The cog door rolled open to reveal a string of Welsh curses punctuated with groans of pain. Jack looked up from his desk first in confusion, and then launched himself downstairs when he recognised the voice producing such obscenities.

"What happened?" he asked in a panic, glancing down to where Ianto was currently being hoisted onto the autopsy room table. The one side of his suit jacket and trousers was completely shredded, and protruding out of what remained of it were scores of jagged spikes, and Jack could only guess at the damage they'd inflicted on Ianto's side, as he couldn't see past the mangled blood and flesh. The man himself was clearly delirious from the agony of it, his eyes rolling back into his head as he groaned, still muttering about "fucking rodents" interspersed with what Jack assumed was similar in Welsh. Owen immediately busied himself sorting the necessary drugs, his priority getting Ianto out of pain as quickly as possible. Gwen, who had helped Owen drag the poor man into the hub, rushed off without a word to help Tosh with the heavily sedated, highly dangerous alien in the boot of the SUV.

"Here you are mate, take deep breaths and I'll get you sorted" he murmured as he plunged a syringe into Ianto's thigh. Ianto's face contorted in pain as the needle pierced him, but luckily the painkillers were fast acting and he felt the relief begin to spread through him immediately.

"He'll be fine, its really just like a pissed off alien porcupine whacked him. But getting these barbs out is going to sting like a bitch so id rather keep him under"

Jack nodded, "but he'll be ok?"

"Yep right as rain in a week id say. It looks a whole lot worse than it is Jack"

"did you say alien porcupine?" Jack's brain caught up with the rest of the conversation once he knew Ianto would be alright.

"Yeah the girls are taking it to the cells. Now I'd recommend you go and help them and leave me to help teaboy here"

Jack did as he was told without a word. He headed to the vaults as Owen was beginning to remove the first of the spines from Ianto. As he arrived the two women, in full protective gear, were using what could only be described as snowploughs to manoeuvre the sedated creature into the cell.

"What in the hell is that?"

"no idea but I'm sure you've seen what happens if you get on the wrong side of it"

"does it have a right side?"

"yet to see one" Gwen gasped, breathless as they closed up the cell.

Jack eyed up the creature. It was about the size of a golden retriever, but a deep, almost purply grey and ratlike. And it had thousands of ridiculously sharp spikes covering its body, many of them with barbs all over like thorns. Jack winced as he imagined the pain Ianto must've gone through taking a hit from them.

"you two head off now, I'll go check on our patient"

The women nodded to him gratefully as they went their separate ways.

"That's it. He'll probably wake up groggy because of the sedative"

"you get home, I'll stay with him tonight"

"you sure?"

"yeah, get going we'll be fine. I'll drop him home and give him your instructions when he wakes up"

Owen nodded, watching as Jack settled into the seat at Ianto's bedside.

"if he wakes up, get him home and settled, he needs to stay off that leg for a few days. He can take some more of those painkillers if he needs them but don't give more than one more dose, he'll be high as a kite as it is"

"got it" Jack nodded to him, his eyes not leaving Ianto's face. Owen slipped out without another word, just looking back at the two of them in concern. He had his doubts about leaving the two of them, knowing the ongoing drama between them. Jack waited until he'd heard the door roll closed before clearing his throat and beginning to speak.

"cowardly, I know, to talk to you when you're unconscious and can't answer me back" Jack chuckled softly, "but I don't think id get through this any other way even if you'd let me. I messed up, Ianto. What happened with us, or didn't happen, I guess, I never wanted you to think it meant nothing to me. It was the opposite. I wanted you with every part of me, not just physically but... I could feel myself falling fast and hard for you and thats terrifying, I swore id never let that happen again, not until I found a way to fix myself anyway. But now I know thats impossible, and yet I still can't turn off my feelings for you. Pushing you away like I did is something i'll always regret"

He took a deep breath, watching as Ianto's eyes shifted behind his eyelids.

"But I know I had to for your sake. you're always as risk here, Yan. I'm always going to lose you. Even if I have let myself love you, it'll never be enough to keep you forever. I can't give you normal, and you deserve so much more than that, you deserve all the happiness in the world"

Impulsively Jack reached down and pressed his lips softly to Ianto's forehead. As Jack pulled back, Ianto's eyes began to flicker open blearily, meeting Jack's own in confusion, "Jack?"

"Ianto, I'm…" Jack began to apologise, but was cut off as the younger man clumsily reached up and pulled Jack towards him and pressed their lips together. The kiss was soft, a brushing of lips that had no potential of deepening but yet spoke volumes. Jack pulled back only slightly to rest their foreheads together for a moment, before their eyes met and he realised what had just happened. He flew back from the table to give Ianto his space, running his hand nervously through his hair as he looked anywhere other than at the younger man. Ianto sat up gingerly, wincing as he registered the ache down half his body.

"I… uh…"

"Look, its been a long day, you're hurt and you're high on painkillers. We can just… I'll take you home and we can forget this ever happened".

Ianto nodded softly, his eyes fixed to the floor. He attempted to drop down off the table forgetting the injuries, although it all came screaming back to him as his leg went from underneath him, sending him crashing towards the floor. Jack had his arms around him in a second to stop him falling. Ianto grabbed at Jacks waist to steady himself, his head spinning from the drugs and blood loss.

"Ok maybe getting home is a bit optimistic" Jack said with a soft chuckle, "i'll help you settle into one of the guest rooms"

"thanks" Ianto murmured, keeping his eyes off Jack as he guided him out of the autopsy bay, trying not to let the mans proximity cloud his already addled mind. they got to the room in silence, Jack depositing Ianto gently onto the soft single bed.

"Call out if you need anything, i'll be around" Jack smiled tightly "get some rest"

As he turned to leave, Ianto settled back into bed, watching him go,

"Jack" he murmured, the painkillers making him more brave for a moment,

"yeah?"

"I... just, thank you, that's all"

"you got it" Jack waved dismissively, pulling the door softly closed. Ianto stared at the door for a moment, absorbing. Because despite his mind being all over the place, and his body begging him to rest, he was sure he had heard every word Jack had said.