Chapter 43

Trigger warning for much of this chapter. If you'd rather skip, go to where Yan falls asleep, and then skip until where Malcolm is upset and asking Jack why they couldn't stop what happened.

Y: *about to return the kiss but he's gone* ok-

Y: *debloodifies themself then sits on the medbay steps*

M: *returns wearing a blanket cape because it's cold. Sits next to them*

Y: *puts their arm around him, sharing body heat*

M: *smiling, leans into them and closes his eyes* This is nice. Not the situation, but this? *hums happily*

Y: *hums in agreement, rather tired. Tries to speak to him telepathically* *Is it working?*

M: *Yeah, doing great, love.*

Y: *Good to know. I didn't think I could if I was tired. Don't tell Ianto how tired I am.*

M: *Doesn't really matter if you're tired.* *opens one eye to look at them* *You should sleep though, at least on the couch.*

Y: *I need to keep an eye on Jack.* *fighting to stay awake, almost passed out during Jack's procedure because their mind was so exhausted*

M: *moves so he's holding them* *You need to rest, just a little while at least. I'll keep an eye on him.*

Y: *I'm going to fall asleep and then what if there's a medical emergency/development? It'll take a while for me to wake up.*

M:*I had years by myself, Yan. I can at least help a little, even if I'm not as good as you are. You, however, are exhausted and need to sleep or you won't be able to help anyway.*

Y: You better wake me up for anything. Even if he wakes up. I'll need his vitals monitored.

M: Alright I will. Now shoo and sleep.

Y: But you're cozy man.

M: *picks them up and carries them to the couch* Sleep.

Y: *huffs* Fine fine.

M: *kisses them then lays the blanket that was on the back of the couch over them* I love you.

Y: Dwi'n caru ti.

M: *smiling, goes to sit back on the steps*

Y: *falls fast asleep*

M: *settles in for a long wait after making sure the Hub is locked up*

Y: *having a nightmare*

M: *catching waves of emotions* Yan?

Y: *waves of distress are sent out*

M: *goes over to them and gently shakes their shoulder* Yan, wake up.

Y: *MALCOLM SOMEONE'S INVADING MY MIND HELP ME!* *still asleep, subconsciously sends the plea for help*

M: *WHAT?!* *mentally knocks against their mind*

Y: *lets him in*

M: *worriedly looks around* *Yan?!*

Y: *MALCOLM*

M: *trying to find them* *Yan I can't see!*

Y: *I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO HE TOOK OUT THE POWER! Can't you light it yourself?*

M: *Who did?!* *struggling to mentally project a flashlight*

Y: *HIM. AROUND US. I DON'T KNOW HIS NAME. YOU HAVE TO BE QUICK HE'S TRYING TO- TRYING TO-

M: *Dammit!* *flashlight flickers but manages to stay on*

Y: *manages to get an overhead light*

M: *to the thing in their head* *WHO ARE YOU?!*

Y: *MALC-* *is cut off by a scream* *PLEASE HURRY*

M: *YAN!*

Y: *HE'S HURTING ME HE'S HURTING ME THERE-*

M: *deadly serious* *WHO. ARE. YOU?! SHOW YOURSELF!*

Y: *HE IMPERSONATED YOU COMPLETELY THAT'S HOW HE MANAGED TO FIND A WAY IN HE'S BY OUR DRAWER THAT'S WHERE I AM TOO HE'S PLANNING TO R*** ME*

M: *the filing cabinet seems to grow, or is he shrinking? Mentally screams* *GET OUT!*

*creature attempting to continue its attack on Yan*

M: *putting all his pent up rage and grief and fear into it* *LEAVE NOW!*

*the creatures turns to fight him as well, splitting in two*

M: *ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!* *pours everything into it, the grief-pain-fear-anger-resentment-vengeance-love-happiness-peace-hope-* *Get. Out. Leave Yan ALONE!*

*is feeding off the negative emotions and growing*

M: *Ok this is disgustingly cliche but Yan, work with me yeah? Think happy thoughts, imagine they're weapons*

Y: *I can't!*

M: *thinking of all his happy memories of them* *Please Yan! I need you to try! I'll help but you have to try!*

Y: *he's controlling it! Please, at least get him away fro-AHHHHH*

M: *struggling to wrap his arms around them, projecting everything he loves about them as loudly as he can* *Just go AWAY!*

*it's trying to resist*

M: *Yan! Yan, I need you to help me! I can only do so much in your mind!*

Y: *I'M TRYING MY HARDEST! IT WONT LET ME!*

M: *finally succeeding in wrapping his arms around them* *It's-It's getting harder t-to remember Ya-Yan, please!*

Y: *manages to regain some control now that he has them*

*the creature dissipates and vanishes*

M: *sags against them tiredly, laughing in relief* *You did it!*

Y: *doesn't respond*

M: *Yan?*

Y: *He-lp me - I - can't move*

M: *pulls away worriedly* *You can't-*

Y: *I think he traumatized the body in my mind with what he did-*

M: *That's never happened before, not to anyone I've heard of* *pulls them against him so he's holding them*

Y: *He was hurting me before I managed to scream for help*

M: *I'm so sorry Yan* *holds them tightly, worried* *I can stay here, but I don't know what even happened or how long this will be*

J: *has woken up and heard the mental turbulence but couldn't help because he was too weak* *Malcolm?*

M: *jerks in surprise* *Jack?*

J: *Yes, it's Jack. I woke up to mental turbulence and pain but I was too weak to help. What happened?*

M: *A lot. Have you ever heard of someone's mental self being paralyzed due to a telepathic attack?*

J: *No. Who is it?*

M: *We don't know who did it, but Yan can't move.*

J: *Yan?*

M: *sends the equivalent of a nod* *Apparently they're telepathic. I only just learned earlier, or yesterday.*

Y: *Malcolm? Who are you talking to?*

M: *Jack's awake.*

Y: *Oh? He can come here. I want to check on him.*

M: *Jack? Yan's worried about you, better join us.*

J: *Okay* *taps on the entry to their mind*

Y: *lets him in*

M: *Welcome back to the land of the unfrostbitten.*

J: *laughs* *Glad to be back. Yan, what happened?*

M: *holding them close, pats what substitutes for ground beside him* *Come sit.*

J: *holding both of them*

Y: *Jack? How are you doing?*

J: *I'm fine. Can you or Malcolm tell me what happened?*

M: *There was this thing that seemed to feed off negative thoughts and emotions.*

J: *How did it get in?*

M: *I don't know, I wasn't there for that. I didn't even hear them for a bit.*

Y: *It mimicked Malcolm perfectly so until it started hurting me, I couldn't call for help.*

M: *holding them tighter, glares at the floor*

J: *And then what?*

M: *By then, whatever it was had gotten pretty strong.*

J: *Wait, why is there blood? Yan?*

M: *worriedly* *Yan?!*

Y: *It's from- from…*

M: *YAN?!*

Y: *From when it tried to- you know what Malcolm.*

J: *Malcolm? What do they mean?*

M: *burying his face in their shoulder* *Oh god, I'm so sorry.*

J: *Malcolm, what is it?*

M: *angry* *I should have been able to stop it!*

J: *puts a hand on his shoulder* *Getting angry won't help them.*

M: *crying now* *Why couldn't I stop it?! We're brilliant telepaths, Jack! I should have been able to protect them!*

J: *We are, but this was a strong creature.*

Y: *Amore, it's not your fault.*

M: *whispering* *I should have been able to stop it-*

Y: *It wasn't your responsibility. It was my fault for not realizing he was you.*

M: *But you-you're… why couldn't I do something?!*

Y: *It was stronger than you. I only overpowered it because we worked together.*

J: *I'm sorry I couldn't help you.*

M: *remembering something* *It wasn't just feeding off negative emotions, it was like it was draining everything.*

Y: *Wait, what do you mean?*

M: *It was like, the harder I tried to wrap my arms around you, the less I could remember why I had to. I just remembered I had to.*

J: *WHAT?!*

I: *How can that happen? Is your mind okay?*

M: *I'm fine now it's gone. It was like it didn't want me to help you. It was trying to stop me I think.*

Y: *It wanted to hurt me as badly as possible, why?*

M: *shakes his head* *I don't know, but we need to find out in case this happens again.*

J: *Did you teach them how to shield?*

M: *nodding* *But it was just the basics, filing cabinet stuff.*

J: *We could use our shields on them too.*

M: *I don't- It's been so long, I don't remember how too.*

J: *It's okay, I'll help you.*

M: *Thanks.*

Y: *has gone quiet*

M: *Yan?*

Y: *is trying to answer but has no more energy, it forces them out of their mind*

M: *sits down on the couch next to them and pulls them into a hug*

J: Yan? Can you try physically moving?

M: Come on Yan.

J: Fuckfuckfuck-

M: Please Yan!

J: *checking for a pulse* They're alive, but what about their mental state?

M: *Yan please, can you hear me?*

Y: *static*