Maybe he shouldn't have taken off so soon, after all. Pepper had tried to talk him into staying in New York for a couple of days, so he could help her deal with the press and clean up. Luckily, or rather almost unbelievably so, there had been no casulties during Whiplash's attack on the Expo. Well, besides a couple of people who had suffered minor burns and abrasions. But those were all potential law suits that didn't require the imminent presence of Stark Industries acting CEO, which took a lot of pressure off Pepper. After making sure everything was set up and in order Pepper had reluctantly agreed to Tony heading off to Malibu, so he could deal with the other mess he had left within the last week.
Now though, flying thousands of miles above Kansas or Colorado or some other state, he wasn't so sure about this decision anymore. Shortly after lift-off he had been overcome by a minor headache which, after two hours, had blossomed into a full blown migraine, leaving him breathless and unable to control his suit properly and safely. He had wisely given over control to Jarvis before his vision had blacked out and he had felt the first urge to vomit. A feat he considered quite unmanagable at his current height and traveling speed and of course, with the helmed closed. He ordered Jarvis to inject him with a small dose of Ibuprophen before he passed out completely.
He was awakened by a breeze of air on his face and a sudden feeling of vertigo when his knees gave way and he found himself kneeling on the assembly platform in his workshop. A brisk English voice was talking to him. He couldn't quite decipher what was being said to him, but he identified the inquiring voice as Jarvis.
„...ir! Sir! Are you with me, Sir!"
„Y..Yes, Jarvis!" he mumbled „W..what happened?"
„Sir, it seems that you passed out shortly after giving over controll of the Mark VI. I was able to steer you back here and monitor some of your vitals. In order to get a detailed account you need to attach yourself to the diagnostic chair. Complications due to the new chest piece cannot be ruled out at this point!"
His head was swimming and the headache was still severe enough to give him trouble focusing, but otherwise he was feeling okay. Beside the bone aching fatigue and the exhaustion that came with the drop of the adrenalin level. He stood up on shaky legs and made his way over to the small couch in the corner of his workshop
„Actually Jarvis, I think I am alright. I am just going to crash on the sofa for a little bit .. don't interrupt me.." he yawned „unless it's really, really ridiculously important!"
„Sir, I highly recommend you finish running the tests on the new chest piece and thouroughly check your vitals before..."
But Tony had already succumbed to his exhaustion, shutting out the world and everything with it.
„Night Jay!"
A considerable amount of time passed before he jerked out of a fitful sleep, his hand immediately going to his chest, expecting a sharp pain running from the center of his chest down to his abdomen but to his utter surprise experienced none of it. Overjoyed, he lifted his shirt and was almost disappointed when he looked down upon the gray mess of spiderweb like welts still marking the skin around the RT. He remembered the heavy metal detox scenarios and symptoms Jarvis had listed shortly after he had installed the new reactor in its proper place and groaned in frustration. He had waved the A.I. off yesterday, since it hadn't been the right time to think about it, while he was preparing for battle. Now though, he felt like crap. Soaked in sweat, head still pounding, feeling both cold and hot at the same time and he noticed he was shivering like a leaf.
„Jarvis? Are you there?"
„For you, Sir, always"
Tony almost rolled his eyes at the AIs usual retord
„What time is it? How long have I been out?"
„Seven hours and forty-five minutes sir. Your vitals indicate first symptoms of high metal detoxication. Might I suggest, Sir, that you check yourself into a medical facilty..."
„No way, José!" Tony immediately answered and started tapping the brand new circle of light on his chest „top secret technology, remember? I won't have any up-to-no-good doctor or nosy nurse prying around in my business!"
„..well than I recommend you contact either Miss Potts or Colonel Rhodes. Given your earlier vocation of keeping your physical condition a secret and how it resulted in a number of misunderstandings, I suggest you do it immediately"
Tony grinned and shook his head lightly to clear it, but was rewarded with a bout of nausea instead.
„Don't get your panties in a knot, Jay!"
The nausea intensified when he got up and he barely had time to spot the nearest trash bin before he found himself on his knees, heaving the meagre contents of stomach into the plastic container.
„You know what, Jay. You call Pepper and I... I ... just... take another nap..." with that he passed out on the spotless floor of the workshop, still clutching the trashbin with one arm.
The next time he awakened, it wasn't on his own volition. Jarvis' voice once again penetrated his ever thumping headache.
„Sir, I have detected, that your body temperature has continuously risen throughout the last three hours. If it continues at this rate, you soon won't be able to move around under your own strength!"
He coughed and immediately felt lightheaded. Indeed, he couldn't remember a time when he had ever felt quite like this before. Sure, he had been sick. As a kid he had had his fair share of flu incidents, but the weakness and the bone weariness that disrupted his every thought and move was something completely new to him. He had to admit, that it was becoming quite worrisome, even to him.
„Jarvis, have you tried calling Pepper?" he panted.
„I have tried several times with both Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodes and have yet been unable to reach either of them."
He finally managed to push himself off the floor. One hand steadying his head and the other hand moving immediately to his sore stomach, once he stood more or less stable.
„What time is it in New York?" he asked
„11 am, Sir! I have recorded footage of the press conference Miss Potts held this morning, would you like to ..."
„Naaah thanks. I am going to take a shower and then finish the tests on this stroke of genius here" he interrupted and tapped his chestpiece again. „Try again with Pep and inform me if you managed to get a hold of her"
„Yes Sir!"
It only took him fifteen minutes to slowly make his way up the demolished stairs, remove the clothes sticking to his clammy body and step under the shower head. Completely drained, he finally sank down the wall until he was sitting in the middle of the steady water stream, trying to hold onto the last thread of consciousness.
Shit, I think I need help!
Was his last coherent thought before blackness once again claimed him.