Chapter 4: Clear Up
The explosion reverberated around and off the brick walls of the Hub. Down on the lower level, Owen and Toshiko were knocked off their feet, buffeted by the noise and covered by great clouds of dust. They scrabbled to their feet as the echoes faded away. Owen ran to Gwen who had been thrown down the steps to land in a heap at the bottom. He found she was dazed but not badly hurt, some bumps and bruises only. He helped her to a sitting position to the side of the steps to recover. He climbed the steps, Toshiko close behind him.
The explosion had shifted the desks and other furniture, and papers and other light items had been thrown around. Dust coated all surfaces and was still filtering down making it hard to see. Owen made for the crumpled figures near the medical bay entrance. The first thing he saw clearly was dark red blood, splattered up the walls and pooling on the floor. Then he made out Jack's coat and kneeled beside it. Jack was a mess, his chest was an open wound. There was no way he was still alive but Owen checked anyway. He was relieved when he found no pulse; Jack's immortal body would repair itself given time. He moved to the other side of the body.
Ianto was beneath Jack, pinned down by the larger man. "Owen?" he said rather loudly when he saw the medic.
"Stay still a minute, I'll get Jack off you." Owen pulled at Jack's shoulders and managed to move him onto his side sufficiently for Ianto to slip out. He placed Jack back gently, wondering when he had become inured to seeing him dead and not worrying about it. He scuttled over to Ianto who sat leaning against the wall. "Are you hurt?"
"What?" he queried, shaking his head. Owen realised that Ianto had been temporarily deafened by the blast and repeated his question speaking more loudly. "My hand," Ianto said holding out his left hand which was burned. He was shaking from the shock..
Owen was checking the hand. "This needs cleaning and dressing, but it's not too bad otherwise. You were lucky, mate."
"Jack took the force of the blast. He saved me." He stared past Owen at Jack's body and swallowed hard. "He died saving me."
"He'll be back with us soon enough. Can't get rid of him, can we?" he said lightly, rising and helping Ianto to his feet. He wanted to treat Ianto's hand and give him something for the shock, check his hearing too, but most of all he needed to move him away from the sight of Jack's body.
Toshiko was relieved when Owen looked across at her and nodded in reassurance; Ianto was okay. She tried not to look at Jack sprawled on his back with the great gaping opening where his chest had been. It looked at though he had deliberately smothered the blast by leaning forward. She turned to her computers and checked them. The Hub seemed to be intact; the blast had been localised and the other levels were untouched.
She looked up as Gwen staggered up the steps. "Here, let me help you," said Toshiko, taking Gwen's arm and sitting her on the couch which had shifted closer to her desk than usual. She attempted to shield Gwen from Jack's body but failed.
"Oh my God," whispered Gwen, looking down at the bloody corpse. "Ianto?" she asked.
"He's okay. Owen has him in the med bay."
A loud and incessant bleep from her computer made Toshiko turn quickly. She checked the read-outs and her face grew very concerned.