Holiday!Bang 2008 entry for prompt 127 Part 1
Title: Dr. Harkness and Nurse Jones: Kenya
Author Name: blue_fjords
Original Prompt Number: 127
Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto, minor Gwen/Rhys, minor Tosh/Donna (hey, it’s AU)
Summary: Jack’s a doctor and Ianto’s a nurse. In Africa. Co-starring Owen, Martha, Sarah Jane, Mickey, Rhys, Gwen, Tosh, Donna; off-screen appearances by Lisa, the Doctor, Rose, Suzie and Tom.
Rating: It’s a romance novel, so NC-17.
Disclaimer: This is going to come as a shock, but I do not own Torchwood.
Warnings: AU, but there are references to canon events and past canon pairings. Also, there is violence, so if you don’t like guns, um, skip a couple pages. And there is a wee bit of smut.
Word Count: Upwards of 21,000, divided into three parts
Author's Notes: My prompt was for an AU romance novel, but without too much cliché. There is slight melodrama and declaring of feelings, but hopefully not too overwhelming. There are no pulsating members or throbbing bratwursts, at any rate. Beta-ed by my friend, but neither of us have actually been to Africa. If anything about the setting is off, blame Wikipedia. Nah, you can blame me; I can handle it.
A/N again: This was posted anonymously for "The Stopwatch" challenge. And now, true confession -- I've never read a romance novel. I hope this came out romance novel-y anyhow. If you're still reading these wicked long notes, there are two sequels in the works, both also written like romance novels. I am hoping to post the first one by the end of this weekend. Then I think I will be done with the NC-17 rating because, dudes, I do not think I can write believable porn, but I tried.
Ianto Jones adjusted his collar, feeling the string of his pouch under his shirt for the hundredth time. His hands were beyond sweaty, and he shifted his bag from the left to the right and back again in order to surreptitiously wipe them off one at a time on his khaki shorts.
“Ianto? Ianto!”
A human cannonball, all dark hair and gap-toothed smile, collided into him, wrapping him in as much of a bear hug as the tiny woman could give.
“Pleased to see you, too, Gwen,” he said with a slight smile, patting the head of the woman who clung to his waist.
Grinning, Gwen released him and looked up at his eyes. “I am so happy to see you. You are going to love it here, baby brother; I promise!”
“Yes, well, the sun’s a welcome change.” Ianto reached down to grab the two computer bags, his duffel, and the strap he had rigged up to the larger of the two boxes of medical supplies. Gwen grabbed the other strap and the bag of gifts he had bought especially for her.
Gwen kept up a steady stream of chatter, peppered with questions about his flight, getting through Customs, and guesses about her presents. Ianto listened with one half of his mind, eyes continuously lighting on new things. Gwen led him back outside, where the sun worked to bleach all color from their surroundings, leaving a dusky golden haze on everything. Ianto kept his eyes peeled for wildlife. He had tried to memorize a book on African wildlife before leaving Cardiff, and had already decided which animals he would most like to see. He had also successfully memorized the names and markings of all of the snakes that could be found in this area. It was a long list. As he walked with his sister to a small bush plane, however, the only animals he saw were a couple of goats tethered off the runway.
“Okay, Ianto duckling, help me wrestle these in and be sure to buckle up!” Gwen gestured down to her box, and Ianto obligingly set his own down before helping her hoist first her box, and then his into the small plane.
“How long does it take to get there?” Ianto asked, stifling a yawn.
“Oh, a bit. We’re flying into Lodwar, and then we’ll have to take a jeep. There’s an Anglican priest in Lodwar - he’ll let us take his jeep, no problem.”
It wasn’t long before they left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport behind. Ianto peered eagerly out his window. The Great Rift Valley stretched out below them, peppered with small lakes and large expanses of shrub-covered grasslands. He could see a large herd of what he guessed were Thomson’s gazelle, and there were some zebra, as well. The gazelles started running and leaping as the plane flew over. Their beauty and gracefulness were apparent even from up in the air. For the first time since arriving in Africa, Ianto started to relax. This trip was going to be good for him. The leaping gazelles symbolized freedom and joie de vivre. Ianto could feel himself chucking off the depression that had threatened to engulf him since his fiancée, Lisa, had passed away almost a year ago. Thankfully, they left the gazelles behind before he could see the cheetah pounce and rip out the jugular of one of the gazelles - he may have felt a different premonition then.
Gwen and Ianto started talking soon after about Cardiff and the hospital (Ianto) and the staff at Torched Wood and quirks of living in Kenya (Gwen), and kept it up until they were circling to land on a small airstrip outside of Lodwar. Lodwar was tiny, and more along the lines of the stereotypes Ianto had of African cities, unlike the bustle and modernization apparent in Nairobi. They were met at the airstrip by the Anglican priest with the jeep Gwen had mentioned. “Father Rhys,” she called him, and kissed his cheek affectionately. Though Rhys tried to hide it, Ianto could see from the way the Father looked at his sister that if she had asked him for the moon in addition to the jeep, he would have found some way to give it to her. Gwen seemed to have that effect on men.
They transferred their bags to the jeep, along with some supplies Father Rhys gave them, and took off for Torched Wood, Gwen at the wheel. Ianto’s eyelids were struggling to stay open. He had been traveling for more than a day and dusk was rapidly setting in. Gwen shook him awake when they pulled up to the security gate at Torched Wood. Ianto looked blearily around.
“Ianto, duckling, this is Mickey Smith,” she gestured to the compact black man holding an uzi at the gate, “and we’re here.”
Mickey and his uzi gave them a nod, and with a word of greeting to Gwen, closed the gate behind them. Gwen drove in and parked outside a garage. They appeared to be in a courtyard, with three other buildings in addition to the garage along the walls of the compound. Ianto couldn’t really make out details, but looked forward to exploring tomorrow. They unloaded the jeep and then Gwen brought him into the building directly opposite the gate, which housed the sleeping quarters of the clinic staff. The beds were divided by curtains hanging from the ceiling. Gwen brought him to an empty partition and whispered to him that Owen (Ianto remembered her mentioning him before - Ianto was of the opinion that he was bad news for Gwen) had told her to settle Ianto in for the night when they got there, and the other nurse would show him around the facilities the next day. Ianto nodded.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” Gwen threw her arms around his waist again. This was more hugging than the siblings usually engaged in, but Ianto found that he didn’t mind so much under the circumstances. He had missed his sister, and the past year had been hard on him and rather devoid of close human contact.
Gwen had to take the jeep back since she had an early morning flight, so after exchanging one last round of hugs and promising to be back in one week with food and supplies, Gwen was off. Ianto took one of his uniforms out of his duffel and hung it up by his bed for tomorrow. The rest of the unpacking could wait until morning. He fell into an exhausted sleep in less than two minutes.
Ianto woke up at 4:00 AM for his first day of work at Torched Wood Medical Center. All things considered, the jet lag could have been worse. He washed up, being careful to dole out only a small portion of water, and pulled on his nurse’s uniform. Gwen had laughed when Ianto told her what he had packed to wear to work, but Ianto knew better. He was the type to take comfort in the familiarity of routine. Clothes may just be clothes, but his uniform was like both armor and a security blanket. He knew he would need them if he was going to be of use in such an unfamiliar environment. Straightening his collar, Ianto took a deep breath, and left the living quarters to meet his new workmates.
The sun was a dusky smudge over the savannah. Its light was just beginning to illuminate the ruins of the village on the outskirts of the Torched Wood compound. Ianto could hear the calls of animals that he didn’t recognize yet, but hoped to soon. The air was completely still, and dust soon coated Ianto’s uniform and shoes. There was a smell that permeated the compound, partly of disinfectant from the surgery bay, partly of grass and dust from the savannah, and partly of burnt wood, even two years after the torching of the village.
Ianto pushed open the door to the “Medical” building of the Torched Wood Medical Center. It was divided into two sections: examination rooms formed by curtains on the left, operating theater on the right. A desk in the middle acted as triage, and all of the supplies were stocked neatly into shelves behind the triage desk, serving as a wall between the two sections. Ianto walked slowly through the building. A door in the back led to a staff washroom, and another door led to an enclosed corridor connecting the building to an adjoining structure, which held the rooms for overnight patients. When he had arrived last night, he had mistaken them for being one complete building. Ianto opened the door at the end of the corridor, accidentally smacking a middle-aged woman in the face as she reached for the door from the other end.
“So sorry!” Ianto gasped. “Are you all right?”
The woman gingerly felt her nose, and smiled up at Ianto. “Nothing broken. You must be Ianto, I was just on my way back over to the Hub to show you around. Sarah Jane Smith. I’m the other nurse here,” she held out her hand.
“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” said Ianto, shaking her hand and blushing.
Smooth, Jones, really dashing of you. Maybe later you can give her a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it, he thought to himself, chagrined.
“Don’t worry about it at all; it’s a terrible design. Let me show you around.”
Ianto smiled and offered Nurse Smith his arm.
In the next two hours, Ianto learned the following helpful information about the Torched Wood Medical Center:
One, Sarah Jane Smith was a smiler. Ianto had seldom met anyone with such a naturally sunny disposition.
Two, each building had a name. The Hub was where they did “the healing” (Sarah Jane’s words) and the Spoke was where they did “the recovering” (Sarah Jane again). Apparently, the original builders had meant to put in other spokes, but they had run out of “funding and gumption” (Sarah Jane, naturally). The staff quarters were called the cells. Sarah Jane had not named them. That was done by Drs. Harkness and Harper, she informed him with a sigh. The garage and guard post were called, respectively, the garage and guard post. All of the building were connected by a series of tunnels.
Three, the staff consisted of three doctors, two nurses, one guard, and one local translator/community liaison. Ianto’s sister Gwen flew in once every two weeks. She usually brought Father Williams with her to do a service for the patients and the villagers in Momba. Every few months they were visited by Dr. Toshiko Sato and her assistant, Ms. Noble. Dr. Sato ran all of the charity hospitals in Africa operated by the Rose Tyler Legacy Memorial Charitable Foundation. Ianto blinked at hearing the full name of the foundation he was volunteering with for the next few months. It was listed as the Tyler Foundation on all of his paperwork, and no wonder with a name like that . . .
Four, Dr. Harkness was the most charming man in the world. Ianto noticed that each time Nurse Smith said his name, even if she sounded exasperated, she blushed slightly and patted her hair. Gwen had had a similar reaction when she was trying to convince Ianto to join her in Africa. Apparently Dr. Harkness was catnip to women. (However, Ianto knew for a fact that it was Dr. Harper with whom Gwen had carried on a short-term fling. He could read her like a book.) Nurse Smith, all girlish gushing when speaking of Dr. Harkness, had none of the same for Dr. Harper.
Five, both the security guard, one Mickey Smith (no relation), and Dr. Harkness had actually known the Rose Tyler of the Rose Tyler Legacy Memorial Charitable Foundation. As such, one should demonstrate tact and not bring her up in conversation. When referring to the Rose Tyler Legacy Memorial Charitable Foundation, one should simply say “the Foundation.”
Six, Dr. Jones, the third doctor, shared his surname. Ianto waited for more insight into her character (after all, half of his mates from uni also shared his surname), but Nurse Smith didn’t know her all that well yet. Dr. Jones had only arrived two weeks before Ianto. She was an old friend of Dr. Harkness, and had worked with him at a charity hospital in Serbia several years ago when she was a medical student. “A lovely young lady,” Nurse Smith pronounced her.
Seven, Mickey Smith, the guard, talked a mean talk, but he was “an absolute doll,” beamed Nurse Smith. Ianto raised a brow at that. He had a vague recollection of a short, well-built black man with a harsh accent and coarse laugh from last night. A doll? Maybe an action figure.
By that time it was almost 7:00 AM and already starting to get incredibly hot. A dust cloud was approaching the compound from the north.
“Oh, brilliant! Mgumbe is here. Mgumbe is our translator and liaison,” Sarah Jane continued, turning to face Ianto. “He’s a sweetheart.”
Mgumbe’s truck stopped at the outer wall, and then the doors slid open on their mechanical runners. Mgumbe waved to Sarah Jane and Ianto, and she enthusiastically waved back. He cut the engine as Sarah Jane and Ianto approached him.
“Oi!” Mgumbe called. They say ‘oi’ in Africa? Ianto wondered, startled. “Nurse Smith, how spiffing to see you on this fine winter’s morning!”
‘Spiffing?’ What the hell?
“Oh, Mgumbe, you’ve been getting lessons from Dr. Harper again, haven’t you?” Sarah Jane giggled up at him. “I am just wonderful, Mgumbe, just wonderful. I want you to meet the newest member of our staff family. This is Gwen Cooper’s younger brother, Nurse Ianto Jones,” she motioned Ianto forward. “You’re a little on the early side today.”
“Ah, the little brother! Nurse Jones, it is a pleasure, a pleasure.” Mgumbe’s face split into a wide grin as he took both of Ianto’s hands in his and half-bowed over them.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Ianto responded.
“Nurse Smith, I was wondering if someone might accompany me about a kilometer up the road? There is a refugee family. They didn’t want to come into the facility itself, but if we went to them, they may accept some small medical care.”
The door from the cells banged open, emitting three people in mid-conversation.
“You lot don’t have a fucking clue, alright? That bird adored me -“ That was the shorter of the two men. He had a thick London accent and a cocky way of walking.
“Oh, leave off, Owen, she only wanted a couple of drinks. Men!” That was the woman. She was rather attractive and had a similar accent to the first man.
“Now you don’t know that for a fact, Martha.” This from the taller man, in an American accent. Must be the charming Dr. Harkness, Ianto thought.
“Thank you, Jack.”
“After all, some women can’t resist the allure of scrawny, foul-mouthed British doctors.”
Martha laughed gaily, Owen scowled, and Jack slung his arm around Owen’s shoulders to show that he meant no harm by it. Jack caught sight of Sarah Jane and the two men by the garage, and his smile widened. Ianto felt a little blinded by the light of American dental care.
“Sarah Jane, Mgumbe! Who is our guest?”
Sarah Jane beamed up at him. “This is our new nurse, like I promised.”
Owen looked a bit discomfited. “You’re Gwen’s little brother, then? Nurse Cooper?”
“Jones, Ianto Jones.” Ianto extended his hand.
Martha shook it and smiled warmly. “I’m a Jones, too. Small world, yeah? My name’s Martha.”
“Owen Harper,” Owen mumbled, giving Ianto’s hand a peremptory shake. Ianto could tell that Owen had not expected him to have such an advantage in both height and bulk. Ianto gave him a smile that clearly said: Yes, I know what you did with my sister and that can stop now, thank you very much, or else you’re about to get a whole lot shorter. Owen’s answering grimace clearly said: Fuck you, but okay.
Ianto turned to Dr. Harkness.
“Welcome to Torched Wood, Jones Ianto Jones.” The doctor took Ianto’s hand in both of his and turned the full force of his smile on him. Ianto’s heart took a stuttering half-step. He was vaguely aware of Mgumbe talking next to him. With a supreme effort he withdrew his hand from Jacks’ and turned his attention to the interpreter. Who was done talking, of course.
“I’ll go with you, Mgumbe. We’ll take Nurse Jones here with us, give him a chance to see the world outside the compound,” Jack answered.
Ianto nodded. They must be going to see the refugee family that didn’t want to come into Torched Wood. You’re a sharp one, aren’t you? Better get your head in the game, Jones, Ianto thought to himself.
“There are two fully stocked med kits in the truck, Ianto. Enjoy the scenery!” Sarah Jane smiled at him once more before linking arms with Martha and crossing the courtyard to the Spoke.
“Make sure Newbie here doesn’t step on anything poisonous, Jack, or Gwen’ll castrate you.”
“Lovely imagery as usual, Owen.” Jack and Owen exchanged grins.
Mgumbe leaned out the window of the truck. “Is the farewell ritual completed?”
“Not quite yet.” Owen strode over to his side of the truck and went through a complicated series of fist bumps with Mgumbe. “Now you’re good. Get out of here.”
“Brilliant!” Mgumbe turned to Jack and Ianto expectantly.
“Right, I’ll just get the middle then.” Ianto struggled with where to put his legs. Mgumbe was young, and small, but it was an old-fashioned truck and he needed his full side of the cab to operate the gas, brakes and stickshift. Ianto and Jack were both big men with long legs. There really was no comfortable way for the three of them to sit in the cab of the truck. Ianto settled with sitting somewhat sideways, with his feet on Jack’s side of the floor.
“I’m going to have to put my arm around you; that okay?” Jack flashed him another grin. Ianto wished he’d stop doing that. It was making it hard for him to concentrate.
“Better than an elbow in the face, Dr. Harkness,” he managed.
Jack just laughed and settled comfortably back.
Mgumbe pointed out various landmarks and animals as they made their way up the road. They drove slowly to avoid bumps and potholes. On their left, way off in the distance, was a herd of some kind of antelope. Mgumbe said they were quite common in this area. On the right side of the road, a flock of birds moved through the grass, their beaks poking down in the search for insects. Everything was a dusky golden color. The only trees Ianto could make out were about a kilometer away on the right of the road.
It wasn’t long before they overtook a group of nine people; a young woman, one elderly woman and an elderly man, and six boys and girls, ranging from about one month to eight years old. Mgumbe killed the ignition and they all slid out of the cab. Ianto stood uncertainly beside Dr. Harkness as Mgumbe addressed the refugees. He had done a fair bit of reading on the situation in this part of Kenya before he left Cardiff, and he had no idea why refugees would be headed back into Sudan. Yet here they were, making their way to the Sudanese border with what looked like at least three sprained ankles and sounded like at least four lung infections. The young woman seemed rather adamant that they would continue until Dr. Harkness stepped forward, flashing his kilowatt smile. He began to speak in halting Swahili, addressing the three adults and gesturing towards the children. Ianto tried not to gape. Swahili was not an easy language to learn. Finally the young woman nodded, and handed Jack the one month old baby.
“Ianto, can a get hand with this little one?”
Ianto stepped up to him and cradled the baby in his arms. Dr. Harkness took his stethoscope out of the med kit. Ianto frowned down at the baby girl. She was extremely lethargic, and her breath was coming in a high-pitched wheeze. His eyes met Jack’s, filled with grim confirmation.
Jack cleared his throat. “Ianto, could you check out Beauty’s ankle?” He gestured towards the elderly woman. Shifting the baby to his hip, Ianto nodded and grabbed his med kit. Beauty gave him a wary look when he approached her, but held out her arms for the baby. She began to hum to the little girl, stroking her hair. Kneeling down, Ianto slipped on a pair of latex gloves and proceeded to run capable fingers along the bridge of Beauty’s foot, then the heel and up the ankle. It was definitely sprained and felt like it had been broken at some point in the past, maybe a couple of times. Ianto carefully wrapped it up. It was all he could do outside of Torched Wood. He did the same with the second sprained ankle, and the third. When he straightened, Jack caught his eye and nodded his head for Ianto to come join his talk with Mgumbe, the young woman and the elderly man. They were speaking in Swahili, so Ianto took the opportunity to observe their body language. The old man wanted to be persuaded to go back to Torched Wood, but he didn’t want to appear weak. The young woman was determined to move on. Ianto guessed that only the baby girl was her child. Perhaps the others were nieces and nephews, or just orphans who had attached themselves to her. Jack had also latched onto the significance of the baby. Each time he gestured broadly to take in the other refugees, his hand ended by pointing to Beauty cuddling the little girl.
Ianto could see that they weren’t getting anywhere. The old man was ready to get in the truck, but it would mean losing the young woman and baby girl. Making his decision, Ianto strode over to Beauty and gestured that she should give the baby back to him. She fit easily in the crook of his arm and immediately closed her eyes again. Ianto stopped and fetched Dr. Harkness’ stethoscope out of the med kit, then rejoined the mini-conference.
“Dr. Harkness? Perhaps our young mother would like to hear her child’s lungs at work?”
Jack nodded solemnly. “That is a good idea.” He turned and said a few words in Swahili to the mother. She gave the stethoscope an apprehensive look. Jack hooked it over his ears and proceeded to listen to his own breaths. The young woman licked her lips nervously, but took the stethoscope when he offered it to her. She carefully listened to herself breathing. A look of wonder crossed her face, and she excitedly placed the stethoscope on her daughter’s chest. Her face fell when she heard the fluid in her baby’s lungs. She turned to Jack with an accusing glance. Jack grimaced and spread his hands in apology. He said a few more words in Swahili, gesturing at the truck. Ianto held his breath. She finally nodded begrudgingly.
Ianto heaved a sigh of relief and exchanged smiles with Jack before going over to help Beauty and the kids into the truck. He noticed Mgumbe pull Jack aside and whisper for a minute before starting the engine.
“Ianto! Could I have a minute?” Jack called to him.
“Of course, Dr. Harkness. How may I assist you?”
“It’s Jack. Listen, Mgumbe was just telling me that there was something we might want to take a look at before heading back to Torched Wood. I would like him to get the refugees back as soon as possible. Would you mind walking a little farther down the road with me to investigate and then walking back to the clinic?”
Ianto surprised himself by agreeing right away. It was quite exciting, actually, walking through the African savannah with no other people in sight except for the man beside him. (Technically, Ianto could turn to look over his shoulder and see Torched Wood off in the distance. It was more thrilling the other way.)
“So, what exactly are we looking for?” Ianto asked as they headed farther north up the road. He gave Jack a curious look. In addition to one of the med kits, Jack had grabbed a thin trench coat out of the truck. Ianto had no idea what he needed a coat for in this heat. Ianto had grabbed a couple of water bottles and slung them over his shoulders.
“Mgumbe saw some buzzards circling this outcrop up ahead. It usually plays home to a bunch of warthogs, so they may have been going after warthog fricassee.”
“But you don’t think so.”
“No, I don’t, and neither does Mgumbe. Momba, that’s the un-ruined village on the other side of Torched Wood by the way, has lost a lot of young men to the war in Sudan. Mgumbe heard a rumor that a couple of them were escaping, and were planning to stop in the village on their way south. They should have been through several days ago.”
Ianto nodded.
“They might be a little . . . overly ripe . . . from the sun,” Jack warned him.
“I am a nurse. I can handle it.”
They walked in companionable silence until they reached the outcrop. The buzzards scattered at their approach. Jack circled around warily and dunked his head under the outcropping, Ianto following.
There were two young men, really no more than boys, and they were indeed sun-ripened and bloated. The smell was atrocious. Ianto pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around the lower half of his face.
The first corpse had lost his eyes, tongue, and genitals to the buzzards. The soft bits always go first, Ianto thought morbidly. He frowned as something caught his eye.
“Dr. Harkness? This is definitely a bullet wound here. I think it was the killing shot.”
“Oh, yeah? Why do you say that?” Jack asked, straightening over the second corpse.
“Bullet at the base of the neck.”
“That would do it, yes. Same with my guy.” Jack moved over to Ianto’s side. “There’s really nothing we can use to transport them back, so let’s roll a couple of those boulders over to block them into the corner here. We can come back with Mgumbe later in the truck. Mickey may want to assess the situation.”
“Does Mickey have combat experience?” Ianto asked as they struggled with a rather large boulder.
“Something like that,” Jack grunted. “Okay, a couple more.”
Ianto puts his hands on his hips to survey their work. It wouldn’t deter a small mammal, but the buzzards and warthogs would have a difficult time getting to the corpses around their makeshift cairn. Ianto nodded to himself, satisfied, and turned to look at Jack. Jack was gazing off into the distance, a worried frown on his face.
“Dr. Harkness? Jack? What’s the matter? Do you see something?” Ianto asked.
“You see that cloud?” Ianto followed the trajectory of his outstretched arm.
“The low-to-the-ground golden cloud moving in this direction?” he hazarded.
“Exactly. That’s a sandstorm coming our way,” Jack said.
“How fast do those move?”
“Fast enough. There aren’t any trees between here and there to break the wind.”
“So do we hunker down with the dead men and wait for it to pass?” Ianto wrinkled his nose. This was going to stink.
Jack hesitated. “That’s one option. We could also make a run for it. We’re about two and a half kilometers from Torched Wood. We might make it.”
Ianto gave him a considering look. “What aren’t you telling me? Is there a chance that those men’s killers would want to take refuge here as well?”
Jack nodded slowly. “Not to freak you out, but yes. Mgumbe just noticed the buzzards this morning. The killers could still be in the area. I don’t think it’s a large possibility,” he added hurriedly, “there really is nothing else to keep them here. But we might be safer gambling on Mother Nature.”
Ianto thought about it. “I would rather be killed by Africa than by guns. Let’s make a run for it.”
Jack flashed him that grin again. “Good choice.”
They adjusted their packs, and took off at a jog towards Torched Wood. One or the other kept glancing over his shoulder at the cloud. It moved fast. At one kilometer to go, it was well and truly nipping at their ankles. They both put on a burst of speed before they were engulfed.
The wind formed fingers of stinging sand, poking and jabbing at them, plucking at clothes and hair and drawing out tears from the corners of their eyes. Ianto was a crap rugby player, a not much better cook, and quite useless with home repairs, but he had always had an unerring sense of direction. Grabbing a hold of Jack’s elbow, he steered them towards the wall. The sand and dirt latched onto their ankles, causing them to lurch forward with the stumbling gait of zombies.
“Harkness! Jones! Blind bloody fools! Answer me!” Mickey’s voice sounded so very far away, but it was in the direction Ianto had chosen. Ianto opened his mouth to call out to him, to tell him not to close the doors, they were coming. The wind slammed a great handful of sand into his mouth, however, and he wound up gasping and choking. Jack drew him close to his chest, and suddenly Ianto found himself with a clear breath. So that’s why he brought the coat; it’s his shining armor, Ianto thought dumbly. Jack had pulled his coat around Ianto, forming a sort of tent. It was close, and hot, but Ianto was able to breathe air instead of sand. Inhaling, he was filled with the scent of Jack: slightly musky, slightly cinnamon-like, with something underneath that Ianto couldn’t name, but wanted to get to know better. Which was silly, really, with the sandstorm threatening them, and Lisa’s memory a very real and tangible presence, not to mention they had just met not four hours earlier. Ianto gave himself a mental shake.
“I’m ready to run for it!” he yelled up to Jack. He couldn’t see if Jack nodded, but Jack’s hand moved to the small of his back, fingers opening and closing to signal his understanding. Leaning on each other, they fought their way back towards the gate. Ianto struggled in his pocket, and triumphantly pulled out a whistle. Jack started at the first “tweet” and gave Ianto an incredulous look.
“That must be them!” The wind carried Mickey’s voice to them. “Follow my voice! Come on, move, you wankers!”
Mickey suddenly materialized in a cloud of sand in front of them.
“Gotcha! Hold on to the rope, come on, we’re going in!”
Jack grabbed the loop of rope hanging from Mickey’s belt, his other hand still firmly on the small of Ianto’s back. It wasn’t long before they passed under the entranceway into the Torched Wood compound. Ianto thought he had never been happier to see a place before in his life. Keeping to the walls, the three men skirted the courtyard and entered the Hub, slamming the door closed behind them.
“Jack! Oh, I was so worried!” Martha hurried over to them, throwing her arms around Jack’s neck and squeezing tight. “Mickey? Ianto? You alright, yeah?”
Ianto nodded. His heart was pounding in his chest, he could still smell Jack, and he didn’t trust himself to speak just yet.
“Jones here brought a whistle. Smart thinking, that.” Mickey gave him an approving nod. “Wouldn’t have found them without it.”
“He also has an internal compass or something. Pointed us right towards the gate.” Jack was smiling at him. He really did have a fantastic smile. Ianto fought the urge to do something else heroic just so Jack would keep smiling at him.
“Gwen,” he started, then paused to clear his throat. Damn sand. “Gwen told me about the sandstorms. I thought a whistle would be prudent.”
“What else did you bring? To be prudent?” Surely that wasn’t a suggestive leer from the good Dr. Harkness. With the way Gwen spoke of him, plus Sarah Jane’s reaction, Ianto had assumed him to be quite the ladies’ man.
“Jack! You’re terrible!” Martha rolled her eyes. “Come on, you lot, now that we’re all safe from the storm, we should give Owen and Sarah Jane a hand. You want lung infections or broken bones?”
Ianto spent the next several hours working the portable X-ray machine and setting bones alongside Dr. Harkness. Jack maintained a very professional demeanor throughout the day, addressing Ianto as “Nurse Jones” and soliciting his opinion on various bruises and abrasions. Each time he turned his back on Jack to fiddle with a knob on the machine, though, Ianto could feel Jack’s eyes on him. He wished he had some idea of how to react. Flirting and shagging were quite common at his hospital in Cardiff, of course, but there everyone had known he was Lisa’s fiancée, and then Lisa’s quasi-widower. Jack didn’t know anything about his past, and Ianto was strangely excited to have the opportunity of a clean slate. It had been awhile.
Ianto fell into bed late that night, thoroughly exhausted. Even Dr. Harper’s loud snores issuing from a bunk somewhere on the far side of the room could not keep him awake.
Ack! Link to Part Two: blue-fjords.livejournal.com/3589.html
Author Name: blue_fjords
Original Prompt Number: 127
Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto, minor Gwen/Rhys, minor Tosh/Donna (hey, it’s AU)
Summary: Jack’s a doctor and Ianto’s a nurse. In Africa. Co-starring Owen, Martha, Sarah Jane, Mickey, Rhys, Gwen, Tosh, Donna; off-screen appearances by Lisa, the Doctor, Rose, Suzie and Tom.
Rating: It’s a romance novel, so NC-17.
Disclaimer: This is going to come as a shock, but I do not own Torchwood.
Warnings: AU, but there are references to canon events and past canon pairings. Also, there is violence, so if you don’t like guns, um, skip a couple pages. And there is a wee bit of smut.
Word Count: Upwards of 21,000, divided into three parts
Author's Notes: My prompt was for an AU romance novel, but without too much cliché. There is slight melodrama and declaring of feelings, but hopefully not too overwhelming. There are no pulsating members or throbbing bratwursts, at any rate. Beta-ed by my friend, but neither of us have actually been to Africa. If anything about the setting is off, blame Wikipedia. Nah, you can blame me; I can handle it.
A/N again: This was posted anonymously for "The Stopwatch" challenge. And now, true confession -- I've never read a romance novel. I hope this came out romance novel-y anyhow. If you're still reading these wicked long notes, there are two sequels in the works, both also written like romance novels. I am hoping to post the first one by the end of this weekend. Then I think I will be done with the NC-17 rating because, dudes, I do not think I can write believable porn, but I tried.
Ianto Jones adjusted his collar, feeling the string of his pouch under his shirt for the hundredth time. His hands were beyond sweaty, and he shifted his bag from the left to the right and back again in order to surreptitiously wipe them off one at a time on his khaki shorts.
“Ianto? Ianto!”
A human cannonball, all dark hair and gap-toothed smile, collided into him, wrapping him in as much of a bear hug as the tiny woman could give.
“Pleased to see you, too, Gwen,” he said with a slight smile, patting the head of the woman who clung to his waist.
Grinning, Gwen released him and looked up at his eyes. “I am so happy to see you. You are going to love it here, baby brother; I promise!”
“Yes, well, the sun’s a welcome change.” Ianto reached down to grab the two computer bags, his duffel, and the strap he had rigged up to the larger of the two boxes of medical supplies. Gwen grabbed the other strap and the bag of gifts he had bought especially for her.
Gwen kept up a steady stream of chatter, peppered with questions about his flight, getting through Customs, and guesses about her presents. Ianto listened with one half of his mind, eyes continuously lighting on new things. Gwen led him back outside, where the sun worked to bleach all color from their surroundings, leaving a dusky golden haze on everything. Ianto kept his eyes peeled for wildlife. He had tried to memorize a book on African wildlife before leaving Cardiff, and had already decided which animals he would most like to see. He had also successfully memorized the names and markings of all of the snakes that could be found in this area. It was a long list. As he walked with his sister to a small bush plane, however, the only animals he saw were a couple of goats tethered off the runway.
“Okay, Ianto duckling, help me wrestle these in and be sure to buckle up!” Gwen gestured down to her box, and Ianto obligingly set his own down before helping her hoist first her box, and then his into the small plane.
“How long does it take to get there?” Ianto asked, stifling a yawn.
“Oh, a bit. We’re flying into Lodwar, and then we’ll have to take a jeep. There’s an Anglican priest in Lodwar - he’ll let us take his jeep, no problem.”
It wasn’t long before they left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport behind. Ianto peered eagerly out his window. The Great Rift Valley stretched out below them, peppered with small lakes and large expanses of shrub-covered grasslands. He could see a large herd of what he guessed were Thomson’s gazelle, and there were some zebra, as well. The gazelles started running and leaping as the plane flew over. Their beauty and gracefulness were apparent even from up in the air. For the first time since arriving in Africa, Ianto started to relax. This trip was going to be good for him. The leaping gazelles symbolized freedom and joie de vivre. Ianto could feel himself chucking off the depression that had threatened to engulf him since his fiancée, Lisa, had passed away almost a year ago. Thankfully, they left the gazelles behind before he could see the cheetah pounce and rip out the jugular of one of the gazelles - he may have felt a different premonition then.
Gwen and Ianto started talking soon after about Cardiff and the hospital (Ianto) and the staff at Torched Wood and quirks of living in Kenya (Gwen), and kept it up until they were circling to land on a small airstrip outside of Lodwar. Lodwar was tiny, and more along the lines of the stereotypes Ianto had of African cities, unlike the bustle and modernization apparent in Nairobi. They were met at the airstrip by the Anglican priest with the jeep Gwen had mentioned. “Father Rhys,” she called him, and kissed his cheek affectionately. Though Rhys tried to hide it, Ianto could see from the way the Father looked at his sister that if she had asked him for the moon in addition to the jeep, he would have found some way to give it to her. Gwen seemed to have that effect on men.
They transferred their bags to the jeep, along with some supplies Father Rhys gave them, and took off for Torched Wood, Gwen at the wheel. Ianto’s eyelids were struggling to stay open. He had been traveling for more than a day and dusk was rapidly setting in. Gwen shook him awake when they pulled up to the security gate at Torched Wood. Ianto looked blearily around.
“Ianto, duckling, this is Mickey Smith,” she gestured to the compact black man holding an uzi at the gate, “and we’re here.”
Mickey and his uzi gave them a nod, and with a word of greeting to Gwen, closed the gate behind them. Gwen drove in and parked outside a garage. They appeared to be in a courtyard, with three other buildings in addition to the garage along the walls of the compound. Ianto couldn’t really make out details, but looked forward to exploring tomorrow. They unloaded the jeep and then Gwen brought him into the building directly opposite the gate, which housed the sleeping quarters of the clinic staff. The beds were divided by curtains hanging from the ceiling. Gwen brought him to an empty partition and whispered to him that Owen (Ianto remembered her mentioning him before - Ianto was of the opinion that he was bad news for Gwen) had told her to settle Ianto in for the night when they got there, and the other nurse would show him around the facilities the next day. Ianto nodded.
“I’m so glad you’re here!” Gwen threw her arms around his waist again. This was more hugging than the siblings usually engaged in, but Ianto found that he didn’t mind so much under the circumstances. He had missed his sister, and the past year had been hard on him and rather devoid of close human contact.
Gwen had to take the jeep back since she had an early morning flight, so after exchanging one last round of hugs and promising to be back in one week with food and supplies, Gwen was off. Ianto took one of his uniforms out of his duffel and hung it up by his bed for tomorrow. The rest of the unpacking could wait until morning. He fell into an exhausted sleep in less than two minutes.
Ianto woke up at 4:00 AM for his first day of work at Torched Wood Medical Center. All things considered, the jet lag could have been worse. He washed up, being careful to dole out only a small portion of water, and pulled on his nurse’s uniform. Gwen had laughed when Ianto told her what he had packed to wear to work, but Ianto knew better. He was the type to take comfort in the familiarity of routine. Clothes may just be clothes, but his uniform was like both armor and a security blanket. He knew he would need them if he was going to be of use in such an unfamiliar environment. Straightening his collar, Ianto took a deep breath, and left the living quarters to meet his new workmates.
The sun was a dusky smudge over the savannah. Its light was just beginning to illuminate the ruins of the village on the outskirts of the Torched Wood compound. Ianto could hear the calls of animals that he didn’t recognize yet, but hoped to soon. The air was completely still, and dust soon coated Ianto’s uniform and shoes. There was a smell that permeated the compound, partly of disinfectant from the surgery bay, partly of grass and dust from the savannah, and partly of burnt wood, even two years after the torching of the village.
Ianto pushed open the door to the “Medical” building of the Torched Wood Medical Center. It was divided into two sections: examination rooms formed by curtains on the left, operating theater on the right. A desk in the middle acted as triage, and all of the supplies were stocked neatly into shelves behind the triage desk, serving as a wall between the two sections. Ianto walked slowly through the building. A door in the back led to a staff washroom, and another door led to an enclosed corridor connecting the building to an adjoining structure, which held the rooms for overnight patients. When he had arrived last night, he had mistaken them for being one complete building. Ianto opened the door at the end of the corridor, accidentally smacking a middle-aged woman in the face as she reached for the door from the other end.
“So sorry!” Ianto gasped. “Are you all right?”
The woman gingerly felt her nose, and smiled up at Ianto. “Nothing broken. You must be Ianto, I was just on my way back over to the Hub to show you around. Sarah Jane Smith. I’m the other nurse here,” she held out her hand.
“A pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” said Ianto, shaking her hand and blushing.
Smooth, Jones, really dashing of you. Maybe later you can give her a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it, he thought to himself, chagrined.
“Don’t worry about it at all; it’s a terrible design. Let me show you around.”
Ianto smiled and offered Nurse Smith his arm.
In the next two hours, Ianto learned the following helpful information about the Torched Wood Medical Center:
One, Sarah Jane Smith was a smiler. Ianto had seldom met anyone with such a naturally sunny disposition.
Two, each building had a name. The Hub was where they did “the healing” (Sarah Jane’s words) and the Spoke was where they did “the recovering” (Sarah Jane again). Apparently, the original builders had meant to put in other spokes, but they had run out of “funding and gumption” (Sarah Jane, naturally). The staff quarters were called the cells. Sarah Jane had not named them. That was done by Drs. Harkness and Harper, she informed him with a sigh. The garage and guard post were called, respectively, the garage and guard post. All of the building were connected by a series of tunnels.
Three, the staff consisted of three doctors, two nurses, one guard, and one local translator/community liaison. Ianto’s sister Gwen flew in once every two weeks. She usually brought Father Williams with her to do a service for the patients and the villagers in Momba. Every few months they were visited by Dr. Toshiko Sato and her assistant, Ms. Noble. Dr. Sato ran all of the charity hospitals in Africa operated by the Rose Tyler Legacy Memorial Charitable Foundation. Ianto blinked at hearing the full name of the foundation he was volunteering with for the next few months. It was listed as the Tyler Foundation on all of his paperwork, and no wonder with a name like that . . .
Four, Dr. Harkness was the most charming man in the world. Ianto noticed that each time Nurse Smith said his name, even if she sounded exasperated, she blushed slightly and patted her hair. Gwen had had a similar reaction when she was trying to convince Ianto to join her in Africa. Apparently Dr. Harkness was catnip to women. (However, Ianto knew for a fact that it was Dr. Harper with whom Gwen had carried on a short-term fling. He could read her like a book.) Nurse Smith, all girlish gushing when speaking of Dr. Harkness, had none of the same for Dr. Harper.
Five, both the security guard, one Mickey Smith (no relation), and Dr. Harkness had actually known the Rose Tyler of the Rose Tyler Legacy Memorial Charitable Foundation. As such, one should demonstrate tact and not bring her up in conversation. When referring to the Rose Tyler Legacy Memorial Charitable Foundation, one should simply say “the Foundation.”
Six, Dr. Jones, the third doctor, shared his surname. Ianto waited for more insight into her character (after all, half of his mates from uni also shared his surname), but Nurse Smith didn’t know her all that well yet. Dr. Jones had only arrived two weeks before Ianto. She was an old friend of Dr. Harkness, and had worked with him at a charity hospital in Serbia several years ago when she was a medical student. “A lovely young lady,” Nurse Smith pronounced her.
Seven, Mickey Smith, the guard, talked a mean talk, but he was “an absolute doll,” beamed Nurse Smith. Ianto raised a brow at that. He had a vague recollection of a short, well-built black man with a harsh accent and coarse laugh from last night. A doll? Maybe an action figure.
By that time it was almost 7:00 AM and already starting to get incredibly hot. A dust cloud was approaching the compound from the north.
“Oh, brilliant! Mgumbe is here. Mgumbe is our translator and liaison,” Sarah Jane continued, turning to face Ianto. “He’s a sweetheart.”
Mgumbe’s truck stopped at the outer wall, and then the doors slid open on their mechanical runners. Mgumbe waved to Sarah Jane and Ianto, and she enthusiastically waved back. He cut the engine as Sarah Jane and Ianto approached him.
“Oi!” Mgumbe called. They say ‘oi’ in Africa? Ianto wondered, startled. “Nurse Smith, how spiffing to see you on this fine winter’s morning!”
‘Spiffing?’ What the hell?
“Oh, Mgumbe, you’ve been getting lessons from Dr. Harper again, haven’t you?” Sarah Jane giggled up at him. “I am just wonderful, Mgumbe, just wonderful. I want you to meet the newest member of our staff family. This is Gwen Cooper’s younger brother, Nurse Ianto Jones,” she motioned Ianto forward. “You’re a little on the early side today.”
“Ah, the little brother! Nurse Jones, it is a pleasure, a pleasure.” Mgumbe’s face split into a wide grin as he took both of Ianto’s hands in his and half-bowed over them.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Ianto responded.
“Nurse Smith, I was wondering if someone might accompany me about a kilometer up the road? There is a refugee family. They didn’t want to come into the facility itself, but if we went to them, they may accept some small medical care.”
The door from the cells banged open, emitting three people in mid-conversation.
“You lot don’t have a fucking clue, alright? That bird adored me -“ That was the shorter of the two men. He had a thick London accent and a cocky way of walking.
“Oh, leave off, Owen, she only wanted a couple of drinks. Men!” That was the woman. She was rather attractive and had a similar accent to the first man.
“Now you don’t know that for a fact, Martha.” This from the taller man, in an American accent. Must be the charming Dr. Harkness, Ianto thought.
“Thank you, Jack.”
“After all, some women can’t resist the allure of scrawny, foul-mouthed British doctors.”
Martha laughed gaily, Owen scowled, and Jack slung his arm around Owen’s shoulders to show that he meant no harm by it. Jack caught sight of Sarah Jane and the two men by the garage, and his smile widened. Ianto felt a little blinded by the light of American dental care.
“Sarah Jane, Mgumbe! Who is our guest?”
Sarah Jane beamed up at him. “This is our new nurse, like I promised.”
Owen looked a bit discomfited. “You’re Gwen’s little brother, then? Nurse Cooper?”
“Jones, Ianto Jones.” Ianto extended his hand.
Martha shook it and smiled warmly. “I’m a Jones, too. Small world, yeah? My name’s Martha.”
“Owen Harper,” Owen mumbled, giving Ianto’s hand a peremptory shake. Ianto could tell that Owen had not expected him to have such an advantage in both height and bulk. Ianto gave him a smile that clearly said: Yes, I know what you did with my sister and that can stop now, thank you very much, or else you’re about to get a whole lot shorter. Owen’s answering grimace clearly said: Fuck you, but okay.
Ianto turned to Dr. Harkness.
“Welcome to Torched Wood, Jones Ianto Jones.” The doctor took Ianto’s hand in both of his and turned the full force of his smile on him. Ianto’s heart took a stuttering half-step. He was vaguely aware of Mgumbe talking next to him. With a supreme effort he withdrew his hand from Jacks’ and turned his attention to the interpreter. Who was done talking, of course.
“I’ll go with you, Mgumbe. We’ll take Nurse Jones here with us, give him a chance to see the world outside the compound,” Jack answered.
Ianto nodded. They must be going to see the refugee family that didn’t want to come into Torched Wood. You’re a sharp one, aren’t you? Better get your head in the game, Jones, Ianto thought to himself.
“There are two fully stocked med kits in the truck, Ianto. Enjoy the scenery!” Sarah Jane smiled at him once more before linking arms with Martha and crossing the courtyard to the Spoke.
“Make sure Newbie here doesn’t step on anything poisonous, Jack, or Gwen’ll castrate you.”
“Lovely imagery as usual, Owen.” Jack and Owen exchanged grins.
Mgumbe leaned out the window of the truck. “Is the farewell ritual completed?”
“Not quite yet.” Owen strode over to his side of the truck and went through a complicated series of fist bumps with Mgumbe. “Now you’re good. Get out of here.”
“Brilliant!” Mgumbe turned to Jack and Ianto expectantly.
“Right, I’ll just get the middle then.” Ianto struggled with where to put his legs. Mgumbe was young, and small, but it was an old-fashioned truck and he needed his full side of the cab to operate the gas, brakes and stickshift. Ianto and Jack were both big men with long legs. There really was no comfortable way for the three of them to sit in the cab of the truck. Ianto settled with sitting somewhat sideways, with his feet on Jack’s side of the floor.
“I’m going to have to put my arm around you; that okay?” Jack flashed him another grin. Ianto wished he’d stop doing that. It was making it hard for him to concentrate.
“Better than an elbow in the face, Dr. Harkness,” he managed.
Jack just laughed and settled comfortably back.
Mgumbe pointed out various landmarks and animals as they made their way up the road. They drove slowly to avoid bumps and potholes. On their left, way off in the distance, was a herd of some kind of antelope. Mgumbe said they were quite common in this area. On the right side of the road, a flock of birds moved through the grass, their beaks poking down in the search for insects. Everything was a dusky golden color. The only trees Ianto could make out were about a kilometer away on the right of the road.
It wasn’t long before they overtook a group of nine people; a young woman, one elderly woman and an elderly man, and six boys and girls, ranging from about one month to eight years old. Mgumbe killed the ignition and they all slid out of the cab. Ianto stood uncertainly beside Dr. Harkness as Mgumbe addressed the refugees. He had done a fair bit of reading on the situation in this part of Kenya before he left Cardiff, and he had no idea why refugees would be headed back into Sudan. Yet here they were, making their way to the Sudanese border with what looked like at least three sprained ankles and sounded like at least four lung infections. The young woman seemed rather adamant that they would continue until Dr. Harkness stepped forward, flashing his kilowatt smile. He began to speak in halting Swahili, addressing the three adults and gesturing towards the children. Ianto tried not to gape. Swahili was not an easy language to learn. Finally the young woman nodded, and handed Jack the one month old baby.
“Ianto, can a get hand with this little one?”
Ianto stepped up to him and cradled the baby in his arms. Dr. Harkness took his stethoscope out of the med kit. Ianto frowned down at the baby girl. She was extremely lethargic, and her breath was coming in a high-pitched wheeze. His eyes met Jack’s, filled with grim confirmation.
Jack cleared his throat. “Ianto, could you check out Beauty’s ankle?” He gestured towards the elderly woman. Shifting the baby to his hip, Ianto nodded and grabbed his med kit. Beauty gave him a wary look when he approached her, but held out her arms for the baby. She began to hum to the little girl, stroking her hair. Kneeling down, Ianto slipped on a pair of latex gloves and proceeded to run capable fingers along the bridge of Beauty’s foot, then the heel and up the ankle. It was definitely sprained and felt like it had been broken at some point in the past, maybe a couple of times. Ianto carefully wrapped it up. It was all he could do outside of Torched Wood. He did the same with the second sprained ankle, and the third. When he straightened, Jack caught his eye and nodded his head for Ianto to come join his talk with Mgumbe, the young woman and the elderly man. They were speaking in Swahili, so Ianto took the opportunity to observe their body language. The old man wanted to be persuaded to go back to Torched Wood, but he didn’t want to appear weak. The young woman was determined to move on. Ianto guessed that only the baby girl was her child. Perhaps the others were nieces and nephews, or just orphans who had attached themselves to her. Jack had also latched onto the significance of the baby. Each time he gestured broadly to take in the other refugees, his hand ended by pointing to Beauty cuddling the little girl.
Ianto could see that they weren’t getting anywhere. The old man was ready to get in the truck, but it would mean losing the young woman and baby girl. Making his decision, Ianto strode over to Beauty and gestured that she should give the baby back to him. She fit easily in the crook of his arm and immediately closed her eyes again. Ianto stopped and fetched Dr. Harkness’ stethoscope out of the med kit, then rejoined the mini-conference.
“Dr. Harkness? Perhaps our young mother would like to hear her child’s lungs at work?”
Jack nodded solemnly. “That is a good idea.” He turned and said a few words in Swahili to the mother. She gave the stethoscope an apprehensive look. Jack hooked it over his ears and proceeded to listen to his own breaths. The young woman licked her lips nervously, but took the stethoscope when he offered it to her. She carefully listened to herself breathing. A look of wonder crossed her face, and she excitedly placed the stethoscope on her daughter’s chest. Her face fell when she heard the fluid in her baby’s lungs. She turned to Jack with an accusing glance. Jack grimaced and spread his hands in apology. He said a few more words in Swahili, gesturing at the truck. Ianto held his breath. She finally nodded begrudgingly.
Ianto heaved a sigh of relief and exchanged smiles with Jack before going over to help Beauty and the kids into the truck. He noticed Mgumbe pull Jack aside and whisper for a minute before starting the engine.
“Ianto! Could I have a minute?” Jack called to him.
“Of course, Dr. Harkness. How may I assist you?”
“It’s Jack. Listen, Mgumbe was just telling me that there was something we might want to take a look at before heading back to Torched Wood. I would like him to get the refugees back as soon as possible. Would you mind walking a little farther down the road with me to investigate and then walking back to the clinic?”
Ianto surprised himself by agreeing right away. It was quite exciting, actually, walking through the African savannah with no other people in sight except for the man beside him. (Technically, Ianto could turn to look over his shoulder and see Torched Wood off in the distance. It was more thrilling the other way.)
“So, what exactly are we looking for?” Ianto asked as they headed farther north up the road. He gave Jack a curious look. In addition to one of the med kits, Jack had grabbed a thin trench coat out of the truck. Ianto had no idea what he needed a coat for in this heat. Ianto had grabbed a couple of water bottles and slung them over his shoulders.
“Mgumbe saw some buzzards circling this outcrop up ahead. It usually plays home to a bunch of warthogs, so they may have been going after warthog fricassee.”
“But you don’t think so.”
“No, I don’t, and neither does Mgumbe. Momba, that’s the un-ruined village on the other side of Torched Wood by the way, has lost a lot of young men to the war in Sudan. Mgumbe heard a rumor that a couple of them were escaping, and were planning to stop in the village on their way south. They should have been through several days ago.”
Ianto nodded.
“They might be a little . . . overly ripe . . . from the sun,” Jack warned him.
“I am a nurse. I can handle it.”
They walked in companionable silence until they reached the outcrop. The buzzards scattered at their approach. Jack circled around warily and dunked his head under the outcropping, Ianto following.
There were two young men, really no more than boys, and they were indeed sun-ripened and bloated. The smell was atrocious. Ianto pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and tied it around the lower half of his face.
The first corpse had lost his eyes, tongue, and genitals to the buzzards. The soft bits always go first, Ianto thought morbidly. He frowned as something caught his eye.
“Dr. Harkness? This is definitely a bullet wound here. I think it was the killing shot.”
“Oh, yeah? Why do you say that?” Jack asked, straightening over the second corpse.
“Bullet at the base of the neck.”
“That would do it, yes. Same with my guy.” Jack moved over to Ianto’s side. “There’s really nothing we can use to transport them back, so let’s roll a couple of those boulders over to block them into the corner here. We can come back with Mgumbe later in the truck. Mickey may want to assess the situation.”
“Does Mickey have combat experience?” Ianto asked as they struggled with a rather large boulder.
“Something like that,” Jack grunted. “Okay, a couple more.”
Ianto puts his hands on his hips to survey their work. It wouldn’t deter a small mammal, but the buzzards and warthogs would have a difficult time getting to the corpses around their makeshift cairn. Ianto nodded to himself, satisfied, and turned to look at Jack. Jack was gazing off into the distance, a worried frown on his face.
“Dr. Harkness? Jack? What’s the matter? Do you see something?” Ianto asked.
“You see that cloud?” Ianto followed the trajectory of his outstretched arm.
“The low-to-the-ground golden cloud moving in this direction?” he hazarded.
“Exactly. That’s a sandstorm coming our way,” Jack said.
“How fast do those move?”
“Fast enough. There aren’t any trees between here and there to break the wind.”
“So do we hunker down with the dead men and wait for it to pass?” Ianto wrinkled his nose. This was going to stink.
Jack hesitated. “That’s one option. We could also make a run for it. We’re about two and a half kilometers from Torched Wood. We might make it.”
Ianto gave him a considering look. “What aren’t you telling me? Is there a chance that those men’s killers would want to take refuge here as well?”
Jack nodded slowly. “Not to freak you out, but yes. Mgumbe just noticed the buzzards this morning. The killers could still be in the area. I don’t think it’s a large possibility,” he added hurriedly, “there really is nothing else to keep them here. But we might be safer gambling on Mother Nature.”
Ianto thought about it. “I would rather be killed by Africa than by guns. Let’s make a run for it.”
Jack flashed him that grin again. “Good choice.”
They adjusted their packs, and took off at a jog towards Torched Wood. One or the other kept glancing over his shoulder at the cloud. It moved fast. At one kilometer to go, it was well and truly nipping at their ankles. They both put on a burst of speed before they were engulfed.
The wind formed fingers of stinging sand, poking and jabbing at them, plucking at clothes and hair and drawing out tears from the corners of their eyes. Ianto was a crap rugby player, a not much better cook, and quite useless with home repairs, but he had always had an unerring sense of direction. Grabbing a hold of Jack’s elbow, he steered them towards the wall. The sand and dirt latched onto their ankles, causing them to lurch forward with the stumbling gait of zombies.
“Harkness! Jones! Blind bloody fools! Answer me!” Mickey’s voice sounded so very far away, but it was in the direction Ianto had chosen. Ianto opened his mouth to call out to him, to tell him not to close the doors, they were coming. The wind slammed a great handful of sand into his mouth, however, and he wound up gasping and choking. Jack drew him close to his chest, and suddenly Ianto found himself with a clear breath. So that’s why he brought the coat; it’s his shining armor, Ianto thought dumbly. Jack had pulled his coat around Ianto, forming a sort of tent. It was close, and hot, but Ianto was able to breathe air instead of sand. Inhaling, he was filled with the scent of Jack: slightly musky, slightly cinnamon-like, with something underneath that Ianto couldn’t name, but wanted to get to know better. Which was silly, really, with the sandstorm threatening them, and Lisa’s memory a very real and tangible presence, not to mention they had just met not four hours earlier. Ianto gave himself a mental shake.
“I’m ready to run for it!” he yelled up to Jack. He couldn’t see if Jack nodded, but Jack’s hand moved to the small of his back, fingers opening and closing to signal his understanding. Leaning on each other, they fought their way back towards the gate. Ianto struggled in his pocket, and triumphantly pulled out a whistle. Jack started at the first “tweet” and gave Ianto an incredulous look.
“That must be them!” The wind carried Mickey’s voice to them. “Follow my voice! Come on, move, you wankers!”
Mickey suddenly materialized in a cloud of sand in front of them.
“Gotcha! Hold on to the rope, come on, we’re going in!”
Jack grabbed the loop of rope hanging from Mickey’s belt, his other hand still firmly on the small of Ianto’s back. It wasn’t long before they passed under the entranceway into the Torched Wood compound. Ianto thought he had never been happier to see a place before in his life. Keeping to the walls, the three men skirted the courtyard and entered the Hub, slamming the door closed behind them.
“Jack! Oh, I was so worried!” Martha hurried over to them, throwing her arms around Jack’s neck and squeezing tight. “Mickey? Ianto? You alright, yeah?”
Ianto nodded. His heart was pounding in his chest, he could still smell Jack, and he didn’t trust himself to speak just yet.
“Jones here brought a whistle. Smart thinking, that.” Mickey gave him an approving nod. “Wouldn’t have found them without it.”
“He also has an internal compass or something. Pointed us right towards the gate.” Jack was smiling at him. He really did have a fantastic smile. Ianto fought the urge to do something else heroic just so Jack would keep smiling at him.
“Gwen,” he started, then paused to clear his throat. Damn sand. “Gwen told me about the sandstorms. I thought a whistle would be prudent.”
“What else did you bring? To be prudent?” Surely that wasn’t a suggestive leer from the good Dr. Harkness. With the way Gwen spoke of him, plus Sarah Jane’s reaction, Ianto had assumed him to be quite the ladies’ man.
“Jack! You’re terrible!” Martha rolled her eyes. “Come on, you lot, now that we’re all safe from the storm, we should give Owen and Sarah Jane a hand. You want lung infections or broken bones?”
Ianto spent the next several hours working the portable X-ray machine and setting bones alongside Dr. Harkness. Jack maintained a very professional demeanor throughout the day, addressing Ianto as “Nurse Jones” and soliciting his opinion on various bruises and abrasions. Each time he turned his back on Jack to fiddle with a knob on the machine, though, Ianto could feel Jack’s eyes on him. He wished he had some idea of how to react. Flirting and shagging were quite common at his hospital in Cardiff, of course, but there everyone had known he was Lisa’s fiancée, and then Lisa’s quasi-widower. Jack didn’t know anything about his past, and Ianto was strangely excited to have the opportunity of a clean slate. It had been awhile.
Ianto fell into bed late that night, thoroughly exhausted. Even Dr. Harper’s loud snores issuing from a bunk somewhere on the far side of the room could not keep him awake.
Ack! Link to Part Two: blue-fjords.livejournal.com/3589.html