Torchwood: Divergence
Book Three: Rheoleiddiad
Chapter 19
The early part of the day was reasonably quiet save for the Death Hound and Ianto's return. Around 5:00 pm however, the Rift threw a double spike. A squad of three unattended Pitbull Frogs came out in northern Butetown, while a pair of what sounded like the zombie raptors from last September made an appearance west of Radyr. Turlough and Gwen took the van to deal with the frogs, while Jack and Ianto used the SUV to go after the intelligent but likely uncooperative pseudo-dinosaurs. Martha stayed to act as Co-ordinator for both teams and to wait to see if anyone needed medical attention when they returned.
Both missions went fairly smoothly, the two teams on their way back in by 6:00. Gwen and Turlough turned up first, having managed to corner their quarry in a potting shed. Since Cooper knew to aim for the eyes, they'd put the beasts down in short order, waited for UNIT to arrive, then headed for base. In fact, the two had time to clean up and grab a cup of coffee before the main door rotated open again.
"They're like damned police dogs," Ianto was complaining as he and his partner entered. "Always go for my bloody arm, and the sword isn't meant to be used as armour."
"Do I have a gouting stump to stitch?" Martha asked cheerfully, drawing worried glances from the rest of the team. "What? I haven't gotten to patch anyone up in ages."
"Sorry," Ianto stated, flashing her one of his 'I'm lying' smiles. "No blood, just bruises."
He pulled up the left sleeves of his grey field jacket and the mid-weight plum silk turtleneck beneath, to reveal a set of welted black and red bruises on both sides of his forearm that were obviously from large pointed teeth. Suddenly, Gwen was right beside him her eyes bright and excited, forgetting all about her young countryman's skittishness in her presence.
"Did you get a picture this time?" she prodded, peering closely at the ugly bruises Martha was examining.
Ianto fumbled his mobile from his pocket, found the photo he'd snapped of the zombie raptors eating someone's poodle when they'd first arrived on the scene, and held it out. He was trying to keep his hand from shaking, but it was hard as his heartrate accelerated and visions from the nightmare of the woman shouting and slapping him repeatedly slithered through his mind. No amount of self-reassurance was making a difference either. So, as soon as their physician released his arm with a pat and turned toward the medical bay, he handed his phone to Cooper with a shaky breath.
"Sorry…" he managed, his expression bordering on the lost child look he tended to acquire when extremely distressed.
Then the Changeling backed off, made a quick gesture at his partner that flashed metal in his palm, and strode toward the main corridor down to the lower levels.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Gwen apologised with a slight frown, her green eyes shadowed with annoyance-laced concern. "I didn't even think."
"It's okay," Harkness reassured, coming over to look at the picture as well. "He's going to the firing range to meditate. He's trying hard to work through this, but it's still gonna take a little time. Put yourself in his position… think what you'd feel like if you had that nightmare, even without panic inducing fish venom spreading through your system."
The former PC was silent for a moment, staring at the photo on her friend's mobile of the skinless, sharp-toothed predators he'd helped stop.
"I'd probably view me as one of these things, and stay as far away as possible," she sighed unhappily. "And I don't know if that would ever go away."
"It will," the Captain stated firmly. "He's not hiding or going into seizures. He's trying to deal with the reaction, ease through it if he can. Right now, he still has some adrenalin going from the fight with those two, so it's a little harder. That's why he headed down to do some sword work and relax."
"I don't want him to be afraid of me, Jack," Cooper scowled. "I want to be able to hug him when he feels bad, joke at meals, be close again without having him start to shake and go green. It's like I betrayed him somehow, and I'm being punished for it. I feel guilty, even though it was only a bad dream and I didn't do anything."
"I know," Harkness nodded, putting a coat clad arm around her shoulders. "And things will eventually get back to the way they were. Just act normal, don't freak out if he backs off. Let him do what he needs to, to get comfortable again and really put the nightmare behind him. It may take days or a few weeks, but he'll get there. You know he won't let this beat him."
"Yeah…" the raven-haired woman huffed, handing him his partner's phone. "He spent two years getting sliced up in Hell just so he could be with you again. He'll get this sorted too. I guess I need to back off and be patient."
"You're strong and stubborn," Jack half-smiled, giving her a squeeze before letting her go and heading for the office. "You can do this."
Not so sure, Gwen went back to her workstation, glad that neither Turlough nor Martha commented on the exchange, and wondering where her own sudden desire to have Ianto leave again had sprung from. She watched with narrowed eyes as their leader reappeared minus his coat after a few minutes, to follow the path his Scieron Guardian had taken earlier, obviously going to check on the younger immortal as well as take him a towel. Inexplicably irritated by that caring gesture, the one-time constable rubbed her face with both hands then forced herself to focus on the report she was supposed to be finishing before it was time to head home. The sooner this whole situation with Ianto resolved itself the better. It made her feel like she was in the wrong somehow, and there were few things she hated more than self-doubt… especially when she was definitely not the one at fault.
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AN: Yeah… Gwen's still convinced it's all about her. At least Ianto is making an effort.
Happy Holidays!
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM