Jack was grateful to Owen for being so quick thinking and not asking questions. He simply left Jack's arms and scooped Ianto up, taking him towards the med bay, intent on helping his friend.
He was already barking instructions at Gwen and Tosh by the time Jack had managed to force his feet down after them. Being dead for so long had had an effect on him. His throat was dry and ached from not swallowing for days, and his whole body was stiff as though he'd sat in the cold for too long.
He couldn't say anything, he just watched in anguish as Owen began inserting drips into Ianto's arms in an attempt to re-hydrate the Welshman. He knew just how much Ianto must have been hurting whilst he thought he was dead.
Jack had been able to taste the desperation on his lips. He wouldn't have done what he did if there were any other way, but somehow he knew that he'd been bought back for the reason of protecting the world from Abaddon.
It had taken him much longer to drag himself back to his body this time because most of his energy had been lost. He knew that it would probably be the last time he dragged himself back from death.
Watching Owen trying to help Ianto now, made him realise that he had taken life for granted. Everyone at Torchwood had come close at some point, but they'd always dodged it at the last minute, and Jack assumed it would always be that way. But to see Ianto so weak and vulnerable over something so domestic reminded him that not everyone able to cheat death. They weren't untouchable.
"Jack," Gwen was at his side suddenly, touching his arm gently.
He glanced at her, but didn't quite see her. His brain had been affected this time as well. All he seemed to be able to think about was Ianto lying in the bed unconscious. Or maybe it was his heart that had addled his mind…
"Jack, maybe you should get some rest?" Gwen suggested quietly. "We don't want two people ending up unconscious."
"No," Jack croaked though his throat scratched painfully.
Gwen looked slightly taken a back but Jack didn't care. She was always trying to stick her nose into his affairs. Why couldn't she leave him be and go home to Rhys, lead a normal life, like he'd asked of her.
Jack sat behind his desk contemplating. Gwen had followed him after he'd suddenly left Ianto's bedside to come and sit down and contemplate. He'd come to his office to get away from the noise of the others chatting. He knew they couldn't help it, Owen was trying to look after Ianto and Tosh was aiding him, but he needed space to clear his head.
Gwen, not realising that he could do with being alone, had followed him, presumably to make sure he was alright. He knew she was going to start asking questions and put off making eye contact for as long as possible, hoping she might go away.
"What's going to happen to the Rift?" She said finally.
Jack riffled through some papers on his desk hoping she might just leave him be. Looking up he saw that she was going to sit there until she got an answer. He sighed; knowing just one conversation was going to make his throat worse.
"It closed up when Abaddon was destroyed," he replied. "But it's going to be more volatile than ever."
Gwen looked satisfied with the answer and Jack was trying to mentally urge her to leave his office. He clicked his computer on to check that Owen hadn't deleted half their files whilst he'd been gone. He hadn't, but that was only because Ianto had obviously been in charge of his office. He could tell by the way someone had rearranged the files into some kind of order, something that he meant to do, but never found the time for. His heart ached for the Welsh tea-boy. No. His Welsh lover of a tea-boy.
"The visions we had," Gwen started up another conversation. "We all saw people we loved. What did you see?"
"Nothing," Jack shook his head, trying not to sound annoyed with Gwen, but it was getting increasingly hard. "There was nothing."
"Jack," Jack had to try very hard not to roll his eyes as he sensed another personal impending question. "What would've tempted you? What visions would've convinced you to open the rift?"
"The right kind of Doctor," Jack replied bitterly standing up.
Evidently Gwen wasn't going to leave him, so he would leave her. He opened his office door and wandered down the stairs. He could hear Gwen calling from behind him but he ignored her.
He looked about the Hub wondering what to do with himself. He didn't want to listen to the constant hum of Owen and Tosh talking as they cared for Ianto, he didn't want to be anywhere near Gwen and her incessant need to talk and cause his head ache to worsen; he didn't want to be alone with nothing to do.
Jack wandered dismally around picking things up here and there. He frowned when he heard something bleeping. It sounded like… but it couldn't be. Could it? Glancing over at the hand he kept in a jar he saw it glowing. Not daring to hope Jack strained his ears for the first tingling sounds he knew were about to reach him
And then there it was. The voomshing sound of the TARDI materialising into existence. He didn't need telling before he dived through the double blue doors into the old police box.
He didn't spare a single thought for what he was leaving behind. After all, he'd waited so long for the Doctor to return, didn't he deserve a bit of happiness? Besides he could easily come back two minutes after he'd left.
Gwen came down from Jack's office just in time to hear an odd ear tingly noise, that made her feel as though something that should have been there had just been voomshed out of existence.
She stood in the middle of the Hub frowning. Owen and Tosh came up from the med bay and began to walk towards her, looking grim, but she ignored them as they started to speak, asking them a question first instead.
"Did you see Jack on your way up?" She continued to look about as though she'd lost something.
"No?" Owen tutted. "I thought we'd tidied up in here?"
"But he was just here," Gwen saw Owen and Tosh looking just as puzzled and once again they opened their mouths to start talking.
"Something's taken him," she said suddenly realising what had happened. "Jack's gone."