Title: The Doctor Is In
By: Jessie Blackwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: AU, ongoing series
Disclaimer: if you recognise it, I don’t own it, no infringement intended…
Series: 1) Calling Dr Jones
Summary: AU where Ianto is a doctor and works in a A&E ER.

Monday morning began early as usual, Owen arrived first (Jack was already there, as usual) closely followed by Tosh and Suzie who were laughing together at some joke or other. Owen scooted up to make coffee for everybody and the others went to their respective works stations to begin the week’s work. Jack appeared at the top of the steps to his office and called “Morning, I have something to tell you guys. Where’s Owen?”

“Here Boss” Owen said, presenting him with a mug of coffee and a grin.

“Good weekend? You sound chipper.”

“Yeah, you might say” but he wouldn’t be drawn further on the matter.

“You said you had something to tell us?” Suzie reminded, drawing Jack back on track.

“Oh, yeah. Well, I’ve been thinking that we’ve been understaffed for a while now so I went out and got us a new medic, somebody to take care of us.”

“You make it sound like you went shopping and bought us one” Tosh grinned.

Owen looked somewhat shocked and Suzie clapped her hands gleefully.

“Great Jack, when do we get to meet this amazingly tolerant and talented person?”

“You’ve met him” Jack watched the puzzlement on their faces “Well, Owen and Suzie have” he grinned “Remember the doctor at the hospital?”

“Oh, the cute one who looked like he was about to collapse?” Suzie said.

“Yeah, him. I offered him a job. He’s starting this morning.”

“Oh my God, he was wet behind the ears…” Owen muttered, but Suzie cut him off.

“He was sweet” she said “and good looking” she added “But that’s probably why Jack chose him, a little eye candy never hurt anyone.”

“I might make an exception” Ianto said, coming up the stairs from the autopsy room “Call me that again and I’ll personally make sure I use the biggest needle I can lay hands on for all your shots” but he was smiling, Suzie was relieved to see. She blushed and looked at the floor while Jack laughed appreciatively. “You’re Suzie, right?” Ianto said and held out a hand.

She shook it and said “I’m sorry, but Jack…”

“I know. Its OK.” He replied “Actually, I’m flattered you think I make the grade.”

She giggled a very un-suzie-like giggle and went back to her work station, watching him as Tosh came forward.

“Toshiko Sato” She said and stuck her hand out “People call me Tosh.”

“Toshiko, pleased to meet you.” Ianto took her hand and shook it, then bowed a little formal Japanese bow. She smiled and bowed back, just the right amount.

Then it was Owen’s turn “Owen Harper” he said “I’m the IT man and coffee boy.”

“You were with Suzie at the hospital” Ianto said, shaking his hand “Nice to meet you too, glad its under better circumstances.”

“Yeah, yeah, well, welcome to Torchwood, such as it is. Hope you…fit in” he said, struggling for words.

“Thanks, I’ll do my best.”

“Turns out Ianto worked for Torchwood 1, so he knows the ropes. Make him welcome won’t you” Jack said, unable to miss their surprise at that little revelation.

“You survived Torchwood 1?” Tosh was awed.

“How the hell did you end up here?” Suzie said “In Cardiff of all places?”

“Got a job at St Helen’s in A&E, my uncle is on the surgical staff and I speak Welsh. I’m from Newport, down the road” Ianto volunteered. “This is my home country.”

“I pity you!” Owen said, his accent unmistakably that of a Londoner.

“Ianto, a word if you will” Jack called, rescuing him, and Ianto nodded and climbed the stairs to the office.

“I want you to give them all a complete physical, get something on paper, start their records.” Jack said as ianto shut the door behind him.

“They haven’t got any?”

“Nope, we’ve not had a doctor since Chad White committed suicide in 2002.”

“Chad White?”

“Your predecessor. Jumped off a tower block. Had a nervous breakdown, nothing anybody could do, we didn’t know.” Jack gulped his coffee.

“Careful, you’ll give yourself indigestion” Ianto murmured absently “So, looks like I have a lot to live up to.”

Jack laughed “Well, hopefully it won’t come to that. Settle in first, get yourself orientated, have a look at the equipment. You can ask Tosh if there’s anything you can’t fathom. We’ve got a Bekaran deep tissue scanner in there, does a better job than a normal scanner. There’s the singularity scalpel too, ask her to show you those. If anything is lacking, make me a list and cost it if you can, we’ll see about updating supplies as soon as we can.”

“There is something I’d like to do while I’m here.”

“Which is?”

“Take blood from all of you.”

Jack thought for a moment, then put his head on one side “Enlighten me.”

“Simple really, in case anybody requires a transfusion.”

“That’s doubtful in my case.”

“But not the others. They’re altogether too human. If I take some every couple of months or so, hopefully we should build up a stock before you really need it. If everybody’s is kept labelled and separate, its there for emergencies.”

“Good call. I’ll put it to them.”

“And I’d like permission to study your blood too.”

“Mine? Why?”

“Well, if that little display at the hospital was anything to go by, you've done it before. You came back as though you were used to it. So you can’t die, or rather you keep coming back. I don’t know what your blood group is either or if it might affect anyone who is given it in transfusion.”

“Woah there…I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“Why not? Think about it. You’re a perfect source, you’re definitely not ill, you heal quickly, you’d regenerate the lost blood very quickly…”

“Ianto, I really don’t think…”

“Jack, at least let me find out what blood group you are?”

“You don’t give up easy, do you?”

“I’m a doctor, what do you expect?” Ianto grinned “Look, all I’m saying is, would it not be useful for me to investigate? Even if it imparted healing qualities, wouldn’t it be worth it?”

“Let me think about it.”

“Of course Sir.”

“There’s no need to call me Sir, Ianto.”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time.” He smiled.

“Ianto, you up for dinner tonight?” Jack shrugged “I thought dinner, maybe a movie…”

“You’re asking me out on a date?”

“Yeah, guess so…”

Ianto sighed “I’m not sure…Look Jack, when I said I didn’t want to be anybody’s part-time shag, when I mentioned I would need commitment from you, I didn’t mean to imply I wanted to rush into things…”

“I see.”

“Do you? Look, its only been six months since Lisa died. I loved her, very much.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly “You and me, wonderful, got no problems with it, great, just what I needed, but…” he paused “..don’t let’s go too fast, OK? I’m on the rebound, I know I am. I don’t want to make decisions based on that, I don’t want to hurt you, or compromise our relationship, either private or working…”

Jack smiled “OK, I understand. So, how about it then, dinner, movie, bed?” Ianto just looked at him “OK, so you’re on the rebound, so what? You can still enjoy yourself, can’t you?”

Ianto shook his head in exasperation “I can see its going to be interesting, working for you, Sir” he said and sauntered out of the office with Jack's laughter ringing in his ears.

o0o0o0o0o0o

“Owen, take your shirt off and hop up here please” Ianto patted the examination couch and stood back to let the man sit down. “Any concerns?” he asked.

Owen shook his head “Nope”

“Right then, take some deep breaths for me” he said, applying the stethoscope.

He ran through the examination quickly “You seem to be in good shape, do you exercise?”

“What do you think? This is bloody Torchwood, we get enough on missions” he laughed.

“Yes, well, that’s intermittent at best, anything more regular?”

“No, we don’t have the time.”

“Might talk to Jack about that.”

“What, time or exercise?”

“Both” the two men laughed and Ianto indicated Owen was done. He jumped down and put his shirt back on. “I’m going to call everyone back when I figure this scanner out , get a scan of everyone for the record. That OK?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Could you send Tosh in when you get up there?”

“Sure, no problem” and Owen took off up the stairs two at a time.

Tosh was shy and talked too much to cover it but she answered his questions and submitted to the exam without complaint. He liked Tosh, she was pretty and made an effort to get to know him. Suzie flirted, shamelessly, only too glad to shed her blouse and submit to the doctor’s attentions. Ianto ignored it all, wittily making some quip about harassment when she told him he looked good in a suit.

When Tosh and Suzie were both done, Ianto went up to Jack's office, stethoscope dangling round his neck.

“Right, you next” he said, standing in the doorway.

“Don’t need it.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Ianto, I come back to life.”

“I’d noticed.”

“When I do, everything is fine, factory settings, no problems. Why would you need a file on me?”

“Makes you look human.”

“I am human. Just…not from round here.”

Ianto rolled his eyes “No, I meant, it makes you look normal. Sorry, wrong choice of words” he sighed “Look, it’ll look suspicious to UNIT or to any Government folks if your staff have medical records and you don’t and all I meant was that if anyone else ever got hold of it, you’d look totally normal. You know, lets not give too much away here? Oh by the way, the boss of Torchwood 3 is a regenerating humanoid from the planet Zog!”

“New Earth actually, but that’s too much information, even for you to know. Make something up then if it’ll make you happy.” Jack said “I can actually see the logic in your argument, might put an enemy off the scent, but I haven’t needed medical records for over 100 years, don’t see why I have to start now. And why would you need to examine me? I’m a normal red blooded 36 year old male, BP is normal, no infections, no imperfections…hell, I’m perfect!”

Ianto just stood there, regarding him “OK, but it would have been…” he smiled “…a nice distraction?” Jack's head came up, his eyes searching Ianto’s. “But if you’re too busy I understand” Ianto went to the door “After all, I believe I said I would only act professionally towards you while we were at work…”

It took a moment for Ianto’s words to sink in and by that time, he had gone, disappearing down the stairs and back into the autopsy bay.

0o0o0o0o0

“Ianto” Jack was leaning on the barrier rail that lead around the steps to the room’s entrance, looking down at Ianto as he sorted through drawers.

“Jack.”

“I reconsidered.”

“You did?”

Owen appeared “Coffee run” he explained.

Jack nodded. “The usual thanks.”

“Ianto? You a coffee or a tea man?”

“Coffee, not too much milk, one sugar please.” and Owen nodded and ducked out.

“So, you reconsidered?” Ianto said.

“I’d like that examination now.” Jack came down the steps to join him, hopping up on the exam couch, feet dangling.

“You think you need it?”

“Of course. I shouldn’t ask my staff to go through anything I’m not willing to go through.”

“Admirable.” Ianto grinned “Well, I wrote up your records, but it will give me chance to check them against reality. Take your shirt off.” He watched as Jack complied, marvelling at the lack of scars or any marks at all. Ianto applied the stethoscope and listened to heart and lungs. He leaned in close and felt Jack's breath on his hair. Working his way through the gamut of tests, everything appeared disgustingly normal. Owen appeared with coffee ten minutes into the exam, took their situation in briefly and left, putting the mugs on the work table. His quick and silent exit made Ianto chuckle.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, I don't think it will take Owen a million years to work out why you hired me" Ianto said.

"Oh? That implies I hired you for something superficial..."

"So Suzie was wrong about the eye candy?"

"Not...entirely." Jack grinned "But that's a bonus. I really did hire you because you're a good doctor, you took my return from the dead remarkably well. The reports from Torchwood 1 only confirmed what I thought, that you are cool under fire and sickeningly compassionate." he paused, then added "No, I don't really mean that. We need compassion, even if it can get in the way sometimes. You don't give up easily, you see a job through it its end, however distasteful, and you do have a sense of humour. Did you really believe I was going to shoot you?" he asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Then why didn't you run? or attack me? or...anything?"

"You could have dropped me before I got to the door." Ianto said simply "If I'm going to be shot, I would prefer a bullet placed acurately through my skull than one randomly placed over distance. I'm not good with pain."

"But you're a doctor"

"Pain looks good on other people, that's what they're for" Ianto replied.

"Sisters of Mercy?"

"I Was Wrong"

"You were?"

"That's the name of the song, you dope." Ianto rolled his eyes again, a very expressive gesture.

"Ah, sorry, yeah..." Jack grinned again, showing teeth "Funny, didn't have you pinned as a Goth Kid."

"Ah well, we all have our little secrets."

"So, you were saying, talking of secrets...you can't handle pain?"

"I'm not the best, no. Forget stoic, I moan."

"I know you do..." Jack's grin was lascivious. Ianto rolled his eyes again.

"So, returning to the question I asked you to start with, why didn't you try to get the gun off me?"

"Same thing. If someone is waving a gun around, if you go for them, nine times out of ten you won't manage it, unless you're trained in unarmed combat and even then its dodgy. Standard police advice, don't be a have-a-go-hero, it doesn't work."

"I wasn't waving a gun around at the time."

"You were still armed and what are the chances I'd get to it before you could, even if I did go for you?" Ianto shrugged "Assuming I did get it, what then? If I shot you, you would have come back anyway, I can't kill you. And even if you had been able to die, I'm not a killer. I know how to fire a gun, I was taught at Torchwood 1, but I don't like it. I've never shot anything, actually, apart from a target. Shooting you would have got me into so much trouble, even if I could prove who you were and that you were out to get me, Torchwood is above the police, remember? Their first question would probably be, if Torchwood figured I needed to die, what had I done? It seemed like a good time to give up, all my problems solved. End of story."

"What problems?"

Ianto looked at him, trying to work out the motive behind the question. It wasn't hard. Jack wanted to know if there were any demons that needed exorcising.

"Simple. I lost my fiancee, I lost my future, I'm immune to retcon and then I met you"

"I'm a problem?"

"You were when I saw you return from the dead"

"Oh, yeah, see what you mean" Jack regarded him as he sat down at his desk and scribbled something on a form.

"You can get dressed now, I'm done here" Ianto said, swivelling round on the chair and looking up at him.

"Oh, right" the disappointment was evident.

"About that date" Ianto said and Jack's head came up, his eyes hopeful.

"Yeah?"

"How about Maxi's, eight o'clock?"

Next story in series - The Doctor In Action.