Torchwood: Divergence Book Four: Hatchweliad
Chapter 4
They needed to get their Archivist back to base and properly cared for, the sooner the better.
"What about the guard?" Gwen asked, using her hand torch and Ianto's that she'd picked up in the hatchery to light the way for Jack.
"Retcon him, find his car and lock him in it," Harkness frowned. "Then call UNIT for a clean up and cover story. Have them rupture all the pipes and water tanks in the place to explain the fire going out without crews responding. We'll see you back at base when you're done."
Cooper seemed about to protest, but apparently thought better of it and simply shook her head. They made it to the vehicles, found Turlough helping the sedative muzzy security man drink some water from a bottle out of the van.
"That pill should help the headache," the redhead was saying with false concern. "I suggest you go have a lie down in your car until the other crews arrive."
He moved to help get Ianto into the back seat of the SUV, leaving Gwen to deal with the now safely Retconned guard. The Captain left the driving to the self-exiled Trion prince, and soon they were on their way back to the Millennium Centre at top speed.
"I don't know what you heard at the Hub," Jack murmured to the twenty-six-year-old reclining half in his lap, bundling the emergency blanket from the boot closer around his wet, shivering body. "But it wasn't what you think."
"Yes… it was…" Ianto breathed haltingly, refusing to open his eyes. "You rejected her again… but Gwen never… takes no… for an answer when she… really wants something… I… I figured she'd keep pushing… till you gave in… or threatened to fire her… Thought it was best… to leave you to it…"
"I won't give in, Ianto," Harkness insisted with quiet ferocity. "I will never hurt you like that, I promise. And she's been warned that the subject is dead. If she ever brings it up again, I will Retcon her and let you decide if she stays with Torchwood or goes for good."
"I…" the injured Welshman whispered with a grimace of pain. "I knew… you wouldn't do it… But… it really hurts… that she'd actually have a go… Especially after all the trouble… before Valentine's Day… I… I thought we were back… to being better friends than that… family…"
"She claims Rhys pushed her to do it," the Captain frowned. "I intend to find out if that's true. If it is, Mr. Williams is gonna get an earful, and so is she. But that can wait for a while. Don't worry about it, yeah? Just concentrate on healing. I'll help Turlough get the bullets out when we hit the Hub, then you've got some bed rest and serious TLC coming."
His beloved Archivist didn't comment, simply shivering in the older immortal's embrace and trying to breathe as deeply as he could past the pain and pressure in his chest from the breached lung.
"Lois," Turlough was calling over the headset at the same time his passengers were finishing their quiet exchange. "Get all the gear in the med bay turned on and call Martha. I don't care if the meeting's over or not, she needs to come back to the Hub. Tell her we're bringing Ianto in with multiple gunshot wounds and most of the slugs are still inside."
[Ringing her now] Habiba replied over the comms. [Who the hell shot him?]
"Panicked security guard at the incursion site," the redhead in the driver's seat replied with a sneer. "Waited until he'd taken down the Death Hound, then opened fire before he could say word. I plan to have the bastard's job for it… see how he likes being held responsible for gutting the property because he discharged his weapon at the old generator in a drunken stupor."
[What an idiot] the young woman back in the base stated disgustedly. [I've got everything up and running in the Lab, and I'll pull the IV and oxygen equipment out. Martha just picked up, so I'll see you soon.]
The connection went quiet, and Turlough made a tyre screeching turn onto the road that would take them to the Roald Dahl Plass.
"The guard… was just scared…" Ianto whispered wearily, coughing slightly.
"The guard was just stupid," Jack countered evenly. "And since when do security personnel like that carry firearms?"
"Especially for a derelict building," the young alien behind the wheel frowned. "I don't know why that kind of place would need a guard to begin with, considering the state of it and the fact the gates don't even close anymore. But I intend to find out everything. He obviously wasn't trained to use the gun or the shots wouldn't have been all over the board like they are. Speaking of which, one passed through, four are still inside… what about the sixth?"
"There's a bloody furrow in his scalp above his right ear," the Captain replied. "So, a heavy graze and five random hits. Really crappy shooting. Makes me wonder if he was even supposed to be carrying a gun at all."
"Then I suppose it's good that I'm going to blow his career out of the water and vaporise the remains," Turlough stated matter-of-factly. "Almost there."
The rest of the trip was made in near silence, only Ianto's increasingly laboured breathing audible past the muffled hum of the SUV's engine. The big vehicle was parked almost on top of the huge "service" door into the base about twenty metres from the more commonly used portal, the redhead who'd been driving exiting to help Torchwood's leader out of the back seat still holding his blanket draped partner. They hurried inside through the lower tunnel, heading straight for the Autopsy Lab when they hit the Hub.
"Martha should be here in about ten minutes," Lois called, rushing over to take the wet blanket away but unsure what else to do. "Meeting was at the base up near Newport this week. Lieutenant Montgomery is going to bring her down by helicopter."
"Then we start without her," Turlough stated firmly. "Jack, I need you coat free, scrubbed, aproned, and gloved. Lois, help me with the restraints, then you need to be Ianto's cheering section while we work. Stay up by his head, give him something to focus on, maybe clean up the scalp wound. Ianto, I'll let you have a bit this time if you want, but you have to promise to breathe through your nose so you're getting adequate oxygen."
The young Welshman nodded as he was placed on the barely inclined exam table, had his trousers cut away and his shirt removed, flinching only slightly as all the straps were then tightened into place. In moments the other two men were scrubbed up and ready to go, IVs were in place, oxygen running via a nasal cannula, and a seizure bit settled.
"Okay, everything's well packed, so we need to clear the lung first," their Time expert turned back-up medic warned. "Lois, hold the Bekaran here for a moment… okay… let's see if I can use the mini-scope to extract the slug so I don't have to slice you open just yet, Ianto. Deep nasal breaths, yeah? Jack, keep the packing tight on everything else for now. Watch that upper leg since it was gouting so much on site. Here we go."
The treatment of Ianto's multiple wounds got underway; his three caretakers completely focused on doing what they could until their actual medic arrived.
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AN: Ianto is a self-sacrificing idiot sometimes… but at least he and Jack on the same page in regard to what happened and why.
Today is my birthday… so you all get an extra chapter.
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM