Just to say thanks to all of my lovely reviewers, I love you all!

This is my second chapter to Poison, I hope you enjoy!

Oh, and PLEASE R&R!!!

Thank you!!!!

Chapter 2

"Ianto! IANTO!" Jack shouted at the unconscious man in his arms. "Ianto, wake up, please wake up..."

Gwen, hearing the commotion, ran back to where Jack was kneeling.

"Oh, god..." she whispered on seeing the blood that was staining Jacks blue shirt.

"Help me move him," Jack demanded, lifting Ianto from under the arms. Gwen took his feet, and together, they hoisted him onto the beaten sofa.

"Jack, what the hell do we do?" Gwen asked frantically, crouching beside Ianto, stoking his sweaty brow.

Jack didn't answer straight away.

"... I need to finish that phone call." Carefully, he bent down and kissed Ianto's forehead.

He then sprang up, and dashed towards his office, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he went.

Gwen stared after him, and then turned her attention back to Ianto.

*

"Martha, I need your help, please-" Jack panted into the phone.

"Jack, take a deep breath. You said the alien was poisonous, yes?" Martha sounded remarkably calm, ever the professional.

"Yeah, I think. Ianto got bitten by it, and now he's... he's..." Jack couldn't bring himself to say it.

"Dying?" said Martha. Jack winced.

"Yeah."

"Ok, I'm quite near, I'm coming over, I'll be there in about an hour."

"Thanks, Martha."

"In the mean time, I need you to gather his vital stats, temperature, that kind of thing, ok?"

"Sure, if you trust us."

"I do. I'll be there soon Jack." With that, the called ended, and Jack allowed himself a small smile of relief. He then ran back over to where Gwen was still stroking Ianto's forehead.

"Jack, who was that on the phone?" Gwen asked.

Jack crouched down to kneel next to Gwen. "Martha. Seeing as we don't have Owen, she's the next best thing."

"Does she know how to cure him?"

"We don't even know what the poison is yet, Gwen. She'll be here soon. We need to move him to the Autopsy room."

Again they hoisted unconscious Ianto off of the sofa, slowly and carefully moving his down into the Autopsy room, placing him on the table.

"I don't like seeing him there; it looks like he's a corpse." Gwen muttered, staring at Ianto.

Jack was already bustling around the room, grabbing seemingly random items.

"We've got to get his basic stats." Jack threw Gwen a thermometer. "Take his temperature."

Gwen looked at the heavy, complicated instrument. "Jack, this is a bit different to the crappy thermometers we have at home, how-"

Jack pushed her put of the way, and took the thermometer in his hand. "Do something useful, use the scanner. Do you know how to use that?"

Gwen ignored the sarcasm in Jacks voice and did as she was told.

Jack gently put the tip of the thermometer into Ianto's ear and held it there until it beeped. He withdrew it and swallowed hard when he saw the readings.

"Hundred and eight degrees."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, Ianto moaned. Jack dropped the thermometer to the floor and took Ianto's hand.

"Ianto? Can you hear me? Ianto, wake up, Ianto..."

Ianto groaned, and his eyes blinked open blearily. "Jack..." his voice was hoarse and dry.

"Ianto, I'm here, I'm here, sweetheart."

"Jack... it- hurts..." Ianto's face creased in pain.

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, this is my fault..."

"Don't... it's not," Ianto gasped and yelped in pain. "It's really... not. Don't... cry, Jack."

Ianto lifted his shaking hand to wipe away Jack's free flowing tears.

"I... love you... Jack."

Jack let out a strangled sob. "I love you too, Ianto."

Ianto smiled, and then his face crumpled in pain again. "It's killing me... Isn't it?"

"No, Ianto, don't say that, you'll be fine, Ianto, I promise, you really will."

Ianto nodded slightly, but his eyes betrayed his doubt.

"Jack... I'm gunna... pass out... again."

Jack started to speak, but Ianto's eyes fluttered closed and his head rolled to one side.

Colour drained from Jack's face. Anger and hurt glittered in his eyes.

Gwen came over and laid a hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort him.

It did quite the opposite.

Jacks face went even paler, and race contorted his features. He grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked himself up. His grip tightened, and her face crumpled in pain.

"Jack, let go!"

He gripped still firmer, and she yelped and tried to pull away.

"JACK!"

His teeth were bared, almost animalistic.

Then his face cleared, he dropped her arm, and she dropped to the floor, rubbing her wrist.

Gwen looked up, as if expecting an apology, but not getting any.

Instead, she saw Jack looking towards the Cog door, as if startled.

Suddenly, he broke into a run towards it, tripping over the fallen Gwen as he went.

As he sprinted towards it, it began to roll open, revealing a pretty, dark woman.

"Martha, I'm so glad to see you." Jack threw his arms around her and held her tight. Martha held him back, smiling despite the circumstances of their meeting.

"Good to see you too, Jack."

Jack kissed the top of her head lightly, and stepped out of the embrace.

"I need your help. Please."

"I know. Take me to him."

***

Jack and Martha stood around the Autopsy table where Ianto lay, immobile and grey as a corpse.

Martha was taking blood samples, and scanned the still body. Jack stood in the corner, a dark and enigmatic shape against the stark white of the tiles. His face was blank, devoid of all emotion; except his eyes.

His eyes burnt with hot anger, and a fierce compassion that scared Martha even more than the worsening state of Ianto.

His blazing eyes met hers. Her breath left her throat, and she felt tears welling in her own eyes.

"He'll be okay, Jack. Honest."

Still that burning gaze held hers without letting go. The flaming blue orbs blinked closed for a second, and the gaze was dropped to the floor.

Jack nodded, going along with Martha's story, giving himself false hope.

Martha went back to work, and began to note down readings.

***

It had turned quiet in the Hub; Gwen was at her desk, still rubbing her arm. Martha was still examining Ianto, and Jack was now in his office, realising that he could be of no use to Martha.

James the fish stared at Jack from his glass tank. Jack stared back at him, as if seeing who would blink first. Jack did.

James was looking at him, intently- or as intently as a fish could look at you, anyway, thought Jack.

Jack shook his head, and looked back at his desk.

On it were some photos of Ianto and himself. Some he had taken himself, others were taken by Ianto, who was actually a rather skilled photographer. Maybe he could pursue a career in it, though Jack. Not that that's ever going to happen, he's dying on the cold metal table in that God forsaken room. And it's all my fault, he thought. All mine. If I'd never recruited him, he'd never have to be in situations like the one he was in now.

Jack buried his head in his hands.

Then, he heard a scream.