Back from hell
Title: Back From Hell: Part 1
Author: dvcorvis
Characters: Ianto
Rating: G
Summary: Fix IT
Disclaimer: No copyright infringements are intended as I do not own Torchwood.
.
The floor of the gym was a sea of red motionless bodies all except for the two who huddled clinging to each other.
Jack stumbled he couldn’t look at him any more not without feeling insurmountable guilt.
And Gwen he didn’t know who was holding up who. But together they were one helpless mass…weeping
The hurt in Jack’s eyes blurred his vision just for a moment he saw in Ianto’s face the faces of both Tosh and Owen…before going back again to the face of his beloved Ianto.
It was Gwen who put back the red sheet burring under it the face of his beautiful Ianto once and for all. Jack knew there would be the inquiries, mounds of paper work, and as with any governmental protocol this would mean Ianto’s body would never be released to Ianto’s family…and just like Suzie Costello the remains of Ianto’s life locked into a storage box. God, Jack thought of Suzie Costello for the first time in he did not know how many months…she was the first of many horrible mistakes he had made since taking over Torchwood. And her body was now a twisted wreck of steel, ash and rubble. Gray; his brother Gray…the only living member in the Torchwood morgue now dead…Jack stopped mid floor of gym all this reflection wasn’t helping. He felt for Gwen’s arm around his back; it too was not as reassuring as he’d hope it would be but the length of Gwen’s arm around his back was welcomed. Jack tried to reason John Hart’s voice in his head telling him Gray was never going to be right…Jack felt the same…he too was never going to be right…Not Ianto, not him, I take it back…he could not of course…it was done. The only good he could now do would be to send Gwen out to Ianto’s family to rescue them. Jack was already inclined to accept what ever fate that awaited him at the hands of the Government.
He wanted to look back one last time; to floor space number 14 but Jack couldn’t bring himself to do that.
Looking back; perhaps he should have….
***
Under the red sheet the body of Ianto Jones stired. Ianto opened his eyes and saw only red…the darkness had faded away to red…was this hell? He coughed a sick chemical taste now lingered on his tongue…no? An odd realization taste is when you haven’t eaten anything since breakfast. The though of this resonated in Ianto’s head that this was something different more than the darkness. Ianto Jones sat up. OK? This was something very different indeed. Sitting up he suddenly caught himself in a fit of a coughing jag until this finally receded back to his normal breathing pattern.
For the first time Ianto saw the vacant floor space next to his and knew at once it had been Jack’s allocation.
He shifted to take in full view of the floor dozens of them bodies his heart sank. His failed attempt at a stand against the 456 bought this on and never had he wanted more the comfort of Jack; reassuring him things were going to get better…But where was he now?
Instead Ianto heard the distinctive click of a gun. Ianto turned
The figure before him was a soldier in a black uniform and he stood there with a leveled assault riffle trained on him. Ianto froze
“Hands where I can see them!” the soldier ordered, “Don’t try anything” He lifted the PTT device on his vest to make a call “Carter, we have a situation down here. Over”
A voice on the PTT device chimed back
“That little make-shift morgue you had set up is low list priorities right now” there was smugness in the voice like a man who really could not be bothered.
Ianto watched; hands raised in air, the soldier make his replies
“You don’t understand sir, subject number 14 just sat up.”
The man on the other end laughed.
“Mr. Harkness has been known to do that.”
“Again sir Mr. Harkness was taken away 5 minutes ago…this is his college…the soldier bent down to pull a containment tag from a pocket in the red sheet…he reads the ID tag while continuing to look squarely at the startled Ianto Johns still with hands in air “Right, we have here a Mr. Jones; Ianto Jones.” he continues reading “Torchwood 3; Cardiff…requesting orders on what to do, sir.”
The man on the other end was surprised but hopeful…maybe the death toll wasn’t as bad as he had thought…excited his thoughts immediately went to them
“Any signs from the others?” he called back
The soldier turned and looked across the sea of red bodies for any more signs of life then back at Ianto.
“Nope, it is looking like he’s the only one…well, he and Mr. Harkness” The soldier was quick to sum up that what had happen was all due to where the two men were from and he wanted answers from the man on the other end “Sir; off the record of course but tell me, how is it Torchwood has this ability to overcome death and nobody here knew about this?
“Torchwood you’ll find has many secrets strictly on a need to know basis. You soldier should know that.”
“Right sir, I stand corrected. Awaiting your orders on what to do then.” the Soldier called back
The reply was simple and brief.
“Quarantine Mr. Jones for now I’ll send some one down when I can spare someone”
The soldier turned to Ianto “OK, you heard the man?” he asked
Ianto nodded
“Can you stand or should I get some one?”
“I believe I can” Ianto replied coming to his feet and doing his best to compose himself. But had Ianto heard the man right? Had he over come death? Ianto’s thought really wasn’t questioning the hurt to be found in this realization but again he went back to Jack. Was the horrible darkness that Ianto saw something Jack faced every time he died? How he wanted then to be embracing his captain but it wasn’t to be.