Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto’s waist as they stood together in the autopsy bay, enjoying the weight of the younger man’s head on his shoulder. It had been too long since Jack had held him like this, and he had a suspicion that if Ianto wasn’t too busy trying to stay awake, he’d protest. But Ianto had insisted on standing, afraid that if he sat down he’d go to sleep, and Jack and Owen would die without him, or wouldn’t be able to wake up by themselves. That left Jack with the option of keeping Ianto upright, or letting him fall on his ass. Jack had to admit, he liked this option, even under the circumstances.

Ianto shivered and pressed closer. Of the three of them he was the most dressed, having only abandoned his jacket and tie sometime in the night, but he was also the coldest. His skin, beneath the shirt, was cool under Jack’s fingers, and Jack concentrated on feeling the slow, warm, pulse in the tiny veins that ran beneath the surface of Ianto’s back, knowing that they should be impossible to feel.

“How’s he doing then?” Owen had come up beside them, looking serious despite his behead and the fact that he had obviously grabbed one of Jack’s shirts instead of his own. He had a pen tucked behind his ear, and a clipboard in one hand.

“Exhausted. And in pain. Is it safe to give him anything?’

“Not until we know what’s causing this.” Owen shook his head, frowning. “And why he’s reacting so differently than either of us. There’s nothing physically wrong with him. I have no idea where it’s coming from. That means it’s probably psychosomatic. You doing okay?”

“Headache. Feels like some of my senses are going haywire. But considering I might have died I feel fine.”

Owen grabbed his pen and started taking notes, as his professional training took over. “Which senses? And I want the whole story.”

Jack felt Ianto shift in his arms, and knew the man was listening again. He rubbed small circles against Ianto’s back as he talked.

“Hearing’s one. That’s obvious. His heartbeat was so loud it was something out of Edgar Allen Poe.”

“We don’t have floorboards,” Ianto countered sleepily. Jack smiled.

“Touch and Taste. Trying not to do either of those at the moment. I didn’t start noticing them until later, maybe 2 or 3 hours after we got shocked. That was... an experience. Sounded like I had a head full of bees. My fingers started tingling and then it was just a bolt of electricity pushing me backwards.”

Jack’s arm itched with the memory.

“Felt the same thing.” Owen said, still writing. “Except maybe with a bit more screaming. Bitch of a headache. Sight and Smell for me, and about the same time frame, though I honestly thought I was going to find my eyeballs running down my face in the garage.’

Ianto made a disgusted noise against Jack’s throat and Owen laughed, before turning back to a printer spewing out even more results.

Jack continued to prop Ianto up as Owen began even more tests. The doctor kept shooting them both concerned looks, and finding reason to keep within touching distance of them both.

"So Ianto, feel like talking? You seem to be having a different reaction then Owen and me." Jack asked, trying to help Ianto as the Welshman struggled to stay awake.

Ianto frowned and shook his head. "I- I don't know. I'm not...feeling things the way you are, or seeing things the way Owen is. But I am...uh feeling and seeing things. I can't really explain it. I just...knew something was wrong, before. I don't know how I knew, but I did."

Owen looked up from the monitor he was studying. "Did you experience something different from us when that thing zapped us?"

"I- well it felt like a magnet. I felt...drawn to touch it. Then when you did, there was this...God, I don't know, it was like a powerful vacuum sucking me in and electricity and pain, but not mine, and it all happened in an instant and then you were on the ground."

Ianto shivered again, and Jack tightened his hold "you two were on the ground.” He continued, voice slightly dazed. “Writhing around like you were holding on to a livewire. I couldn't feel anything. But it hurt and I couldn't help. I wish I could help.” Ianto buried his face back into the crook of Jack's neck.

Jack held Ianto and thought about what he had said, then blinked when he realized, suddenly his headache was gone. He didn’t have to fight to control his senses. Ianto’s pulse had disappeared from beneath his fingers.

He looked over at Owen and noticed him squinting against the headache, or the fluorescent lights, breathing through his mouth. Probably trying to avoid any smells. Jack reached out, grabbed Owen's hand and put it on Ianto shoulder.

Owen frowned, and stared up at Jack, before turning his attention to Ianto. Ianto's head had fallen against Jack's shoulder, eyes closed; asleep.

"Feel better?" Jack asked.

"Of course I don't fucking feel-" Owen paused in his ranting and looked around the autopsy bay. "...alien device of some kind in your pocket?"

Jack shook his head, "It's him. Somehow."

"How?" Owen hissed, keeping his voice low.

"Dunno." Jack replied, voice equally as soft.

"You know." Owen let his hand fall, spreading against the small of the Welshman's back, feeling, Jack supposed, almost normal for the first time in hours. "When I was... unconscious? Unresponsive? He used this voice. Never heard anything like it before, and couldn't do anything but listen. He sounded so sure that everything would be okay, like he knew exactly what he was doing. I listened and he made it all go away. The smells that were too strong, the lights that were too bright." Owen moved around, sliding his hand up Ianto's back, but never breaking contact, so that he could see the face, tucked in under Jack's chin. "It felt like this."

Ianto’s head jerked, eyes opening wide. "...What?" Ianto was forcing him self to keep his eyes open, still fighting sleep.

The Welshman shook his head as he started to dose off.

Owen reached out and placed his fingers against Ianto's throat to monitor the pulse there. His hand slid back; tangling into Ianto's hair, thumb brushing the sensitive patch of skin behind Ianto's ear. "Sleep, Yan."

Ianto shivered at the touch, but shook his head again; stubbornly "I'm fine. I've gone far longer without sleep before." Despite his words Jack felt Ianto lean even more heavily on him.

"Yeah and you've also been rendered unconscious by a alien device” Owen argued, “been though a million medical exams, been stressed for what...oh say the last decade straight. You’ve been in pain since yesterday. I say you could do with a few hours of sleep."

Jack smiled. "You can stop lecturing now." He shifted, holding Ianto more tightly. “I think he’s gone.”

Owen sighed, examine the sleeping man. “One problem down at least. But that can’t be comfortable. I’d be happier if he were in bed”

Jack’s smile broadened. “I think that can be arranged. I just happen to have some experience getting unconscious Welshman into my bed.” He winked, and Owen snorted.

“I’m sure you do.”