Parasitism 22/?

[missthingsplace]

Title: Parasitism
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen, Andy
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: A simple lapse of judgement leaves one of the team battling for their life.
Warnings: Slash, angst, horror
Spoilers: Anything is fair game
Rating: NC17 for series

This is a sequel to 'Predation', the master List for this can be found here: http://missthingsplace.livejournal.com/324094.html

Previous chapters: http://missthingsplace.livejournal.com/356611.html#cutid1

A/N: Please note this fic is heading into 'Thrace Warning Level Two' terrority!

“Nearly there, I think,” Ianto said as they rounded another corner and began to slowly make their way down yet another flight of steps.

Jack was leaning heavily on the younger man, his face contorted with pain at every step, even more pain shooting through his body when he stumbled and fell down the last few taking Ianto with him

Ianto quickly picked himself up, ignoring the pain from the scrapes he'd sustained and reached for the Captains hand, helping him to his feet.

“Are you hurt?” Ianto asked, watching Jack struggle to put his weight on his right ankle.

“I've just twisted it, it's nothing,” Jack answered, the pain in his ankle was nothing in comparison to the rest of his body. “lets get on with this.”

Ianto wrapped his arm around his lovers waist and waited for Jack to put his around his shoulders and together they took a step, the sound of broken glass scrunching into the concrete beneath their feet filling the narrow passageway.

“Shit!” Ianto exclaimed, his free hand going to his pocket and feeling for the syringe only to find it empty.

“What is it, what's wrong?” Jack asked.

“The syringe containing the sedative, it fell out of my pocket when we fell,” Ianto sighed. “and I just trod on it, when we get you to the room I'll run back up for another one.”

“Lets get there first, this seems to be taking forever,” Jack grumbled, wanting nothing more than to curl up on a ball somewhere.”

“Just around the next corner,” Ianto assured him, nodding towards the approaching coming corner and rounding it to stop in front of a large steel door. “see.”

Ianto propped Jack up against the wall and pulled open the door with some difficulty, it was at least eight inches thick and weighed a few tons by the feel of it but the hinges moved surprisingly easier then he'd anticipated.

Going back to Jack they took of their former positions and he helped him into the room, rather surprised to find a ledge around the outer perimeter about a foot wide with a set of steps leading down into the sunken floor about three feet below.

“Interesting,” Ianto mused to Jack, helping him down the last few steps.

“It's so the room doesn't have to empty completely before coming in to fish out any dead aliens,” Jack explained, pointing over at a far wall. “there's no CCTV in here because of the water level reaching up to the ceiling but there's a small window on the other side for viewing.”

Ianto lowered Jack onto the floor and then sat down beside him.

“Before we do this I need to make sure you know what exactly needs to happen,” Ianto told him reluctantly, not wanting to think about it, let along actually prepare the Captain for it.

“Go on,” Jack told him quietly.

“If I'm right it's not the actual drowning that killed them, but something in the sea water contaminating it,” Ianto explained. “we didn't have time to isolate what component it actually was but at a guess it got into the creatures system and shut it down, allowing the water to then drown it.”

“I was wondering how my drowning would kill them,” Jack admitted.

“Why didn't you say something?” Ianto asked. “Especially after your ... earlier experiment?”

“I trusted that you knew what you were doing,” Jack answered. “so when I drown the containment will get into my system and then into theirs and kill them?”

“That's the theory,” Ianto replied.

“I really have to drown?” Jack asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“I'm afraid so, we need to flood your body with as much water as possible, just being in the water won't work,” Ianto replied, his voice even quieter than his lovers.

“Then lets get on with it,” Jack said. “I don't think we have much longer before these things will be ready to leave my body and I think that being ripped apart could be ...”

“A more painful death?” Ianto asked quietly and Jack nodded slowly.

“I'll go and get another sedative,” Ianto told him, moving to get to his feet but Jack grabbed him arm to stop him.

“No, don't bother, I just need to do this now,” Jack told him.

“But drowning Jack ... you know you hate to die like that,” Ianto said gently.

“I do, but they way I'm feeling now, it'll be a relief,” Jack admitted. “tell Gwen to give us five minutes and to seal the door when you give the signal.”

“Only if you're sure?” Ianto asked and Jack nodded in response.

“Gwen,” Ianto said, raising his hand to his ear and activating his comm. “five minutes on my signal, okay?”

“Of course,” Gwen told him and he turned it off again.

“Are you ready?” Ianto asked, gulping hard.

“Yeah,” Jack answered, trying his best to put on a brave face and failing badly. “Ianto, will you do something for me?”

“Anything, what is it?” Ianto answered.

“Kiss me,” Jack said softly.

Ianto lowered his mouth to his lovers and kissed him tenderly.

“Now go,” Jack ordered him, laying flat on the hard floor.

“Going,” Ianto said quietly and made his way up the steps and out of the door, pausing to add. “love you.”

“Love you too,” Jack said back and closed his eyes.

Ianto pushed the heavy door closed, took a deep breath and reactivated the comms.

“Now Gwen,” he told her simply.

A moment later he heard the sounds of the doors dead locks moving into place and sealing the door so it would become water tight, when he heard the faint sounds of the water gushing into the room he made his way around the corridor to the small window and forced himself to look.

The water level was already lapping over the ledge at door level and rapidly rising, Ianto could see Jack bobbing about in the cold water and it took every ounce of his self control to not give Gwen the order to reverse her action.

When the water was barely a foot from the ceiling Ianto couldn't miss the look of complete and utter fright on the Captains face and watched him take a deep breath when it reduced to six inches.

Minutes later the water filled the space completely and Jack was barely visible in the murky sea water, knowing he needed to leave Jack submerged in the water for at least a few minutes he turned his back on the window and slid down the wall.

Sitting with his hands wrapped around his legs and his head resting on his knees he tried to think about anything and everything other than Jack being trapped , dead and helpless in the room behind him.

Upon hearing Gwen's footsteps nearing Ianto looked up at her with red-rimmed eyes and accepted the thick wool blanket and large towel she handed him.

“I thought you might be needing these,” she told him, putting a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. “you left them behind on the sofa.”

“Thanks Gwen,” Ianto said quietly.

“It's going to work Ianto, I know it is,” she told him.

“I really hope so,” Ianto sighed and then looked at his watch. “time to reverse the process and let the water out, when it's lower than the ledge - the floor is sunken - I'll need you to release the doors.”

“I'll be awaiting your order,” Gwen said, went to leave and then lent down to kiss him softly on the top of the head before rushing off back up to the main hub.

“The water should be starting to drain from the room,” Gwen voice in his ear told him some minutes later.

Pushing himself up from the floor Ianto turned to look into the window once more and saw to his relief it was beginning to drain, more quickly than he could have ever hoped for.

He watched desperately for the level to get low enough for him to enter the room, watching the Captain bob about lifelessly in the water felt like it was tearing him apart.

When it finally got down to the ledge he contacted Gwen to release the doors dead lock, picked up the items she had given him and moved back around to the door and pulled it open.

Leaving the towel and blanket on the floor outside Ianto jumped straight into the cold water and waded through the hip high water towards Jack, turning his body over so that he face was no longer under water and held him upright while waiting for him to revive.

When the water was at knee level Ianto lowered Jack to the floor and pulled him into his arms, holding him tight as he gasped back to life his arms grabbing at his lovers body in panic.

“I've got you, it's okay,” Ianto told him softly. “don't move for a minute.”

“Did it work, are they dead?” Jack asked, shivering and pulling up his soggy pyjama top, he gave Ianto a hopeful look.


TBC

Comments

[butterflycell.livejournal.com]

see, that was much, MUCH nicer than I would've done... I mean, when I visualised the drowning, I was thinking of a snippet from Jack's POV, explaining the lack of oxgen and the helplessness and the sensation of the creatures breaking free in a last ditch attempt to survive and then everything starting to go blurry and dizzy before he blacked, screaming pain all across his body... *cut to Ianto having seen it all*

you softy, you =P

I loved it though - such a good chapter! I swear, your writing has been getting better and better over your last few stories and it's really starting to show!!

[missthingsplace.livejournal.com]

Ah, see there could be a good reason for that *grins*

Yep, that's me, a big softie ... mwahahaha!

Thank you so very much :D

[butterflycell.livejournal.com]

omg, you have got me SO hooked to my computer! MORE NOW! I mean, seriously, you can't just reply to a comment like that and expect nothing to come of it!!!!!!!

[missthingsplace.livejournal.com]

LOL! I shall PM you :)

[butterflycell.livejournal.com]

*cheers* YAAAAAAAAAY!!

[missthingsplace.livejournal.com]

:)