Torchwood Harbour Chapter 24 (38 Chapters + Prologue and Epilogue)
Chapter 24
EDF Medical Centre, Torchwood Harbour Space Port, Solar Year 5041
While there were some rough spots between Jack and Ianto, and Jack and John over the next few weeks, everything progressed steadily until nearly three months after Jack returned. Ianto had been feeling sick and tired for a couple of weeks - maybe more - but he put it down to a delayed reaction to almost losing Jack, his shocking return, and the stress of trying to mend their relationship. Adding work in a wartime hospital was a recipe for an ulcer or worse. He was just about to ask Owen for a physical when things were taken out of his hands.
Even though Earth and its colonies were not yet directly involved in the war, they continued to see a great many casualties from the opposition forces, some with horrific injuries. That afternoon, a group of wounded - many of them suffering from burns - arrived from the front.
As Ianto stepped into the triage area, the smell of burnt flesh assailed his nostrils. His stomach lurched, and he barely made it to the waste bin before he lost what little he had eaten that day. His vision wavered alarmingly and he swayed on his feet, until gentle hands steadied him.
“Easy, lamb,” Gwen said softly, brushing a cool flannel across his head. “The smell’s a bit much. Three medical assistants have already emptied their stomachs as well. I worked in a burn ward in Cardiff; I’m used to it. Just breathe through your mouth.” She helped him move to a chair. “I’ll get you some water.”
By the time Gwen came back, Ianto felt his nausea passing. He took a small sip of water then spat into the bin to rinse his mouth. “Thanks, Gwen,” he muttered, embarrassed. “I feel like a medical intern again.”
“Hardly,” the Welshwoman replied with an easy smile. “I’ve seen the most battle-hardened surgeons turn green over some of the things we see. You look tired and a bit pale, anyway. Why don’t you sit this one out? We’ve got it under control.”
“Don’t want Owen calling me a lazy sod,” Ianto joked, clambering to his feet. The world lurched alarmingly, and Ianto felt himself falling as his vision went dark. The last thing he remembered was Gwen screaming for help.
~
EDF Medical Centre, Torchwood Harbour Space Port, Solar Year 5041
Ianto came back to consciousness on an examination table. He felt disoriented, since his last memory was of getting dizzy in the triage area and Gwen screaming.
“Easy, Jonesy,” Owen’s voice soothed him. “Take slow, deep breaths. Your pulse and blood pressure just spiked, and I want them back to normal.”
Ianto did as he was told, relieved to no longer smell burnt flesh. “What the hell happened?” he muttered, running a hand over his face.
“You fainted, you git!” Owen growled angrily. “Why didn’t you come to me about this? You weren’t in the best of shape before; your body may not be up to the additional stress. Did you think you could keep this a secret? You’ve done a lot of stupid things, but risking your life just to…”
“Whoa, Owen!” Ianto said, holding up his hand. “I’ve been stressed, and maybe I’ve had a virus or something, but it’s hardly risking my life.”
Owen gaped at him. “You really have no idea, do you? And you call yourself a medical professional?”
“Okay, now you’re freaking me out!” Ianto growled, moving to sit up and feeling a wave of dizziness roll over him. “Whoa, that’s not good.”
“Easy there,” Owen cautioned, offering a steadying hand as he helped Ianto sit up. “Move slowly. You okay now?”
“Other than worrying what the hell is wrong with me?” Ianto managed to keep his voice low, trying not to imagine worst-case scenarios, or think about what he was going to tell Jack. They’d just gotten back to something close to normal after everything they’d been through.
“Just calm down,” the medic told him. “Nothing is wrong per se. Here, look.” He turned a screen around so Ianto could see what appeared to be a full scan of his body and…
“What the hell is that?” Ianto practically screamed, staring at the screen. “Owen, if this is some sort of sick joke…”
“It’s not!” the doctor assured him. “I would never do that. That is exactly what it looks like, Jonesy; an eleven-week, human foetus. It’s perfectly healthy, despite its father being an idiot who didn’t recognise the symptoms of pregnancy when he had them. Did you skip the part of medical school where they explained human reproduction, genetic shifts, and bloody cause and effect? Or maybe you forgot the part where poor nutrition, stress, and overexertion during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage? Or that pregnant males bleed to death when they spontaneously abort about ten times more frequently than females? Or…”
“Owen,” Ianto whispered hoarsely, dropping his head into his hands. “Will you just stop, please? I need a minute here.” He took several deep breaths, and then looked up. “You’re sure I’m pregnant?” He flinched at the look the other man threw him. “Okay, stupid question. I didn’t know; I swear I had no idea. I never would have put a baby at risk. I promise that.” He touched his belly as the whole concept of having a life inside him became real to him. “You’re sure about the gestation, too?”
“Yeah, Jonesy,” Owen replied. “I paid attention in medical school. What I don’t get is how? You can’t even get the proceptives here. Just like on Earth, all the food has the inhibitors to stop ovulation. They work almost one hundred percent of the time. I’ve only seen a handful of accidental pregnancies in my career, and those have involved exposure to various illnesses or toxins that counteract the inhibitors, none of which you’ve tested positive for.”
“Fuck,” Ianto muttered, feeling sick again. “After I heard about Jack, I just shut down. I stopped eating. I just wasn’t hungry. I dropped about fifteen pounds. I wasn’t eating enough for my body mass to prevent ovulation, but I never even thought about it or even considered supplemental inhibitors.” Shit. He knew better. He prescribed the inhibitors to patients on diets or who were ill. It just never occurred to him, and until right before Jack came back it was not an issue. “I’ve been… preoccupied,” he finished lamely.
“Oh, that’s putting it mildly,” Owen snarled derisively. “Okay, we need to get you on pre-natal vitamins and put some weight on you. I don’t think we even have any, but I’ll put something together or requisition them from a civilian chemist off base. I’m also reducing your shifts and changing your rota - no communicable disease patients or heavy trauma. I’ll need to run some tests on Jack to make sure we don’t have any pre-existing genetic issues to deal with. This isn’t the ideal environment to have a baby, but travelling back to Earth now is too risky. You’re too far gone, and I don’t trust the medical care on transports; especially with your history of space sickness and how underweight you are. Plus, Captain Hero won’t let you out of his sight once he knows.” He stopped and regarded his friend closely. “Try not to look so worried. I have managed male pregnancies before. I do know what I’m doing. Jack might be shocked at first, but he worships you. He’ll be over the moon about being a father.”
Ianto concentrated on not hyperventilating. Eleven weeks ago, Jack had come home and Ianto had slept with both him and John within hours of each other. Either one of them could have fathered this child. The natural additives in food prevented ovulation in both genders, while sperm remained quiet viable. Even after over three millennia, birth control was still skewed. With sperm production being constant and ovulation being cyclical, it made sense. It took far more chemicals to stop a body from producing sperm and it was more toxic, but that didn’t make it rankle less that he’d been caught because of it. “Does anyone else know about this? What about Gwen?” he croaked once he got his breathing under control.
Owen looked perplexed, but shook his head. “I had a hunch based on your blood levels and symptoms, so I sent her away before I ran the scan. Ianto, what the hell is wrong? You look like I just signed your death warrant instead of telling you that you and Captain Innuendo are going to reproduce. This is good news, right?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted, not meeting Owen’s eyes. “This may not be Jack’s baby,” he added softly, knowing that as a doctor Owen needed to know everything. “It could be John’s.”
“The rumours are true, then?” Owen asked. “You and Hart?” When Ianto nodded, Owen swore. “Bloody hell, what a cluster fuck. What do you want to do, mate?” he asked gently. “I’m your doctor, but I’m also your friend. I’ll support whatever choice you make.”
“There isn’t a choice,” Ianto replied, running his hand over his belly again. He had to be imagining that he could feel a change; it was too early. “This is an innocent life; no matter how it came to be, it’s still mine to protect. I have to tell Jack and John. They’ll make their own choices, I suppose. Whatever happens, I’ll do what’s best for this baby, with them or without.”
His friend sounded so lost and resigned, that Owen immediately felt protective. “You won’t be alone, Ianto,” he promised, resting a hand on his friend’s arm. “That much I promise you.”
TBC
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