Fffc Bingo Card - Divine intervention

[m_findlow]

Title: Divine intervention 
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Owen, Gwen, Tosh, Ianto 
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: none 
Author notes: Written for Bingo Card Prompt 47 - Divine at fffc
Summary: Jack's bad luck has turned fortuitous for the rest of the team. 

'This is nice, isn't it?' Tosh said, enjoying the pale sunshine as it beat down on the high street. 'I mean, nice in the sense that we're all going out for lunch. Not nice in the sense that we've just had to visit Jack in the hospital,' she quickly added. 'I can't believe he's not in more pain with all those broken bones.' 

'Don't worry, Tosh,' Owen said. 'In two days he'll be cleared for transport back to the hub to finish healing,' he assured her. 'I just couldn't be bothered with the hassle of having to nurse him through the worst of it.' 

'That's a bit harsh, Owen,' Gwen scolded. 'He looked really down.' 

'How could you tell? Most of him was covered in bandages.' 

'I'm sure given the option he'd rather have died than be stuck like that, even if it is only for a few days. I'd go mad if that was me,' she said. 

'Well, it's not like he won't have Nurse Teaboy there, is it?' Owen said, turning to Ianto who was trailing slightly behind them. 'Surprised you're even here and not gagging to stay behind.' 

Ianto gave a half-hearted sigh. 'There's only so much I can take of Jack feeling sorry for himself like that. A few hours on his own with only bored NHS nurses to swing by every so often might give him a bit of perspective. Not to mention the coffee they serve there is just awful. Half a wonder the patients don't just give up the will to live for that reason alone.' 

'We could leave the casts on his arms and legs for a while, if you like,' Owen suggested. 'I don't have to take them off right away. Give us a bit of peace around the hub for a few days?' 

'Peace for you, maybe,' Ianto muttered. 'No NHS means guess who has to babysit him, feed him, prop up his pillows… And don't even get me started on all things that normally require a bathroom.' 

Owen snorted a giggle. 'Sounds like trouble in paradise. Can't even be bothered nursing your boyfriend back to health.' 

'I pay taxes. That's what the NHS is for. Jack is the most stubborn, difficult patient in all of Wales. As you say, he'll be back with us in no time. Even I'm entitled to a few hours break.' 

'Well, just so you know he's paying for lunch, so order the most expensive steak on the menu to make up for it.' 

'Just one more thing for him to moan about when I go back there later to spoonfeed him his soup.' 

Gwen rubbed a hand down his arm. 'Oh, cheer up, Ianto. I'm sure deep down he really appreciates you being there. Or any of us, for that matter.'

Owen smirked. 'He'll like it better when he's back bossing us around. God knows if he hadn't been such a prat in the first place, he wouldn't be in the state he's in now. He should bloody remember that we ran this place without him for months. Nobody died, the city was still in one piece. We can handle things. We don't need him going in there trying to be all heroic and getting himself nearly killed. We can take care of ourselves.' 

'I didn't hear you saying any of that to his face,' Tosh replied. 

'Yeah... well…' Owen dissembled. 'I was trying to be sensitive to his feelings.' 

A little barking laugh escaped Tosh's lips. 'You? Sensitive? Since when? Especially not when it comes to Jack.' 

Owen harrumphed and said nothing, then changed the subject. 'I'm bloody starving. Can't get to Cavallo's quick enough.' 

'Did you book?' Ianto asked. 

'What for?' 

'Because I know everything, and I know that if you don't make a booking on their website, you're not going to get in the front door.' 

'Rubbish. People walk in off the street all the time. I've seen them.' 

'Yeah, they walk in off the street, with their booking already made.' 

'So you're saying we can't go there now?' 

'No, I'm just saying we need to book. It's got to be a twenty minute walk from here. If we're lucky and book it now, but the time we get there we can go straight in.' 

'Good. Because ever since mentioning steak it's all I can think about. Nice fat chips on the side and lots of peppery mushroom sauce. And a pint. Or two. Boss's treat. No sense all of us being miserable.' 

Ianto plucked his phone out of his jacket and began tapping away on it, slowing his pace slightly as he did so until they reached the intersection and waited for the pedestrian lights. 

'Get a wriggle on, Teaboy. Light's about to go green,' Owen said, noticing Ianto still lost in what he was doing. 

'Just wait a minute, will you?' he huffed, still fiddling with his phone. 

'Ianto!' 

'Look, I'm almost done, just give me a-' 

There was a squeal of brakes and horns as a truck came hurtling through the intersection against the red light, collecting three cars traveling the opposite way and forcing them sideways. All four of them turned their heads and watched in horror as the accident unfolded. 

'Bloody hell,' Owen swore. 

'Christ,' Tosh added. 'If we'd been crossing the road just now, we'd have been crushed by that truck and all those cars.' 

All three looked at Ianto. 'What? I was making our booking and then Jack messaged me and it overrode what I was doing. I had to start over.' 

'Lucky you did,' Gwen said. 'Or lucky that Jack messaged you when he did. If that's not divine intervention, I don't know what is. Otherwise we'd have been joining him in the hospital. Or worse.' 

'What was that you were saying, Owen?' Tosh asked. 'About us not needing Jack to take care of us?' 

'Don't go telling him about this. He'll only get a big head and the bandages will snap off.'