Steve is woken by the sound of the Avengers' Priority alarm. He quickly gets up out of bed and changes into his suit.
He grabs himself a quick breakfast to eat on the way to the fight, shoving it into one of the pouches on his belt.
Before he leaves, Steve hurries over to the closet. This would be the first time he would leave for a battle after they had hatched. He didn't want to leave them like this, but he had no choice.
"I have to go," Steve tells them, "But I'll be back, don't you worry. Certainly, before dinnertime, I promise. Okay?"
Steve reaches into their box, giving each of them a quick pat. "Be good, don't get into any trouble. I'm looking at you Speckle, don't think I haven't noticed," he laughs.
Taking a deep breath, he shuts their box and stands up.
"Daddy will be back soon," he whispers, more to himself than his girls.
The battle was hard, lasting hours. It was already getting dark, they had set out in the early morning. His body aches and throbs. He's taken more hits than he would've liked, some practically brutal.
Steve rests his weight against Tony's shoulder, letting his armour support him as they make their way over to the medical tent.
God, he was tired.
He wasn't sure if there was a part of him that didn't hurt.
A glance down reveals his torn, blood-soaked uniform. It looked pretty bad. It felt worse. He was fine though, he was sure he was fine.
Carol winces when she sees him. "You were really put through the wringer today, weren't you, Army,"
Steve huffs out a laugh, regretting it when it sends white-hot pain down his chest. "Nothing I haven't gone through before, Chair force"
He feels Tony shift, even with the faceplate down, he knew the man was rolling his eyes. Steve smiles.
"I don't know, Steve," Jan says, frowning, "It looks bad. You're are going to let yourself get checked-out, right."
"I'm fine. It looks like a lot, but it's all superficial, I'm sure," he says, ignoring the flash of anxiety that steals the air from his lungs. He can see them all get ready to argue with them. He just wants to go home. "If it makes you all feel better, I'll get checked out." He says. It was probably better to appease them than to stand around arguing.
He knows he should really be staying overnight to be observed for his injures, to make sure they start healing properly. But his girls need to be fed.
And today was hard… he just wants to hear their little calls.
Steve hopes he can convince whoever looks him over to lets him go. He carefully looks around to see if Jane was there. If she was, he wouldn't stand a chance of escaping.
Steve tries again to pull out of the medic's grasp when he tuts at his injures. Doing his best to keep his moves slow and gentle, as to not intimidate the medical team and to not worsen his own injuries. Hiding the pain was easier if he keeps his moments calm and slow.
The medic wants him to spend more than just overnight… Steve couldn't allow that.
He had tried to mention the escalated healing factor… but the medics won't hear of it.
"This is not up for discussion," the head medical officer says. "I will take this over your head if necessary. You will be in the medical under observation for no less than a week."
No! He can't spend that long in medical. His babies will starve! He can't- No, it won't- He won't let that happen.
He was going to go home now!
The Avengers watch on, very concerned. They have seen Cap try and beg off medical before, especially if he thinks others need it more. Using his healing factor as a bargaining chip or excuse. But this level of dodging is new.
He is almost frantic to get away, the 'Captain America' persona slowly chipping away. He is tugging anxiously at all the things they have tried to attach to him like he wants nothing more than to rip them off and run.
Jan looks at Tony who looks right back. "You're his best friend, Tony, talk to him," she says.
"Yes, but he can also find me antagonistic," Tony says, flashing a worried look in Steve's direction,
He seems to find you soothing. I think this needs a woman's touch"
"Oh, no, I don't think so," Jan says, "I think it has gotten to the point where someone with powerful, strong, mechatronic enhancements needs to sit him down and convince him to relax."
"That sounds so very UN-relaxing, Jan. Hell, that make him more frustrated. He wants to go, forcing him to stay would make this worse."
"Then you should convince the meds that they need to release him! Then get him home and talk to him. Something's up with him and it has been going on for longer than it should have. This should've been dealt with weeks ago, Tony!"
Tony sighs, running a hand down his face.
"C'mon, Tony," Jan pleads.
"You do realise this is Captain America, right?" Tony says, "If he doesn't want to talk, well, there is very little likelihood of getting him to talk."
Jan rolls her eyes. "I thought that was your thing," she says.
"I know I can be closed off, but I am not th-"
"I meant impossible odds!" She exclaims, frustration clear in her voice.
"…we'll see," he says with a sigh.
They look over to see Steve pull his arm away from the medic trying to put an IV drip in his arm.
"Go on," Jan says, pushing him towards Steve.
"I am trying to figure out the best way, Jan, this needs tact and charm… luckily for everyone I have that in spade-"
Steve has evidently had it completely. The man stands up and the medical staff step back, startled.
The man turns on his heel, twisting awkwardly. The bands wrapped around the splint on his right leg strain around his bulging muscles and snap. They watch as what was just a simple fracture turn into a brake. His leg giving way, folding unnaturally under the weight of him.
Steve cries out as he hits the asphalt, hard.
The Avengers and the medical team rush over.
Tony sighs as he enters the Medical tent. Steve sat on of the table-benches, defeated, looking down at his broken leg in equal parts misery and anger. The medical team were looking to keep Steve for at least a month.
Steve doesn't seem to taking the good news that it is a clean break and not piercing the skin with much enthusiasm. He would have been looking at a longer time in medical if that were the case.
Tony sits next to him on the bench, trying to think of something to cheer the guy up. Anything, really, to stop the man from looking so downtrodden.
He looks to Steve, who is resolutely not looking anyone in the eyes. He puts his hand on Steve's shoulder, careful of the bruising.
Steve looks over, refusing to meet Tony's eyes he stares at his shoulder. Not letting that deter him, Tony slouches a bit to look Steve in the eyes. Thankful that Steve is much bigger than him, making it easier.
He's shocked to see Steve blinking back his tears.
'That must have been one hell of a break,' Tony thinks, 'or maybe the humiliation of falling during his break for it?'
"Steve…" the man looks away. "Hey, it's going to be okay. With your healing, they won't keep you bedridden for long. Just to make sure things are progressing well." He says, "…You are probably going to be let out early. You'll be there for a week – a week and a half at the most. Not bad, given the beating you took would put many men six feet under. I am pretty surprised you were able to walk off that play of patriotic wrecking ball."
"Still too long," Steve mumbles.
"What was that?" Tony asks.
"Nothing…"
"Hey, you don't just 'nothing' me, Steve. Spill. What's going on?"
"It's okay, Tony," Steve says with a small shrug.
"I want to help you, Steve. …Please?"
"Okay." Steve says, "You won't be mad?"
"Why would I be mad?" Tony asks, ignoring the creeping sense of dread wrapping around his heart. Why would Steve think he'd be mad at him?
"I dunno…" Steve says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, looking away.
"Try me," Tony says.
"I'm trying not to," Steve says, give a small laugh without any humour in it.
"Haha. C'mon," Tony says. "What's been bothering you, Steve?"
"I have little baby chickens. A farmer gave them to me as eggs. I didn't think much of it, I didn't think they were fertile. I hatched them and… If" Steve swallows audibly, looking down at the floor "…if I am gone too long they will starve. I can't le- They need me, Tony. I love them. They make me so friggin happy, I don't want them to die, Tony. Please. I-" Steve breaks off. He looks away and blinks hard.
"You have chickens?"
Steve nods tightly, but says nothing.
"Ah, well, okay then," Tony says, not sure what else to say.
Steve looks to him then, biting his lip, meeting Tony's eyes. There's a bit of hope is waring with the misery in the man's blue eyes
"I don't think-" He says, watching in horror as the small hope in Steve's tearful blue eyes shrink.
Steve looks down at his lap.
Tony clears his throat. "I don't think the medics would like chickens going around their hospitals… so, ah, I suppose… would you like me to feed them?… or, well, get someone to feed them?"
Steve looks to him then, eyes bright "You're okay with me having chickens?" he asks.
"I suppose there isn't too much harm in it… as long as you keep them away from the quarantined areas…"
A big grin appears on cap's face and he flings an arm around Tony's shoulders, pulling him in for a hug. "Gee, thanks, Tony, thank you, really"
"It no problem. Maybe they could have a small coop out back of the mansion, it's not like we have a shortage of space"
"Thank you,"
TBC