Torchwood: Divergence
Book One: Dychwelyd

Chapter 49

Jack took the invisible lift up to the walkway around the water tower, knowing Ianto was out in the Oval Basin waiting for him. It was chillier than usual for the end of October, but there was a new moon and no chance of rain, so he'd decided they'd go up to the roof of the Millennium Centre and watch all the lights come on across Cardiff. Twilight was falling, so they were going to head up before night actually claimed the city. Ianto had been feeling almost back to normal so he'd gone to buy some "acceptable" takeaway coffee and sandwiches for the outing, since the Captain had already gone earlier in the day to stash cushions and blankets on the far end of the appropriate maintenance gantry inside the building. They were meeting on the Roald Dahl Plass stairs closest to the building in question before making the climb to the metal tiled roof, both looking forward to the date.

Harkness was just preparing to step off the perception filter hidden paver, when he saw a woman in a pink pea coat cautiously approaching his partner from one side where he sat at the bottom of the risers with a small picnic hamper. She loudly called the twenty-six-year-old's name, and he jumped to his feet as though stung, whirling to face her. Even from a distance in dim light, the former Time Agent could see all of the colour drain from Ianto's face as he took a stumbling step back. The woman rushed toward him, cornering him against the stair rail, the young Welshman starting to tremble and hyperventilate.

Jack broke into a run, recognising the symptoms of a serious, full blown panic attack and fearing for his companion's well-being after the morning he'd had. He could hear the woman's words more clearly the closer he came and quickly realised what was wrong.

"Ianto!" the slightly heavy-set brunette called out, her voice edged with both shock and anger. "They told me you were dead, you selfish little prick. What the hell is going on?"

Ianto couldn't manage to force a sound from his throat, total panic setting in to scramble his thoughts and narrow his vision to a tiny tunnel. His chest hurt, his heart was pounding and he couldn't seem to take in more than small painful gasps of air. He knew too well what was happening, wanted to cry out for Jack, desperately needing the man to help him with this unpleasant surprise. But his body refused to obey him, all his muscles starting to tighten and jerk as his still hypersensitive nervous system rebelled against the intensity of his emotions.

"Ianto," Harkness made it to the younger immortal's side, just as he crashed to his knees on the concrete and his back arched as he started to go into a seizure. "It's okay, I'm here... try to relax... breathe... We'll get this sorted, I promise."

"Who the hell are you?" the cause of the problem demanded, obviously startled and distressed by her sibling's reaction but still irritated as well.

"Captain Jack Harkness," the American stated evenly, easing his partner down to lie on his side and holding him close as the convulsions ran their course. "Pardon me for not shaking hands. You must be Rhiannon Davies."

"I'm his sister," Rhiannon snapped, pointing almost accusingly at the Welshman who was slowly coming out of his panic induced seizure.

"And I'm his boss," Jack countered coldly, wanting to be sympathetic but finding the pink coat clad woman's attitude more than a little off-putting. "Among other things. We need to talk, but I want him settled and able to rest first."

Suddenly Martha appeared on the run from the direction of Mermaid Quay, her emergency kit in her hand. The rest of the team had apparently seen what was happening on the CCTV and decided back up was in order.

"Sorry," she called worriedly. "I only left him for a moment."

"Now who's this?" Rhiannon all but shouted, glaring at the young black woman who moved to check Ianto's pulse and ability to focus.

"Doctor Martha Jones, this is Ianto's sister, Rhiannon Davies," Harkness said by way of introduction. "Doctor Jones is our group's in-house physician and recently assumed your brother's care at my request."

"He's really shocky," Martha murmured with a frown. "This hit him hard. We need to get him in out of the cold... think you can carry him down to the Tourist kiosk? It doesn't close for another half hour, and I think they may have and emergency cot in the back room."

"I'll manage," Jack nodded, shifting his grip on the semi-conscious Welshman in his arms and letting Martha help him stand up cradling his lover against his chest so the nearby walking illustration of Sod's Law in a pink coat wouldn't suspect the young man's drastic weight change. "Can you grab our basket?"

"I want answers!" Rhiannon demanded, worry for her sibling now obvious in her eyes and voice. "What's wrong with him? Why did the Government say he was dead if he's not? Is that why they refused to let us have his body?"

"Come with us," Martha urged. "I'll try to stabilize him and hopefully the Captain can answer some of your questions."

As a group they made their way down to the Quay, drawing a few curious glances from passers-by as they went. Ianto was a little more aware, hiding his face against his partner's neck and shoulder as the older man carried him along.

"I'm scared..." he whispered shakily, a constant trembling setting into his limbs. "So stupid... I didn't... didn't think I'd ever run into..."

"Hush," Harkness murmured comfortingly. "I told you, we'll get this sorted. As long as Martha and Lois follow my lead, we'll be fine. Just try to relax. We've had a busy week, you're still recovering from taking on that berserker Arcturian Death Hound this morning, and now an unexpected family reunion. Your Faery Shadow Mother told you that high stress and emotional extremes would fry your nervous system for the first year or so while you acclimate to all the changes such an incredibly high Scieron cell concentration causes. So far you've been doing great as long as I'm not an arse and winding you up, but you've got a lot to deal with right now. Relax."

"I can't..." Ianto hissed miserably as they arrived at the TIC. "Everything hurts again... I can't think... I can't... I can't breathe..."

"Inside, now," Jack snapped, feeling all the younger man's muscles starting to tighten once more even as he desperately tried to take deeper breaths.

Martha held the door so their leader could get their ill friend inside, Lois coming out of the back with a smile that quickly vanished.

"Is everything all right?" Habiba asked wide-eyed. "Do you folks need me to call an Ambulance?"

"No," the Captain denied quickly, his own heart beginning to race as the Changeling in his arms started to gasp in prelude to another seizure. "Emergency cot?"

"Right through here," the young black woman behind the counter nodded, holding aside the bamboo and bead curtain to the back room.

The American hurried through the doorway but didn't quite make it to the old army cot near the rear corner, before he had to stop and lower his partner to the floor where he could better mitigate the young Welshman's condition.

"Jack..." Ianto choked painfully, tears welling as he fought the darkness once more narrowing his vision.

Fear, confusion, and pain warred in Ianto's eyes as he desperately tried to stay focused on his lover, but the combination of his still healing injuries from the incident before dawn and all the bottled stress of the day in general proved to be too much. He cried out against the physical and emotional agony that suddenly cut through his body and mind, just as the seizure hit. The convulsions were worse this round, and Jack was hard pressed to keep the Scieron Guardian from doing himself any additional damage.

"Oh, God," a not yet familiar voice wept from the doorway. "What's wrong with my baby brother? How'd he get like this?"

Harkness ignored her, loosening his partner's tie in short tugs without relaxing his hold on the stricken twenty-six-year-old who continued to gasp and convulse in his arms.

"It's okay, buddy," he murmured, hoping his reassurances would somehow help. "I've got you... I won't let go. Just breathe... I'll make everything all right, I swear."

Ianto's back arched sharply one more time, then the seizure began to wane, but he now gurgled and choked, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. The internal bleeding from the crushing blow to the lower chest and abdomen he'd taken in the fight with the Hound had apparently recurred because of the back-to-back seizures. Jack quickly turned the young Welshman so he could cough up the fluid choking him, even as he struggled to pull off the brunette's coat in preparation for moving him to the nearby cot.

"Don't worry about the carpet," he said soothingly. "Go ahead and spit it out. We'll clean up later, yeah? There you go... all of it you can. Good... Now I'm gonna pick you up again."

The Captain pulled his now coatless companion into his arms once more and stood up, the movement wrenching an involuntary yelp of pain from the younger man.

"Sorry... sorry..." the former Time Agent whispered, settling his beloved on his side atop the cot and quickly retrieving his coat to cover him with as he began to shiver. "Just rest... close your eyes, try to take as deep of breaths as you can and relax... I'm right here."

Ianto struggled to get one hand from beneath the coat that covered him, shakily gripped the American's fingers in an obvious plea for comfort and reassurance. Jack responded by taking a hold of his partner's hand properly and sinking down to sit on the floor beside the low canvas cot.

"Martha, he needs some water," he called evenly. "Check the basket, there's probably a couple of bottles in it. And if we could find a chair for his sister? We're so sorry to impose like this."

Lois produced the chair from behind the desk, ushered Rhiannon into the back room with it and had the woman sit a short distance from the end of the cot. Martha appeared with the requested bottle of water, moved between the wall and the sleeping surface to check her ill friend's pulse and lift his head enough for him to sip some of the liquid. She met Jack's gaze, her eyes reflecting deep concern when she saw the blood drying on Ianto's mouth and the small puddle soaking into the Berber a few feet away.

"Can you call and let the others know our outing is cancelled and I'll be bringing him home as soon as he's stable?" the Captain asked pointedly, his gaze briefly flicking to the seated woman nearby. "Have the B67 ready just in case."

"Absolutely," the young doctor nodded, pulling out her mobile and stepping away to go out past the front desk.

"I think there's a blanket here under the counter," Lois offered. "Are you sure your friend doesn't need an Ambulance?"

"He just needs to have his head down for a bit," her boss replied, his eyes telling her she was doing a good job of playing helpful stranger. "The pretty lady out there on her mobile is his GP. But the blanket would still be great, thank you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience; I know you should be closing soon."

"It's not a problem, sir, honestly," Habiba insisted, fetching the army surplus wool blanket from its bag under the desk. "I just hope he starts feeling better. Can I get you or the lady some coffee or tea?"

"No, thank you," Rhiannon refused tightly, her gaze locked on the man who was sitting beside her brother and possessively holding his hand. "What I want is answers."

Harkness sighed inwardly and steeled himself for the conversation to come. Time to weave the civilian safe story he'd been working on in the event of this very occurrence. Time to see if he could give Ianto the family reunion he secretly desired... or would have to destroy that dream forever.

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AN: So… wasn't the Rift the mucked up the date this time. This is not going to be pretty…

Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM