"Martha is treating him now. He'll be fine; she'll have him better in no time!" He whispered but broke off when she coughed and yelped in pain. He did the infamous Eyebrow at her, with amusement sparkling in his eyes and said "But first I think we had better get you looked at as well!"
"You'll need to use special bandages when treating Sable so that they change shape and size when he changes form. They're in the third pocket down on the left side of my coat, along with a medical kit." She said it, and then they began to move as one towards the medical/autopsy bay. After a few stumbles, due to her impatience he picked her up in his arms and carried her bridal fashion to the platform around the bay. As soon as he stopped in order to catch his breath, she said "You can put me down here. I'm fine now!"
She again was the victim of the Eyebrow. He then looked over to Jack and motioned with his head for the older man to come to them. Jack looked at one then the other, and shook his head. Yet again the Eyebrow appeared, and immediately Jack began to ascend the stairs toward the pair. This caused Mel to chuckle, and then moan in pain as her bruised ribs protested.
She was handed over to Jack, who was much stronger than Ianto. She tensed as she had been handed over, but now that she felt safe once more, she relaxed. He carried her down the steps, followed closely by an out-of-breathe Ianto, and finally placed her on a swivel chair. Ianto came to support her weight against his side. She smiled at him, and using her uninjured right arm pulled out the medical kit containing the special bandages, but dropped it and swore beneath her breathe as Martha pulled out a pterodactyl tooth from Sable's leg.
"Shit! I'm sorry, I never thought! Are you ok?" asked Martha as Jack picked up and gave her the medical kit. She opened it and was amazed at the amount of stuff that was packed in it – it kind of reminded her of the TARDIS as it looked smaller on the outside than it actually was. She soon found a medium sized package labelled 'Bandages for Sable'.
Jack who was helping Martha noticed how pale and worried she looked. He had seen her wince a few times when Sable had growled softly at the same time, so asked "Are you ok? I think you should have a few pain killers."
"I'll be fine. Just hurry up and get that sorted so you can splint my arm and put it into a sling." When Martha frowned, not understanding Mel explained, "Thetans and their Soulsters don't share the exact same injuries the one who received them gets off worse while the other experiences all the pain but a lesser injury. It means that although Sable has that nasty wound, I only have a very tender arm which may or may not be fractured."
Ianto came over with two white pills in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Mel looked at them and mimicked the Eyebrow. Ianto smiled and told her "They're pain killers, not Ret-con tablets! Special Torchwood recipe, keeps pain at bay for four to eight hours depending on the strength." She shook her head, smiling and went to take them but paused when Martha stopped her saying that she ought to check for concussion before Mel had them.
"It doesn't matter if I have concussion or not, because I'm taking them!"
Before any of the team, including Ianto could stop her she took the pills out of his hands and swallowed them dry. With that she stood up, and checked Sable over stroking his head and muttering in an alien language that none of them understood. She was even using her left arm as she bandaged up Sable with the skill, speed and ability of a top medic.
After she had checked the bandage once more she said a single word in Sable's ear and the team watched in bemusement as Sable changed into a Jay, still with the bandage wrapped around his front left limb (which was now a wing) and opened his eyes and settled onto her shoulder rubbing his head against her cheek. He cooed slightly and then said "I'm sorry, Mel! That blasted beast hit me just as I had begun to head back to you. I went flying through a window and slammed against the side of Jack's desk. Are you ok?"
"No she's not!" bellowed Jack. He stormed up to Mel and stood face-to-face and toe-to-toe with her and snarled, "Do you mind telling me why you did something that stupid? You could have concussion for God's sake, and those pain killers never mix well with a concussion! We'll have to make sure that you don't go into a coma when you're asleep!"
She sighed, and pushed him with a strength that he hadn't been expecting causing him to move back about three steps. Sable was hissing at him, as if he detected Mel's irritation. She simply said in an irritated tone, "Yan, didn't you explain to them?"
Jack whipped around and saw the younger man blush slightly. Jack raised his own eyebrow at this and frowned as he had thought that only he could cause Ianto to blush like that. Ianto had seen Jack's frown and raised eyebrow so explained hurriedly, "Well, I didn't have time to stop and explain. And anyway I would have thought that you should be the one to tell them something like that! A fact like that is pretty personal – I only told them that you were a phoenix because I knew that you would have said it if I hadn't!"
Jack stepped back as Mel pushed past him and yelled, "Ianto Jones, that's a lie and you know it! You're the most organised person I know, so there is no way that looking after me and Sable would have taken up all your time and energy. It only takes a few seconds to say. She can't die! See easy; didn't take a thirty seconds to say! So you had plenty of opportunity – but you were worried that you wouldn't be special anymore if you weren't the only one to know! Well let me tell you Yan – you are the one of a few men that I have ever loved with my whole heart. Not as a lover but as a brother!" She blinked, took a deep breath and said in an amused tone "Hey that last sentenced sounded good. Not as a lover, but as a brother! Would be rather catchy if it was in a chorus of a song, don't you think?"
"You can't die?" breathed Jack. Mel turned round and look startled, as if she had forgotten that the other team members were there. She sent a dirty look in Ianto's direction and walked up to take Jack's hands. He was surprised to notice that they were shaking slightly, but he gripped Mel's hands as if they were his only lifeline.
"Yes Jack I can't die! Just like you!" Sable jumped out of the way as if sensing danger and was caught by Ianto who had been moving slowly towards them just in case either his lover or his best friend exploded at the other. Jack enveloped Mel in the mother-of-all-bear-hugs, and only released her as she told him mentally, 'I can't breathe Jack!' She smiled warmly at him and was totally unprepared the passionate kiss she received.
She closed her eyes and realised that he tasted the same as only one other man who had also tasted of life, experience, rebirth and death. It was strange that both men had grabbed her in a celebratory hug and then kissed her; even stranger that they knew one another and shared the love of one woman and the same cheeky grin. One was flirty while the other has a mad undertone to it.
She whimpered and gasped as he got a bit to carried away and bit her lip in a passionate little nip. She fulfilled her promise to Ianto and smacked him – hard! She stumbled back a few steps and took a deep breathe to control her simmering temper and to get her breathe back after that kiss. Jack, she noticed, stood shocked with a mixed look of guilt and desire and had a bright red face. She stole a quick look at Ianto and noticed that he was shaking his head with a smirk on his face, and Sable mimicking him on his shoulder.
"That's the second time I've been kissed in celebration for being someone else! I think it's starting to become a bit of a habit..." She sighed, and then laughed softly. "It's unbelievable! Really it is!" she waited a few minutes, then said in a weary voice "I think I'll go and stretch out on the couch for a while if no one minds, because I'm really really tired."
She went to go but stopped as Jack said, "No, you won't go and kip on the couch! You can have my bed. Yan, you go with her and make sure she's alright! I'm sure there's a shirt of mine that'll fit so you can use it as a nightie."
She smiled, walked over to him to kiss his cheek and whispered in his ear, "Thank you! You'll never be alone Jack because now you have me, as well as your team. And I'll let you talk to her tomorrow – once I'm not a wreck!" She squeezed his shoulder and followed Ianto, to a nice comfy bed and sleep!