Chapter 7: WPL
I'm dedicating this chapter to Pepper210. She PMed me randomly one day and personally requested that I update this story. I didn't want to keep her waiting, so HERE YOU GO.
Thank you Pepper210 for PMing me, and staying with me throughout this story. This is not one of my highly requested one, but to think you requested it makes me really happy!
PLUS… all of you lovelies out there constantly reviewing and reading, thank you too!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my story.
Tony stared ahead at the television blaring some random nonsense about some couple. He made himself look bored and ready to sleep when in reality he was forming a plan in his brain.
He had to get out tonight. His abdomen was still sore, but it's nothing he can't handle. He was able to breath, eat, talk, and walk (according to the Physical therapist, he was in tip-top shape considering what he went through).
So there was no reason for him to stay one more night in the hospital.
Tony glanced at the clock, 9:00 pm. The nurses came around to do their rounds about this time. Once they finished, they give some sedatives to most of the critical patients, and water to the healed patients.
Tony's nurse came to his door around 9:10 pm, sharp each night. The nurses had various shifts, so the night shift nurse was like clockwork when it came down to caring for her patients.
Patient… Gosh. Tony thought miserably. If he were to escape, his nice nurse would get fired for losing a patient, especially in the ICU. Miranda was really, really pretty. She was a light skinned brunette with wide brown eyes and lovely smile.
She cared for him at night, while Ms. Huygens was his day nurse. He preferred Miranda, but to think that he would get her fired sent him spiraling down his head full of emotions.
But Pepper, I need to get to Pepper. I need to know she's okay. And also make Gene's pretty- boy face a playdoh set for kids!
"Evening, Mr. Stark." Tony glanced up and saw Miranda grinning at him. His heartbeat jumped, almost making him regret his decision for tonight. "How are you feeling tonight?"
"Much better, thank you." Tony croaked back.
Miranda smiled and walked back towards the glove boxes. She pulled out a pair and slipped him over her tiny hands. "Ms. Huygens gave a wonderful report about your speedy recovery. That's good to hear."
"I'm happy to hear that."
Miranda proceeded to lift up Tony's blanket, near his feet and check if there is any swelling. She then probed at Tony's wrist to check and see that the IV lines were functioning well. "You know the procedure, Mr. Stark." She said, and waited as Tony opened his mouth and shifted around allowing Miranda to get his vital signs.
"Perfect, as always. Anything else I can get you, Tony?" She asked sweetly. Tony gulped and shook his head, not trusting his guilt- filled voice. Miranda nodded, oblivious about what was about to happen, "Push the button if you ever need anything. Good night."
"Night." Tony said back sullenly. The moment she disappeared, Tony began removing his IV links. He was too afraid to pull them out, but disconnecting them, he can do.
Tony leaned over and switched off the IV pump; he saw the nurses do it enough times to understand how to do it himself.
The machine became to beep wildly, trying to get the attention of the nurse. Tony panicked before noticing the red off switch. Smiling to himself, Tony pushed the button and sat up in bed.
The lights were off in his room, so he was easily able to get out of bed unnoticed. Tony pulled the hospital gown around his body, tying the ends off with the string. He grunted when he felt his stomach clench from the effort of sitting.
"It'll feel better once you start walking." Tony told himself out loud. He heard nurses moving towards his room, and quickly dove for cover. His hospital bed protected him from the nurses' line of view, and they walked away, not glancing over at his room once.
He silently walked over to the monitors in the back and turned off the machine. The moment it whirred to sleep, he began unclipping all the wirings and stickers on his body. "Ow… Ow…" He hissed as the electrodes peeled at his sensitive skin.
Phase one was complete; he was officially detached from the machines. Phase 2 was a little tricky, because he had to escape some way.
Tony hobbled towards the cabinets in front of him and tugged open a door. He remembered how Ms. Huygens would replace his socks every few hours, claiming that clean socks meant a clean patient. He found a pair of slip proof socks and hurriedly slipped it on.
More murmuring.
Tony froze as he realized that the voices were in front of his door. His breathing hitched and his heartbeat skyrocketed. "Yeah, I know! She's such a pain to work with! Sometimes I wonder how she even became a nurse!"
"Right? Have you heard of that Stark kid?" Another nurse said. Tony narrowed his eyes and frowned. Why were they talking about him?
"No why?"
"Just wondering. Miranda always talks about him. It's like she likes him or something. She keeps saying he's an amazing patient and is so respectful. I don't really believe her."
The first nurse snorted. "No one believes her. She likes everyone. Too nice for a field like this."
The other nurse's voice faded away, "I know. I feel bad for the Stark kid, because he needs to hear her all night."
Tony growled, un-intentionally. Miranda was the sweetest thing to exist. That was rude, and un-professional. He made a note to find out the names of the nurses and get them fired.
Fired… that's what's going to happen to Miranda in about 30 minutes. Man, that guilty feeling was rising again.
Tony snapped out of his misery and carefully popped his door. Miranda wasn't at her station so he bolted out of the room, stifling a groan, and ducked into the first corridor. He pushed himself against the linens and waited to catch his breath.
He was in the hospital for about three days, more than he wanted, but it was a miracle thinking that he almost bled out from a stab wound.
Footsteps shuffled across the thin carpet floor and disappeared towards Tony's left. It was getting close to when Tony had to run again.
His plan was to run towards the staircase on the far end of the hall. It was directly in front of his room, so he didn't have to pass the nurses station up front. After decoding the fire alarm code, so that it wouldn't be triggered when he walked out, he planned to run to the rooftop where, he hoped, a friend would meet him.
He preprogrammed the suit by sending it an encoded message about his location. He had a beacon in his forearm, (after all his years of being kidnapped, his father thought it was necessary), and so the suit was rigged to find him the moment a pilot stepped in.
He only hoped that the pilot got his message.
…
Pepper stood up after a couple of minutes being engulfed by Gene's arms. "I need to go home." She said softly. She heard Gene stand up behind her, and move towards her.
The distance was uncomfortable, so Pepper stepped forward again, keeping her back to him.
"Let me take you home." He said softly. Pepper's eyes flickered behind her, and she noticed Gene's arm reaching out for her shoulder. She quickly stepped forward and received a dejected look. Good. She thought.
"I need to walk it out." She replied.
"I can join you."
"I'll be fine on my own, thanks." Pepper snapped.
"It's dangerous at night. I'll-"
Pepper whirled on him. "I said I'll walk home by MYSELF! Get that through your thick skull!" She shouted. She noticed Gene wilt slightly at her words, but nodded at the end.
"Whatever will make you happy, Pepper." He stepped forward, took her hand, and kissed the top of it. "I shall see you tomorrow morning. I'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom."
Pepper frowned. "Go ahead. I'm not going to that home. That's nothing but a dumb house on your dumb property. I'm going to my real home." Pepper yanked her hand out of Gene's grasps and turned on her heels.
"I don't understand why you can't accept me, Pepper! I have money! I have people to protect you! I have a family! I can offer you so much, but you choose to neglect me!" Gene shouted at her as she walked away.
Pepper closed her eyes and continued walking. She didn't want to deal with him. She needed to walk home, and she needed to clear her mind. Gene killed her father, and he wasn't to be trusted.
"See? You're doing it again! You push everyone you care about away from you." Gene taunted.
Pepper snorted, loud enough for him to hear. "I didn't push Tony Stark away."
The silence that followed felt golden to Pepper's ears.
…
Rhodey stared at awe at the suit in front of him. So this was what that dufus was working on!
It was hot rod red and a dazzling gold paint that coated the entire body of the suit. In the center of the chest was a circular hole that housed a power core that glowed a bright blue and hummed as it powered up.
"Wow. What is this?" Rhodey wondered out loud.
Rhodey jumped as a female voice said, "This is the Mark IV, or as Mr. Stark had instructed for me to say, Iron Man suit."
So this was what the big secret was. An armored suit that looked about ready to stop a thousand bullets. "How do you put it on?" He asked the computer.
In response, the front of the suit hissed and peeled away, revealing space inside, enough for a man to step into. Rhodey was beyond impressed now. This was the coolest thing he ever saw!
No wonder the girls ogled him.
"Wait, do I step into this?" Rhodey asked.
"Yes, Mr. Rhodes. There are directions to Mr. Stark's location and it seems to be sending a distress beacon."
"Distress beacon? Is he in danger?" Rhodey asked suddenly wary.
"Data unavailable."
That was enough for Rhodey to put aside his claustrophobia and launch himself inside the suit.
Rhodey placed his feet into the feet holds, and noticed that the suit made adjustments to accommodate to his own feet. Rhodey leaned back and placed his back against the cool metal behind him. He stuck his arms through the armholes and noticed that it accommodated for his arm as well.
Then suddenly, the armor curled around him, encasing him inside the suit.
It took him a second to gather his surroundings before the screen in front of his face flickered to life. "Welcome Mr. Rhodes. Destination set. Ready for launch?"
Rhodey couldn't help but smile. The suit adjusted for him and that was the coolest thing he ever heard of! And now, it can FLY?
"Ready whenever you are." Rhodey said and sucked in a breath as the computer launched him into the sky.
Something short and simple. Yes, two updates in a span of two days. I just don't know when I can write again, so I'm just trying to get as many stories written as possible.
I apologize for my absence again, because I thought about y'all so much and felt the need to write, but I was really stressed for a couple of months now!
But like my last update for SOS, I just want to say thank you guys so much for keeping up with my story and reviewing all the time. The time you put out to read from beginning to end is mind-blowing to me. There are actually PEOPLE reading something I wrote. Sigh…. Incredible feeling, and I thank each and every one of you.
So… As always… REVIEW!
******ALSO: For my non-English speakers out there! Would you like me to write a story written in your language, or translate one of my stories for you? Please PM me if you would like that, and I will be MORE than happy to write something for you! AND PLEASE DON'T HESISTATE to contact me about it! Seriously, I would be deeply honored to write something for you! ******
Question of the Update: What's your phobia?
