Guilt - 49/69
Title: Guilt
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not mine. No matter how much I sometimes wish it was.
Spoilers: Better say everything through s2, just to be sure, although it takes place pre-S1.
Summary: Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. - Well, what if he did?
This chapter: Ianto finally gets out of hospital!
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy for all her wonderful work, and my cheerleaders angelzbabe1989 and piper08 for putting up with me when I whine about being stuck.
Author's Note: Voting is open at Children of Time. This fic is nominated in the Jack&Ianto WIP category - it's up against some very tough competition but every vote counts! (hint hint)
Fic starts here
Previous chapters at my master list
Chapter Forty-Nine
“And just because you’re being discharged does not mean you’re fit to be back at work yet,” Owen was telling him for what Ianto was sure was at least the 4th time. “You need to take things easy; let your body finish healing.”
“Yes, Owen, I know,” Ianto said, yet again.
“Really, don’t push yourself. We’ll come ‘round and give you a hand until you’re completely recovered. Don’t want you re-injuring yourself because you tried to do something too soon.” This, too, had been repeated a time or two. Or three.
“If I see you step foot in the Hub one moment before I say you’re ready, there will be Hell to pay.”
Ianto sighed.
If Owen had had his way, Ianto would have been leaving the hospital in a wheelchair and going to stay with one of his colleagues while he finished recuperating. Ianto had flat out refused on both counts. The resulting conversation had been a battle of the wills; the current situation was the best compromise both would agree to.
Ianto was walking out on his own two feet, and going back to his own flat. But he had Jack and Owen on either side of him, barely more than a hair’s breadth away, and he’d allowed an extra spare key for his flat to be cut so that the team could drop by to check on him. He had made sure that they understood it was to be returned to him as soon as he was able to come back to work.
Ianto wasn’t entirely happy with the agreement, but given the choice between that and staying in the hospital for another several days at a minimum, it had been an easy decision.
He paused for a few seconds when they got a few steps outside the hospital building, his hyper-protective colleagues coming to a halt beside him and sending worried glances his way.
“I’m fine, stop looking at me like that,” he told them, looking between them. He half-closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the cool Cardiff breeze on his face. “Just taking a moment to be happy that I’m finally out of there.”
“Well, let’s keep it that way, huh?” Owen said. “I don’t want to see you back in here any more than you do.”
Ianto smiled half-heartedly.
The trip back to Ianto’s flat would have been quiet if it weren’t for Owen’s never-ending list of things Ianto shouldn’t be doing for himself while he was still recuperating. Ianto stopped listening after the first four or five items. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about looking after himself and staying out of the hospital, more that Owen had already given him this list before they left the hospital.
It was nice to know he cared, but this repetition of all his instructions was getting very old.
He’d already been put through a battery of mental tests after the amnesia he’d suffered upon waking from the coma, and they’d concluded that there were no lingering problems with his memory. Ianto was one step away from snapping and yelling that at Owen.
Ianto realised with dismay that he really was going to have to rely on help from his team mates for a while when they got back to his flat and he couldn’t make it up the stairs.
It was a slow process to finally make it up the single flight, with extensive assistance from Jack and Owen, and he was suddenly very relieved that he didn’t live any higher than the first floor.
The door to his flat opened before they reached it, Tosh leaning against the doorframe as they crossed the landing.
As happy as he was to see her, Ianto wondered why his colleagues apparently thought it took three of them to get him settled back into his own flat. All this attention was a little bit much.
“I brought you over some groceries,” she told him as she stood back to let them cross the threshold. Ianto nodded his thanks.
He could see Jack and Owen looking around and assessing his flat from the corners of his eyes as Tosh closed the door behind them.
“I know it’s not much, but…” he started defensively.
“But what?” Jack interrupted. “I know for a fact that you can afford to live somewhere better than this. It’s not a bad area, but…” He looked around again, grimacing slightly, probably without even realising he was doing it. “There isn’t enough room in here to swing a cat.”
“Well, luckily for me, I don’t make a habit of swinging cats,” Ianto retorted waspishly. Jack looked a little taken aback at the harsh reply and Ianto consciously composed himself. “Sorry, it’s just… I moved into this flat when I first came back to Cardiff, and it really was all I could afford at that time. Most of my money was going to supporting Lisa.”
“But what about now?” Tosh asked gently. “We’re here to help you with Lisa now. You could move somewhere a little better, a little bigger…”
“And I will,” Ianto said. “When she’s better.” He blew out a breath and nodded absently. “When Lisa is better, we’ll move somewhere nicer. Together.”
As none of the others could bring themselves to argue with this, they turned their attentions to checking that Ianto had everything he might possibly need for his recuperation.
Despite their good intentions, Ianto heaved a sigh of relief when they were finally satisfied that there was no reason left for Ianto to overexert himself and left him to the quiet.
Chapter Fifty
All comments and concrit welcomed! (Comments = Love <3)
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not mine. No matter how much I sometimes wish it was.
Spoilers: Better say everything through s2, just to be sure, although it takes place pre-S1.
Summary: Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. - Well, what if he did?
This chapter: Ianto finally gets out of hospital!
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy for all her wonderful work, and my cheerleaders angelzbabe1989 and piper08 for putting up with me when I whine about being stuck.
Author's Note: Voting is open at Children of Time. This fic is nominated in the Jack&Ianto WIP category - it's up against some very tough competition but every vote counts! (hint hint)
Fic starts here
Previous chapters at my master list
Chapter Forty-Nine
“And just because you’re being discharged does not mean you’re fit to be back at work yet,” Owen was telling him for what Ianto was sure was at least the 4th time. “You need to take things easy; let your body finish healing.”
“Yes, Owen, I know,” Ianto said, yet again.
“Really, don’t push yourself. We’ll come ‘round and give you a hand until you’re completely recovered. Don’t want you re-injuring yourself because you tried to do something too soon.” This, too, had been repeated a time or two. Or three.
“If I see you step foot in the Hub one moment before I say you’re ready, there will be Hell to pay.”
Ianto sighed.
If Owen had had his way, Ianto would have been leaving the hospital in a wheelchair and going to stay with one of his colleagues while he finished recuperating. Ianto had flat out refused on both counts. The resulting conversation had been a battle of the wills; the current situation was the best compromise both would agree to.
Ianto was walking out on his own two feet, and going back to his own flat. But he had Jack and Owen on either side of him, barely more than a hair’s breadth away, and he’d allowed an extra spare key for his flat to be cut so that the team could drop by to check on him. He had made sure that they understood it was to be returned to him as soon as he was able to come back to work.
Ianto wasn’t entirely happy with the agreement, but given the choice between that and staying in the hospital for another several days at a minimum, it had been an easy decision.
He paused for a few seconds when they got a few steps outside the hospital building, his hyper-protective colleagues coming to a halt beside him and sending worried glances his way.
“I’m fine, stop looking at me like that,” he told them, looking between them. He half-closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the cool Cardiff breeze on his face. “Just taking a moment to be happy that I’m finally out of there.”
“Well, let’s keep it that way, huh?” Owen said. “I don’t want to see you back in here any more than you do.”
Ianto smiled half-heartedly.
The trip back to Ianto’s flat would have been quiet if it weren’t for Owen’s never-ending list of things Ianto shouldn’t be doing for himself while he was still recuperating. Ianto stopped listening after the first four or five items. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about looking after himself and staying out of the hospital, more that Owen had already given him this list before they left the hospital.
It was nice to know he cared, but this repetition of all his instructions was getting very old.
He’d already been put through a battery of mental tests after the amnesia he’d suffered upon waking from the coma, and they’d concluded that there were no lingering problems with his memory. Ianto was one step away from snapping and yelling that at Owen.
Ianto realised with dismay that he really was going to have to rely on help from his team mates for a while when they got back to his flat and he couldn’t make it up the stairs.
It was a slow process to finally make it up the single flight, with extensive assistance from Jack and Owen, and he was suddenly very relieved that he didn’t live any higher than the first floor.
The door to his flat opened before they reached it, Tosh leaning against the doorframe as they crossed the landing.
As happy as he was to see her, Ianto wondered why his colleagues apparently thought it took three of them to get him settled back into his own flat. All this attention was a little bit much.
“I brought you over some groceries,” she told him as she stood back to let them cross the threshold. Ianto nodded his thanks.
He could see Jack and Owen looking around and assessing his flat from the corners of his eyes as Tosh closed the door behind them.
“I know it’s not much, but…” he started defensively.
“But what?” Jack interrupted. “I know for a fact that you can afford to live somewhere better than this. It’s not a bad area, but…” He looked around again, grimacing slightly, probably without even realising he was doing it. “There isn’t enough room in here to swing a cat.”
“Well, luckily for me, I don’t make a habit of swinging cats,” Ianto retorted waspishly. Jack looked a little taken aback at the harsh reply and Ianto consciously composed himself. “Sorry, it’s just… I moved into this flat when I first came back to Cardiff, and it really was all I could afford at that time. Most of my money was going to supporting Lisa.”
“But what about now?” Tosh asked gently. “We’re here to help you with Lisa now. You could move somewhere a little better, a little bigger…”
“And I will,” Ianto said. “When she’s better.” He blew out a breath and nodded absently. “When Lisa is better, we’ll move somewhere nicer. Together.”
As none of the others could bring themselves to argue with this, they turned their attentions to checking that Ianto had everything he might possibly need for his recuperation.
Despite their good intentions, Ianto heaved a sigh of relief when they were finally satisfied that there was no reason left for Ianto to overexert himself and left him to the quiet.
Chapter Fifty
All comments and concrit welcomed! (Comments = Love <3)