Torchwood: Divergence
Book Three: Rheoleiddiad
Chapter 42
When Jack and Ianto got back to the seventh floor, Martha was in the outer corridor talking to Rhiannon and Johnny.
"Physically he's fine," the young doctor was saying calmly. "And he's not so far in shock that he doesn't withdraw from painful stimuli. He pulled his hand away when I pinched him, actually rubbed at the spot. But he didn't engage. I thing what's keeping him shut down is guilt. Witnesses told the police the other kids panicking separated him and his sister. He blames himself for not being able to keep a hold of her hand and not being able to help her after he found her again. And he's probably afraid you'll blame him too. If we can convince him he didn't do anything wrong, that he honestly tried his best and no-one blames him for anything that happened, I think he'll snap out of it."
"Oh, God," Rhiannon whispered. "If we'd lost them both because they were close together, I don't think I could bear it. I almost wish Mica'd just disappeared like that girl down the road when we were kids… I wouldn't keep seeing her all crushed and mangled. David tried; I know he did. We don't blame him, we're just happy he's still with us. How do we make him understand that?"
Ianto squeezed Jack's hand, met the older man's gaze for approval. The Captain nodded, ready to play back up and knowing the young Welshman felt obliged to try no matter the personal cost.
"Let me try to talk to him," Ianto offered quietly. "Maybe seeing me again will help."
His sister nodded, looking a little less haggard than she had, but still far from up to the task at hand.
"Why don't we three go to the canteen, yeah?" Martha suggested to the Davies. "Let me tell the duty nurse what we're trying, and then we'll go grab a quick bite to eat while the boys work."
She disappeared into the ward, Rhiannon turning to lean against her husband's side.
"Everything's in order with your daughter," Harkness told the couple as they waited. "We'll do our best to get your son back to a more normal state, so you can all go home and let yourselves grieve. It's sad and it's hard, but it does help and being together makes a big difference."
Johnny simply nodded, his wife rubbing tears from her eyes as Torchwood's doctor emerged from the ward again.
"You're all clear," Martha told her teammates. "They won't interrupt unless one of you calls for them. Ianto… go easy, yeah? I can tell your temp is up again, so don't push yourself too much. Do what you can, but don't try so hard that you end up in a seizure. Jack'll be watching you and if he tells you to back off and rest, do it."
Then she shepherded the Davies toward the lifts, leaving the two coat clad immortals to enter the ward and step into David's small room. Ianto shakily removed his black great coat, folded it over the back of the chair near the door and straightened his field jacket. His partner followed him over to the bed, simply stood close by as the Changeling settled on the mattress and finally looked at his nephew. With a shiver of uncertainty, the twenty-six-year-old reached out to take up one of the boy's hands in both of his own and started to gently rub some warmth into it.
"Hey…" Ianto began quietly, meeting the bed-bound blonde's empty stare. "I know it's been a couple of years since you saw me last, that you'd been told I was dead. I've just been really sick, and I've changed a lot. I'm sorry we thought it was better for me to disappear. But I'm here now to help if you'll let me."
There was no sign that the boy had even heard him, his blank gaze never wavering. Jones took a shaky breath and kept going.
"I know about Mica, David," he stated with a wince. "I know you tried so hard to keep her safe. You couldn't stop what happened, but you didn't give up. There's no way you could've moved the car, no matter how hard or long you pushed at it, and I know you gave it your all. Letting it go to stay there with her instead, keeping her warm, letting her know you wouldn't leave her alone… that was very brave and helped more than you think. I know your heart hurts and you're afraid to face the world right now. But you aren't to blame for what happened to Mica, and giving up like this won't bring her back. Death doesn't make bargains, David… it won't take you instead. And she wouldn't want that anyhow.
"Those that are gone depend on the ones who love them to keep their memories alive, so they don't just disappear into the Dark beyond the Door without a trace. Mica needs you whole and healthy, she needs you to live a long, happy life so her memory can know the years her body never will. You did your best for her yesterday, David. Don't give up now. Your mom and dad know you did all you could. They need you more than ever in this, they need you to help heal the loss so they can be strong enough to help you too. I know it's hard… but you aren't alone in this fight to overcome grief… the rest of us are right here beside you."
Tears slowly began to trickle from the gown clad boy's eyes and they stayed closed when he blinked this time. His young face crumpled into a mask of grief and despair, and he took a sobbing breath before reaching for his uncle with his free hand. Relying purely on his Scieron enhanced strength, Ianto shakily lifted the eleven-year-old free of the blankets and took him into his lap.
"It'll be alright," he breathed, wincing as the cuts between his left wrist and elbow throbbed sharply and incredibly glad that Jack had stepped over to slide an arm around his shoulders for support. "It'll take time… but you'll be okay and Mica's memories will stay alive here in the Light."
The young Welshman held his nephew as he continued to cry, tried to let his presence comfort the boy even as he felt his own temperature rise and knew he needed to rest again soon.
"We have a break through," Harkness called quietly over the Bluetooth device he wore, having figured Martha would want an update. "And Ianto's about due for some down time. Would you mind staying here for a bit, see about possibly getting David discharged? I'll take Ianto home and have Lois come pick you up when she goes to get lunch if needs be."
[Sounds good,] the team medic replied. [We'll be up shortly. Tell him to take it easy for a few and you'll be on your way after that.]
"Martha says to take it easy," the Captain reiterated, able to tell his partner's strength was failing. "I'm not keen to have you go down while we're in the hospital. Here… let me help out."
He shifted to sit on the mattress closer to the pillows, carefully lifted the young Guardian's nephew over into his own lap.
"Hi," he smiled at the still weeping little blond. "I know I'm not your Uncle Ianto, but he's not feeling too good at the moment. So, just let it all out and relax, it's okay. I'll be your shoulder to cry on till your parents get here, yeah? I do it for your uncle all the time when he has really bad days."
From the look in his lover's eyes and the trembling in all his muscles, Jack was pretty sure he'd be doing just that when they got to the SUV.
"Deep breaths," he quietly advised his shivering Archivist, then smiled down at the slowly quieting child he held. "You too. Try to take some good deep breaths and let them out slowly. I know it sounds silly, but it should help."
By the time the Davies arrived with Martha, the American had settled their son under the covers once more and was trying to get his now violently trembling partner back into his overcoat.
Rhiannon hurried over to put her arms around young David and hold him close, kissing his forehead and smoothing his hair. Her husband came to gently pat the boy on the cheek, then knuckled tears from his own eyes as he stepped back a small space.
"I need to get Ianto home," Harkness stated plainly, leaving no room for argument. "I'm glad your son's on the mend. Martha's going to stay to help you with the next steps, and we'll keep in contact."
"I'll see you soon…" Ianto promised his family, more than ready to get the hell out of the hospital and back to base.
"Get some rest, ya show off," Johnny called, but there was honest gratitude and true fondness in his eyes.
"Ianto," Rhiannon sniffled, meeting her brother's less than steady gaze. "Thanks for coming, sweetheart."
The eternal twenty-six-year-old nodded with a tiny smile, then headed out the door with Jack's help. Martha followed them, motioning to one of the nurses nearby.
"Mr. Jones is one of my patient's elsewhere and still recovering from surgery," she told the uniform clad woman who responded. "This whole situation with is family has been a little too much. Can you grab a wheeled chair? I'd really rather he not walk all the way down to the carpark."
The nurse hurried away with a nod, and the team's doctor turned to rest a gentle hand on her shivering friend's arm where he held it close across his lower chest.
"You were brilliant today," she said firmly, giving him an appreciative smile. "Now it's time for you to get back to base, crawl into bed, and relax for a while. I'll check the arm when I make it in if it still hurts, or you can have Turlough take a look if it's too bad already to wait. Otherwise, try to sleep and just let your Shadows work. I'll get things sorted with your nephew and make sure the family gets home safe."
"Thank you, 'gale," Ianto breathed, letting his partner support a little more of his weight when the older immortal held him closer to his side, neither of his companions noticing the slight slip in how he referred to their medic.
"I'll tuck him in with a bottle of water and make sure he rests," Jack reassured, steadying the Changeling so he could sit down in the wheeled chair the nurse rolled over to them. "And I'll have a porter bring this back up."
They headed out of the ward and toward the lifts, more than ready to get back to base and hope that the rest of the day was less traumatising than the morning had been.
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AN: David is now on the road to healing… and Ianto still has healing of his own to do.
More on time this round, but can't guarantee it will continue as the site is still not really co-operating. Please be assured that I am doing my best to get a chapter to post every week even if it isn't my preferred schedule.
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM
