Will My Arms Be Strong Enough 34/45
Title: Will My Arms Be Strong Enough? 34/45
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys...and others!
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, John Hart, two OC's, Andrea (Andie) Carlowe and Nick Jones.
Spoilers: Set after Exit Wounds.
Summary: Will John make it to the hospital?
Chapter 34
For the rest of his life, Nick would remember these times as some of the darkest that he had known. It had only been three days in total, but to him, it had seemed more like three years.
~*~
The first day…
Without doubt, the worst part was the waiting in that dark street with the rain dripping off his hair and soaking his clothes. It was even colder now that he wasn’t wearing his coat any more and the rain cut through him like a knife. Even when Ianto bent over and wrapped his own thick coat around him, Nick couldn’t stop shivering. He couldn’t feel anything but the cold. When the ambulance finally arrived, he could barely concentrate enough to give the handover to the paramedics. He ached all over and his mind felt numb.
Or maybe that was the fear taking him over at the sight of the usually strong Captain lying there looking so vulnerable and weak as he was taken into the ambulance. His eyes flickered open slightly, but they held none of the spark that Nick would usually have associated with the man sat in front of him. Even when their eyes met, the best that John could offer was a tiny flicker of recognition before his eyes fluttered shut and he started to lose consciousness.
Even when they arrived inside the hospital, John didn’t even react when a very handsome doctor came to check him over, which surprised and scared Nick in equal measure, since he had often thought that the man would have been able to recognise that someone was good-looking even if he was asleep. But this time, there was no reaction at all; no flicker of his eyes, not even a tiny twitch of his fingers. He didn’t even seem to hear them talking.
However, Nick did. “A blood transfusion?” he exclaimed. “He’s lost that much?”
“If you hadn’t got him here when you did, he would have been dead by now,” answered the nurse rather bluntly. “He needs a transfusion as soon as possible - what’s his blood type?”
Nick started to answer, but then froze when he realised, not only that he didn’t know, but also that if he guessed, it wouldn’t help, because John was from a completely different time - three thousand years in the future, to be more precise. He knew that blood from so far in the past, as far as John was concerned, wouldn’t help and would probably only make things worse. Physiology had changed so much that men were able to carry and bear children. Surely, blood types were also going to change.
“Dr. Jones?” The nurse sounded impatient and Nick suddenly realised he had obviously been standing there silently for a long time.
“I…I don’t know,” he stammered. “I don’t know his blood type. It isn’t in any of his records that I can access.”
“But there are records that can be accessed that will tell us,” cut in Ianto. “However, there’s only one person who can do that.” He hit his earpiece and stepped outside to call Jack.
The nurse frowned. “This is extremely irregular,” she said.
Nick snorted. “No, this is Torchwood,” he muttered. “Keep the pressure on the wounds.” Ignoring her rather scandalized squawk as she spluttered that she knew how to do her job, he walked away and sat down, resting his hands behind his head and shivering a bit as a storm began to rage outside.
“Well, well, well,” said a voice suddenly “If it isn’t Dr. Jones?”
Nick jumped. The voice sounded surprised and even slightly amused. Slowly, Nick turned around and found himself facing a very familiar pair of blue eyes. He managed a small smile.
“When did you start working here, Will?” he asked, looking up at the man who had been one of his best friends as a student.
“About two days after you left,” answered the other man. “If you ask me, I think I was actually employed so they could replace you.” His tone was light, but there was something slightly contradictory in his eyes.
“Will…”
But Nick’s protests were waved away. “Don’t worry. No hard feelings coming from me.” He sat down and sighed. “You left in strange circumstances, Nick. It was like, I don’t know, one minute you were there and then -”
“And then the next minute I wasn’t.” Nick gave a rather harsh laugh. “Story of my life, Will - it’s the story of my life.”
If Will was surprised, he didn’t show it. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject. “Alison’s mother was here a couple of days ago,” he remarked, his voice casual. “She mentioned you - said that she saw you at her daughter’s funeral with the man you brought in.”
Nick groaned. “Nothing happened,” he said. “I’d just had a talk with her that…well, it didn’t go well, to say the least. John came in, saw I was upset and she just walked in and saw us -”
“Hey,” Will held up a hand again. “Nick, come on, you know what I think of that woman. I’m not going to be the one who judges you here.”
“Thanks.”
Ianto came jogging up to them then. “Jack’s on his way,” he told Nick. “He said he can be here in ten minutes.” He was ignoring Will, except for a slight twitch in his cheek, but Nick was too worried to pay attention to that as the situation began to wash over him again.
Will stood up. “Good to see you again, Nick,” he said before slapping him on the back and walking away, without as much as a backwards glance.
“Ten minutes,” said Nick a bit hollowly.
“That’s what Jack said,” answered Ianto, sitting down. “He’ll come here, give them some blood and then - well, you know how it works, you’re the doctor.”
“It’s that simple?” Nick’s tone was ripe with scepticism.
“You’d be surprised what playing the Torchwood card can do,” replied Ianto. “And afterwards,” he added, his voice hardening. “I think you and I need to have a little chat.”
Jack arrived a few minutes later, his coat and hair dripping wet and his eyes as stormy as the weather. He didn’t stop to greet Nick or Ianto, but instead he marched straight up to the nurse and flashed his Torchwood ID at her. But she didn’t appear to be especially impressed by him, even when he turned on the patented Harkness charm. Eventually, he snapped and Ianto and Nick heard his voice ring through the entire room:
“Listen to me, lady; I am the only one who can save this man unless you happen to have another fifty-first century Time Agent lurking in the back there! So, unless you want his death on your conscience, step aside!”
He didn’t wait for an answer (not that he would have received one as the nurse looked rather gobsmacked) but instead he swept straight through the reception area and into the unit where John’s injuries were being tended to, leaving the nurses trailing after him.
“Are you sure he knows what he’s doing, Ianto?” asked Nick, who was watching a bit uneasily.
“Nick, I would trust Jack with my life,” answered Ianto calmly. “Just let him do what he has to do.”
“So we just wait?”
“Yes. We just wait here, for as long as it takes. I’m going to call Gwen, let her know what’s happening and what you do is up to you.” Ianto started to walk away and then turned back. “But we are still going to have that talk, Nick. Make no mistake about that.”
Nick gulped. “Oh, I believe you.”
Jack returned about twenty minutes later, rubbing his hands together. “Where’s Ianto?”
“He’s gone to the gents,” answered Nick, who was sipping at a cup of water. “I’m guessing you’ve set up a drip with some of your blood for John?”
“Yep,” said Jack. He pulled on his coat. “I have to go back to the Hub. You should go home and try and get some sleep.”
“No!” Nick shook his head. “I’m staying here.”
Jack snorted. “And now you suddenly care? You didn’t seem too bothered four days ago when -”
“When I almost left him to die, I know,” interrupted Nick. “Jack, I know. And yes, that was wrong and not a day goes by that I don’t regret it.” He looked his boss straight in the eyes. “And now, I am going to try and start to make things right - by staying with him here, for as long as it takes.”
Jack sighed. “Nick, we need you at the Hub.”
“And John needs me here,” answered Nick rather belligerently. “Look, if it’s an emergency, obviously you can call me. But otherwise - I am staying here. I need to put this right, Jack - and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
***
Next Time: Ianto comes to the hospital and gives Nick another talking-to on the second day. But what will the third day bring?.
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys...and others!
Characters: Jack, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, John Hart, two OC's, Andrea (Andie) Carlowe and Nick Jones.
Spoilers: Set after Exit Wounds.
Summary: Will John make it to the hospital?
Chapter 34
For the rest of his life, Nick would remember these times as some of the darkest that he had known. It had only been three days in total, but to him, it had seemed more like three years.
~*~
The first day…
Without doubt, the worst part was the waiting in that dark street with the rain dripping off his hair and soaking his clothes. It was even colder now that he wasn’t wearing his coat any more and the rain cut through him like a knife. Even when Ianto bent over and wrapped his own thick coat around him, Nick couldn’t stop shivering. He couldn’t feel anything but the cold. When the ambulance finally arrived, he could barely concentrate enough to give the handover to the paramedics. He ached all over and his mind felt numb.
Or maybe that was the fear taking him over at the sight of the usually strong Captain lying there looking so vulnerable and weak as he was taken into the ambulance. His eyes flickered open slightly, but they held none of the spark that Nick would usually have associated with the man sat in front of him. Even when their eyes met, the best that John could offer was a tiny flicker of recognition before his eyes fluttered shut and he started to lose consciousness.
Even when they arrived inside the hospital, John didn’t even react when a very handsome doctor came to check him over, which surprised and scared Nick in equal measure, since he had often thought that the man would have been able to recognise that someone was good-looking even if he was asleep. But this time, there was no reaction at all; no flicker of his eyes, not even a tiny twitch of his fingers. He didn’t even seem to hear them talking.
However, Nick did. “A blood transfusion?” he exclaimed. “He’s lost that much?”
“If you hadn’t got him here when you did, he would have been dead by now,” answered the nurse rather bluntly. “He needs a transfusion as soon as possible - what’s his blood type?”
Nick started to answer, but then froze when he realised, not only that he didn’t know, but also that if he guessed, it wouldn’t help, because John was from a completely different time - three thousand years in the future, to be more precise. He knew that blood from so far in the past, as far as John was concerned, wouldn’t help and would probably only make things worse. Physiology had changed so much that men were able to carry and bear children. Surely, blood types were also going to change.
“Dr. Jones?” The nurse sounded impatient and Nick suddenly realised he had obviously been standing there silently for a long time.
“I…I don’t know,” he stammered. “I don’t know his blood type. It isn’t in any of his records that I can access.”
“But there are records that can be accessed that will tell us,” cut in Ianto. “However, there’s only one person who can do that.” He hit his earpiece and stepped outside to call Jack.
The nurse frowned. “This is extremely irregular,” she said.
Nick snorted. “No, this is Torchwood,” he muttered. “Keep the pressure on the wounds.” Ignoring her rather scandalized squawk as she spluttered that she knew how to do her job, he walked away and sat down, resting his hands behind his head and shivering a bit as a storm began to rage outside.
“Well, well, well,” said a voice suddenly “If it isn’t Dr. Jones?”
Nick jumped. The voice sounded surprised and even slightly amused. Slowly, Nick turned around and found himself facing a very familiar pair of blue eyes. He managed a small smile.
“When did you start working here, Will?” he asked, looking up at the man who had been one of his best friends as a student.
“About two days after you left,” answered the other man. “If you ask me, I think I was actually employed so they could replace you.” His tone was light, but there was something slightly contradictory in his eyes.
“Will…”
But Nick’s protests were waved away. “Don’t worry. No hard feelings coming from me.” He sat down and sighed. “You left in strange circumstances, Nick. It was like, I don’t know, one minute you were there and then -”
“And then the next minute I wasn’t.” Nick gave a rather harsh laugh. “Story of my life, Will - it’s the story of my life.”
If Will was surprised, he didn’t show it. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject. “Alison’s mother was here a couple of days ago,” he remarked, his voice casual. “She mentioned you - said that she saw you at her daughter’s funeral with the man you brought in.”
Nick groaned. “Nothing happened,” he said. “I’d just had a talk with her that…well, it didn’t go well, to say the least. John came in, saw I was upset and she just walked in and saw us -”
“Hey,” Will held up a hand again. “Nick, come on, you know what I think of that woman. I’m not going to be the one who judges you here.”
“Thanks.”
Ianto came jogging up to them then. “Jack’s on his way,” he told Nick. “He said he can be here in ten minutes.” He was ignoring Will, except for a slight twitch in his cheek, but Nick was too worried to pay attention to that as the situation began to wash over him again.
Will stood up. “Good to see you again, Nick,” he said before slapping him on the back and walking away, without as much as a backwards glance.
“Ten minutes,” said Nick a bit hollowly.
“That’s what Jack said,” answered Ianto, sitting down. “He’ll come here, give them some blood and then - well, you know how it works, you’re the doctor.”
“It’s that simple?” Nick’s tone was ripe with scepticism.
“You’d be surprised what playing the Torchwood card can do,” replied Ianto. “And afterwards,” he added, his voice hardening. “I think you and I need to have a little chat.”
Jack arrived a few minutes later, his coat and hair dripping wet and his eyes as stormy as the weather. He didn’t stop to greet Nick or Ianto, but instead he marched straight up to the nurse and flashed his Torchwood ID at her. But she didn’t appear to be especially impressed by him, even when he turned on the patented Harkness charm. Eventually, he snapped and Ianto and Nick heard his voice ring through the entire room:
“Listen to me, lady; I am the only one who can save this man unless you happen to have another fifty-first century Time Agent lurking in the back there! So, unless you want his death on your conscience, step aside!”
He didn’t wait for an answer (not that he would have received one as the nurse looked rather gobsmacked) but instead he swept straight through the reception area and into the unit where John’s injuries were being tended to, leaving the nurses trailing after him.
“Are you sure he knows what he’s doing, Ianto?” asked Nick, who was watching a bit uneasily.
“Nick, I would trust Jack with my life,” answered Ianto calmly. “Just let him do what he has to do.”
“So we just wait?”
“Yes. We just wait here, for as long as it takes. I’m going to call Gwen, let her know what’s happening and what you do is up to you.” Ianto started to walk away and then turned back. “But we are still going to have that talk, Nick. Make no mistake about that.”
Nick gulped. “Oh, I believe you.”
Jack returned about twenty minutes later, rubbing his hands together. “Where’s Ianto?”
“He’s gone to the gents,” answered Nick, who was sipping at a cup of water. “I’m guessing you’ve set up a drip with some of your blood for John?”
“Yep,” said Jack. He pulled on his coat. “I have to go back to the Hub. You should go home and try and get some sleep.”
“No!” Nick shook his head. “I’m staying here.”
Jack snorted. “And now you suddenly care? You didn’t seem too bothered four days ago when -”
“When I almost left him to die, I know,” interrupted Nick. “Jack, I know. And yes, that was wrong and not a day goes by that I don’t regret it.” He looked his boss straight in the eyes. “And now, I am going to try and start to make things right - by staying with him here, for as long as it takes.”
Jack sighed. “Nick, we need you at the Hub.”
“And John needs me here,” answered Nick rather belligerently. “Look, if it’s an emergency, obviously you can call me. But otherwise - I am staying here. I need to put this right, Jack - and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
***
Next Time: Ianto comes to the hospital and gives Nick another talking-to on the second day. But what will the third day bring?.