Title: Mind Control

Author: Bendyfish

Summary: An artefact attaches itself to Ianto, changing the way he thinks, putting the team and Jack in danger. The artefact is a weapon used by an ancient race to eliminate its enemy by infecting the person's mind and thoughts. Oh and I'm sorry I've painted Owen as a grumpy person at first who uses Ianto for his personal maid but I really love Owen, he is a great character.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to Torchwood or the characters.

Time Setting – after "To The Last Man"

Chapter Twelve

Ianto exhaled loudly and then stopped breathing.

As Owen checked Ianto's vitals, the back of Ianto's neck begin to pulsate and twitch. Owen watched as a tendril pushed it way thru the skin like a seedling pushing its way out of the ground, only faster. Owen, upon seeing this brought the metal necklace closer to Ianto's neck. More tendrils worked their work out of the back of Ianto's neck. And finally the whole medallion-type thing flung itself out of Ianto and latched onto the necklace.
"Quickly Gwen, contain that in one of the force field containers" Owen said rapidly as he caught Ianto as he slid to the floor.

Gwen quickly scooped the bloodied artefact that was previously in Ianto in one of the container in the medical bay and closed the lid, not wanting to touch it.

Tosh hurriedly squatted down to Ianto, "Is he dead? Owen, is he dead? He's not breathing!" Tosh asked anxiously.

"Get him on his back" Owen demanded.

Owen jumped onto to Ianto's chest, ripping open his shirt and started CPR, "Get me the paddles" Owen shouted.

Gwen, who remembered this training from her policewoman days grabbed the kit and brought it down to where Owen was with Ianto on the autopsy/medical bay floor. Owen jumped off Ianto and quickly placed the paddles on Ianto's chest. "Don't touch him" Owen commanded. The defibrillator whirred and shot an electrical current into Ianto's heart. Nothing, the display showed no heart beat, again Owen demanded the girls stay clear of Ianto, and again Owen pressed the button to deliver another shot of electricity into Ianto's heart. The girls held their breaths, quietness evaded the Hub then the display beeped and beeped again, indicating Ianto's heart beat.

The girls exhaled a breath they didn't know that they were holding, looked at each other and smiled.

"You did it Owen" Tosh exclaimed.

"I don't know how many times this boy has been brought back from the brink of death, I think that his body has a life memory because that thing" Owen said indicting the artefact, "should have killed him"

"What now?" Gwen asked.

"Ianto is still not out of the woods" Owen replied "I'll need to check his vitals" Owen set about his work.

"What did UNIT have to say?" Gwen asked of Tosh.

"Now I know why Jack hates UNIT, they are as useful as tits on a bull" Tosh said venomously, Gwen looked at Tosh in shock at her statement, but understanding that she was frustrated by not being able to help release Jack from the de-moleculiser.

"But I'm not gonna give up, there must be a way, I will get Jack back, he is not in the main part of the container, his molecules are not scattered, he is in the holding section, another button needs to be pressed for Jack to be lost forever, so lucky that you and Owen came when you did, because then Jack's molecules would have been scattered and dispersed into the atmosphere" Tosh said determinedly.

"Oh" Gwen, for once didn't know what to say.

"Only problem is I haven't worked out what sequence is needed to release Jack, so he could be there for some time, and then I need to be sure how before I do anything or I could complete the process so either way, it's not a good outcome, wait and find a solution, or do something now and lose him forever" Tosh said sadly.

Author's Note: 'useful as tits on a bull" and Australian colloquialism, meaning having something on a device that serves no purpose. Sorry short chapter, next one will be longer.