up on that table he'd probably be dead. It helped more than sweet words and promises that it wasn't her fault, but it wasn't enough to move her from the seat.
Xxx
At Ianto's yelp Tosh sprang from the daydream she'd let herself wonder into, "Ianto? Ianto you're alright, you're okay." Tosh kept her voice low and gentle she had no wish to startle Ianto further, as she spoke she grabbed the young man's hand, absently stroking his palm with her thumb as she tried to catch his eye. When the bright blue orbs finally settled on her they lost their glassy appearance, his mouth moved and she watched his throat work trying to voice a sentence.
"Hang on; let me get you some water." She shifted her body to reach behind her and grasp the glass of water Owen had brought in about half an hour ago. As she turned back she saw Ianto try to sit up, he winced in protest before Tosh managed to push against his right side to halt the movement, "Ianto, no, Owen stitched you up but you need to rest, your shoulder isn't going to take any weight anytime soon." She helped him easy his upper body flat against the bed once more. "Here take a sip of this."
As she helped Ianto drink Tosh explained that they were back at the house, the extent of Ianto's injury and that Owen thought it best not to move him for a while, that he wanted to postpone the drop. Ianto stayed quiet though out it all nodding along to what was said, when she'd finished talking Tosh hovered ,unsure of what to say but unwilling to leave she contented herself with fluffing his pillows and re-tucking his blankets.
"Tosh" Ianto managed to croak, "Tosh thank you." His voice held sincerity and that appeared to be all Tosh needed, her whole body slumped as the weight of her guilt was lifted from her shoulders, her relief made Ianto smile "I'm fine, I just need rest and I think you could do with some too." She looked up at him then and smiled but remained hovering round his bed, "Tosh honestly I'm fine." There was a smile in his voice now, one that matched the smile on Tosh's face.
"It's not that." She paused "You came back." Ianto saw her smile widen before she flew out the door, leaving him too stunned to make any sort of reply.
Xxx
Two hours, four visits from a surly Owen and half a dozen bouts of unconsciousness later and Ianto finally caught Jack in his room.
He'd seen the man hovering in the doorway several times, at first his voice had been too weak to call out and later when Jack hadn't made his own unprompted way forward Ianto wasn't sure he wanted to call out.
Now however the point was moot as Ianto found the man dozing in the chair that Tosh had been sat in. Sleep wiped the years from Jack's face and Ianto felt his own smile in response, the older man's face was strong and beautiful, even when in had been creased in worry, even when Ianto had been sure it was the last thing he'd see. Now without the years and thoughts lining it Ianto found himself a little bit entranced.
With great reluctance Ianto drew his eyes away and stared at his thumbs, Tosh had shocked him earlier with her casual mention of the drop; honestly he'd kind of forgotten all about it, all about Jacks offer and all about his own refusal. Tosh had shocked him again with her reaction to his return, not that he'd had half a chance to leg it, but she'd seem genuinely happy and he had to admit it was nice, nice that just once someone actually cared.
Ianto knew why he hadn't run first, because despite what some had said he was a decent human being, Yvonne hadn't robbed him of that, and he couldn't have spilt knowing he left them in danger, besides Owen had started to grow on him.
Tosh hadn't run either. He recalled her UNIT story; he knew her position had been exactly the same as his own. Yes she had several years' comradeship with Jack over him and a lot more emotional connection, but it didn't matter 'because all that meant is that she'd stayed long enough to make one. Long enough that being left alone in the SUV was no longer a temptation to run, long enough that Jack trusted her with temptation in the first place.
And Owen, well Owen had run head first into danger with Jack and he owed the man nothing, in fact by his account it was Jack that owed him, around £150 and one girls life to be precise. But Owen had gone with Jack anyway and by their talk he'd known just how much trouble those weevils could be.
Ianto could understand it now, the offer that Jack made, the reason Tosh and Owen stayed. Jack was a good guy, a god dammed all American hero, with built in wind in the hair and billowy cape action.
Ianto couldn't stand by his argument anymore. When he had known that neither option was freedom his argument was valid, with Jack he would have got comfortable given up trying to escape and that didn't sit well with him; he'd rather fight for it forever than just give up on it. But now, now Ianto saw that Jack did mean freedom, sure it wasn't pure 'whatever the hell I want' freedom and it had to be earned but it also came with added extras like family and a reason to just stop running.
Ianto heard the rustling next to him and turned just in time to see Jack wake, the older man turned to Ianto and visibly started at seeing the boy conscious, "Ianto?" he stuttered slightly and shook the last dregs of sleep from his mind, "I, um" he cleared his throat "I'll just get you some water." And with that he stood awkwardly and hurried toward the door.
Ianto watched him leave for a moment and just before Jack reached the door way he called out "Jack?" the older man stopped and turned to look at him "Jack I . . ." Ianto took a breath "I want to stay."
A/N: Yay! Another chapter bites the dust! Ha ha :D hope you guys enjoyed because honestly I didn't like this one till about the third read through, but now I am happy. Please tell me what you think 'cause honestly so far your reviews have made week every time! love you guys :D