Paying the Devil his due.
With great care Ianto cut the sandwich in half. He lined up the corners with the sharp knife making sure his fingers were out the way and pushed down. He loved making lunch for him and Jack because he was helping. Looking at the clock, he saw the big hand was on the six and the little hand was on the twelve; that meant it was half past twelve. It was Wednesday and Mac would be waiting for him to continue their work on the bike. All the rust was gone from the frame, and today they were going to lay out all the parts they had and list what they needed to find.
He went to the fridge and got out the juice carton. Carefully he poured out a measure of juice. Tilting the carton he made sure the juice only came to two thirds' up the glass. This way there would be no spills. Placing the plate along with the glass on the table he heard a thump. He glanced into the lounge and saw it was empty. That was strange because he was sure he had heard Jack come into the house. Maybe Jack had returned to the garden. Better go find him because lunch was ready, he hated being late so it was important they had lunch now so they could leave on time.
As soon as he entered the lounge fully he saw Jack was crumpled on the floor half in and out of the house.
He couldn't imagine why Jack was on the floor.
"Jack, wake up. I've got lunch ready," he told him but Jack didn't move. He shook him again. He had never found Jack like this before so he sat back and thought. Maybe Jack was asleep? He was so tired lately, maybe he'd fallen asleep like he did when he was watching television or reading the newspaper. Maybe he had fallen asleep while he was walking.
He closed his eyes, thinking if Jack was so tired he had fallen asleep walking maybe he should get him to bed because the floor was no place to sleep. Turning Jack over, he placed his arms under his shoulders and pulled. He felt pain in his back, but ignoring it he struggled on. Using all his might he managed to get him into the kitchen. He felt another spasm and stopped as it reminded him of Jack's words telling him he couldn't do heaving lifting. He struggled to remember what Jack had told him, the bad man had hurt his back which meant he could do almost anything except lift heavy things. He had to be careful. He grimaced at the pain. Jack was right; it hurt and Jack was heavy. He looked at the stairs but he had to get Jack to bed. He must be really tired because even pulling him hadn't woken him up. He needed to go to bed. Bed was where you slept, not on the floor he told himself.
He had a thought: if he couldn't get Jack to bed maybe he could bring the bed to Jack. Racing upstairs he pulled the bed clothes off and took a pillow and raced back downstairs. Carefully he placed the pillow under Jack's head then tucked the duvet around him.
Making sure Jack was tucked in he kissed his forehead and sat next to him. Some time passed as sat there and he watched the small hand of the clock wen past the one and the big hand arrived on the six which meant it was one thirty.
Jack had been here for over an hour he must be uncomfortable, the floor was all hard and cold because his own bum was all numb. Checking Jack he noticed he was right; Jack felt and looked cold, his lips were blue and his face was all grey.
He closed his eyes and tried to think. What would Jack do? Mac was expecting him and he felt a race of panic. He hated being late. He couldn't leave on his own; he had never walked in by himself. Jack was all cold and grey and fast asleep. Jack always came with him. When he thought about it, it was strange that Jack just fell asleep while walking about, so maybe he wasn't well like when they both had the cough. If he wasn't well the person to tell was Doctor Singh he reasoned. She would have the medicine to wake Jack up.
Standing he looked at the phone. He had only used it a couple of times and he kept getting all confused. Jack said he was going to get him a mobile so he could practice using one. He opened the door and walked down the path to see if David Morgan was in the field on his tractor. No, the field was empty, so he would have to use the phone.
He picked up the hand piece and put it to his ear. It was making the right noise, now what?
A number; he needed a number. You needed a number to connect the phone with the other phone the person you were calling had. He looked at the notice board and saw there was a list. Running his finger down the list he read it with great care until he found her number. He put the handset to his ear and found it was making a funny noise. Not sure what that meant he pushed in the numbers but nothing happened.
Something was wrong and he placed the handset back in the cradle, and then picked it up and listened again. He let out a breath of relief because it was making the sound Jack had told him meant he could call someone. Carefully he pushed each number and heard a new noise followed by a voice.
"Jack's asleep in the kitchen," he told the voice then stopped to listen. "I don't know what an appointment is," he explained. He wanted to say more but he felt so stupid. He was okay when it was just chatting. When it was important he found it so hard to find the right words.
"I don't know what you mean," he tried again.
"Jack Harkness," he stuttered.
"Okay, no appointments until tomorrow," he said, totally confused so he placed the hand piece back on the cradle.
He put his thumb into his mouth and bit his nail. What should he do? He had rung the doctor and a lady had said a whole pile of words he didn't understand.
Maybe he could try someone else. He looked down the list to the next name. Taking a deep breath he picked up the phone and dialled. He listened and it made a noise like it was ringing but no one answered so he put the phone down.
He had another think. Jack hadn't moved, not even to turn over. He was all grey and his lips were blue. He couldn't get Jack into bed and his back hurt and he knew he had to get help.
He should ring Doctor Singh again. Swallowing he concentrated on what he was going to say. "Jack was in the kitchen, he was on the floor. He had fallen asleep when he was walking. I need to talk to Doctor Singh to tell me what to do because he might need medicine to wake him up then he could go to bed proper."
Taking a deep breath he picked up the phone and dialled the doctor's number.
"It's me again" he said struggling with the words. "Jack is asleep in the kitchen," he told the voice.
"I don't know what an appointment is, I don't know what that word means," Ianto explained becoming distressed.
"Oh, it means he has to come there at a time tomorrow," he told the voice and placed the receiver down cutting off the conversation.
He put his head against the wall to think and glanced down at Jack then back up at the clock when an idea came to him Mac would know what to do. Mac always knew what to do. If nothing else he could come and help Ianto get Jack into bed.
He read carefully down the list to see if the number was there. Finding it he picked up the phone and rang the number. He held it to his ear and he counted to twenty when he heard a familiar voice and he let out a huge breath.
"Mac, I am not sure what to do, Jack is asleep in the kitchen…" he said then stopped as Mac asked him a question.
"No I found him in the lounge. I tried to get him upstairs but he was too heavy and I remembered Jack telling me not to lift heavy things and he is very heavy, so I stopped when I got him to the kitchen. Then I got him a pillow and the duvet and put the pillow under his head and put the duvet over him, because he's asleep and I didn't want him getting all cold." A question interrupted his explanation. "It was at half past twelve," he answered as he stopped to listen again. "Hang on I need to put the telephone down." He carefully placed the handset down and bent down to check if Jack was breathing, unsure of how to do this so he put his ear right up to his mouth but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't hear anything.
He stood up. "I'm not sure, he's cold and his lips are blue and his face is grey," he replied then listened. "What should I do Mac? I rang the doctor but this lady said we had to make an appointment. I had no idea what that meant and she said we had to come there…" he stopped. "Okay I will wait here," he said. He replaced the phone and went and opened the door as Mac said he would be there as soon as he could. He felt a sense of relief. Now they could finally get Jack into bed and he could sleep more comfortable instead of being all cold.
He lay next to Jack and put his arm around him. A few moments passed when he felt him shudder and take a huge gasp then still as if the effort had taken every ounce of strength he had.
Veronica Singh raced down the path leading to Rose Cottage. She had been with a patient when Mac had literally crashed into her office, telling her Ianto had called; she had apologised to her patient, grabbed her doctor's bag and raced out. Mac had called the Island ambulance service but they were on the other side of the Island and would be at least another half an hour before they got there. She dreaded what she would find. From Mac's description Jack had collapsed and was possibly dead.
"I didn't know what to do," Ianto told her as she entered the kitchen, followed by Mac.
"You did very well," Mac assured him as Veronica began to pull off the covers and found he was alive much to her relief. She listened to his heartbeat with her stethoscope then she checked his blood pressure. He was cold and barely conscious and from what Mac had told her he had been so for nearly an hour.
"Tell me what happened?" she asked a very worried looking Ianto who was standing beside Mac, not taking his eyes off Jack.
"I was making lunch and I heard a thump. I went into the lounge and Jack was lying inside the big doors. I shook him but he did not wake up," he explained.
"What happened next?" she asked.
"He had fallen asleep walking so I tried to take him upstairs but he was too heavy and we only made it into here, so I went and brought a duvet off the bed and a pillow so he would be more comfortable. He was all grey and cold so I thought maybe he wasn't well…" she put up her hand to stop him.
"Did you see anything else?"
"Just before you got here he took a deep breath like this," he demonstrated the huge gasp Jack had taken, "then you came."
"You said he had blue lips," she queried. Ianto nodded. She looked and they were pink now when Jack suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Jack, it's Veronica. You've collapsed. I've called an ambulance and you're going to be air-lifted across to the mainland."
He shook his head. "No," he struggled to say.
"Jack, you've collapsed. We need to get you to hospital," she told him more strongly.
"Can't," he panted.
"There's no 'can't' about this Jack," she told him firmly as he pleaded with his eyes.
"Not me, for Ianto," he burst out and she looked at Ianto who was shaking with fear and she caught herself as she looked between them.
"You've collapsed you need help."
"Call Owen Harper," he struggled to say in a heavy whisper. "Just tired," he croaked out a few seconds later.
"Exhausted to the point of collapse and as you know I've been advising you for months. There could well be an underlying cause. Only the full services offered by a hospital can do the investigation required."
"Owen," he repeated. She checked his vitals again and she sat back on her heels. He was stable and she could find nothing wrong, but he was so weak he was unable to move. She took a deep breath and looked at Ianto who was quiet but she knew from experience he was just holding it together.
"Very well. I will call and consult with Doctor Harper, but I will recommend you be taken directly the nearest emergency medical centre in the strongest medical terms I can," she warned him.
Mac handed her Jack's address book. Looking down the names she called the number on the house phone.
Jack listened and gritted his teeth. If he could stand he could demonstrate he was not as bad as the fuss being made. He willed his arms to move but they refused to obey him. A few moments later he realised his eyes were closed, and no matter how hard he tried his eyelids wouldn't lift open. For a fraction of a second he feared he was paralysed but then the discomfort in his body was so great he knew he still had full feeling He had lifted his arm a short while ago; start there he thought. Several moments later willing his arm to move he made fingers twitch. He felt someone take his hand. With supreme effort he managed to force his eyes open a fraction to see Ianto kneeling beside him looking scared, and found it possible to squeeze his hand back
As all attempts to move were impossible he resigned himself to lying on the floor and listening to the heated discussion between Veronica and Owen. He had to agree that she was a force to be reckoned with but he knew Owen was the only person he trusted to deal with this. After an intense exchange she stopped to listen. She agreed that Jack was out of any immediate danger, his vitals were good, and after a blistering discussion and with extreme reluctance she agreed he could remain but only if she was replaced with someone fully equipped to deal with the situation. She was interrupted by the arrival of the ambulance she had requested. After promising to call Owen right back she now gave Jack a more thorough examination using the equipment from the ambulance.
From what she could see he had no injuries. Both her and the paramedics confirmed everything about him was as normal including his heart rhythm and blood gases; the only issue appeared was he was so debilitated he couldn't move despite his obvious attempts.
Using the expertise of the paramedics, Mac and herself, they managed to move Jack upstairs into bed. After checking he was still stable she noted Jack fell immediately into a deep sleep.
Closing the door she now turned to Ianto, who had been unable to help and tried to remain out of the way. He was standing clutching Myfanwy. Gently with Mac's help they directed him back down to the kitchen.
"I'm scared," he said as the paramedics began to pack their things.
"I see you're scared Ianto, but right now Jack is in bed asleep."
"Okay, so he did just fall asleep walking about, he has been very tired," he added.
"Sort off," she commented not sure what to tell him.
"So being in bed sleeping will help? What happens if Jack wakes up and he needs to move about? He's too heavy; I can't move him on my own."
She put her hand on his arm. "I've spoken to Doctor Harper and he is on his way up here right now with another friend, Tosh," she told him. Ianto nodded; he had met them at his party. Ianto remembered Owen was the one who told him the great crocodile joke and Tosh had given him the Wally books and helped him with his maths.
She looked at Mac. "Although they are leaving as we speak they will not be here for some time. Mac, I need to ask; if it's okay with Ianto, can you stay with him until they arrive?" She saw him nod. "Is it okay if Mac stays here until Owen and Tosh arrive?" she asked.
Ianto's lower lip wobbled. "I need to be with Jack. Can I go and be with him?" Veronica shook her head. "It's that we never sleep apart. Jack will be all lonely on his own," he added.
"He's had a bit of a rough day so it might be nice if he just had a sleep on his own just for a short while," she suggested touched at his concern and saw Ianto working this through.
"Okay, but later I need to check him and make sure he's not lonely," he said with a long face.
"I'll come back in about an hour and we can check him together. Your friend Owen said best thing for Jack is to rest," she confirmed.
Looking around the kitchen she gave strict instructions to Mac on how to check Jack every half an hour and any change in Jack's condition and she was calling the inter-land ambulance service and Doctor Harper be damned. He nodded and gave her the thumbs' up as she headed for her car.
Ianto watched her leave. He was not happy; Jack never slept on his own. How would he cope with the bad dreams if he didn't kiss them better? Mac kept telling him they needed to stay downstairs but he was very scared. Something bad would happen to him if he was not there because Jack needed him. He tried to explain as best he could and after further argument Mac agreed that he could take Myfanwy to him so she could watch over him. Bemused he watched him race back upstairs. Reaching the bedroom Ianto place the toy in bed with him, checked him as Doctor Singh had told Mac then left, leaving the door ajar so he could hear when Jack called out.
Mac pushed his cap off his head. Well here was a to do, Jack was ill and Ianto was just holding on and he felt real fear for him. What would happen to Ianto if Jack was incapacitated? Who would care for him? How would Ianto cope being removed from his life here? Well he would have something to say about it if it came to that. He would have words; it would be over his dead body that they removed Ianto from the Island. He wasn't alone in that he was sure. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but he geared himself up for a fight. Folks round here who said Jessie MacDonald didn't care one jolt for folks were going to be in for a shock. Maybe he didn't, but at the end of his life he had never expected to find such good company. Ianto mattered to him; he was a good friend. Not one to chatter on, his view on the world was refreshing, his opinions honest. For that he was very grateful. Jack was a friend too if had a mind to admit it.
"Ianto, you told me you had some great books on motorbikes. As I'm visiting could you show them to me?" he asked as Ianto stood at the bottom of the stairs not taking his eyes off the bedroom door, and wondered at the change in his life. He was in the house of two men who clearly loved each other and from what he had seen slept in the same bed and counted them both as friends.
He smiled as Ianto now indicated to the books he had found. Slipping out of his coveralls Mac sat down next to him on the sofa. As they looked through the first book Mac began to tell him the story of his very first motorbike while Ianto listened with rapt attention never taking his eyes off the stairs.