Ficlet: Minor Injuries
Title: Minor Injuries
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Rhiannon, Jack.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Rhiannon is having a hard time adjusting now that she knows the truth about her brother’s job.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 235: Crutch at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
When Ianto finally opened the door to her, for several long moments Rhiannon could only stare in shock. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice.
“Oh my God! What happened to you?” She stepped carefully around her brother into the hallway so he could close the door behind her. “I mean… I know your job’s dangerous and all that, but…” Words failed her again and she shook her head. A few cuts and scrapes she could handle, that was everyday life when you had kids, but this was a whole other matter.
Ianto stood lopsidedly before her looking like he’d gone a few rounds in the boxing ring. He had two black eyes and a stitched cut above his left eyebrow, his left wrist was encased in a cast, and he was leaning heavily on a crutch tucked under his right arm.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Ianto told her. “Just a few cuts and bruises, and a hairline fracture to my wrist. I told Owen a splint would be fine, but he’s a sadistic sod and insisted on a cast. I think he’s hoping I’ll accidentally clobber Jack with it when we’re asleep.”
“If it’s so minor, what’s with the crutch?” Rhi automatically folded her arms over her ample chest, the way she did when she caught one of her kids in a lie.
“Sprained ankle. It’s really just for balance.” Ianto turned away and hobbled down the hall towards the kitchen. “Coffee? I was about to make some for myself anyway.”
“You sit down and I’ll make it.” Rhi hung her coat up and followed her brother, who ignored her and started getting mugs out.
“With all due respect, Rhi, I make the coffee around here. That way I can be sure it’s drinkable.”
“You’re such a coffee snob. And you didn’t answer my question. What in Hell happened to you? Did something attack you?”
“Oddly enough, no; it’s really my own fault for getting careless. We were dealing with a pack of rather nasty aliens the night before last, just about had the situation under control, but it was late, the back alleys are poorly lit, and we were all tired. Jack went after the last one alone; I heard him scream, went to help, but I wasn’t looking where I was going. I tripped over him and slammed face-first into a wall.”
“And why didn’t Jack get out of your way?”
Ianto switched the coffee machine on and turned to face his sister. “He was a bit busy being dead at the time. The alien had torn his throat out.”
Rhiannon sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. “I’m never going to get used to this, all the danger you face, and your boyfriend dying one minute and being perfectly fine the next.”
“I know, it’s a big adjustment. I’m okay though, honestly. Minor injuries only.”
“Just, please be careful!”
“I’ll do my best, I promise.”
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Rhiannon, Jack.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: Rhiannon is having a hard time adjusting now that she knows the truth about her brother’s job.
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 235: Crutch at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
When Ianto finally opened the door to her, for several long moments Rhiannon could only stare in shock. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she found her voice.
“Oh my God! What happened to you?” She stepped carefully around her brother into the hallway so he could close the door behind her. “I mean… I know your job’s dangerous and all that, but…” Words failed her again and she shook her head. A few cuts and scrapes she could handle, that was everyday life when you had kids, but this was a whole other matter.
Ianto stood lopsidedly before her looking like he’d gone a few rounds in the boxing ring. He had two black eyes and a stitched cut above his left eyebrow, his left wrist was encased in a cast, and he was leaning heavily on a crutch tucked under his right arm.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Ianto told her. “Just a few cuts and bruises, and a hairline fracture to my wrist. I told Owen a splint would be fine, but he’s a sadistic sod and insisted on a cast. I think he’s hoping I’ll accidentally clobber Jack with it when we’re asleep.”
“If it’s so minor, what’s with the crutch?” Rhi automatically folded her arms over her ample chest, the way she did when she caught one of her kids in a lie.
“Sprained ankle. It’s really just for balance.” Ianto turned away and hobbled down the hall towards the kitchen. “Coffee? I was about to make some for myself anyway.”
“You sit down and I’ll make it.” Rhi hung her coat up and followed her brother, who ignored her and started getting mugs out.
“With all due respect, Rhi, I make the coffee around here. That way I can be sure it’s drinkable.”
“You’re such a coffee snob. And you didn’t answer my question. What in Hell happened to you? Did something attack you?”
“Oddly enough, no; it’s really my own fault for getting careless. We were dealing with a pack of rather nasty aliens the night before last, just about had the situation under control, but it was late, the back alleys are poorly lit, and we were all tired. Jack went after the last one alone; I heard him scream, went to help, but I wasn’t looking where I was going. I tripped over him and slammed face-first into a wall.”
“And why didn’t Jack get out of your way?”
Ianto switched the coffee machine on and turned to face his sister. “He was a bit busy being dead at the time. The alien had torn his throat out.”
Rhiannon sat down heavily in one of the kitchen chairs. “I’m never going to get used to this, all the danger you face, and your boyfriend dying one minute and being perfectly fine the next.”
“I know, it’s a big adjustment. I’m okay though, honestly. Minor injuries only.”
“Just, please be careful!”
“I’ll do my best, I promise.”
The End