A Blue String (Janto AU)

5 - Sentifract

Gwen's POV

"Yeah, I know, I know."

"Be home as early as possible, okay?"

"Okay. I'll try."

"I love you, Gwen."

"Love you too, Rhys."

I end my phone call just as I enter the building above the Hub. Closing my phone, I smile to myself. Another day at work and then another night with Rhys. What could possibly go wrong? Yet, whenever I think that, something always goes wrong. And today is no different. It's just, today, what happens is so much more surprising.

My hand jumps to my mouth and I stand for a second in shock. Ianto is there on the floor with his eyes closed. He doesn't seem to be moving at all and I can't tell if he's breathing or not. I kneel beside Ianto and check his pulse. It's there. But it's slow. Oh my god, it's so slow.

Carefully, I wrap Ianto's arm around my shoulders and pick him up. Rather slowly, far slower than I would have liked, I got Ianto to the elevator and brought him down to the main part of the Hub.

"Jack!" I call, "Jack, I need some help here! Has Owen arrived yet?" For a moment there's no response but then Jack comes out from his office. "Gwen, what's wrong?" He shouts back. Jack appears in view and quickly runs down to help. He grabs Ianto's other arm and together we pull Ianto over to the hospital-like bed in Owen's work corner. Owen was nowhere to be seen. He hadn't arrived yet, apparently. Great.

Ianto was placed on the bed and Jack checked his pulse. "You just found him like this?" He asked me. I nod, "near the elevator, yes." Jack frowned. An alarm went off signaling someone else was entering the Hub.

"Oi, What are you doing?" It was Owen. Jack and I turned to him. Then, Owen spotted Ianto and realized what was going on. He raced over to them, "again?" He muttered before checking Ianto out to find out what was wrong.

After a few moments, Owen came to a conclusion. "He's just passed out. Not entirely unconscious but really dehydrated and weak." 

3rd POV

Owen reached for Ianto's forehead, just to check. "He's oddly cold," Owen comments before moving to, once again, hooked Ianto up to his machines. The doctor held a scanner to Ianto's head and looked over to the screen attached. 

An inside image of Ianto's brain showed on the screen. Flashes of light traveled within the brain on screen. Jack and Gwen looked over as Owen started to explain. "The white and green lights are all thoughts, memories and experiences." Owen moved the scanner and an odd, red shape appeared on the screen. 

"What's that?" Gwen asked, pointing at the small shape. Owen leaned in towards the screen, his eyes squinting. After a second, he leaned back. "Owen?" Jack spoke, "what is it?" 

"Yeah, that's the thing, I'm not sure," Owen said. "What do you mean you're not sure?" Jack asks, his voice angry. Owen turned to Jack, "there are a couple things it could be. There's no quick way to tell."

"There's a long way?" 

"Yes." 

"What is it?" Jack's arms were crossed and a cautious, almost fearful look was on his face. "Two options: we go to the hospital or we try to find out what it is here." 

The alarm for the door opening is heard again and Tosh enters casually. Tosh stands at the entrance of the Hub for a moment, wondering where everyone else was before spotting them and going over to join the rest of her team. 

"Ianto's unconscious again?" She asks as she makes her way over to the others. "Not quite," Owen replied, "oh and Tosh, I'm going to need that alien scanner of yours." Tosh's head tilted at Owen's request before she moved over to her desk and grabbed the alien scanner.