Tony´s breathing was even and peaceful when Bruce entered the room. The soft beeping of the heart monitor set a steady rhythm of life running through the tormented body.
Bruce sat down onto one of the luxurious chairs and watched as Tony´s chest rose and fell, steadily, healthily. He felt a million different things in this moment but the one that would carve into his heart most was relief.
The door opened and a doctor came in. Under a white coat he was wearing very relaxed clothes, basically jeans and T-shirt, and looked very, very young, his blond hair gelled back tidily.
„Oh hello. I didn´t know Mr. Stark had visitors already", he said.
„Yeah, uh, sorry, I dropped him off, actually, yesterday, my name is Bruce Banner, I work with Tony."
Bruce got up and the men shook hands. The doctor smiled.
„I am Mr. Stark´s private physician, Dr. Yamato."
„Can you tell me anything? Is Tony going to be okay?"
The doctor checked a few screens while speaking, taking notes on
„Well, you are the first person besides Ms Potts I have ever met and I have been treating Mr. Stark for over eight years now, so I assume you must be very close to him, for the purpose of this conversation, let´s just say you are his cousin so you are family so I can tell you about his state. Because someone needs to know, Mr. Stark really needs someone to help him through the coming weeks. He will be very much in pain recovering from this. May I ask, what is this actually? Were you with Mr. Stark when he was injured?"
The doctor turned around to look questioningly at Bruce´s bare upper arms that still had quite a few bruises on them that hadn´t disappeared overnight just yet.
„Were you injured too, have you seen a doctor yet? Would you like me to take a look at these for you?"
He pointed at Bruce. It all was too fast for Bruce to comprehend in his emotional state.
„Uh... No, thanks, I should be fine."
„You don´t look fine."
„I am kinda used to things like that."
The doctor knew when to stop asking questions when it came to Tony Stark or any of his acquaintances. A small silence followed.
„Can you tell me how Tony is?"
„Mr. Stark has gone through hours of surgery. We had to reinforce his thigh with a metal plate and several screws attached to the bone. There was quite some damage done to his left arm and wrist. The cut went through a much used tendon and we had to reattach the lose ends. Mr. Stark will need therapy for that even after it has healed in. A rip bone snapped which will be painful but it should heal. Fortunately it did not injure any inner organs. He has a mild concussion which should be gone in a few days. The burns and cuts have been tended to but there will be scarring. We have now attached the body to a few IVs to counteract the malnutrition and dehydration."
Bruce needed to sit down.
„Sir, are you alright?"
„Yeah, yeah."
But he wasn´t. All air had drained from his lungs and his blood froze inside his chest. Why was this so difficult? He was a scientist, for heaven´s sake. He knew Tony would be alright.
„Mr. Stark has suffered quite some severe injuries but he should be fine, eventually. I know, it´s a lot to take in."
„Yeah, it is."
„Would you like me notify Ms Potts?"
„No, please don´t. I don´t think Tony would want her here."
„Have they separated?"
„Yeah, a while ago."
A short silence followed.
„Mr. Banner, Sir, can you tell me how Mr. Stark was injured?"
„I don´t think anyone should know."
„I have seen a lot of injuries, in Mr. Stark´s case mostly from battle but this is different."
„Well, what does it look like?"
„It looks like torture."
„You have answered your own question."
Bruce just sat there staring at Tony.
„Mr. Stark should wake up within the next three hours. When he does, please call in a nurse. Dr. Lange should be on duty today, he will check on Mr. Stark."
„Have you operated on Tony?"
„Yes, I have. Why?"
„You haven´t slept, have you?"
„No. I will now."
„Thank you."
„Mr. Stark is very important. He is one of the few that actually deserve saving. Thank you for bringing him in."
With that Dr. Yamato closed the door behind himself.
Bruce only sat there. He was calm. He was tired. He watched Tony breathe. He waited.
There was a light when he managed to flicker his eyelids open. He could feel something inside him. It was in his hand. It felt like the reactor. No, it was smaller. He tried to move. He felt the pain rip through him and coughed.
It took him a moment to recognize the voice.
He had heard it before. In the darkness. In the heat. In the cold on the hard forest floor. He remembered.
He remembered himself screaming. He remembered the pain.
He remembered too much. He felt his blood rush through his head and his chest trying to draw in air but it wasn´t enough.
He heard him again.
Saying his name. What else was he saying?
He felt his hand on his cheek. And another one pressing his own hand.
„Open your eyes. Look at me."
He did.
He felt the cold sweat on his forehead and the hand slowly gliding over it. It was comforting.
For a moment he only looked at the dark eyes.
„You´re safe. Relax."
„Bruce?"
His voice came out broken and was almost inaudible.
Bruce reached for a cup and held it to Tony´s lips for him to drink.
The cool water slowly ran down Tony´s throat and cleaned away the dreams he could not remember and the screams he tried to fade out in the back of his mind. He was in a hospital, he was safe.
Tony´s ragged breathing slowly started to calm down and he blinked a few times before he asked: „Were are we?"
„In New York."
„Good."
After a moment he added: „Dude, this whole touching my face thing is getting creepy."
Bruce let go and dropped back into his chair.
Tony was panting heavily when Bruce woke up. He saw his feverish friend struggle in his sleep, blood seeping through the bandage around his arm.
Bruce tried waking Tony but caught up in fever-driven nightmares he wouldn´t let him. So Bruce just laid a hand on Tony´s forehead in hopes it would calm him.
Tony shivered through his nightmares for hours. Bruce only stood there and held him. He was tired. But he would do whatever it took to keep Tony from harming himself.
Three mornings in a row Tony had woken up next to an exhausted Bruce holding his hand, sleeping with his body on a chair and his head next to Tony´s leg.
Tony had sent him home to sleep and shower and all that only to not have to look at what he had done to his closest friend. He hated himself for it.
In the afternoon Bruce had shown up again, computer and documents in his hand, had sat down and started working next to Tony.
The third morning Tony had sent Bruce away for good.
To put an end to their discussion he had just said: „Buddy, I can´t watch this any longer. Go, get some work done. I´ll be home in a couple of weeks."
Bruce hadn´t shown up after that.
In the middle of the night Tony had wished for someone next to him. But he always had and now was no different, at least that was what he told himself. He had always managed on his own.
