13

Jack found them a quiet area back near the kitchen. Away from the toilets where he knew Ianto would be satisfied. A small screen to separate them when lying down was the best he could find but the three cots could be together to one side, Tosh and Owen were offered their private room that he didn't want his child in now someone had died in there. He was glad Ianto had said that out loud.

"Are you sure?" Owen asked again, "It's your private room."

"Ianto can't" Jack replied, "He has a thing about death, his wife died remember? Seeing that poor woman die has upset him, I don't want to leave him out here on his own so we are going to stay here. I don't think I want Alice to know anything about it so we will say we swapped. You and Tosh need rest, you are going to be in high demand over the next few days as people panic, injured are seen to and such. Go on, you take it. It's only for two or three days max, right?"

"Well, ta" Owen nodded, turning to find Ianto behind him surveying the little makeshift area.

"Well done Cariad" he said softly, "Perfect."

"Really?" Jack was surprised at the swell of pride in those few words, smiling as Ianto nodded "Anything else?"

"Well, most of the boxes are best left in the room if Owen and Tosh are there to guard them but your personal effects one should be here, we can use it like a wee table to eat on, it's a good coffee table size, yeah?" Ianto said after considering, "Not wanting to sound snobby but I would like us to eat as a family. I think it might help Alice when she starts to panic. She till doesn't realise we are trapped, but she soon will."

"Good idea, Owen you help me move it? Anything else?" Jack asked again, intensity watching Ianto's face for signs of distress, then the soft smile he saw instead was nice.

"No Cariad, all we need is here, that and faith in the company to get the shielding fixed. We just need to be patient and kind to one another. That will be the real problem" Ianto sighed, "Why I want us over in a corner. If things start to turn nasty we can remove ourselves from the problem."

"Unrest?" Owen said softly "Yeah. Agreed. Whispers of Strangles about. Already a couple of stirrers demanding we crack a door to check the atmo."

"Dickheads" Jack scoffed, "That would kill us all. The shields fell, we all heard the thumping, saw the woman from the falling debris. Are they mad? If we lose decompression we will all die."

"Why I am glad there is some security down here, they are already starting to check us all for IDs, Ianto, tell me you have something more than PJs." Owen grinned, "Pete's sake."

"Er" Ianto grimaced and Jack laughed.

"He's my guest and logged as such on my travel pass here in my wallet. I always make sure anyone in my home is added, part of the emergency plan. Thank Pete for that" Jack assured them, "Look, sit down, I don't like your colour."

"I do feel a bit faint" Ianto agreed as he chose a cot nd coughed again softly, "I think the sudden waking, running and general adrenalin is wearing off."

Owen looked concerned now, "Ianto, how about you sit back on the bed, yeah? Jack go get pillows off a spare unclaimed bed so we can prop him up a bit, "Tosh go get my scanner. Just settle back mate."

"I feel a bit silly" Ianto sighed, "Getting hysterical or something, I'm OK, really."

As Ianto spoke his colour paled more and Owen moved closer, sliding his fingers around the wrist to feel Ianto's weak and thready pulse with growing alarm.

"How long have you been on planet?" Owen asked as he worked. "Anyone coughing or sick on the flight?"

"Couple of days" Ianto replied weakly, his head feeling heavy as he accepted a pillow or three. "No one sick and we all passed quarantine checks at the border."

"Right, been out of the inner shield into the outer?"

"They went to the bookstore, about half an hour" Jack answered as Ianto closed his eyes.

"Contact anyone?"

"Owen what is this all about?" Jack demanded, as he watched Tosh arrive with the scanner, then his face paled to match Ianto's, "Shit. He's exhibiting Strangles isn't he. Oh no, he contacted it already? No. We were careful."

"Shhh" Owen hissed "Calm the fuck down, it's not strangles. Isn't presenting for that ya divvy. No. I think he's having an allergic reaction to something."

"Shit"

Ianto coughed and Owen scanned some more then sighed as he sat back, "His lungs are filling with fluid. Poor bugger is defiantly reacting to something. Dust? Some do have an allergy to this planet's pollens. Shit, this place hadn't been cleaned in years. Who knows what he is breathing in. His first item off planet and no time to build defences. His immunity is struggling."

Jack stared at Owen like he was speaking a foreign language "Huh?"

"Ianto is allergic to Boeshane" Owen said slowly "He is having an allergic reaction to Boeshanninan dust particles in the air ya twat."

"Probably pulling the cover off the bed" Tosh said softly, "The dust flew a wee bit, he sneezed right?"

"OK, I will give him something to help him breathe" Owen said as he fiddled with his kit Tosh had retrieved along with the scanner, "Just keep him quiet and hydrated. Here, the water we didn't use. She was too far gone."

"Shit"

Owen looked at Jack and realised he was going onto some sort of shock as he clutched at Ianto's hand and for the first time he saw that there was something there.

Not just a Green Card?