Eleven

Jack came to with a start and instantly his ordeal overwhelmed him. Still blinded he lashed out with his good hand.

'You're safe,' he heard the voice that had guided him.

Water poured over his face followed by a gentle touch of a cloth cleaning his face. Another drenching and he felt something give and tried his eyelids. One almost opened with effort; the other remained stuck. A moment passed and he tried again, this time the lids stickily stretched apart. The face of the man who rescued him came into focus. His vision was still blurry but it looked like…now he knew this was a delusion, he had lost it and created a whole rescue fantasy by none other than Ianto Jones.

'I will never give up the codes,' Jack declared and appeared to brace himself for the coming blow.

'It's okay, sir. You're safe,' Ianto reassured him.

Jack found a water bottle to his lips but pulled his head away refusing to drink.

'Just water sir.'

Jack shook his head feeling it pound in time with all the other pains in his body.

'The scan is telling me you are dehydrated and all the things I got I never thought of an IV so the only way to get liquid into you is by drinking,' the kind voice told him.

'This is not real. Whatever you've given me won't work. I'll never hand over the ship so do your worst,' Jack reiterated.

'This is real alright. Too bloody real by half,' Ianto told him. 'And you need to drink.' Ianto dripped some water across Jack's lips from his fingertips. As a reward Jack licked it from his lips so Ianto fed the man some more. Several small swallows later Ianto watched as Jack fell back to sleep or unconsciousness. He checked with the examination wand; the man was asleep.

Placing the wand carefully down in its case Ianto went back to watching the monitor. Every now and then he made an adjustment to the accelerated healing casts on Jack's right wrist, hand, and both feet.

The medi-kit beeped and taking the wand he followed the diagram and directions. With gentle sweeps over each area of bruising he saw again an improvement as the swelling reduced.

Ianto felt himself drift and an indicator brought him back. Turning to the medi-kit he checked how much time had elapsed since his last dose of stimulant. Downing the thick green liquid he felt all his fatigue wash away. Now alert he returned to his task and picked up the wand.

Jack awoke in several stages. The dim light from whatever source was casting deep shadows making it look like some surreal oubliette as tall and as wide as he was. No, this was not a cell; he looked again. He could make out what appeared to be an oxygenator / life support unit humming away. On top was a replicator/recycle unit. Against the wall he could swear he was looking at a heat disperser.

Looking down he saw he was covered with a grey blanket. He brought up his arm to pull it aside and saw his wrist and fingers was encased in a cast winking away. He tentatively wiggled his toes and his feet felt like they were covered in hot ants. Pulling off the blanket with his left hand he saw his feet were surrounded by accelerated healing boots which explained the terrible itching. Two arm lengths away was a hump. His throat was sore, and horribly dry he saw a half filled water bottle a hand stretch away.

His whole body creaking and stiffly Jack reached out. His efforts caused the lump on the other side to look up. Within moments the bottle was opened, his head was lifted and the water bottle was at his lips.

'Thank you,' Jack said sincerely after he had gulped down half.

'Your wrist is broken, along with all the fingers on your right hand. I've managed to splint and set them. Your wrist was most serious. I did my best and the cast should get it functional.

I've reduced the swelling on your face and eased most of the other bruising which was severe so you can at least open your eyes. Your nose was broken. You had a cracked jaw, along with hair line fracture of the right eye socket. Your feet were in a horrible state. There's no apparent internal bleeding.'

Jack listened in incredulous silence as Ianto went over his injuries. Reaching out he pushed him with his good hand.

Ianto looked at him in surprise.

'I thought this must be a dream,' Jack admitted.

'No, this nightmare is all too real,' Ianto agreed. Taking the now empty bottle he placed it aside. Taking the only pillow he placed it under Jack's head. Now that Jack could see better he saw he was a rounded box with just enough length to lie down as wide again with about 1.5 meters of head room.

'Where are we?' Jack asked.

Ianto checked him over with the medical examination wand. 'Under the main computer core. When the original design was made the main computer core was designed for a later upgrade, it meant there is a readymade space already set up.' Ianto checked the findings from the wand on the screen of the field kit.

'Won't they be tearing the ship apart to find me and you?'

Ianto's face twisted into grim smile as he worked. 'Don't you worry about them. They will have enough on their hands trying to just cope moment to moment, let alone set up a search.'

'What did you do?' Jack asked, intrigued.

'Let's just say something they didn't expect, are not prepared for and will leave them wishing they had never fucked over a Space Command vessel.'

Ianto moved towards Jack with a prepared hypo in his hand. 'Now according to the field kit readout I need to put you back into another light sleep to help with the speed healing.' Before Jack could protest a hypo was placed on his arm and with a single hiss he felt himself melt back into nothingness.

The next time as Jack woke he felt a lot better. In fact he was desperate for a piss and his stomach turned over in hunger.

'Commander Jones I need to err, use the…err, facilities.'

Ianto nodded his understanding and held out a long container with a spout. 'It was in the field medical kit,' Ianto said as explanation then moved across to the other side of the space and turned his back.

'There's no water tap for me to turn on,' Ianto told him after several moments has passed and nothing had happened.

Jack took a look around and tried to think of something to take his mind off the fact he was stuck under the main computer core of the 'Torchwood' a piss pot in his hand with a man he had helped bully to the point of suicide. A man who had rescued him, brought him here and taken care of his injuries.

'How did you get me in here?' Jack's eyes came to rest on the life support system.

'It's a long tale better told when I'm not having to listen to another man try to take a piss while trying to imagine I'm anywhere else but here,' Ianto said.

'No I meant from out there to in here,' Jack tried again.

'I cut a hole.' Ianto pointed up keeping his back to Jack.

'I remember stepping into space and my hips got caught and the sides were very hot.'

'Sorry about that,' Ianto said trying not to hear what he was hearing.

'That's explains me but what about the rest? I mean the life support unit is twice as large as the circumference of the opening you pushed me through.'

'That was one of the four impossible things I accomplished in one day.'

Jack coughed. Ianto turned around and he took the now full the bottle and placed it in the recycle section of the replicator. Once the unit had completed its function he took it out and placed it away to the side. Taking the hand sanitiser he poured some over his hands and rubbed them together. Now clean his own hands poured some more into his right palm and took Jack's free hand. Quickly Ianto spread the liquid vigorously on Jack hand between his own.

'I see,' Jack took his now clean hand back.

Ianto moved to the replicator. 'The field kit says no coffee but you can have juice or would you like food first?' Ianto held out an opened ration bar.

'Ianto...Commander Jones, everything about this is impossible,' Jack said taking the offered juice and took a long drink.

'I'm not sure impossible covers it. Unbelievable seems to describe recent events better.'

Ianto offered a refill of juice which Jack thankfully accepted followed by a food bar.

Jack watched as Ianto seemed to be gearing himself up for something and took a deep breath.

'There's no easy way to tell you this: Captain Boston is dead.'

Closing his eyes slowly Jack gripped the container of juice. 'I know. When we recovered he was already dead. I figure heart attack. He died a brave man to the last. He must have realised something was wrong and his last act was to call out the shutdown code.'

Speaking the words suddenly brought Ianto's grief into sharp focus. How could a man so filled with life suddenly be dead? From his first moments on board the man had been his centre, true to his word his door had been open along with kindness and a growing friendship. The man had been like a father to him, easing Ianto back into service with wit, humour, and trust. Now he was gone Ianto turned away and faced the wall.

A moment passed and Jack saw a hand shoot out and turn the light down throwing the space into deep shadow.

Jack felt his own grief surface then he swallowed it down. Now was not the right time. When it was he would grieve for a man who had given him a chance when everyone else had refused and was without doubt the best Captain he had ever served under. Every officer, student and crew member who had ever served on this ship would know the true cost of his loss. A great man taken by a bunch of murderous slavers.

Jack looked over at Ianto whose body was shaking with silent sobs. Jack wished he could offer him some comfort but he knew better than to intrude. All he could do right now was look at the ceiling and pretended he couldn't hear.

Ianto checked Jack over with the examination wand. After telling Jack about Captain Boston Ianto had fallen asleep for an hour. Mortified he had fallen asleep he was now double-checking Jack had come to no harm.

'You saved me?'

'I'm too exhausted to have this conversation,' Ianto said trying to concentrate.

'But you saved me,' Jack repeated.

'Why does it not surprise me, you would be surprised I rescued you,' Ianto said wearily as he checked the data from the field kit read out

'You would have every right to want to see some payback,' Jack added recalling Ianto's words that he wished Jack suffering and pain.

Ianto looked up from the medi-kit monitor. 'I imagine someone with your mentality would.'

'My mentality?'

'Someone who thinks that everyone would act as they would.'

Shuffling over to the field kit Ianto dialled up a small container of green liquid.

'I don't think that about you,' Jack said quietly.

Ianto snorted. 'Listen, I already know what you think of me.'

'And what do I think?'

'You couldn't imagine any possible circumstance where I might see you were a fellow crew member or human being because you never saw me as one.'

'That's not true.'

'Every humiliating action on the Diligence says otherwise.'

'I was wrong.'

Ianto glared at Jack. 'Let's get one thing straight. I don't believe that for one moment you feel one ounce of regret for what you did.'

'That's not true,' Jack pleaded

''Yes it is.'

'I'm sorry for what happened.'

Ianto put down the container and clapped. 'Bravo; brilliant act'.

'It's not an act. Since I found you on the holo-suite and Owen revealed the truth I've done everything to ensure true justice was done.'

'And yet here you are.' Ianto felt a rise of fury at Jack's pronouncement. 'So you had to step on the back of your lover to make sure everyone understood just how committed you were to the truth. I know the truth; the only person you were helping was yourself. It's so convincing even my own father swallowed your act.'

'I didn't deserve for him to speak up for me,' Jack said in his defence.

'Well that something we can both agree on,' Ianto said knocking back the contents of the small cup into his mouth.

'I failed you and acted in a way that I deeply regret.'

Ianto licked the residue of the liquid from his lips. As it warmed his stomach he looked across at Jack and felt a surge of resentment. 'Your words are meaningless to me. I stood before you and asked to be allowed to prove myself. You refused on pain of the worst punishment in Space Command. You and the crew then made my life a living hell. I was expected to die. Had I done so you would have danced with joy. No doubt you and your mistress of chaos would have found some way to justify your actions and come out with some kind of honour. Pity I lived and ruined it all for you.'

'I thank the universe every day you lived long enough for us to find you.'

Ianto tried to ease the ache in his body by putting his back up against the wall and stretching his legs out straight. Viewing the man he felt another surge of anger that appeared to be timed with his increasing alertness.

'Look at the lengths you have gone to. It's sickening. You dragged in people who were special to me. Who the hell was Craig to you? Nothing,' Ianto answered his own question. 'This is all a game to you Harkness. You took my life, you took everything I valued and threw it away like space junk. You couldn't give me ten minutes. Next you're falling over yourself trying to prove what a good man you are by setting up trusts for people I cared about, besmirching their memory.'

'That was not my purpose.' Jack realised that Ianto had found out about the Trust in Craig's name that Jack had been instrumental in setting up.

'The why did you do it?'

'There is no answer I can give you that you would accept,' Jack said.

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'It's complicated, difficult, unbelievable even.'

'How in all that his holy did you even find out about him?'

Jack became desperate. 'There is an explanation but what would be the point? You wouldn't believe me any way.'

Ianto shook his head. 'You are right I wouldn't believe you. I lost everything,' Ianto muttered. 'And what is worst of all is you made me him!'

'Him?' Jack repeated struggling to hold onto his feelings.

'The other John Jones. A man whose family has enough influence that he can play at being a Space Command officer. I was John Jones, Deep Space Exploration officer. People saw me for my real self. Now there is nothing but gold diggers and people fawning over me because all they see is money or my family or they hate me for who my family is. My family are falling over themselves to buy me a new life.' Ianto looked at him, his voice wavering with emotion, 'I don't want a life I didn't earn. I want the life I made for myself, free from all the lies and hypocrisy.'

'Tell me what to do please? I will do anything just say the word,' Jack said in desperation.

'Anything?' Ianto snapped.

'Anything,' Jack begged.

'Give me back the ten minutes I asked for!'

'If that's what it takes then I will work the rest of my life to find a way,' Jack agreed.

'You bastard. Even here face-to-face you mock me.' Ianto shook his head.

'I exposed Suzie and found a way to bring her down so she would face justice. Ensured that the truth was told including my part, made sure all those I could who were involved were called to account. Taken every punishment.'

Ianto folded his arms. 'I read the reports. Like everyone else you put the blame on her. I know the truth. The pair of you were joined at the hip; where she went, there you were, smirking at me, enjoying every moment,' Ianto told him.

'Ianto, I was one hundred percent wrong. If I could give you back the time you asked I would move the universe to do it.'

'With all due respect, Sir, you walked away with your life intact. You kept your health and career. Those you've conned have never had to face the real you. Harkness the Bully, who can demand a man not eat, or overload him with work then berate him for failing to do the impossible. Deny him much needed rest or force him between hulls. How my father could speak up for you is beyond my imaginings.'

'Your father loves you,' Jack said softly not sure how this conversation had gotten out of hand so quickly.

'You know nothing about my father.' Ianto leaned forward as he spat out the words.

'I know your father turned up every day of the official enquiry, my court martial, Susie's committal hearing and all the other tribunals. The enquiry had to stop time and again to allow him to compose himself.'

Ianto stared as Jack continued.

'He spoke only once before the official enquiry. Those who heard his speech were left in no doubt just how important you are to him. I know he is more proud of you than you could know because he said no son could make a father prouder. He spoke about the pain he felt at seeing you destroyed by the service you loved. And the burden he carried on having to tell you could no longer follow the two passions of your life.'

'I don't know why on the last day of my court martial he asked to speak on my behalf. His grief about your treatment was so raw I expected him to ask the tribunal to show me no mercy. On that morning of my sentencing I expected to spend the rest of my life locked away or transported to a penal colony. Instead he requested the court recommend rehabilitation.'

'Your father gave to me, his son's abuser, a second chance. Since that moment I have done everything in my power to prove his faith in me. I made a vow he will never live to regret the words he spoke on my behalf.'

Jack's declaration caused Ianto to retreat into himself and he brought up his knees. Cradling them with his arms he placed his head down.

Jack sat back cradling his wrist, and tried to make himself comfortable. The one thing about speed healing was it was not pain free. The bones knitting together were growing to a terrible ache. Ianto was rightfully angry, a seething mass of resentment. How could he explain about Craig? The man loved Ianto and Ianto loved him. He had felt that Craig should be honoured for that reason alone. But to Ianto it was all a ploy to make people believe that he had changed so he didn't have face the consequences of his ill treatment of him.

A soft touch caught attention. 'I missed your pain top up.' Jack looked up to see Ianto with a hypo in his hand.

'Thank you.' Jack felt the pain fading into the background.

'No snarky words about how you think I would enjoy seeing you in pain?' Ianto said.

Jack looked up at him. 'You are a man of dignified professionalism.'

'You can thank Captain Boston. He suggested I respect the role and not the person.'

'You saved me because it was your duty as an officer of Space Command.'

Jack saw Ianto's eyes fill with tears which Ianto brushed away quickly. 'Why do you find it so hard to comprehend that I rescued you out of common humanity? I don't care what the person has done to me personally; no one deserves to be tortured.'

'I think there is a lot of your father in you,' Jack told him.

Ianto snorted 'Don't kid yourself. I would never have spoken out for you. I would have asked for the hardest punishment possible.'

'Thank you for seeing my pain,' Jack said and felt himself begin to fade and realised there must have been a sedative combined with the pain medication.

'You keep seeing me as you. I am not you,' Ianto told him. 'You are hurt and bone fusion is bloody agony. Six months gave me a whole new understanding to the meaning of pain.'

Ianto looked down and saw Jack had fallen asleep. The apology for his behaviour caught on his lips. He sat back and felt a wave of shame. What was he thinking? Ianto berated himself. There was a time and place and this wasn't it. The man was injured. He had allowed his feelings outside of the situation to take over. Being tired and in pain was no excuse. Jack was at his mercy and expected Ianto to hurt him 'How the hell was he supposed to deal with that?'

Waking, Jack realised the itching in his feet was gone. Moving the blanket covering him aside he saw they were healed and the accelerated healing boots had been removed. His wrist was still in cast blinking away as it worked its magic. He wiggled his fingers and was pleased to note the deep bone ache had faded to a more bearable level. Also heartening was the cast covering his fingers were gone. Examining them he saw his finger nails were making a comeback as well.

Looking across he saw Ianto with his eyes closed stretched out on his side. Pulling off his own blanket Jack shuffled across on his knees and laid it over the sleeping man.

Ianto's eyes snapped open and threw the blanket back at Jack. 'You can stop the act.'

'You rescued me from being tortured and got me to a safe place at great personal risk and I can't ever put a cover over you as a thank you!'

'Don't think for one moment I did it for you.'

'You did it because you put the crew and the ship first and saw me as a human being,' Jack replied.

'You get it! See, you didn't need it spelt out for you,' Ianto told him as with great care stiffly eased himself to sitting then moved to pick up the examination wand.

'Ianto are you okay?' Jack noted Ianto's hands were shaking as he used the examination wand over Jack's wrist.

'There you go using my first name again,' Ianto muttered.

Jack eased back and watched Ianto moving about which confirmed his suspicions. 'Commander Jones, are you okay?'

'I'm perfect,' Ianto said his words dripping in sarcasm.

'Well, you don't look perfect. You look exhausted and in pain.'

'Ten out of ten, go to the top of the class.' Ianto checked the data on the medi-kit's screen.

Jack watched as a small, round cup full of green liquid appeared and Ianto reached for it.

Taking a good look at the man Ianto had several days' growth of beard, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hands and lower lip was trembling.

'When did you last sleep?

'Well I was asleep until you woke me,' Ianto said each word spoken in a slur.

'No, I mean real sleep.'

Ianto looked at Jack as if he was an idiot. 'Rule number one for a patient undergoing speed healing: don't leave them on their own and all their other injuries need constant monitoring.'

'I'm not so injured now,' Jack pointed out.

'Looks can be deceiving.'

'How long have we been here?' Jack asked.

'Three days.'

'And before then? You haven't slept at all?' Jack was horrified at the implications.

'Don't worry, I'll be feeling right as rain in just a second.' Ianto grimaced as he picked up the container he had dialled up.

'I order you to put that down.' Jack realised what the liquid was.

'Like you can order me to do anything,' Ianto told him.

'I'm captain you have to obey me,' Jack warned.

'Fuck you,' Ianto told him.

'You have been using stimulants to keep awake and I'm betting you have to keep taking stronger and stronger doses to keep going. You need sleep, real sleep,' Jack told him urgently. 'And the way you are moving suggests you're in pain.'

Jack moved over now and picked up the examination wand and turned to the field kit.

Ianto backed away as Jack approached him.

'What do you think you are doing?' Ianto growled as Jack used the wand in a sweeping motion over Ianto.

'Taking care of my crew.' Jack turned his head to read information on the medi-kit screen. 'You've strained your lower back and need sleep. The field kit is telling me you need a sedative to overcome the level of stimulants in your system ' Jack put down the wand and took the cup from Ianto's hand. 'And some pain killers for your back and some deep massage.'

Using one hand Jack went through the first open medi-kit. Not finding what he was searching for he went through the second kit. 'Ah ha,' Jack said out loud as he found it. The kit made a soft noise and an auto hypo appeared.

'I don't want you touching me,' Ianto warned him as Jack approached.

'I assume your rescuing me other than helping a human being and fellow crew member was because I also have the codes to unlock the ship?' Jack raised his eyebrows as he asked the question.

'That has nothing to do with this situation.'

'And I also assume that part of your motivation is to take back the ship and find a way to rescue the crew?'

Ianto nodded, reluctantly agreeing with Jack's logic.

'If this is the case then both of us need to be at our best. Commander Jones, you haven't slept in at least three days, possibly longer, and you've been relying on stimulants. You are moving in a way that screams how much pain you are in. Now from one human being to another please let me help.'

Narrowing his eyes Ianto pursed his lips. He couldn't argue with Jack's logic and it did make sense. And he knew he was at the end of his strength.

'Lie down and tell me where we are again and just how you got all this equipment in here,' Jack offered

Ianto gritted his teeth, thinking of any way he could say no and figure a way to do this for himself as a wave of exhaustion hit. Letting out a deep breath and with a careful set of movements he turned and lay on his front.

Jack examined the instructions on the field kit screen and turned the wand to the correct settings. 'So where are we?'

'Under the main computer core,' Ianto said.

'And how did you get all this equipment here?' Jack asked, confirming the sedative and level of pain medication the medi-kit recommended.

'I did the seemingly impossible.'

'Lift,' Jack instructed and placed the pillow under Ianto's head. 'You told me you did four impossible things on one day,' Jack said as he pressed a hypo into Ianto's arm.

Ianto let out a soft groan as the pain in his back and shoulders began to melt into nothingness.

'Stay alive, send out a distress beacon, rescue you, get you to place that was impossible to find even if someone looked, that one included the one with the magic. Now all I have to do is take back the ship, rescue the crew and destroy the Slaver base.'

'More impossible things,' Jack said gently as Ianto became heavy-lidded.

'Yep. I read somewhere, 'the only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible,'** Ianto yawned through each word.

Jack completed the treatment as Ianto began to snore, still none the wiser how Ianto had managed to do get the large equipment through such a small opening.

He had his suspicions that it might have something to do with the project Ianto had been working on with Eugene Jones. He would have to temper his curiosity until Ianto woke up. Pulling over the blanket Ianto snuffled.

Jack took a moment do a quick tidy up. Curious he came across a timer. It was counting down. In three days, five hours and 36 minutes something was meant to happen.

Ianto turned over. 'Another mystery to be solved,' Jack thought to himself and then emptied a more substantial sedative into the man's arm. This one would counteract the horrible side effects of the stimulant and allow the man some well-earned rest.

'Sleep tight sweet prince,' Jack brushed his hand on Ianto's cheek then sat back watching him breathe in and out with an ache in his soul.

Ianto's quote is from Arthur C. Clarke's Three Laws of Prediction.

1: When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.

2: The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.

3: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.