15
Ianto stirred and opened his eyes to find Rose sitting by the bed with Caden in her arms.
"Hey" he said softly, smiling as his son struggled from her arms onto the bed. "Come on stinker, into the bed with you."
He was soon snuggling his baby as he watched Rose rise to open the blinds. "What time is it?"
"Almost noon" she replied, "Jack said he had to do something and took off in that sleep hopper of his, two bugs with him in broad daylight not even bothering to cloak. What the hell is going on?"
"I am sure you heard about the bombing" Ianto sat up gingerly, grimacing as his shoulder bit, "We are OK just a little shaken."
"And the blood all over your clothing?" she asked with that glint in her eye those Harness arseholes get.
Ianto snorted as he poked his tongue at her and she giggled.
"Aunty is right, Taddy is yucky" Ianto said as Caden looked up at him adorningly, "My beautiful boy, wanna help Taddy have a shower and get clean?"
Caden wriggled from the bed and waited with glee, not usually allowed to help like this.
"Go start the water, nice and hot for Taddy" Ianto said as he pointed at the bathroom and Caden took off with glee, Henry exploding from under the bed like a pet dog. Ianto jumped and then laughed softly "Bloody hell, little bugger."
"Come on, let's get you clean" Rose said softly as she helped Ianto stagger to the bathroom, his soft curse as he found himself with less strength than he had expected, "I think your Doctor Harper gave you a patch for some prolonged pain relief behind your ear."
Ianto reached up and felt a small patch like a plaster, resisting the urge to pull it off as he let Rose adjust the water, then he smiled softly, "sorry missus, just us men in here now. Tackle and all that flying about."
She giggled as she retreated and Ianto groaned as Henry helped his trousers and boxers fall, then Ianto watched the bug clamber to the sink to reach for his top, pulling it off easily and handing it to Caden who looked at the blood with horror.
"In the rubbish love" Ianto said softly, "Yucky."
"Poor Taddy" Caden said softly, looking up and seeing the terrible bruising on Ianto's shoulder. Ianto knew if he turned to get in Caden would see his back and the entry wound, the terrible bruising where the shot did not exit traumatic enough for a child to see so he gingerly backed in, letting the water kiss the wound first.
He held back the grunt of pain as he smiled reassuringly at his son, the bug scampering around to gently wash the blood away from the wound and click.
"Does it look well sewn?" Ianto asked and the clacking reassured him that it did not lopk at bad as he thought and he finally turned so Caden could see.
"My Taddy got hurt" Caden whispered.
"And Uncle Owie made it better, clever Uncle Owie" Ianto replied as he let his head fall back so the water cascaded over his head and shoulders, the red water around his ankles finally turning translucent once more.
"Taddy why do people do bad things?" Caden asked.
The bug clicked at him and Ianto grunted his agreement, "Yes Henry. Not just people. All things can do bad things, it is a choice isn't it. The people who tried to hurt us made the wrong choice."
"And now the will be sorry" Caden said softly as he looked at the bug behind Ianto with open anger, "Right Henry? Now Daddy will smite them?"
The bug clicked it's agreement.
"Where is Daddy by the way?" Ianto looked at his son as he turned the water off and the little eyes slid to the side as they did when the little one was considering his answer.
"Aunty Evie and Daddy went off" he finally said, "Daddy and the click-clacks went to see someone and Aunty Evie went to see someone else. They were all angry. Sissy is with Mavis doing her dancing and I was waiting for my story time."
"Really?" Ianto said with a raised eyebrow "You want a story in the middle of the day?"
"Yep" he said with glee "You are not busy right?"
Ianto laughed softly, careful not to jar his shoulder as he let the children help him pull on the PJ bottoms he liked for bed and after a moment he decided not to wear a top but to let the shoulder breathe.
"Come on then, one each" Ianto finally said, "Go choose."
The children raced out of the bathroom, the bug in the lead as it climbed the ceiling and missed the obstacles his best friend had to negotiate and Rose looked up from the bedding she had been folding back, "I hope you don't mind, I knew you would like a protective sheet again."
"Yes, thanks" Ianto smiled as he walked over more calmly then before, his strength returning as he felt more himself now.
The boys retuned with a book each, settling in the bed and Ianto began to read, Henry hooting with glee as his was chosen first. Willy appearing from Caden's pocket to listen as well.
Funny Bugger.