**A Moment of Collapse**

Prompt: Since jack harkness has been back from the year that never was he had not had a single moment of rest. He was exhausted but with the team so upset with him leaving them, he does not think he deserves to rest. He pushes trough untill he faints infront of the team.

Since Jack Harkness had been back from the year that never was, he had not had a single moment of rest. The endless battles against alien threats, the harrowing missions to save humanity, and the emotional toll of his return weighed heavily on his shoulders. Each day felt like running a marathon he wasn't prepared for, but for Jack, there was no room for slowing down. He was alive, and that fact alone felt like a weight he could neither acknowledge nor cast aside. The team—Miranda, Toshiko, Owen, and Gwen—had been through so much before Jack’s absence, and having him back only stirred old wounds. They were upset that he had left them to fend for themselves during that terrible time. The year that never was had stripped them bare; it was a time when they lost friends, faced insurmountable odds, and felt the crushing darkness of despair without Jack to guide them. His reappearance, while a miracle, was tainted with a feeling of betrayal. Jack had sensed their unease, the way they avoided his gaze, the hushed conversations that ceased when he entered the room. His exhaustion was palpable, yet he refused to acknowledge it. “Jack, you need to take a break,” Gwen said one morning as they prepared for another mission. Her brow was furrowed with concern, her eyes filled with a mix of genuine care and frustration. “You can’t keep pushing yourself like this. It isn’t healthy.” Jack flashed what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but deep down, he knew it was strained. “I’m fine. Just a little tired, that’s all. Let’s focus on the mission.” His voice had the sharpness of an old knife, worn but still able to cut. He threw himself into the work. Day and night bled into one another as Jack lost himself in reports, strategizing, and pre-mission briefings. Owen, ever the cynic, had taken it upon himself to watch Jack closely, eyeing him with suspicion—not just as a colleague but as a friend who feared for the man they all depended on. “Look at him,” Owen muttered to Miranda one evening as they reviewed data in the hub. “He’s burning the candle at both ends. We’re going to lose him again.” Miranda nodded, her expression grave, “We need to intervene, but he wouldn’t listen. He thinks he needs to make up for… for everything that happened.” “Or what didn’t happen,” Owen countered, shaking his head. “He can’t fix a past we can’t change.” As the days wore on, Jack’s fatigue deepened, dark circles appearing under his eyes. His mind was clouded, and yet he pressed on, taking on more than anyone thought possible. He wanted to prove himself, to show that he was still a leader worthy of their trust. In the depths of his heart, he felt that he didn’t deserve to rest—it was a penance he owed for being absent when they had needed him most. “Jack!” Toshiko called out one afternoon, her voice breaking through the haze of his thoughts as he stared blankly at a screen. “We need to run those scans before we head out. Are you listening?” He shook his head to clear it, willing the fatigue to fade away. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s get to it,” he muttered. He turned back to the console, but his fingers trembled, and the words on the screen swam before him. “Jack, you’re not okay,” Gwen said, stepping closer. “You should sit down.” “I don’t have time to sit down. We have a job to do!” he snapped, perhaps a bit too harshly. The team’s faces fell, and he immediately regretted it, but pride kept him from softening his tone. Hours passed, and the tension in the room was palpable. Jack felt as if he were a ship adrift in a stormy sea, the waves crashing against him, threatening to pull him under. He pushed through, ignoring the signs his body was screaming at him—the dizzy spells, the aching muscles, the chilling sweats. When they finally prepared to deploy, Jack was already staggering. He felt the world tilt, and the room around him warped like reflections in water. He had made it to the doorway when darkness closed in on him without warning. The thud rang through the hub as Jack collapsed, his body crumpling to the floor. Gwen was the first to react, rushing to his side. “Jack! Jack!” she shouted, kneeling beside him, panic in her voice. Owen was next, his hands checking for signs of life, while Toshiko grabbed her medical kit. “He’s still breathing, I think. Get me some water,” Owen instructed, his face taut with concentration. As they worked to revive him, Jack struggled in and out of consciousness. “I’m… fine…” he insisted weakly, though he couldn’t muster the strength to sit up. “You’re not fine!” Owen spat, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “You can’t just collapse and say you’re fine!” “I’m sorry,” Jack murmured, the regret for pushing them away surfacing in his tone. He finally looked at their faces, filled with worry and anger—reflections of what his absence had wrought. “You think that by working yourself to death, you can make things right?” Gwen’s voice trembled, her eyes glistening. “You’re driving us all away!” A stillness settled over the team as Jack realized the truth of her words. His actions, driven by guilt, had only deepened the divide between them. He felt a wave of shame wash over him, stirring him from the brink of unconsciousness. As he lay there, the understanding warming his weary heart, he reached out, finally seeking the bond they had always shared. “I’m… I’m here now. I’m sorry I left. Let me… let me be part of the team again.” In that moment, the team gathered around him, a circle of unwavering support. Jack felt their energy, their presence—a safety net woven with shared struggles and victories. He was home, and for the first time, he understood that rest wasn't a sign of weakness but a step toward healing.