m_findlow

Title: Divergent priorities
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto/Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 497 - Urgent at slashthedrabble
Summary: Jack and Ianto have very different priorities.

Ianto resisted the urge to yell, if for no other reason than it was going to upset everyone else around them, and he didn't want to be responsible for that.

'Jack, would you please just sit down and stop fussing,' he said, keeping his voice as quiet and level as possible. He wanted to make a good first impression with his new roommates, and Jack wasn't helping matters.

His stay in hospital had reached day number five, and they'd only just found him a bed on the ward where he belonged, with the special respiratory clinician. For the past week he'd been shoved on another ward until a proper place for him could be made available. Not that he saw the difference. All hospital wards looked the same to him. They just had different doctors and nurses patrolling the halls.

What he really wanted from the move was a bit of peace and quiet. Since being admitted, there hadn't been more than an hour's reprieve from bustling nurses checking his blood pressure, checking his oxygen flow from the nasal cannula, and worst of all, coming to stick him with needles, even during the wee hours of the night. Sleep was impossible to come by, even for a seasoned Torchwood operative who could sleep almost anywhere at any time.

Finally last night he'd been told he could come off the oxygen and needles, and instead two other patients had decided to have a pub brawl just down the hall, Scottish versus Irish. Security had been called, but they just amused themselves with the spectacle rather than do anything. Now, in his new ward, Ianto hoped things would be quieter.

Only Jack was visiting and had other ideas.

'Why the hell would they move you five minutes before your meal was due to arrive?' Jack complained. 'And I've had your TV paid up, and this new TV isn't working. I bet someone else is in your old bed right now, channel surfing on my dime. I'm going to go find some nurse and get them to track down your meal and TV.'

'It's fine, Jack. It's not urgent. I'm sure they'll sort it all out once the paperwork for the move has been processed. They don't even know I'm here yet.'

Jack huffed, pacing next to the bed. 'I'm telling you they should have done all that by now. You've been here nearly an hour.'

'And there's hundreds of patients with more important needs than mine.'

'You pay national insurance too, y'know.'

Truth be told he wasn't even hungry, and there was nothing on TV worth watching. Jack had insisted on it, and so far was the only one who'd watched it. The only urgent thing Ianto wanted was some sleep.

'Actually,' Ianto said, the thought dawning on him, 'why down you go downstairs where I was and follow it up with them? I'm sure they know more than anyone up here.'

'Good idea,' Jack said, rushing off.

Ah, peace at last!