Torchwood: Divergence
Book One: Dychwelyd
Chapter 33
Gwen came back into the Hub from the Vaults on the run, immediately heading for the Autopsy Lab.
"What happened?" she demanded breathlessly, looking around the workstation area when she discovered that the team medic was alone with Blowfish corpse A in the bay doing drug analysis before the autopsy. "Turlough said you found Ianto in the throes of a nervous breakdown at the place in Tretarri. That he was in shock by the time you got back here."
"That about sums it up," Martha shrugged. "He's been pushing himself way too hard for weeks, then there was the row with Jack the other day. Now he's got himself convinced that what happened with the Goldfish Gang here is his fault, that he messed up and was afraid he'd lost Jack because of it."
"Oh, no..." Cooper groaned, leaning heavily against the railing of the observation deck. "Please tell me he didn't hurt himself over this. God... I knew we shouldn't have let him stay on his own."
"The only injuries he has are from the Exorcist impersonator here, though I never got the chance to properly clean and dress them," Martha reassured with a slight frown. "Do you realise how much power it takes to break one these stinker's necks, let alone twist the head around backward? Anyway, Jack's in the bedroom with him. He's going to try to get him to talk about what's bothering him, clean up, get his head down for a bit. I told him that Ianto needs at least a couple days of just being his old self around the base, no going out on alerts, comms only if no-one else is available. He's never taken any time to get his wind back and really adjust after learning the details of what the Scieron did to him, so he's just been running himself into the ground since. I flat out told Jack that they need to get out of this place for a while tonight. Just the two of them, someplace away from Torchwood."
"Yes," Gwen agreed whole heartedly, a smile returning to her face. "And I have the perfect idea for that."
The green-eyed brunette pulled out her mobile and hit a speed dial, starting to pace along the observation platform as Martha went back to her sample taking from the corpse on the exam table.
"Hey, sweetheart, how's your day?" Cooper began cheerfully. "Is Eb being a good girl? Yeah? Oh, I see... not a mushy pea fan either then."
She was quiet for a minute, obviously listening to whatever her husband was saying. The former PC laughed, green eyes shining.
"Still running us off out feet," she sighed, making a face. "Maybe a split shift tonight. Listen, Rhys, I need you to do me a favour. Knock off a little early if you can and swing by that swank Bed and Breakfast my parents sent us to last year for our Anniversary. If they have a room available for tonight, tell them you're helping a couple of friends get their relationship back on track and reserve it under Captain Jack Harkness."
The raven-haired woman went quiet for a span, frowning pensively. Then her smile reappeared and she made kissing noises into the phone.
"You are so brilliant," Gwen grinned. "Yeah... poor Ianto's really had a tough few weeks and needs to not see the inside of Torchwood for a while. Martha's orders. Thanks, you're a darling. Just send the confirmation to my mobile and I'll print it for them. Might be a there and gone night to cover, but I'll do my best to at least be home for tea. Kiss Ebrill for me… Love you too."
She disconnected the call and turned to look down at the young woman in the Lab.
"Dinner, overnight and breakfast," Cooper announced proudly, then giggled. "Rhys e-mailed them, asked if he could set up a retreat for two friends needing some special alone time, told them 'our boys' were working past a rough patch. The B and B replied to say they had the main suite open till the day after tomorrow and booked a one-nighter for Jack and Ianto, even promised a few extra touches to cosy it up for them."
"Perfect," Martha beamed. "Well done, Gwen."
"Well done, Rhys," the other woman crowed, gleefully waving her mobile when it beeped to alert her to the reservation coming over from her husband.
She hurried over to her workstation to download the document and print it out. Yes, it was kind of pricey, but it was for her friends... her family. It was worth every penny.
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AN: Gwen and Rhys, looking out for the boys…
As this chapter and the next are fairly short, I'll post them both for you today.
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM
