Countdown - Outtake
Otherwise known as Ianto takes Jack to the loo, and some other stuff too.
I said I'd post this if I found it, and I just found it tonight. Thanks go to Sam, who reminded me that I put this bit in a google doc at one point before I abandoned it.
It was closer to three hours later when one of the search teams reported in. G.M. had found Jack a spare laptop and some Red Dwarf DVDs to help pass the time. The scans had finished running hours ago, so Gwen and Rhys were sacked out in the Hub with their phones within easy reach. Ianto was currently in the control room watching Jack pace the containment room. Ianto wondered if he should take Jack more coffee. Last time he'd been in to visit, they'd finally had to make a trip to the loo, which turned out to be a minor expedition.
Lieutenant Mallory had led, and two of her men had followed, making sure Jack was well guarded. Ianto had closed the door firmly in their faces at actual toilet, but Jack had laughingly invited them to watch. Of course, he'd had to "help" Jack with the logistics so that it had taken longer than was usually necessary. They'd finished with one of the soldiers knocking on the door and asking if everything was all right. Jack had once again invited them in to see for themselves, and Ianto had been sorely tempted to zip before tucking. Recalling his own experience with a pants zipper at age seven, and the unforgettable agony of the event, he instead swatted Jack firmly on the bottom. He was pretty sure that Jack hadn't felt the least bit punished, but it had got him to shut up long enough for Ianto to tidy them both up and exit the room without anyone else present.
He was just about to head for the cafeteria, when G.M. bounded into the room. Most of the scientists that had been there earlier had left, either to go home or to nap in their offices, so the room was less crowded with only those normally assigned to the control room present. G.M. grinned and pulled a chair beside Ianto's so that Jack would be able see both of them on the screen.
"Good news! One of the teams made it to the co-ordinates! This one," G.M. pointed at the yellow dot in the ocean west of the Galapagos, "is actually on a land mass! A tiny island, maybe less than a mile across, but it's there and they've spotted the device. The ocean is very calm, so they're going to try landing and recovery right away. This may be over soon!"
Jack perked up immediately. "Can you get the feed pushed through so I can hear it?" he asked.
"I'll see what I can do," G.M. said, bouncing up again and heading off.
Ianto leaned over the table, laying his head on his arms and watching Jack, who stopped pacing and settled in the chair again.
"Tired?" Jack asked.
"Yup."
"I wish I thought this would be over soon, but…"
"I know. Anything could happen." Ianto turned his head, looking over at the equipment they'd used to locate the artifacts. "I could bring your wrist strap in to you. Shouldn't need it now."
"Keep it," Jack said. "I'm guessing those things have stored enough energy that someone could move them a couple of thousand miles before they'd break connection. It's possible that someone could move one of them and we'd have to pinpoint it again."
Ianto sat up rubbing a hand over his face. "Right. Wasn't thinking."
There was a burst of static and then one of the monitors changed to a shaky picture from the inside of a helicopter. Ianto could see the backs of people's helmets. G.M. sat down, pointing to the new picture.
"Helmet cam from the search team approaching the island. Hang on. I'll adjust the audio."
Jack was watching intently from his room, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Ianto had noticed Jack moving more, stretching and shifting, trying to find a comfortable position, except there were only so many ways he could safely hold onto the device.
Looks good. Set it down over there and let us out.
The heavily accented voice came through the computer's speakers, and Ianto could vaguely hear it echoed from the connection to Jack's room.
I really hated to lose the bit with the bathroom, but the rest would have been horrible, I think. I honestly don't believe it would have worked as well as the scenes from the search teams POV's. And, I couldn't find space for the bit with the loo. I was trying too hard to keep things moving, with only a couple of breathers. It was either the loo, or Ianto feeding Jack the sandwich! ;P
I said I'd post this if I found it, and I just found it tonight. Thanks go to Sam, who reminded me that I put this bit in a google doc at one point before I abandoned it.
It was closer to three hours later when one of the search teams reported in. G.M. had found Jack a spare laptop and some Red Dwarf DVDs to help pass the time. The scans had finished running hours ago, so Gwen and Rhys were sacked out in the Hub with their phones within easy reach. Ianto was currently in the control room watching Jack pace the containment room. Ianto wondered if he should take Jack more coffee. Last time he'd been in to visit, they'd finally had to make a trip to the loo, which turned out to be a minor expedition.
Lieutenant Mallory had led, and two of her men had followed, making sure Jack was well guarded. Ianto had closed the door firmly in their faces at actual toilet, but Jack had laughingly invited them to watch. Of course, he'd had to "help" Jack with the logistics so that it had taken longer than was usually necessary. They'd finished with one of the soldiers knocking on the door and asking if everything was all right. Jack had once again invited them in to see for themselves, and Ianto had been sorely tempted to zip before tucking. Recalling his own experience with a pants zipper at age seven, and the unforgettable agony of the event, he instead swatted Jack firmly on the bottom. He was pretty sure that Jack hadn't felt the least bit punished, but it had got him to shut up long enough for Ianto to tidy them both up and exit the room without anyone else present.
He was just about to head for the cafeteria, when G.M. bounded into the room. Most of the scientists that had been there earlier had left, either to go home or to nap in their offices, so the room was less crowded with only those normally assigned to the control room present. G.M. grinned and pulled a chair beside Ianto's so that Jack would be able see both of them on the screen.
"Good news! One of the teams made it to the co-ordinates! This one," G.M. pointed at the yellow dot in the ocean west of the Galapagos, "is actually on a land mass! A tiny island, maybe less than a mile across, but it's there and they've spotted the device. The ocean is very calm, so they're going to try landing and recovery right away. This may be over soon!"
Jack perked up immediately. "Can you get the feed pushed through so I can hear it?" he asked.
"I'll see what I can do," G.M. said, bouncing up again and heading off.
Ianto leaned over the table, laying his head on his arms and watching Jack, who stopped pacing and settled in the chair again.
"Tired?" Jack asked.
"Yup."
"I wish I thought this would be over soon, but…"
"I know. Anything could happen." Ianto turned his head, looking over at the equipment they'd used to locate the artifacts. "I could bring your wrist strap in to you. Shouldn't need it now."
"Keep it," Jack said. "I'm guessing those things have stored enough energy that someone could move them a couple of thousand miles before they'd break connection. It's possible that someone could move one of them and we'd have to pinpoint it again."
Ianto sat up rubbing a hand over his face. "Right. Wasn't thinking."
There was a burst of static and then one of the monitors changed to a shaky picture from the inside of a helicopter. Ianto could see the backs of people's helmets. G.M. sat down, pointing to the new picture.
"Helmet cam from the search team approaching the island. Hang on. I'll adjust the audio."
Jack was watching intently from his room, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Ianto had noticed Jack moving more, stretching and shifting, trying to find a comfortable position, except there were only so many ways he could safely hold onto the device.
Looks good. Set it down over there and let us out.
The heavily accented voice came through the computer's speakers, and Ianto could vaguely hear it echoed from the connection to Jack's room.
I really hated to lose the bit with the bathroom, but the rest would have been horrible, I think. I honestly don't believe it would have worked as well as the scenes from the search teams POV's. And, I couldn't find space for the bit with the loo. I was trying too hard to keep things moving, with only a couple of breathers. It was either the loo, or Ianto feeding Jack the sandwich! ;P