Fffc Bingo Card - Green around the gills

[m_findlow]

Title: Green around the gills 
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jez Holton 
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 26 - Green at fffc
Summary: Ianto is not feeling well.and has no idea why. 

Ianto leaned his hands on the edge of the washbasin, taking in a few long, deep breaths. Every one of them felt like an effort and every one of them threatened to bring up the bile that was wedged in the bottom of his throat. He wouldn't throw up, he told himself, as if he could mentally command such a thing. His head felt crushed in as he drew another breath. He tried to let it out slowly, but his gag reflex had other ideas. He hurled himself forward over the basin and coughed as the mouthful of acidic spit ejected itself. He gagged a few more times but nothing else came out. Hardly surprising since he hadn't eaten anything yet. There was nothing for his stomach to rid itself of, though Jez just the action of having attempted it did make him feel slightly better afterwards. 

He twisted the tap, making sure it ran strong and cold, before cupping a handful of it and bringing it to his lips. It swirled distastefully around his mouth before he spat it back out and repeated the action. The last one he tried to swallow down but his stomach was having none of that, refusing to let him swallow and having to spit it back out. He splashed more cold water on his face and blindly reached out for the paper towel dispenser, tugging at it and patting his face dry before lifting his head. 

His reflection didn't look quite so bad as he felt. A little flushed from the effort of turning his stomach inside out, but that was about it. He wet another towel and pressed it to his neck. He didn't feel hot, just a little spacey and nauseous. He hadn't slept great so that was probably all it was. He'd feel better with a bit of food to settle his stomach. 

He nibbled on a digestive whilst waiting for the water in the coffee machine to heat up. Jack was nowhere to be seen, but Ianto finally spotted the note tucked under a magnet on the fridge. 

“DIKS busting my balls at Cardiff Met. BBS. J. XXX.”

Ianto smiled at the message and its double entendres. Detective Inspector Swanson had been nagging Jack about something in their confiscated items lockup for days, and Jack had been putting off going down there to collect it for just as long. Apparently, she'd finally worn him down. Whatever it was, Ianto knew Jack would need a double shot when he got back, if for no other reason than to stymie his temper. Why the two of them just couldn't get along was a complete mystery to him. 

The machine pinged, announcing that the water had reached the correct temperature. Ianto pressed another button to start grinding the beans in the top feeder. It was his favourite smell in the whole world, except for maybe Jack. 

‘Morning boss!’ Jez called out, entering the hub and throwing off his fleece jacket. ‘White with one if you don't mind.’ 

Ianto smiled. He didn't. Making coffee for the team was just another one of those things that made him quirky in their eyes. 

As he inhaled the scent of freshly ground beans, he gagged again, this time feeling more than just a little uprising. He clapped his hand over his mouth and dashed toward the sink, retching and coughing. 

Jez was behind him in an instant, resting a hand on his back in case he needed steadying as he stood back up, wiping a hand across his mouth. ‘You okay?’ Jez asked. ‘You look a little green.’ 

‘I'm fine,’ Ianto insisted, even if he was feeling less and less so. ‘Just a little upset stomach,’ he added. ‘Probably Jack's cooking last night. Salad looked a bit wilted but I didn't want to say so. You know what he's like when everything isn't proclaimed to be the best thing you've ever eaten.’ Jack was a decent chef but like all good chefs, had an ego to go with it that needed constant stroking and gratification. 

Jez looked concerned but not overly so. He knew better than to question his teammates when they said they felt okay. If it was anything serious or they couldn't put their finger on it, he knew they'd come see him. Besides which, Ianto hadn't been exposed to anything but paperwork for weeks. 

This is what you get for taking an extended holiday, Ianto told himself, even if his team had only thought they'd been gone a week. For once, at least, the TARDIS had brought them back exactly when it was supposed to, which he expected was more to do with the TARDIS than its operator. 

Jez handed him a bottle of water and this time he managed to keep down a few swallows, feeling better for it. ‘Thanks,’ he said. ‘Better get that coffee moving.’ He stepped back over to the machine, but no sooner had he got it going, water streaming through the grounds and creating heavenly black liquid, his stomach clenched again. He backed away and held his nose, forcing himself to breathe through his mouth. 

‘Maybe you should stick to water for now,’ Jez suggested. ‘That delicate stomach of yours might appreciate it.’ 

Ianto gave a wan smile. He didn't like being described as delicate, but he knew what his chief medical officer meant. ‘Maybe you're right.’ A little nausea was nothing to get hung up over, but at the same time, it didn't hurt to not tempt fate by making the situation worse. 

‘You're not hot or clammy, so that's a good thing,’ Jez assured him, ‘but maybe go sit and just take it easy this morning. If you're still feeling rough in a few hours, come see me.’ 

Ianto nodded. ‘I will.’ He took a few more swigs from his water bottle and breathed out. He was fine. Just a bit of dodgy lettuce greens last night. Come tomorrow he'd be fine and back in action.