Enduring 2- 7/18 (but it grew so technically it's 7/21)
Series: Enduring the Test of Time
Title: Forgive and Forget
Author: McRaider
Summary: When Rose and Ianto get caught on the sanctuary of a sacred ground, their threatened to be punished, however Jack steps in and sacrifices himself, however the sacrifice may cost them all a great deal of pain in the long run.
Author’s Note: It’s clichéd, I know, but ultimately out of every fan fiction I’ve ever read, this is one of my absolute favorite plot lines EVER! So I chose to do it in my own creative way. If it resembles your fic, I apologize however it was not intended as such in any way shape or form. Also the necklace, and they scenes surrounding it and the myth are not mine, rather they belong to and her wonderful series which starts with Salt & Pepper, seriously read it sometime, it’s beautiful!
Rated: R for graphic images
Thanks: My Betas :) you are all amazing!
Deadication: Good friends who make me smile and feel special
Previous Story: Enduring
Previous Chapters here
Chapter Seven
“I told you to be careful!” The Doctor growled as he revved the engines. It had been three hours, according to Rose and Ianto, since they’d last seen Jack. Far too much could happen in such a longer period of time.
The Doctor’s mind was in overdrive. He could sit here and spout how annoying and cocky the Captain was, but when it boiled right down to it, the Doctor was responsible for all his companions and Jack was no exception. Even more so, this was Jack’s first real trip, he’d deserved the best. Instead he’d risked his neck to save his two companions. That wasn’t Jack’s job, and the Doctor was beginning to feel the clear lines of guilt as he begged his TARDIS to get everything correct as he pinpointed Jack’s location.
“Doctor-“ Ianto begin.
“Seriously, don’t speak; I don’t want to say something I might regret later. Both of you, go get me warm water, and get blankets, then go to the medical bay.”
“Doctor-“ Rose whispered.
“GO!” Shouted the Doctor, the serious and angry man had replaced the fun loving Doctor they’d come to know since coming aboard. Both companions simply nodded, unaware just how concerned the Doctor was for Jack-for all of them. The Doctor hated himself for the fear he felt, an instinctual fear of these creatures and their sacred grounds.
“We’re sorry.” Ianto murmured, before walking into the hallway.
“I’m not the one who needs to hear it.”
The Doctor stepped into the sacred territory; he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t terrified, he knew what these creatures were capable of. But Ianto and Rose had come flying back, sobbing and terrified begging for help-Jack was in danger, and the Doctor didn’t leave people behind. The light from the planet above shining down on them, the Doctor had seen many things in his nine centuries, but what he saw before him made his stomach churn, his hearts pound in tandem and his blood boil.
Jack Harkness, normally the happy, pleasant man with an infections smile, a giddy giggle and a beautiful spirit, lay against a stone, his wrists shackled to either side. Jack’s head was turned to the side, dried and crusted vomit on his chin; tear stained cheeks, pale gray features made the Doctor wonder if he was too late. Jack’s hands were swollen, probably damaged from being shackled and abused. His shoulder was a mirage of colors, he’d dislocated his shoulder-quite possibly the easiest and quickest fix of all Jack’s injuries. He could see an area where there were possibly broken ribs. But what horrified him the most, left even the Doctor speechless were the marks on Jack’s back.
It had been three hours, quite possibly four-Jack’s back was still pooling blood slowly down his back, drenching his sides, back and the ground. His back was a mess of torn flesh, bone, blood and dirt. The skin was red and inflamed, infection had probably set in by now. Twenty marks-probably, crossing over each other, making it impossible to tell what was the newest and the oldest. Jack’s pants, once denim, were now stained red, brown and the Doctor could smell the urine. He felt his hearts ache for the young man.
“I’m so sorry,” He whispered as he took out his sonic screwdriver, bracing Jack against the stone with a hand on Jack’s neck, the only untouched part of his back. He released both of Jack’s wrists, hoping the bastards who’d done this wouldn’t stop him. Uncaring about his jumper or jacket, the Doctor did the only thing that would cause less harm, he gently draped Jack over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry, and ever so slowly he made his way back into the TARDIS.
The Doctor didn’t stop until he’d made it to the medical bay, both Rose and Ianto gasped and whimpered at the sight of Jack. Taking great care to place Jack on his most uninjured side, the Doctor looked at Rose and Ianto seriously. “I have to clean out his wounds, and treat him-if you don’t think you can handle this, I need you to leave now.”
“But-“ Rose began.
The Doctor shook his head. “Either you will help or you’ll leave. It may take longer, but I can’t help him if you two get hysterical on me. Those are you’re only options. Help or leave.”
Ianto stepped forward, carding his hand ever so gently through Jack’s hair. “I’m staying.”
The Doctor nodded then looked at Rose. “Come back in an hour.”
“Why?”
“I have to clean him up, normally he wouldn’t be embarrassed, but right now he won’t be thinking like Jack. Please, Rose.”
She nodded and with a last glance at her friend she slipped out of the room. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pressed a couple buttons. Moments later the TARDIS began to move. “Where are we going?” Ianto asked softly.
“We’re going to rest in the Vortex, we’re safe there. Help me get him cleaned up.”
Ianto nodded and stepped closely. “What can I do?”
“He spoiled himself, he wasn’t in control, Rassilion only knows what that’ll do to his ego. Get him out of the clothes and clean him up,” The Doctor moved over to start some of the scanners.
Ianto moved down to Jack’s jeans, trying to force back the tears at the sight of the bloodied and soiled denim. He took great care in unbuttoning the jeans, slipping the zipper down. He slid the jeans down Jack’s hips and legs. He grimaced at the sight of the stained boxers and blood on the man’s back. He removed the boxers as well, if Jack had been awake and well, Ianto would have commented that Jack had every right to have an ego-he wasn’t small by any means, even limp. Ianto grabbed a towel and dampened it with the warm water and body soap. He gently began to clean Jack, moving around the man’s unresponsive penis and sac, he didn’t feel embarrassed, rather he felt sad for what Jack had endured for them. Even more so, because Jack seemed to think they hadn’t wanted him. “What have we done?” Ianto whimpered, pressing a quick kiss to Jack’s forehead.
He finished cleaning up Jack, and then draped a blanket over his lower half. He moved to the blood stains on his sides, careful not to touch the wounds. Once he’d finished getting blood from Jack’s hands, shoulders, back, face and waist he turned to the Doctor. The Doctor nodded as he moved over to Jack’s dislocated shoulder. “Hold down his body, if he remains unconscious hopefully it’ll be painless-“
It was a swift move, but the pain must have been enough because a second later the scream filled the room. Followed by Jack’s sobbing. “I’m sorry, Jack, I’m so sorry,” the Doctor cried gently as he grabbed something for the pain.
“Make it stop! Please, please burning!” he sobbed as he looked at Ianto. “Help me?”
“Burning?” The Doctor questioned. He looked at Ianto and felt his hearts sink. He couldn’t give Jack anything until they knew for sure there wasn’t any poison in his system. “Jack did they use something on the-weapon?”
“It hurts, please, please,” Jack sobbed his hands weakly reaching out, but both had been injured and torn by the manacles, they’d been damaged. “Make it stop.”
“I can’t Jack, I’m so sorry.” The Doctor repeated. “I’ve got to run some tests, I promise then we’ll fix you up, okay.”
Jack let out a pathetic whimper as he tried to move away from the chill of the equipment the Doctor was setting up. “Help.” He cried.
“I’m here, Cariad.” Ianto whispered as he knelt down in front of Jack, meeting the man’s eyes. He gripped one of Jack’s hands with one hand, the other gently carding through Jack’s hair over and over again. “Breathe.”
“Ca-rid?”
“Cariad, it means beloved.”
Jack didn’t reply he just looked at Ianto, whimpering again as his back gave a particularly bad twinge. “Can’t we do anything for the pain?” Ianto asked as tears began to drip down Jack’s cheeks again, over the bridge of his nose and against the mattress below him.
“I’m sorry-the scans aren’t done, if they’ve put anything into his bloodstream it could mix with the pain medication I give him and kill him.”
“If the poison doesn’t do that first.”
The Doctor met Ianto’s eyes, affirming that that was a very real possibility. He turned back to his machines, looking over all the damage. His machines wouldn’t do much good, they could only fix certain injuries, nothing this deep, and certainly not if there was poison. The poison would either run its course or kill Jack. But it was keeping his wounds oozing, it would stop the healing. Until the Doctor could figure out what the toxin was, he couldn’t properly fix Jack up.
“Yan-“ Jack’s words caught off as he let out another sob. “I-“ Jack didn’t finish his sentence, the pain must have been to intense, for seconds later he was unconscious again.
Ianto looked up at the Doctor. “What just happened?”
“I don’t know, it could be the toxin, it could be his body trying to put up a line of defense against whatever’s in his body. I have no way of knowing. Whatever the poison is, it’s not showing up on any of my scans.”
“Then it’s not there-“
“Ianto, you know better. Look at his wounds: red, swollen, and still oozing blood. You really think that’s just the injuries. Because I know about medicine, and that’s not normal, if this happened three or four hours ago, the bleeding should have stopped, or at least slowed since the beating. No, something was on it.”
“So now what?”
The Doctor sighed. “I’m going to the library-“
“And what!? We’re just supposed to sit here and wait!?”
“Oi! Maybe you should have considered the consequences of wandering aroun’ without him!” The Doctor stopped, lowering his head. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s true though.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t make it right for me to say it. I’ll be back as quick as I can. Stay with him, talk to him quietly. Don’t clean out his wounds just yet, not until I know what to clean it out with.”
“Yes sir.”
“Ianto.”
He looked up into the Time Lord’s deep blue eyes. “Yes?”
“It’s not your fault. It was a stupid mistake. Blaming yourself for this isn’t going to help him heal. Loving him will.”
“I seem to have some of that.”
“Good boy. Right then, off to the library. Back as quick as I can.”