Longest chapter to date, so i hope it's worth the slight delay!! Life got in the way.... okay, harry potter got in the way (it was soooo worth is though...... Tom Felton *drools*) hehum....where was i? Oh yeah, saving Ianto....
The time lord flipped a few more switches on the console to the TARDIS locking it to the appropriate co-ordinates. He easily landed close to jack as being a fixed point in time meant that the man was very easy for the TARDIS to locate. Usually the ship tried her hardest to avoid the immortal man but the doctor knew he was needed urgently so used all his piloting skills to arrive before the Captain as soon as possible. As soon as the time machine was anchored to this space in time Jack had walked to the TARDIS doors and waited impatiently for the time lord to appear.
"Jack!" The Doctor exclaimed as he the open the doors to what looked like a 1950s police box. "I came as quickly as I could!"
The doctor wasn't a fool; he knew how much Ianto meant to the captain. He never would have imagined the rouge Time Agent he was introduced to in 1941 could be capable of loving someone so deeply, but as Jack was dreaming in fitful sleeps upon the valiant during the year that never was, the Doctor only heard one word escape from the man's lips: Ianto. The doctor knew it was Ianto who jack wanted to return to and it was Ianto jack would have not wanted to leave when the Daleks attacked earth... He knew Jack loved this man and despite calling him wrong, the doctor knew he owed a lot to jack and would do anything to help if there was the slightest possibility Ianto could be saved.
"Doctor, thank god your here! I really could do with some of your help right about now..."
"Well how about we get started with you telling me exactly what happened..." the Doctor encouraged.
"An alien race came to Earth, long story short we finished them off but not before it release a virus into Thames House. The virus took hold of Ianto and it... it killed him," Jack's voice was barely a whisper as he finished recounting the week's events. "Was nice of you to show up and help by the way," he added, remembering Gwen's video.
"Now jack, I can't be everywhere at once.... physically impossible... not to mention time lines and what not..."
"What's the point of being a time lord if you can't bend time lines? But that's beside the point..." Jack was amazed at the time lord's powers of digression.
"I know, I know, well where is this young man you want me to help.... resurrect?" The doctor sounded uncertain any of his attempts would word, as he always said: you can't bring people back, jack was just the exception that proved the rule. Jack took notice of the doctor's doubtful tone but choose to ignore it.
"He's in the morgue at St Thomas Hospital, it's across the water from Thames house where the alien was stored," jack explained
"Right, well I think we'd best start there don't you?"
Jack simply nodded in response, his thoughts were too occupied with the image of his Ianto lying on a gurney in cold storage, much like Tosh and Owen and Suzie before him....
"So tell me, have you tried anything to save him already?" The doctor's hearts were breaking to see the man in front of him look so broken. In fact, he had planned to come and tell jack there was next to no chance of bringing his lover back, but the sight of jack made him realise that false hope would be the best thing for him.
As they walked to St Thomas Hospital Jack recounted his attempts to bring Ianto back. He told the doctor how he kissed the man hoping to give him some life energy, but nothing happened. He went on to explain how it worked once before, after the Lisa incident, but unfortunately after several attempts his efforts remained futile on this occasion. He went on to say how he used a store of nano-genes in his office which he had been keeping for something serious such as this. However, the miniscule robots had no effect other than healing the scar on his cheek.
The doctor hummed to himself as he thought over all that Jack had told him, "You never said," he began, "what alien was it that came?"
"I... we don't know its real name, we called it the 456." Jack replied sadly, if they had a name for the alien it might have helped them find a cure.
"Okay... well if it survived in this atmosphere then that narrows the numbers a bit..."
"Actually, it needed a special tank to survive; it lived in a completely unique atmosphere..."
"Hmm, well we'll cross the bridge of finding out about the species when we come to it... is this the place?" Asked the doctor noticing they arrived outside a grand hospital.
"Yes, it is." Replied jack shortly.
The two men made their way to the morgue in silence; the doctor had his sonic screw driver at the ready.
Since leaving Ianto a few days ago Jack hadn't been able to face going back, so it was a shock to him when they pulled open a draw to reveal his lover so pale and so still.
"I'm going to have to examine him to see if there's something we can do, jack" The doctor informed. "It could take a while.
Jack didn't reply, he was too busy watching over Ianto, so the Doctor took this as his cue to carry on with his work.
Jack's hand worked itself to Ianto's hair; he continued to stroke his head tenderly as he watched the sonic screwdriver going to work on the man before him. After half an hour scanning not a word had been spoken but the Doctor noticed how jack was looking tired, drained and not his usual self....
"You've been looking after yourself, haven't you jack?" As no answer was give the doctor prompted, "Jack?" once more.
"I... I've been busy."
"I'm going to have to run the results through the TARDIS computers jack, it could possibly take all night, you need to go home and rest, or you could use your old room on the TARDIS if you want, but promise me you'll sleep and eat... and shower, defiantly start with a shower."
Jack couldn't help but break a small smile, it was unusual for the doctor to sound so caring and compassionate, especially towards him "Okay, I'll rest, I need to be fit and fighting for when we save Ianto right?" jack asked naively. "I know where I'll go."
With that, jack left the doctor and headed to the one place he'd truly felt at home in over 100 years.
And where could Jack feel like home? What do you think? lol
I'm sure you can guess :P
Next chapter is in the works, will be up ASAP!!!!
thanks for all the lovely reviews so far, it's great to hear your views on Ianto's untimely death :(