missthingsplace | Come Back To me 4/?

Author:

missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, Andy, OC's
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Ianto has an accident and Jack's world is thrown out of kilter.
Warnings: Do you watch Torchwood?
Spoilers: Anything is fair game
Rating: G - NC17 for series

December 20^th

Waking with a start Jack wondered where he was for a moment and why he was so hot and uncomfortable until his eyes cleared and he saw Ianto still lying in the same place on the hospital bed next to him. He threw off the blanket that someone had thoughtfully put over him when he had finally given into sleep on the chair, got to his feet and stretched his aching body out. After taking a couple of gulps of water from a bottle he had gotten from the machine the evening before he brushing his fingers through his lovers hair off his forehead and placed a kiss upon it.

“I have to clean up, as much as I don't want to leave you for more than a few seconds I can't have you coming around and finding me a dishevelled mess.” Jack told him. “but I won't be long, I can assure you of that.”

Jack lent down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to the other man's lips and then with a sigh he left the room.

“Morning Sir,” a nurse said brightly to him when he emerged.

“Morning,” Jack's tone was somewhat less chirpy. “and please, call me Jack.”

“As you wish,” she said with what he assumed was a reassuring smile. “did you manage to get some sleep?”

“A little, thank you for the blanket,” Jack answered.

“You're welcome,”

“I will be back soon, I just need to freshen up,” Jack told her. “you have my number, if there is any change?”

“Of course, Rosemary, the nurse you spoke to last night has written it on the notice board in our office,” she replied. “any change in his condition and I will let you know.”

“Thanks,” Jack replied, gave her a little nod and headed out of the ward, the hospital and into the cold.

The weather had got even worse, a howling wind had come up to blow the heavily falling snow in all directions. Jack knew driving was not a good option but neither was walking in these conditions, in fact the only vehicle he could make out through the think falling snow was a snow plough moving at a snails pace along the main road. The hospital car park itself had obviously heavily gritted and was mostly free of snow so Jack decided to chance it. He rushed across to where he had parked the SUV and clambered in, started the engine and put the heating on full blast, already feeling like his hands and face were frozen.

Much more slowly and carefully than he'd have liked Jack eased the car out of the parking space and drove down to the main road. The snow plough had done a pretty good job but the Captain knew it could still be potentially life threatening – black ice was almost impossible to see – so he took care and time to drive to the flat. Once inside, thankful that the heating was on a timer and the place was warm he pulled out his mobile phone and called Gwen.

“Jack? Hi, any news?” Gwen answered.

“No,” Jack told her sadly. “he's still unconscious but it looks like the operation did it's job, no more episodes as they like to call them.”

“That's good at least,” Gwen said gently. “it's not even been two whole days yet, give him some time to heal and he'll be back with us.”

“I know, I know,” Jack sighed. “It's just ….”

“I understand Jack, I would be the same if it was Rhys.”

“Yeah ...” Jack answered. “so, umm … is everything okay at the hub?”

“All fine just dandy,” she answered. “I stayed here the night on the sofa, Rhys insisted because of the weather. I have just finished feeding Myfanway and am a having a makeshift breakfast from what I can find in the kitchenette.”

“Chocolate hobnobs?”

“And tea,” she said.

“I've come back to the flat to freshen up and then I am heading straight back to the hospital,” Jack told her. “I am going to taken some of my own essentials will me in case I need to stay another night or too.”

“Good idea, I can't believe you drove in this weather!”

“The main road is pretty clear, and we do have an SUV,” Jack told her. “And I am driving very carefully.”

“Good, I will let you get back to your freshening up and I will talk to you later,” Gwen told him. “let me know what's happening okay?”

“I will, thanks Gwen. Bye,”

“Bye.”

Jack cut the call, put the phone onto charge and then headed to the bathroom. He started the shower, stripped and then stepped under the cascading hot water, washing himself and his hair fast. Once he was dry and dressed again, this time more casually in jeans, a t-shirt and think jumper he packed his own toiletries and some spare clothes into a bag and rushed out the door again, ready to return to the hospital.

On the way through the hospital Jack took the time to buy coffee and pastries from the little café located by the entrance, the coffee was actually brewed by a proper machine so he took a chance on it. He knew he needed to eat even if he didn't feel like he was hungry. Arriving back at the ward the same nurse was still on duty and she let him in, informing him that she had just finished her checks on Mr Jones and that his vitals were all normal.

Jack thanked her, went back into his lovers room and had a thought. He turned on the TV that hung on the wall opposite the foot of the bed, thinking that if talking to Ianto might help stimulate his recovery then perhaps the sound of the TV would too. He dropped his bag in a corner, placed his coffee cup down on the small cabinet beside the bed and ate his pastries while watching the news on the TV.

It was a few hours later after a trip to the gents when Jack first thought he spotted Ianto's little finger twitch. At first he thought he had imagined it because it didn't happen again for a good few minutes. When it did he found himself elated, he rushed out to the nurses office and grabbed her hand before she could protest and dragged her into the room.

“Look!” Jack told her, pointing to the other man's hand and moments later his little finger twitched again – along with the rest of the hand.

“It's a good sign Sir … Jack,” the nurse smiled. “a very good sign but it could still be a while before he comes around.”

“That maybe,” Jack grinned. “but he is coming back to me.”

“Yes, I do believe he is,” she replied. “have you been taking to him?”

Jack nodded.

“Then keep it up,”

“I will,” he told her, perched on the edge of the bed and almost jumped when he spotted his lovers eyes flutter.”

“Did you see that? His eyes fluttered?!

“I did, talk to him Jack and I will get the doctor here to see what he thinks,” she replied, leaving the room.

“Ianto, Ianto? Are you there? Can you hear me? Come back to me,” Jack said, his voice not much louder than a hopeful whisper. “I'm here, you just need to open your eyes.”

Ianto's eyes fluttered again and Jack's heart jumped seemingly into his throat.

“Ianto?”

The other man's eyes fluttered again and once more until the slowly opened and looked at him.

“Ianto, on my God Ianto!” Jack gushed.

“What? Where am I?” Ianto asked his voice hoarse. “and who the hell are you?”

tbc