**A Wake-Up Call for the Unstoppable**
Prompt: Jack harkness wakes up sick but with owen, tosh, gwen and ianto being mad at him for having been away due to the year that never was, he does not want to bother them. So he pushes through. The team calls jack lazy and get mad at him for not being as sharp as normal, and it makes jack feel even more misarable. Eventualy he can’t hide his sickness eny longer. He is in a team meating when a wave of nausea overcomes him. He just about managed to grap the bin in time for him to puke. The team realises he is sick and cares for him.
Jack Harkness opened his eyes to the unfamiliar shadows of the harmlessly mundane day that lay before him. The clock on the wall ticked away steadily, but to him, time had always seemed incredibly relative—especially since the year that never was. He felt a heaviness in his chest, a weariness that dug into his bones like the chill of a winter morning. He frowned as he tried to shake off the nausea that coiled in his stomach. There was something off about today, a muted ache of dread resonating through his being.
He shifted slightly, aware of Owen Harper’s presence beside him. Owen had crashed on the sofa during one of their late-night brainstorming sessions, replete with endless cups of coffee and unending emergency protocols. Jack could hardly remember what had brought them to this brief moment of rest, and yet, here they were, waking up together in the dim light of the Hub.
Jack didn’t want to bother Owen or the rest of the team with his fatigue. He didn’t want to confront the edge of their growing ire, the coolness that had settled over the Hub since he had returned. The memory of the Year That Never Was lingered in the back of his mind like a dark cloud; they weren’t just mad at him for being absent—they were angry for having endured the pain and loss alone while he was trapped in a different reality.
Sighing inwardly, he decided to push through. It was what he did best.
The morning passed slowly as Jack fought against an increasing wave of lethargy. Ianto came in with the usual fresh coffee, the rich aroma penetrating the air. Gwen Cooper followed closely behind, her arms crossed and a thoughtful frown adorning her features. Toshiko Sato entered last, carrying her tablet, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Jack only to dim in concern a moment later. There was a tension in their gazes—a palpable accusation that he had been dodging all morning.
“You could’ve called, you know,” Ianto chastised, his tone deceptively calm. “We could’ve used your help.”
Jack managed a weak smile, staving off irritation. “I was away doing my usual thing. It wasn’t something I could—”
“Then let’s talk about what that usual thing means,” Owen interjected, leaning back in his chair, arms folded defiantly. “You went missing for who knows how long, and while you were off playing deflector for the universe, we had to pick up the pieces down here.”
“Yeah, Jack. You’re acting like you couldn’t at least send us a text,” Gwen said, her voice laced with disappointment.
“It’s not just about you showing up. You’re not as sharp as you should be, and we all know it,” Owen continued, studying Jack as if expecting him to crack under the weight of their harsh words.
Jack’s heart sank. He felt sluggish, his mind clouding with the remnants of whatever illness he was grappling with, and their anger only intensified his misery. He could feel it—the scald of disappointment; it trapped him as tightly as the past he could never escape.
“And here I thought a little time away might have done me some good,” Jack replied, forcing levity into his tone, desperate to lift the mood. “But it appears I’ve missed a lot more than I thought.”
Toshiko shifted in her seat, unease radiating from her. “You need to take care of yourself, Jack. Whatever you’re dealing with—”
“Look, I’m fine,” Jack snapped, though he knew it wasn't true. There was a tremble in his voice that said otherwise.
Owen rolled his eyes. “Right. Because we can all hear how “fine” you sound with a voice like that.”
The meeting trudged on with Jack barely able to focus on the conversation. Words faded into a blur, and the light around him seemed to dim even further. He fought the rising tide of nausea, holding onto the edge of the table as anger, frustration, and profound exhaustion consumed him.
And then, suddenly, his world tipped sideways. A wave of dizziness suffocated him, and he grabbed hold of the waste bin beside him just in time to empty the contents of his stomach into it.
The room was instantly silent, the camaraderie shattered. Tosh was the first to leap forward, genuine concern washing over her face. “Jack! Are you okay?”
“No, he’s not okay!” Owen barked, his tone no longer accusatory but filled with alarm. “What did we say earlier about taking care of yourself?”
Gwen moved to his side, her hand resting on his back, gently rubbing in small circles. “You should’ve said something. We could’ve helped.”
Jack leaned against the wall, breathing heavily as he fought through the nausea. “I thought I could manage. I didn’t want to worry you...” His voice trembled, the weight of their anger lifting slightly, replaced by something softer—caring.
Ianto moved to stand behind him, a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “It’s okay to need help sometimes, Jack. None of us can shoulder it all on our own.”
The moments that had felt so strained began to melt away. Their concern eclipsed their earlier anger. Jack finally allowed himself to drop the facade, to accept that he didn’t have to go it alone. The doorway to their previous grievances remained, but in that moment, vulnerability forged a new bond—one stronger than the pain of the past.
Jack took a deep breath, nodding as he leaned further into the support of his team. He wasn’t just their leader; he was their friend, and maybe, just maybe, that was enough.
