Brad couldn't help the smirk on his face. Tony always made him laugh somehow, and it was clear that this was normal. Abby was snickering in the corner of the room, trying to hide it and failing miserably.
"Yes, Tony. Let's get you out of bed," said Emma, the only one that had gotten her laughter under control.
Brad finally managed to focus again. He watched as Tony threw the blankets off himself and swing his feet over the side of the bed. He could see that Tony was hesitating at that point, and rather than make Tony more uncomfortable, Brad took hold of his arm and carefully lifted Tony to his feet. He held onto Tony as the agent swayed for a few seconds.
"Do you want to lay down again?" Brad asked, not concerned so much as just being cautious.
"No," said Tony after a moment. "I think I'm ready to go."
Brad nodded. He put his arm around Tony's waist for support. "Try and take a few steps. Don't worry if you can't, we can try again later."
"I want to go outside though." Tony took a step, wobbling slightly.
"We are still going outside, whether you are able to do this or not. I want you to just focus on walking first."
Tony nodded. He was staring at his feet, determination radiating off of him in waves as he slowly put another foot in front of him.
"Great. Keep going," Brad encouraged as Tony managed a third step.
"I think I need to sit down," Tony said a moment later. He had taken two more steps, and was now standing next to the soft patient chair.
"Alright. Have a seat, and I'll get you some water." Brad carefully helped him sit in the chair, then grabbed the cup of water that Emma was holding for him. "Here you go. Drink the water."
Tony drank the water and handed the cup back. He looked like he was exhausted. Brad could see that the few steps he had managed had worn him out. Again, it wasn't a surprise. Brad was quite happy with Tony's progress.
"Do you want to have another try?" Brad asked. He had taken a seat on Tony's bed, watching his patient as he tried to figure out what to do next.
Tony shook his head. "Maybe later?"
"Of course. We can definitely try again later."
"Can we go outside now?" Tony asked hopefully.
Brad smiled. He had known that was Tony's next question. He turned to Emma. "Can you please bring in a wheelchair, Emma?"
"Of course. I'll be right back." Emma smiled at Tony as she walked past.
"Thank you, Emma," said Tony, sounding almost shy.
Brad stood up and walked over to Tony again. He put the stethoscope against Tony's back and listened for a moment, satisfied when he heard nothing worrisome. "Are you in any pain?" he asked.
"No. I'm a little tired."
"That's expected. You can rest now, I'll push the wheelchair to take you outside."
"Thanks." Tony smiled. Then he realised what Brad was doing. "Can we leave these machines off when we come back up?"
"Not all of them. We can probably keep the pulse and blood pressure monitors off."
Tony smiled happily. "Thank you."
"Not a problem. Now, it's going to rain most of today, so you need to keep warm. The last thing you need right now is to be catching a cold or the flu or pneumonia." Brad handed Tony a dressing gown.
"That's a good point." Tony put the gown over his body, loving the warmth it provided.
"Abby," said Brad once he was done removing the monitors.
"Yes?" Abby came over, smiling and ready to help.
"When we get outside, I'm going to get you to stay with Tony. Is that alright?"
"Of course. Tony's my best friend. I want to help."
"Thank you. We'll only stay out there for a half hour, at the most, but I think Tony's needing company that isn't a nurse or doctor."
Abby nodded. She hugged Tony carefully, making sure she didn't squash him.
Five minutes later, Brad had Tony outside. The air was refreshing for Tony, but it was also cold. He could feel the air hitting his already cold body, and he was beginning to shiver. He quickly decided that being outdoors was not something he was ready for.
"Brad?" Tony asked quietly. He felt bad for making the doctor bring him outside for no reason.
"Yes, Tony?" Brad came over and took a seat across from him, concern clouding his face. "Is something wrong?"
Tony nodded. "I think I want to go inside. Is that okay?"
"Of course it is. I don't want you feeling uncomfortable. Are you alright?"
"It's really cold out here."
Brad nodded. He stood up, called to Emma and Abby, who were chatting nearby, and then unlocked the brakes on the wheelchair.
"We're heading inside. It looks like it might rain any moment," said Brad, though he knew both women didn't believe his reason for a second.
Tony was relieved when Brad pushed him into the hospital again. Warmth washed over his body and he immediately felt much better. He felt himself relax in the chair as Brad pushed it up to the elevator, and his eyes started to close.
"Tony," said Brad gently, "stay awake."
Tony opened his eyes. They were back in his room.
"Did I fall asleep?" Tony asked with a yawn.
"Just for a moment. Let's get you back into bed and checked out, alright? Then you can sleep. Are you hungry?"
Tony shook his head. "Just tired."
"Do you want to rest for a while, or try breathing without the oxygen?"
"Uh... I want to sleep."
"Okay. Let's get you up." Tony leaned on Brad as the doctor helped him stand up. He was more exhausted than he thought, and the moment he was laying in bed again, he fell asleep, still in the dressing gown.
"Is he alright?" asked Abby as she looked worriedly at Tony.
"Yes. It's been a long morning for him, that's all. He'll sleep for a couple of hours, then wake up and be fine. You can stay with him if you want to," answered Brad as he quickly connected up the heart monitor again. "I'll come back in an hour to see how he is."
Abby nodded. She covered Tony with his blankets, then sat in the chair next to his bed. It was obvious that she was worried about Tony.
