Summary: After the events of "Cyberwoman" and "Countrycide", Ianto is left emotionally broken. Will Jack be able to put him back together?

Rating: M

Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper

Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Owen/Tosh

Warnings: Swearing, angst, suicide attempt, Gwen bashing

Spoilers: Cyberwoman, Countrycide

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I just like to play with them.

TWTWTWTWTW

Jack leaned in, putting his ear to Ianto's face and listening for his breath. It was weak, but present. As he continued to hold the Welshman close, he tried his best to think clearly. With Ianto's life hanging in the balance, it would do no good to panic. So Jack gently lay Ianto back down as he slid off the couch, then crouched down to examine the nearly empty bottle of pills on the floor.

"Shit!" Jack hissed in a whispered panic as he read the label. A hospital wouldn't be able to save Ianto. Jack was going to have to call in the team.

TWTWTWTWTW

Tosh felt panic twist the pit of her stomach as Jack's voice came through her comm. She knew that he had gone to check on Ianto, and now he was summoning the entire team. This couldn't be good.

"Yes, Jack, what is it?" she asked. "Did you find Ianto?"

An uncomfortable pause followed before Jack finally answered. "Yes. I did. I...Owen! I'm going to need you to load up the SUV with some supplies and bring them to Ianto's flat. I don't know exactly what to tell you to bring. You'll need to examine him yourself. But I'm guessing some kind of supplementary oxygen, an IV...you might need to insert a feeding tube..."

Owen's face went ghostly pale as he listened to Jack speak. "Oi! Harkness! What's wrong with tea boy?"

Jack hesitated for only a moment. It seemed in bad taste to blurt out what Ianto had done over the comms, but the more information Owen had, the easier it would be for him to help.

"Ianto...I think he tried to kill himself," Jack finally answered in a shaky whisper. From the looks of it, he overdosed on painkillers."

Tosh gasped, wringing her hands tightly to her chest. Gwen's eyes widened in surprise, but she showed no real sign of emotion. Attempting to maintain calm, Owen closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Jack, shouldn't you get Ianto to a hospital? I'm not sure I -"

"I can't Owen," Jack cut the medic off. "Ianto got the pills from Torchwood One."

At those words, Owen and Tosh exchanged panicked glances.

"All right. Just hang on. We'll be there as soon as we can," Owen said, trying to sound reassuring.

"Please hurry!" Jack pleaded before hanging up.

Without a word, Tosh and Owen raced down to the med bay. Gwen followed less enthusiastically behind.

TWTWTWTWTW

Jack was there to greet them when they arrived at Ianto's building, hurriedly ushering them in and leading them up to the Welshman's flat.

Jack had moved Ianto to the bedroom, tucking him into the soft, warm comfort of his bed. Not that Ianto noticed. His breathing had grown weaker; more shallow. His pale skin had taken on a tinge of sickly green. Tremors ran through his body, despite the fact that he was hot to the touch.

"Bloody hell," Owen gasped, quickly checking for a pulse before beginning the rest of his examination.

"He's alive, but just barely," Owen informed them. "If I treat him now, I might be able to save him."

Tosh sobbed loudly, leaning back against the wall and covering her eyes. Jack, whose tears were silent, though no less abundant, quickly rushed over to her, offering a comforting hug to the hysterical women.

"We did this to him," Tosh cried into Jack's chest. "We're responsible!"

Jack shook his head. "No. Not you, Tosh. If anything, you were the one person who made these last few weeks bearable for Ianto."

Gwen gave a derisive snort, rolling her eyes.

Noting the angry glare Tosh shot up at Gwen, and feeling anger surge through his own heart at the woman, Jack thought it best to deal with her elsewhere. Who knew how much Ianto could hear or comprehend in his comatose state? There was no way Jack was going to risk upsetting him. And Tosh certainly didn't need to endure Gwen's emotional poison at the moment.

Turning back to Tosh, he placed calming hands on her shoulders. "You stay here and see if Owen needs any help, okay?"

Tosh nodded, sniffling, and walked over to join Owen at Ianto's bedside.

"Cooper. With me," Jack barked, motioning to her. With purpose, he exited the bedroom, Gwen following smugly behind.

"Is there something you want to say?" Jack asked, leaning against Ianto's kitchen counter as Gwen picked up a pepper mill and started playing around with it.

"Not really," she answered casually. "I was just thinking how unfortunate it is that Ianto's little play for sympathy backfired on him."

The tense silence that hung between them was almost suffocating, and if looks good kill, Gwen certainly would have been bleeding out of her eyes.

Walking over to the kitchen table, Jack picked up an empty bottle of wine.

"I found this behind the couch. There were no wine glasses near it. Ianto obviously drank it alone. Judging from the mess I had to clean up in the bathroom, he was hungover and ended up sleeping in his own waste. And I don't even want to think about how many of those pills he took. There was no scheming going on here. Ianto's actions were that of a man desperate to end his suffering. He had so little hope left, that he thought the only answer was to self destruct. How can you be so blind to the facts, Gwen?"

Gwen was quiet and thoughtful for a moment, and Jack suspected that she was thinking of an excuse to justify her attitude, rather than to apologize for it.

Well," she finally spoke up. "Maybe Ianto should feel a little badly. After he let that - thing into the Hub -"

"Are you saying Ianto deserves this?" Jack accused angrily.

"No!" Gwen's eyes widened, as she finally seemed to realize she might have crossed a line. "Of course not. But after what he did, it's only natural -"

"He made a mistake. A terrible mistake. And he realized that. You, of all people, should understand that, since you seem to be our resident expert on deadly mistakes."

Jack's tone, though calm and even, was also menacing and final, telling Gwen that he was leaving no room for argument. His glare seemed to immobilize Gwen, leaving her speechless as he pointed to the couch.

"Sit down and shut up. I don't want to hear another word out of you as long as we're all here."

Gwen nodded sheepishly, walking over to the couch and sitting down, crossing her arms and pouting like a petulant child.

Turning away from Gwen, Jack couldn't help smiling. It felt good to put Gwen in her place, and it was long overdue.

TWTWTWTWTW

About an hour later, Owen confirmed that Ianto was out of danger. He'd inserted a feeding tube into Ianto's nose and a tube down his throat. An IV was dripping into the young Welshman's arm, and Jack could see that Owen had also inserted a catheter.

"Ianto will be all right," Owen informed Jack and Tosh. "But there's no telling if he'll ever wake up. I didn't pick up very much in the way of brain activity when I scanned him.

"Does...does that mean he's brain dead?" Jack stammered.

"Not necessarily," Owen answered, trying to sound reassuring. "Those are some powerful drugs in his system. It's possible they're just strongly suppressing brain activity." Owen forced a smile, putting a gentle hand on Jack's shoulder. "Fact is, with what Ianto did to himself, it's a wonder he's not dead. He might just pull through yet."

Jack nodded, taking a deep breath.

"So, what now?" Tosh asked, her bottom lip quivering as she looked down at her friend.

"He can't be left alone," Owen told them. "Someone is going to need to stay with him to monitor his vitals, clean him, move him so his muscles don't atrophy..."

"I'll do it," Jack offered. "I want to."

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," Owen said with a sad smile. "All right. I'll tell you everything you need to know. And if you need a break, I don't mind taking over."

"I can help,too," Tosh offered.

"Thank you." Jack nodded his appreciation. If only Ianto could see the team - minus Gwen - rallying around him.

"You see, Ianto?" Jack thought, looking down lovingly at the younger man. "We forgive you. We just want you to be well again."

Sitting down on the bed, Jack took one of Ianto's cold, lifeless hands into his own, making him a silent promise.

"I'm sorry I never took the time to get to know you before, Ianto. But after you wake up, I swear I'll make it up to you!"