Owen headed to the medical bay. Jack was sat by Ianto, head rested on the younger man's chest. Owen sat on the table Ianto was laying on. "Jack, I...it's been days." This was like when Jack died after Abaddon. Jack was doing a perfect impression of Gwen.

"I know." Jack's voice was horse and broken. Owen barely recognized it.

"You...you say he'll definitely die?" Owen asked. Jack lifted his head, looking at Owen finally.

"He will."

"How long has he got?" Jack sighed.

"48 hours."

"How do you know?"

"I...I've lost 5 people to this before. 48 hours is the average." Owen remembered what the Doctor had told him – keep him talking. Then gently lead him away from Ianto. Then give him the sedative and we'll operate. "I feel so helpless, Owen." Jack said. Understandable as you're not doing anything to help, Owen thought, but decided to keep him mouth shut. He needed Jack on his side right now. "I want to help him," Jack continued. "But I just can't stand the thought of him as a guinea pig, y'know?" Owen nodded. That he could understand. Why hadn't Jack put it like that before? A sudden image of a rodent in a suit flashed into Owen's head, making him snigger. He turned the laugh into a cough.

"But Jack, the Doctor only wanted to help." Owen said, gently. God, he thought, he was clearly taking this whole comfort thing too seriously. "Jack, are you just gunna sit here, waiting?" Jack ignored him, stroking Ianto's arm gently. Owen saw a golden opportunity, and decided to seize it. "Jack?" Jack looked up at the medic.

"What is it, Owen? What do you want?"

"I just thought, you gunna let him just lie there in manky, bloody clothes?" Jack looked confused.

"What choice do I have?" He asked, bitterly.

"Didn't Ianto keep a spare outfit down by the shower room?" Jack faltered, slightly, but then grinned.

"You beauty!" Jack stood up." I don't want to leave him, even this time is precious. But I suppose you don't know the password to get into his locker, so you?" Owen shook his head.

"And you do?" Jack smiled.

"Oh yes. He really does tell me everything." He looked at the unconscious Welshman wistfully.

"Shame you didn't return the favour." Owen snarled. He didn't mean it to sound quite so aggressive, but he couldn't help it. Besides, it was true. Jack looked at Owen, but he couldn't see a single trace of resentment in the older man's eyes. Just helplessness, regret, self fury.

"This is all my fault, isn't it?" He whispered.

"Maybe," Owen replied. "But you don't deserve this."

"You think?" Jack asked.

"I know." Owen smiled. "C'mon. If Ianto was conscious right now, I bet he'd be dying to get out of those clothes!" Jack smiled, sadly.

"Yeah." He said. "Yeah, you're right."

*

Owen watched as Jack typed the password into the security-guarded lockers. Owen had always wondered why they were security locked. It wasn't like there was anything valuable, precious, sacred in there...well, Ianto might regard his suit as all of those things, but Owen was positive Ianto had millions. Jack slammed the locker closed, and a thought hit Owen like a tonne of bricks. He barely had any time left; he had to give Jack the sedative now.

Owen was just shoving his hand in his pocket to grab the sedative when Jack said something that made him stop. "The hardest part is accepting that it's really over. Letting him go." Owen didn't have to ask to know who he was talking about.

"Then don't accept it." The medic urged him. "Don't let it be over!" Owen was insistent. "Don't let him go. Fight for him!"

"I...I...I can't. It'll hurt too much when I loose him." Jack said, hanging his head.

"Wrong answer." Owen said, simply, bringing the sedative out of his pocket and clamping it over Jack's nose and mouth. "Don't say I don't warn you..."