Enduring 2- 8/18(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: To Teachwriterslash for being the head on my shoulders last night, and to Jen (who will never read this) for letting me hug her and talk to her for a little while.
Previous Story: Enduring
Previous Chapters here
Chapter Eight
Two hours, two hours was too long as the Doctor and Rose sat sifting through every reachable book-and some hidden ones, in his library. The Doctor was exhausted, but more than that he was beginning to run out of options. Nothing matched the symptoms, and it wasn’t like they were all that complicated.
“Doctor, why can’t you just treat him as if there wasn’t any poison in his system?” Rose asked quietly.
“Because if I treat him with anything specific and it reacts to that poison it could kill him or only cause more pain. Alien poison is complex Rose; it causes damage we don’t even see. I have the feeling it’s causing tissue and cellular damage, because nothing is showing signs of healing, no scabbing, it’s still oozing blood. If it’s causing tissue damage then we have to stop it before it gets to her nervous system.”
“What happens then?”
“It renders him…inert.”
“You mean paralyzed?”
“Yes, and he’d be in significant amount of pain. It’s a disgusting form of torture, but it’s also one of the best. They changed their ways of torture, but not for the better. The reason people don’t know it, is because they bloody kill them all.” The Doctor slammed his book shut, tossing it onto the floor angrily.
Rose just watched, sighing she looked back down at one of the book. “Feel better?” She asked quietly.
“No. This is all my fault, I never should have brought you here.”
“So what you think just keeping us all cooped up in this grand ship of yours is what we want? You think that’s your right. Well you’re wrong. Doctor, we know the risks, we love traveling with you. Don’t you think it’s our job to decide what we do and don’t want to do? Yeah, we made a mistake an’ now Jack is payin’ for it. But that was his choice, he chose to save us. He didn’t have to do that, especially not the way Ianto an’ I-even you have been treatin’ him. But he did, that’s his decision, to protect us. You can’t change it. Now we just have to fix it.”
The Doctor stared at her for a long moment before he waved her over. “Come here,” he whispered, he gently drew her into his lap. She clung to him, and for a minute he allowed her the chance to cry over what had happened.
o0o
After nearly three hours, the Doctor returned, with an idea of what the poison might be and a hopeful chance to beat it. Walking back into the room, the Doctor and Rose gripped the hands they were holding. Jack was still on his side; his blue eyes were open and clouded over with pain, tears dripped from the corners. Ianto was by his side, fast asleep, head resting against his arms on the table. Jack, despite whatever pain it had caused, was now gently petting Ianto’s hair. The Doctor had the feeling it had started out as a comfort to Ianto, but now it had probably become a comfort to Jack as well.
“Hey there big fella, we’re going to clean out your wounds-“ Jack shook his head at the Doctor’s words.
“Hurt.” Whimpered Jack.
“Jack, I need you to listen to me okay,” The Doctor knelt down beside Ianto and Jack, by this time Ianto was awake. “The poison they used has thinned your blood, which is why you can’t clot. It’s meant to cause you to bleed to death slowly. If I don’t clean out the wound it’s only going to cause more problems. Yes, this is going to hurt, probably a lot, but Rose and Ianto are here to care for you, okay?”
“Doctor, how is this going to work?” Ianto asked quietly as he began to run his hand through Jack’s hair, as if it was the most natural gesture in the world.
“I have to clean out his back with soap and water, it will probably bleed again. Once I’ve done that I’m going to run the regenerator over his back. He’s going to need several treatments of the regenerator-it binds his tissue cells and regenerates the skin. It will heal his back.”
“Scars?” Jack whispered.
“Vain, Captain?” The Doctor joked.
Jack managed a weak chuckle. “Only when I’m naked.”
The Doctor smiled as he gently brushed some hair from Jack’s face. “Hopefully, no. We won’t know for sure until the last few medical treatments. Problem is we can only do one a day, otherwise it’ll cause more harm. Jack, I’m sorry I can’t remove the toxin from your blood, it’s going to run its course.”
“What’s it going to do to him?” Ianto asked softly.
“High fever, chills, possibly nightmares, you’re going to be very weak for awhile, and you’ll heal slower-which is why I’m using the regenerator, the least I can do is try to take away some of your pain. Jack, I’m so sorry this happened-“
“Protect ‘em, that’s part of bein’ here,” Jack managed to gasp out between shooting pains in his body.
“No, no it’s not. It’s part of my job. And someone is supposed to protect you, daft fool. Now try and relax.”