12
As things settled down Ianto heard Tosh's voice calling out and it was Jack who stepped out and raised a hand to show her where they were, seeing her running towards them.
"Thank Pete you are OK" she gasped, "Me and Owen were still in the clinic when things started to shut down and we didn't get everyone down here. Owen had an injured woman, hit by falling debris that he is tending to. Tell me you have a water supply, we can't find any."
Jack frowned as he looked around, now really seeing the bunker's failures then he sighed and knelt to reach under the bed, pulling out a survival kit.
"There is supposed to be enough water for four per family registered for this place to last a week, twice the time guaranteed for the automatic shielding replacement. Room for eighty people, we have what…about fifty in here?" he said as he continued to pull out boxes and open them, finally finding one with water, "All the private rooms have their own stocks."
"Well so far nobody has owned up to having any" she sighed, "Jack may I have a battle for the poor woman? She's in labour the poor thing, Owen is frantic. Her back is broken and it's not going well as she can't feel the contractions. I think he needs to do a C-section."
"Shit, then alcohol will help too" Jack said as he reached for a box that was a different colour, signifying it as a personal effects box and he pulled out a bottle of whiskey, "Here, for sterilization, here's the first aid kit to add to the supplies you got down here."
"Keep it" she said softly with a push of her hand as she looked at Ianto's pale face, "In case you need it."
"I will come" Ianto said immediately, "See if he needs anything else."
"Yes, we will make sure she gets what she needs" Jack agreed as they walked over and Ianto could see straight away there would be little they could do. Her head was partially caved in and her eyes dull as she blinked up at Owen with open confusion asking for her husband.
"Where is he?" Jack whispered to Tosh.
"Husband and son are gone" she whispered back, "Their vehicle was crushed by the first of the asteroids to break the shielding, why we almost didn't make it down. The doors were closing on us. We lost some of the staff who stayed topside to try and help others. The door closing means the inner shield failed, right?"
"We need somewhere better than the fucking floor" Owen spluttered as he knelt over her and Jack lifted her up running for their room as Ianto pulled off the top cover so she could be placed on the clean sheets beneath. He sneezed as the dust flew, throwing the cover to one side. She seemed to be struggling and Jack looked down at his arms to see them covered with her blood so he pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor with disgust, turning to Ianto who was watching Owen scan the woman and shake his head sadly.
"Shit" Ianto sat heavily and reached for the woman's hand, her eyes glassy and unfocused as she started to babble at him, calling him Caden. He leaned forward, "You are doing good love. I am proud of you, hang in there."
"Caden, I'm scared"
"I am with you, you are doing good. Don't be afraid, it's OK" Ianto crooned as Owen cut her open and struggled to get the baby out, his face ashen as he raced her impending death. If he didn't get the child out in time it would follow her.
"Is the baby OK? Caden, you will take care of the baby, right?"
"Yes love, yes love" Ianto crooned softly. "I will protect the baby with me life."
Ianto felt the grip on his hand release and looked down at Owen "Owen hurry, she's gone"
"FUCK!" Owen tore at her, the baby popping into the world with a gush of liquid and emotion as those crowded around started to cry.
The little boy flailed his arms and screamed weakly, Ianto pulling off his dressing gown and holding it out, then to his surprise Owen dumped the baby in his arms and began to cut the cord, examining the baby and declaring it premature but good enough.
"Here, I can breast feed" a woman with a baby on her hip offered, shoving her child at her mate and sitting to expose her breast. She gently coxed the baby to the nipple and Ianto felt they had done their share, rising and looking around. At least the baby would have someone to fuss on it better qualified right now with the only thing he needed, a milk supply.
"Where's Alice?"
"With the children in the crèche" Jack said softly, "She didn't see love."
"What a clusterfuck" Tosh sobbed softly "What do we do?"
"First and foremost is to register that we are here, go do that. Then find out what the bed allocations are. I cannot sleep in this bed now, not now. Er, there will be empty cots. Go find where and make sure it's a corner or something so the three of us can be together, yeah?" Ianto was already folding the bedding around the woman's body with such infinite care that Jack watched his fingers for a while, then looked back and nodded.
"Anything else?"
"Is there a sewing kit in there anywhere? I need to close this up. We can put her in the chiller then but we need to cover her before we move her anywhere so the children can't see what we are doing." Ianto replied softly and Jack nodded.
Yes.
The babies.
Trust Ianto to think of them.
Lovely man.