m_findlow

Title: Healing hands
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Jack, Ianto
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 121 - Paste at anythingdrabble
Summary: Ianto is subjected to some of Jack's medical skills.

'Ow, ow, ow!' Ianto whined as his face pinched together in pain at Jack's touch. He knew Jack was trying to be gentle but he might as well have been stabbing Ianto's arm repeatedly with a rusted nail for all the difference it made.

'Now who's being a sis?' Jack half scolded, half teased, as he inspected the angry red rash creeping from the back of Ianto's left hand and up along his forearm. 'It's not great but it could have been a lot worse,' he finally declared.

'I swear I didn't touch anything,' Ianto insisted, having been warned about getting too close to any of the alien vegetation on their hike. There was just no telling what a twenty-first century human physiology might be allergic to. On this occasion it wouldn't have mattered if he'd been twenty-first century or fifty-first century, the plant in question would have done the same damage.

'It's a bit like stinging nettles,' Jack explained. 'They only have to brush past your skin. You probably didn't even notice.'

'Well, I'm noticing now!' It stung like crazy and was worse when moving or letting Jack touch it.

'So, let me help,' Jack insisted.

Ianto cast his gaze down to the brown mash of leaves Jack had been grinding with a mortar and pestle. 'We're doing alternative medicine now?' Why couldn't they just dip into the vast medical stores aboard their ship?

'Natural remedies work best,' Jack said, scooping it out and slowly spreading the foul paste over the affected areas of skin. It was prickly and unpleasantly warm, causing Ianto to hiss as it stung.

'This is making things better?'

'Better than five days in bed with a raging fever.'

Ianto shut up after that, already feeling a little hot and flushed.

Jack layered on another serve of his plant salve, before carefully wrapping over it first with plastic film and then with a proper bandage, sealing it inside.

'I have to keep it on?' Ianto asked, biting his lip at the persistent tingling.

'Two days,' Jack said, 'but three would be better, just to make sure it's absorbed all of the toxins out of your skin.'

'Won't my arm get all wrinkly?'

Jack gave him a curious look. 'That's the biggest concern you have?'

'I think you'd look more worried if you thought my arm might drop off.' He studied Jack's handiwork. 'How do you know all of this stuff?'

He shrugged. 'Just basic survival kills. Any local poison is most likely to have a local cure right next to it. That's just how nature seems to work. I could whisk you away to the best doctor in the universe but this will still work better than any fancy medicine.'

Ianto felt the tingling subside, becoming accustomed to it. 'I know this probably isn't a big deal, but sometimes I honestly wonder what I'd ever do without you.'

Jack wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close. 'I often wonder exactly the same thing myself.'