Torchwood: Divergence
Book Three: Rheoleiddiad
Chapter 40
The whole day had been horrible, the evening offering only slight improvement. But hopefully come morning things would finally start to truly get better.
"Let me go ahead and take care of your arm since it's hurting you," Martha suggested, moving to ease up the left sleeve of her friend's white turtleneck. "I'll redo the bandages, then Jack can help you get out of your shirt and trousers, and bundle you in bed. Your temperature isn't near as high as it was earlier today when we stuck you in the cryo unit. But 38.9° is still enough to sap all your energy. Rest is the best thing for you, plus lots of fluids. If you're feeling too weak to drink anything, I can re-rig the IV."
"Don't like the needles," Ianto complained half-heartedly, wincing as the gauze and padding came away from the slashes on his forearm. "But I really am too tired to even think straight now, let alone drink without choking or making a horrible mess."
"IV it is then," the team medic smiled at him, carefully probing the stapled knife wounds across his arm. "These are healing, but definitely much slower than I'd expected. Of course that's what your Shadows told you, yeah? Takes longer when it's from your own weapons, and these were deep enough to slice at least two millimetres into the bones so they've likely got a way to go yet. So… I'll just clean off the old layer of antiseptic cream… oh, I know, let's do a daub of this and see if it helps. It's meant for burns actually, an antiseptic gel with a topical numbing agent. Might not work on you at all, but it's at least worth a go."
The young doctor carefully wiped down the wounds with a Betadine-soaked absorbent cloth, gently cleaned away the residue with a gauze square. Then she used an oversized cotton swab to liberally apply the chosen gel to the healing slashes and let it sit for a moment.
"Anything?" she prodded as she layered on new non-stick pads and wrapped fresh gauze from wrist to elbow.
"Not numb," the young Welshman she was treating murmured apologetically. "But feels a lot better than it did."
"I'll take it," Martha grinned, patting him on the cheek before packing away her supplied. "As long as you're not completely miserable, I'm happy. I'll leave you to get into bed and be back shortly with that IV."
She exited with her case and closed the door, Jack moving in to carefully remove his partner's turtleneck. Then he helped the younger man stand up, undid his belt and trousers for him, and simply let them drop to the floor. He quickly worked the twenty-six-year-old's underpants loose, sent them on the dame downward route.
"Sit back," he urged, stripping off the shivering Changeling's socks once he'd pulled the trousers and boxer-briefs out of the way. "We'll just kind of do the reverse with the pyjama bottoms… silk, nice… when did you get these?"
"When I was flat hunting," Ianto breathed, his eyes half-closed.
"Black with red pinstripes, very classy and very you," the Captain grinned, getting his lover on his feet again so he could settle the waistband in its proper place. "And no collar on the shirt. I'd actually wear a set like this."
"I'll find you a pair in antique Air Force blue," his Archivist murmured, managing a slight smile as his companion eased him down to sit on the bed again. "Wish I wasn't so damned tired…"
"Why?" Harkness asked with an arched brow and a crooked smile as he got the pyjama shirt onto the trembling Welshman and fastened the buttons. "Got a hot date?"
"Wanted to…" Ianto replied wistfully, weakly capturing the American's right hand when the last button was secure.
The older immortal moved to sit beside the eternal twenty-six-year-old, lacing their fingers together and putting his free arm around his lover's now silk clad shoulders.
"Martha'll be back any minute with your IV," Jack soothed. "Why don't we get you under the covers so you can try to sleep once she's got you hooked up? I'll go grab some lunch left-overs for a quick dinner, then come back to keep you company till the Rift acts up. Who knows… you might feel up to that date later tonight after all."
"Do I get a promissory kiss?" Ianto asked plaintively, pressing close to the older man and continuing to shiver.
"Oh, definitely," the Captain chuckled, his eyes bright as he gave the pyjama clad Scieron Guardian a quick squeeze. "Settle in bed and I'll be more than happy to deliver that I.O.U."
The Shadow reborn Welshman slid wearily beneath the covers on his side of the mattress, not yet lying back as his companion came to sit facing him and place a warm, gun-calloused hand on either side of his jaw. The snog that followed wasn't just a simple promise, it was a full-blown carnal contract, signed in adrenalin and sealed with a shared breath.
When Harkness finally started to draw away, his partner made a small sound that was a mix of pleasure and disappointment, but allowed himself to be lowered back against the pillows.
"I intend to hold you to that…" Ianto breathed, relaxing more and more as his lover and steadfast leader began gently rubbing his temples and the area behind his ears.
"God I hope so," Jack replied with a feral grin, enjoying the softness of his Archivist's hair and skin beneath his fingertips.
There was a quick knock on the door casing, then Martha entered with a double IV rig.
"You just keep doing what you are," she smiled, slipping between the bed and the wall to hang the full bags of fluid on the picture hooks there and carefully let the inactive tubing loop down from over them. "I've got D5W and saline. I want you well hydrated, and the best way is to use both. Unfortunately, that means two ports in the back of your right hand instead of one, but it'll help you feel better much faster."
Her patient gave a slight non-committal hum, all but asleep already. Martha grinned in silent amusement, pulling a rubber tourniquet from her lab coat pocket and applying it just below the young Changeling's right elbow over his pyjama shirt. She got both IV port needles inserted, snapped the tubing connections in their locks and taped everything down in short order, released the tourniquet and started the fluids flowing. Then she eased out from beside the bed, heading for the door.
"Want me to bring you something to eat?" she queried the elder of the pair.
"I'll come get it in a few minutes," Harkness reassured, still massaging his lover's temples. "Just let me make sure he's settled."
Martha nodded and continued on out the door, even as the ageless American behind her leaned over to kiss his beloved Guardian on the forehead.
"I'm gonna go grab dinner," he murmured, not sure if the younger man was even awake at this point. "I'll be back in a little bit to sit with you. Will you be okay for a few minutes?"
"Yeah…" Ianto whispered, his breathing becoming deeper and slower even as he spoke. "Sorry I freaked you out with the cryo casket earlier."
"Not your fault, buddy," Jack insisted gently. "You just rest and don't worry about anything, okay?"
The younger man made a tiny sound of agreement, already starting to drift off. The Captain smiled and rose from the mattress, paused to snag the throw from the chair and cover the Changeling's right hand and arm with it since the IV's couldn't safely go under the rest of the blankets. Then he put his companion's field jacket in the wardrobe on its hanger, freed his belt and placed it on its hook, and put the rest of the clothing in the appropriate in-wall hampers near the ensuite. Finally, he collected both of their great coats and took them out to hang up in the office on his way to the Hub.
Ianto had been through a tonne of trauma today and likely still had a hard road ahead with his family. But Jack Harkness was determined to see the twenty-six-year-old happy and healthy again. So, he'd be right there beside him during these dark times, ready to lend a helping hand and sheltering embrace whenever it was needed. Because he knew without a shred of doubt, that his partner would always do the same for him.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
AN: Down time for Ianto, and the uncertainly of helping young David looming on the horizon.
I have no idea what is going on with the site and my system. It is a struggle to get the site to come up at all, and it kicks me out half the time. Don't know if it's related to the ongoing e-mail issues, or exactly what, but it's really frustrating me. I apologise again for a late post, but I'm honestly getting it in as quickly as possible once I can keep the site up for more than two minutes.
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM