Jack sat on the autopsy table feeling utterly miserable. Despite being wrapped in his greatcoat and two blankets, he was shivering uncontrollably. He had his hands wrapped around the steaming mug off coffee Ianto had just given him.

"Anything yet?" the Welshman asked Owen.

"Hang on," the medic replied tersely. "Just about there."

Owen was running blood and other tests on the substance Jack had been covered with an hour beforehand.

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There'd been a small rift blip and, as everyone else was busy, Jack opted to check it out himself. It didn't take him long to find the cause of the blip. He found it behind a small shrub, in a private garden near the castle. Jack took one look at the quivering orange blob and decided a containment box was in order. He quickly grabbed one from the SUV and, without touching it, managed to get the blob inside.

When he'd arrived back at the hub, he'd thrown is coat to Ianto and had taken the box down into the autopsy bay.

"What have you got for me?" Owen asked.

"No idea," the Captain replied, as he opened the box.

The thing seemed to be quivering more than it had been.

"I think I've upset it," he muttered. "Pass me a pair of gloves then stand back."

Jack pulled on the latex gloves and, very gingerly, lifted the thing out of the box. His intention had been to place it on the table so it could be scanned. The plan had gone out of the window when the blob suddenly exploded. Most of it hit Jack squaring in the face and chest.

"Shit," he cursed, turning to Owen. "I've swallowed some."

"IANTO!" The medic yelled up to the main hub.

"Problem?" asked the Welshman as he appeared through the doorway.

"Need a change of clothes for Jack and a bio-hazard container for the ones he is wearing."

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Over the following hour, Jack had grown more and more sick. He was presenting flu-like symptoms, but Owen knew he was dealing with something not of this Earth.

"Okay," the Londoner announced. "I don't know what it is."

"Brilliant diagnosis Dr Harper," said Jack hoarsely.

"I've only had an hour," Owen retorted. "I need to do a lot more tests. I can tell you that your illness is a direct result of the orange gloop. In the meantime Jack, you need to rest and warm up. I don't think your bunker is an adequate place to do that."

"What about my flat?" Ianto asked, concern shining in his blue eyes.

Owen shrugged. "Don't see why not. I don't think it's contagious. You'll have to whack your heating right up, so it won't be comfortable for you."

"Not a problem," the Welshman asserted.

"I'll help you to get him there, just give me a minute to get him some medication."

"I am here you know," Jack croaked. "You don't need to talk over me."

"Sorry Jack."

"Come on then," Ianto urged his ailing Captain. "Let's get you to the SUV."

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Jack was asleep as soon as he lay down in Ianto's bed. He'd grumbled about being made to wear pyjamas, a dressing gown and socks, but his complaints fell on deaf ears. Ianto pressed a kiss against the Captain's forehead before joining Owen back in the living room.

"Tell me you can cure him Owen."

The medic regarded Ianto carefully. One thing he'd hated about working in a hospital was having to reassure loved ones when he didn't have any answers. However, this was Ianto, and he would know if he was trying to spare his feelings.

"I have no idea mate, sorry," he finally confessed. He handed Ianto a medicine bottle. "This is liquid paracetamol; it should help with the fever. I'll do my best Yan. Try not to worry."

The medic placed a reassuring hand on Ianto's shoulder and instructed him to call if Jack made a turn for the worse.

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Four hours later, Ianto was dozing awkwardly on a kitchen chair, which he'd taken into the bedroom. He was brought to full alertness by Jack yelling. He was shouting in a language Ianto didn't recognise, but he seemed to be very angry. The younger man laid a calming hand on the Captain's chest, but this seemed to anger him further. Jack grabbed Ianto's wrist. His grip was much stronger than it should have been.

"Calm down Cariad," the Welshman soothed.

He tried to prise Jack's fingers open, but the older man simply tightened his grip. He continued to yell in the unknown language. Ianto tried to pull away, but he couldn't escape. The more he pulled, the harder Jack held him. Ianto screamed his wrist was crushed in the other man's vice like hand. He felt the bones breaking and had to fight off a wave of nausea.

"Jack, please," he gasped. "You have to let go. You're hurting me."

After what seemed like an eternity, Jack finally released Ianto, before collapsing back on the bed. Clutching his damaged arm to his body, Ianto left Jack in the bedroom and went to call Owen.

"Has there been a change?" The medic asked.

"You could say that," the Welshman hissed through gritted teeth. "He just broke my wrist."

"What?"

Ianto explained what had happened, trying not to let Owen know how much pain he was in.

"I'm on my way," Owen told him. "Better stay away from until I get there."

"Okay, I'll …"

Owen heard Ianto grunt, followed by someone yelling in a strange language.

"Ianto! What's going on?"

The medic listened to the sounds of a fight for a couple of minutes before hanging up. He could only assume that Jack was up and he'd attacked Ianto again. He called over to Gwen to go with him and they headed back to Ianto's place.

In the flat, Ianto was losing the fight. Jack was stronger than him at the best of times, but something seemed to be supplying him with something extra. His broken wrist was hindering him badly, and the blows he was landing with his left fist, were fairly ineffectual. The same couldn't be said for Jack. His fists flew true, pounding heavily into Ianto's face and torso.

"Jack, stop," Ianto whimpered, the pain threatening to consume him. "Please stop."

The Captain clasped the younger man's head in his hands and bounced it off the wall behind him. Ianto went down like a sack of potatoes, unconscious before he hit the floor. Jack looked down at him, with a look of confusion on his face.

"Ianto?" He questioned, kneeling down next to the stricken man. "What happened?"

Dizziness washed over Jack and he slumped down beside his injured lover.

Hope you enjoyed. I will try to have the next part up very soon.