AN: Sorry I've taken so long to update, I've been really busy what with work and college :(
This chapter sort of got away with itself, and ended up being a lot longer than what I had originally planned, but never mind eh? :)
Cup – a – Soup
A groan sounded, loud, drawn out and completely self – pitying, it was enough to make the rest of the team down in the lower level of the hub groan along with it.
"Ianto, how much longer is this going to last?" Owen exclaimed loudly, banging his scalpels down onto the autopsy table where an odd looking alien currently resided, and began to make his way up the stairs to the rest of the team.
"Yes Owen, because I really know how much longer Jack's going to keep this up for." Ianto said, his face perfectly straight.
"Enough with the sarcasm tea boy. How much longer? Estimate."
"Thought you were supposed to be the medic," Ianto raised his eyebrow at Owen, "I don't know. I didn't even think Jack could get ill. He seemed to be labouring under the impression that he couldn't. But no, apparently, even the great captain Jack Harkness isn't immune to the common cold." Ianto trailed off and sighed, returning his attention to the numerous mugs he was busying himself with.
"Is that all he's got – a cold?" Owen sniggered, torn between incredulity and hilarity.
"Owen, are you forgetting the misery you put all of us through the last time you 'just had a cold'?" Ianto glared at Owen, daring him to try and contradict. Owen looked down, then sauntered back to the autopsy bay to cut up some more alien, refusing to drop his attitude or admit defeat.
The tension was then effectively broken by another loud groan that resulted in all the team burying their faces in their hands. Jack had been like this for the past week, and it wasn't only him suffering – the others had endured every sneeze, moan and sniffle along with him, he had made sure of that.
"Ianto..." Jack's voice rang out, sounding thickened and somewhat marred, quietly echoing throughout the hub before it was broken off by a loud sneeze. Ianto sighed and collected an armful of paperwork and a box of Kleenex before traipsing up the stairs to Jack's office, his body slumped over in a most unusual posture.
He didn't bother knocking on Jack's office door as he normally would've done, just walked in, and shook his head at the sight that greeted him. Jack was slumped in his chair, limbs askew, eyes bleary and his air was plastered to his head with sweat. Jack looked up as Ianto approached, sniffling dejectedly.
"Yan, I'm ill."
"I know cariad, but it's just a cold, it'll pass in a few days. Then you'll be back to saving the world." Ianto smiled as he sat on the edge of Jack's desk, kissing him on the forehead and handing him a tissue. He then picked up the stack of papers, and began scanning through them, occasionally handing one to Jack every now and again to sign. They continued like this for a few minutes, until Ianto looked up to see Jack hunched in on himself, knees drawn up to his chest, shivering violently. Ianto put a hand briefly on Jack's shoulder, then silently moved and went down into Jack's bedroom. He re-emerged seconds later dragging a large, fluffy duvet behind him. The duvet was then dumped unceremoniously onto the sofa as Ianto crossed the office to where Jack was still slumped over his desk.
"Come on Mister Grumpy pants." Ianto teased, pulling Jack up gently by the hands and leading him towards the sofa, "Time for a little nap."
Ianto smiled as Jack obligingly lay down, then proceeded to strip off Jack's shirt and trousers, leaving him in just his under shirt and briefs, before covering the older man and tucking him into the duvet, and then resuming his place at the desk to continue with the paperwork.
Jack slept soundly, and only awakened four hours later when the rest of the team were leaving, causing the hub's siren to sound. He sat up slowly, grimacing as his muscles stretched and his joints cracked, stiff from sleeping on the sofa.
Almost as though Ianto knew that Jack would be awake now (and Jack suspected Ianto actually did know), Ianto appeared in the doorway, holding Jack's mug in his hand. He smiled when he saw Jack was awake and sat on the end of the sofa by Jack's feet, handing him the mug as he did so. Jack sniffed at the mug then pulled a face.
"Ianto, what is this?" Jack asked, sounding faintly disgusted.
"It's a cup a soup Jack. Chicken flavoured. Commonly used for people with a cold." Ianto smiled, "drink it Jack, trust me. It works."
Jack just smiled back at Ianto, burrowing into the duvet and sipping at the chicken soup, which he found surprisingly enjoyable. Although he thought, that may have been due to Ianto giving hima foot massage at the same time.