Indispensable
Rated: PG
Category: Double Drabble. Gen. Tony POV/Focus. Movieverse (but comic canon consistent).
Spoilers: Iron Man origin
Summary: Even after he's patched up, there's still one thing Tony Stark needs before he can go home, and it's non-negotiable.
Disclaimer: Everything Marvel belongs to the Man. (Not the Mouse.) Excelsior!
XXX
The first thing I did was shower, and it was more relief than I've ever known, despite the fact that it wasn't exactly private and a fire hose would've been gentler.
The x-rays, blood tests, cultures, sample collections, and photo documentations that came next were hell.
But the stitches, creams, pills, injections, and bandages that followed finally brought blessed relief.
Soon, I was eating decent (albeit small) meals regularly. I even managed to sleep on occasion.
And when they let me out of quarantine, a sip or five of whiskey came my way, courtesy of my friendly neighborhood Rhodey.
I felt nearly human again and I was about to go home.
But there was still one thing missing.
One thing I needed above all else before I could set foot in the good old US of A.
Rhodey had done the best he could, but I needed professional help.
My friend recognized that eventually, and he made it happen.
When I saw a new face at the foot of my bed, I grinned. This was more like it.
"You're the tailor, then?"
"Yes, Mister Stark."
"Good. Then let's get started. I was thinking a dark grey? Maybe a pin stripe?"