Prompt from Hope: Strike Commander Jack Morrison is poisoned by Talon and the media is going crazy about it. Angela is just trying to save him and he nearly dies in the end but survives, tough.

….

"I don't care where it fucking came from! Just tell me what the bloody thing is!"

Gabe was pacing the meeting room angrily, peeking out of the window and growling at the sight of the media vultures outside. Angela and Moira both glanced at each other, before glancing at the isolation room, where Jack was lying.

"It's an old poison…" Moira eventually sighed, "… we have no files on it, so this I guesswork. Toxicology reports aren't giving us a definitive breakdown."

"That's helpful!"

"How's this for helpful…. It doesn't exactly look good Gabriel."

Before Gabe could lash out at Moria, Ana (who had been standing in the corner) spoke up. "Enough Gabriel… we know that the perpetrator is a known affiliate of Talon. We've gone through his online profile and it appears as though he's heavily religious, bordering on fanatic. Judging by this, it's probable that this poison may not have an antidote… he would have wanted to make sure Jack suffered for as long as possible."

"… I'm going to see him." Gabe whispered, clearly upset by this remark. "Ana, is there someway to get the media's attention off of us? Just until we have a plan of action?"

"Of course Gabriel… try and get some sleep as well."

…

It was Jack that he saw first. Jack was all that he could focus on.

It almost seemed like another Sunday morning, if it weren't for the visible agony Jack was in. His limbs contorted, twisted by spasms and shaking as he pressed himself back against the bed. Blood dripped steadily down his chin, oozing from the lip that he'd bitten through in his pair. His eyes were sunken back into their sockets…. And he looked terrified.

"You shouldn't be here Gabe…" Jack hissed, "… what-what if it's contagious?"

"I don't care." Gabe stepped forwards, reaching forwards and taking Jack's hand, hoping to give the man some comfort, "I'm not leaving Jackie."

Jack was silent for a few moments, before shuffling closer to Gabe, whining with the pain as he tried to get closer to his friend.

"Hang on…" Gabe whispered softly as Jack practically crumpled against him, "… You need to hang on so that the Brainiac's can save you."

…..

"Snake venom."

Moira turned to Angela and frowned, "What?"

"What if he used snake venom, which reacted with the other poisons to create this one? And that's why we can't identify an antidote with the symptoms that are being portrayed here?"

"…. I need another look at the samples we've got. If we can identify the snake, maybe the cure is only a few steps away."

…..

Jack was barely conscious now, his breathing still laboured, but thankfully not any worse than it had been.

"Gabe…" he whispered, voice barely audible.

"Don't talk Jack, please."

"… Sorry."

"Just… focus on remaining alive."

…

The daylight streaming in through the window made the Strike Commander look like he was already at deaths door, skin white and lips a horrible purple tinge in contrast to the red frothy blood now flowing freely from his nose. His breaths were getting shallower and shallower and Gabe feared that if he took his eyes off the man's chest, it would stop rising altogether.

"Come on Angela… come on!"

…

Less than two hours later, Jack needed an oxygen mask.

It wasn't helping much and the readings on the ECG were even worse, an irregular whining rhythm playing out across the monitor, the lines of the trace spiking and waving madly in ways that Gabe had never seen before.

….

"Puff Adder!" Moira called out in success, "It's Puff Adder venom!"

"Do you have the anti-venom?!"

"Always Angel, always!"

"Hurry then! I don't think Jack has long!"

…

"… Gabe?"

At the weak voice, Gabe shot to attention, beaming at the sight of Jack blinking weakly up at him.

"Hey…" he whispered gently, grabbing a cup of water that was by the bed, "Stay awake for me. You survived the worst poisoning attempt in the history of Overwatch, you're not going to die on me now from dehydration."

He passed the cup into Jack's unsteady hands and watched carefully as he took slow, steady sips.

"You think you can manage some toast or something?" he asked, once the water was half gone.

Jack shook his head weakly and Gabe didn't press the issue. Eating sucked during recovery times.

After just a couple more mouthfuls, Jack made a face and lowered the cup until it was resting on his knee, which Gabe quickly took off him.

"How are you feeling?"

"… I don't think the water is agreeing with me."

Gabe grimaced at this, "You need the bin?" He asked, not relishing the thought of the cleaners cleaning Jack's vomit from the floor.

"No… I don't think so."

"Alright…" He sat back down and put a hand tentatively on Jack's shoulder. He thought through his next words carefully, afraid of sounding too much like a mother hen… to hell with it, he was going to be a mother hen after a few days anyway, "… are you sure you're okay?"

"… How close did I come to dying?"

"Don't think about that Jackie."

"How. Close."

"…. Angela and Moira managed to give you the antidote before your airway closed up completely."

Jack winced, "That close huh?"

"Too damn close…" Gabe reached over and grabbed Jack's hand, "… don't you ever do that to me again Jackie. You understand?"

"Yeah… actively avoid being poisoned, I got it."

"Dumb punk."