It was weird how normal my life suddenly became after Clint and Natasha got home. It was back to work training every morning. I'd hit the archery range with Clint. I even did a few supply flights which Clint tagged along with me. Coulson was back. The night we'd gotten back from Malibu sent him on a mission to Bahrain that hadn't gone to plan. The aftermath of it all kept him so busy we barely saw him leave the office. Jared was sent away on another mission with no time frame. But having Clint and Natasha around filled the empty void he left. It was easy to fall back into my old routine. The days were too busy for me to think about Riley. I'd be left so tired I'd fall asleep as soon as I got home making the nights bearable. If I got lonely I went straight to Clint's place. Having the kids around was a perfect distraction. It turns out they'd missed me so much they'd barely leave me alone. Even if I wanted to sit at home and mourn for Riley, I wasn't given any chance to. But it was good to keep pushing through all the pain. It gave me a reason to get out of bed every morning.
If it wasn't Clint and Natasha keeping me busy, it was someone else. I took Abby to her scan and poked fun at the alien looking baby on the screen. Even the doctor doing the ultrasound got a giggle out of me saying it looked just like Evans with those funny features. Abby smacked me on the arm for my cheek. Then promptly burst into tears seeing their baby on the screen healthy and growing. I didn't want to admit I may have gotten a little choked up as well. I was so happy for them. Alexi had been extra clingy with me. She wouldn't let me out of her sight when I was over there. It was endearing and annoying at the same time. Though I was taking a little too much pleasure in stretching her vocabulary. A lot of it wasn't in English either.
2 weeks after Peggy's visit I came down with a stuffy nose and headache. I ignored it and pushed through another 3 days of work until it hit me so hard I could barely move. I was so tired I barely stayed away long enough to actually make it to work. I didn't even make it to the gym. Clint turned me around in the locker room and marched me straight down to his car and back home. All protests were ignored as he put me to bed with the promise to come over later and check on me. I promptly fell asleep, only waking up to just make it to the toilet to throw up. I spent the next day and a half alternating between being sick and sleeping.
This flu was killing me. I seriously wanted to crawl into a ball and just die to make it stop. My nose was blocked and no amount of blowing was helping it. I felt like I was swallowing razorblades and my stomach was objecting to everything except for ginger ale and tea. I'd only made it to the couch this morning and couldn't move back to bed. My poor body just hurt too much and I was too sick.
I reached over for yet another tissue as I stared blankly at the TV. I had put Transformers on but I was too zoned out to really be paying attention. I think I kept falling asleep because I'd wake up and the movie wold be in a completely different scene than to what I remembered. I curled up in a ball willing my nauseous stomach to disappear as I burrowed into the blanket even further. Fuck this flu sucked. I rarely got sick, but when I did it was always horrid. Getting the flu at the start of summer was just stupid and very typical of my luck.
My phone vibrating on the coffee table but I couldn't be bothered to reach over and pick it up. Last time I tried to move off the couch I'd spent 5 minutes curled in a ball trying not to throw up. I tried to pay attention to the movie again but it just wasn't happening for me. I closed my eyes hoping I'd fall asleep and everything would magically be better when I woke up.
I woke out to the sound of someone walking around in the apartment. The footsteps seemed to vibrate around in my aching head giving me an even worse headache than I already had. It took a lot of effort to pry my eyes open to see who the intruder was. If someone was robbing me I'd tell them to take everything and just leave me alone. Thankfully it wasn't a robber, but Clint who was now crouching down in front of me.
"Come on, you can spend a few days at home," Clint looked at me sympathetically. I shook my head in protest but was only cut off by it making me feel nauseous again. Clint wasn't having any of my stubbornness today. He just picked me up, reached down to grab a bag and then marched out of the door. I was too sick and feeling like shit to keep protesting. I was asleep before we even made it to the garage. I didn't wake up until Clint tucked me into bed in the spare room at his place. I had to bolt for the bathroom only just making it in time before I was sick.
This went on for another 3 days. Another 3 long days of torture and feeling ready to die. I was lying on the floor of the bathroom, curled up half asleep on the toilet at 0430. Clint had convinced me I'd be able to stomach at least some soup. He'd even made chicken noodle soup for me from scratch, not out of a tin. It'd stayed down for a grand total of 45 minutes. I hadn't left the bathroom since. A gentle knock on the doorframe made me blearily raise my head. It was Laura. She'd only gotten home a few hours ago from work.
"Sorry I woke you," I managed to rasp out. Ugh. I hated having a sore throat. Throwing up all the time wasn't helping it either.
"I was awake," Laura didn't lie terribly well. Despite being sick I knew that was a pretty bold faced lie. "So this is really starting to concern me. I'm ready to take you to work and hook you up to a drip at least. I brought home a Maxolon jab if this goes on any longer."
"It's just the flu," I protested weakly. "It'll go away soon. When I get sick, I get really sick."
I lay my head back down on the toilet seat, willing my stomach to settle down. Laura sighed quietly and came to sit on the edge of the bath near me. She looked really tired, more so than usual.
"What birth control are you on?" Laura asked me bluntly.
That question was enough to make me raise my head again. What did that have to do with anything?
"I have an IUD," my nose started to run. I reached over and grabbed a handful of toilet paper and blew into it. At least I was finally getting some clearance from that. The ability to breath was much appreciated. "Why?"
"When did you last get your period?"
"I don't get them," my poor brain could barely follow this conversation. Between having an IUD and a very low body fat percentage it was so rare I actually got a period. My last one was easily over 18 months ago and barely worth calling a period. Even before that mine were always all over the place.
"Just…" Laura bit her lip looking uncertain. She stood up from the bath and walked to the cabinet above the sink. "Don't have a panic attack with what I'm about to give you."
I really hoped it was something to either knock me out, or stop feeling like I was going to throw up every time I moved. Even the usual anti nausea drugs weren't working. I don't think I kept them in my stomach long enough for them to work. Laura rummaged around for a few seconds before pulling a box out. Wordlessly she handed it to me.
It was a pregnancy test.
"That's not even funny," I groaned letting it drop to the floor. I closed my eyes again, enjoying the cool of the porcelain on my skin. Even I knew I was running a fever without needing a thermometer. If I got really hot I'd dunk my hand under some water and then freeze it in a thin layer of ice over my hand for some relief.
"I'm not being funny," Laura bent down and picked it up. She tapped the box on my arm. "I'm being serious. Come on, pee on a stick and at least rule one thing out."
How long had it been since Riley died now. 6 weeks? We'd had sex the night before he left for that mission that went so fucking wrong. My IUD was due to be replaced in a couple of weeks. I'd just been procrastinating about making the appointment to have it done. My stomach knotted uncomfortably for another reason as I stared at the box still in Laura's hands. Fuck me, I never even thought of that. That was the furthest thing in my mind from the last few weeks. I'd only just started making it through the day without wanting to cry when I thought about Riley. There was no way I could be pregnant.
"I have an IUD," I protested weakly trying to block the thought process going through my head. Panic was setting in at the mere thought of being pregnant.
"Which can fail," Laura said firmly. "Unless you two used condoms all the time as well there's a chance. A small one, but believe me when I say this that this happens a lot more than you realise."
The look on my face must have given it away that we definitely didn't use condoms. Laura was ripping the box open while I sat there in growing panic. My stomach started to roll uncomfortably for entirely different reasons to the flu.
What if I was pregnant? Did I even want to go through with that alone? I wasn't fit to be a mother, let alone a single mother. I couldn't do this if I was pregnant. Laura had the test opened and she handed it to me, leaving me no choice in the matter.
"I need to pee in private," the mumbled excuse was very weak.
"I'll wait just outside in case you fall over," Laura offered me a hand to help me to my feet. "I'll give you a minute."
There was no room for arguments when it came to Laura. I'd never get out of this no matter what. As soon as the door pulled shut, I did as I was told. Peeing on that white stick made me think of how much my life could change in less than 2 minutes. I'd only just made the decision to stay in SHIELD and now this might be happening. When would I ever get a break? A very small part of my mind wanted to be excited at the possibility. It was hard to be heard over my screaming panic going on in my head, but it was there. If I was pregnant it'd be a small part of Riley I'd have. But it'd also be a very painful reminder of him every single day.
"I'm coming back in," Laura called through the door. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and quickly yanked my pants back on. The motion of standing up so quickly made me quickly sit back on the floor as a wave of nausea hit me really hard. Laura strode back in just as I sat on the floor. I stared at the white stick still in my hands looking at the window.
"It takes a few minutes," Laura said as she gently took it from my hands. She placed the test on the sink and sat down on the floor next to me. "You look like you're about to have a panic attack, or cry.I'm not sure which one it is."
"Both," I admitted with a forced tug on my lips. "I don't know what to think."
"Are we having a girls night in the bathroom?" Natasha strode in, yawning as she walked in. Without another word she collapsed on the floor next to Laura. It was only then she seemed to shake herself from her half sleep. "Still sick? Did Laura make you take the pregnancy test yet?"
"Do you even know how to be subtle?" Laura asked Natasha with a shake of her head. "It's sitting on the sink by the way."
Natasha sprung back to her feet and looked over on the sink. The face of disappointment she pulled made my panic start to rise even more.
"Still not ready," Natasha wrinkled her nose. "Why do they take so long?"
Good question. My fate was hanging in the balance of that test and it seemed to make time tick by even slower than before.
"Believe me it feels even slower when you're the one waiting for the result," Laura said dryly. She checked her watch and then looked back to me. "Are you pale because you're feeling sick or are you going to pass out on us for an entirely different reason?"
"Both," I licked my suddenly dry lips. "What if I'm pregnant?"
"Then I'm the god mother," Natasha wasn't missing anything this morning, despite the early hour. She usually needed at least 2 coffee's before anything was more articulate than a grunt. I didn't even know she'd stayed the night. She hadn't been around when Clint had gotten me to eat earlier.
"And you can worry about it if you are," Laura was at least trying to be soothing. The silence stretched out for a few long uncomfortable moments as the question hung in the air. The glances between Laura and Natasha didn't go unnoticed by me.
"I don't know if I can do it if I was," I whispered resting my forehead back on the toilet seat to cool my sweaty skin down. "I don't know if I could live every day seeing R…"
My voice hitched trying to say his name still. I closed my eyes willing the lump in my throat back down into my heart where it belonged. Would this ever get any better? This was made so much worse by I'd finally started to think having a family wasn't such a bad idea.
"Being a Mom isn't the end of the world," Laura said gently. I felt her hand fall on my back rubbing reassuring circles. "We'd all help if you were. It might even stop Clint pestering me for child number 3."
I laughed very weakly at that. If nothing else Clint had been at that for the last few months, Natasha wasn't helping the case either. She wanted to be an Aunt the third time over just as much as Clint wanted to be a Dad again.
I heard one of them shuffle back to a stand and a footstep towards the sink. The silence in the room was deafening. I raised my head to look at who it was checking the test. It was Natasha standing there with it in her hands. The look of disappointment told me everything I needed to know already. Wordlessly she handed me the test and I confirmed it for myself.
Negative.
The tears erupted so quickly I couldn't force them away this time. Both Natasha and Laura fell to the floor to comfort me. I sobbed against Natasha shoulder so hard I could barely breath. I was only vaguely aware of Laura behind me again as she tried to comfort me as well. It took a long few minutes for the tears to finally dry up and my sobs to quieten down.
"Is this relief or upset because you're not?" Natasha finally asked me quietly.
I just shook my head. I didn't even know the answer myself.
Laura gave me the maxolon injection before we all left the bathroom. I was still out of it to feel anything except numb and exhausted. My bout of uncontrollable tears drained every last ounce of energy out of me. I was leaning heavily on both Natasha and Laura to even make it back to bed. Once I got there, I all but collapsed on the bed. Laura pulled the covers up over me while Natasha pushed my messy hair out of my face.
"Go back to sleep," Natasha murmured to me in Russian. "Everything will be better in the morning."
I was too tired to correct Natasha on it already being morning. I did as I was told and closed my eyes. I was out cold within seconds. When I woke up again it was late afternoon. For the first time in days I didn't feel the need to rush out of bed and puke. My head and throat still ached, I felt like I was lying in a puddle of snot and sweat, but my stomach was settled.
I could hear raised voices coming from downstairs. One was definitely Clint's and the quieter one sounded like Laura. Whatever they were arguing about was loud. Just not loud enough for me to hear actual words. It went on for a good 10 minutes before the front door slammed. The slam was hard enough that you could hear things rattling on the wall. I'd place good money on it being Clint who slammed the door for whatever reason the argument was about.
I waited another few minutes in the now silent house before getting up. I was still weak and my body ached making it a chore to get to the bathroom. But at least it wasn't a violent sprint to get there. I could actually take my time to get there. The feeling of being able to sit on the toilet like a normal person, not curled around it, was such a nice feeling. I took my time in giving my face a quick wash and brushing my hair so I didn't look like how I'd been feeling. My hair was a wild tangle of knots and hung limply around my face. I had huge, dark circles under my eyes and my cheeks looked drawn and hollow. I looked terrible.
My eyes fell down to the bin where the pregnancy test had been thrown in. It was such a bizarre turn of events. After all these weeks of everything getting turned upside down, it made me realise things could always be worse. Much worse. My life could have changed in an instant if that test had been positive. I wasn't sure if it would be in a good way either. The idea of a family with Riley was exciting. By myself, there's no way I could do it. I'd never find anyone else like Riley. Any thoughts of settling down and having a family died along with him. The relief of the negative pregnancy test outweighed the guilt I felt.
I was a horrible, selfish person. But I just couldn't do it. Not without Riley.
"Kari?" Clint's voice came through the door along with a quiet knock.
"I'm decent," I rasped out. I tore my eyes away from the bin and pushed it from my mind. Just another thing to bury and not think about again. It was easier this way. To keep busy so I couldn't let myself be miserable. I'd been doing a good job of it. I couldn't stop now.
That was a surprise that it was Clint still here. Whatever they were fighting about mustn't have been good to make Laura slam the door like that. I was always in trouble from her for letting the door slam.
"Hey look at that, your upright too," Clint pushed the door open. He gave me a small smile that looked very strained. "How are you feeling?"
"Been better," I winced as I snagged another knot in my hair. "But I've been out of bed for a few minutes and not thrown up."
"New record," Clint chuckled weakly. "Do you want a cup of tea? Maybe some toast?"
"Eh, maybe just the tea," I didn't want to push my luck with food just yet. I'd never been much of a tea drinker but Laura kept a few nice blends.
"Laura left me another shot, so lets try the toast," Clint coaxed. "And enjoy the peace and quiet because Aunty Nat is taking the kids out for the afternoon. Come on."
Clint held out his hand, effectively ending any argument on my part. Now I thought of it, some toast didn't seem so bad. I put the hairbrush down and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. I took Clint's hand and let him pull me down to the kitchen. I was nearly out of energy just walking down the stairs. Lucy and Lucky greeted me at the bottom of the stairs, both begging for attention. I smiled and reached down to pat them both. I'd woken up to Lucky asleep in the bed with me a few times over the last few days. I'd been glad for the company, even if it was only the 4 legged kind.
"Go outside," Clint shooed the dogs out. They both looked at Clint with their pitiful eyes before obeying the command. If the weather was like before I got sick, I wouldn't want to be outside either. It was hot and unbearably muggy with little relief even when it rained.
We made it to the kitchen, where I happily collapsed into the first chair at the table. I might not have been feeling like I wanted to throw up, but it was taking a lot of energy out of me. Clint busied himself getting the tea and toast ready.
"Where's Laura?" I asked tentatively. It was so quiet at the moment without anyone else here.
"Work," Clint said a little shortly. "Did we wake you up?"
"Nope," I half lied. "Though, we always get into trouble for slamming the door. It must be Laura's turn for it."
Clint chuckled briefly before turning around. He put a plate of toast on the table, along with the ginger and lemon tea I'd been drinking over the last few days. The tea was about the only thing that stayed in my stomach for more than 5 minutes. I wrinkled my nose at the sight of food. Even something as bland as toast.
"Just one piece," Clint pulled a chair out and sat down. He had a cup of coffee which smelt very tempting right now. A lot more tempting than my own cup of tea and toast. I sighed and looked at Clint pleadingly. He didn't waver. He just pointed to the plate with a stern look. I picked up a piece of toast and took a small nibble. My stomach didn't protest at the first bite. Or the second. I ate my way through the piece, sipping on my tea. Clint was quiet, drinking his coffee and eating a few pieces of toast as well.
"I've never seen you this quiet before," I prodded gently. Whatever Laura and Clint had argued about mustn't been good.
"Yeah well," Clint drifted away. He started to absently play with the crusts he pulled off his toast. "I hate it when we fight. Especially when its over the same bullshit we always fight over."
"Sorry," I said instantly. I shouldn't have brought it up. What Clint and Laura argued about was none of my business.
"Don't be sorry," Clint sighed and threw his crusts back on the plate. "I started it and then it dissolved into the same bullshit argument about work."
"I thought Laura understood about our line of work?" I asked tentatively.
"She does," Clint blew out a breath. "But with Riley…"
Ah. Even feeling as terrible as I did, I got it straight away. Riley's death didn't just effect me. I was too wrapped up in my own grief to notice the effect on everyone else. It must have been horrible for Clint. I didn't even think to consider how he'd be coping through this whole situation. He'd been his normal smartass self. Always cracking jokes, pushing my limits in training. Under the surface must have been a different picture. Clint could be just as good, sometimes better, as Natasha for keeping his emotions closed off.
"Its hard when it hits a lot closer to home than normal," Clint said as he rubbed his forehead. "Laura had a bit of bitch about me going away for the last mission. Lila is too young to really understand about Riley. Cooper took it pretty hard as well. So she had to deal with that while I was gone."
Poor kids. Again, I didn't even think how things would be for everyone around me. Riley had been a big part of everyone's life over the last few months
"I'm sorry," I said again in a small voice. "I've kind of turned everyone's life upside down."
"Again, don't be sorry," Clint threw a small piece of crust at me. I scowled at him as it hit me dead centre of the forehead. "None of us could have predicted this. It sucks, but we're all moving on."
I couldn't think of a single damn thing to say. Even if I wasn't sick I would have been stumped on finding the right words. Clint really had been incredible with how he'd let me into his secret life so easily. There was never a question of keeping anything from me. The minute I'd been assigned to STRIKE Team Delta I became part of the family. Despite his reassurances, I wasn't feeling at all good about this. The last thing I'd ever want to do is cause problems in Clint's marriage just because of me.
"Kari," Clint broke me from my thoughts. "Stop worrying about it. I can hear the thoughts from here."
I stopped myself from apologising again. If I did Clint just might smack me for it.
"We're married, we fight sometimes," Clint reached over and took my hand. "It's not your fault that we're fighting. So I don't want to hear you apologise or even look worried about it. Understood?"
"Yes boss," I refrained from rolling my eyes at Clint's bossy tone. He sounded so much like Jared when he was done talking about a subject. There was never any room to argue about it. Once the subject was closed, it was over and done with. It was like trying to move a mountain to try and push to continue with it.
"Why don't you go have a shower?" Clint suggested. "Then come and crash on the couch, I'll stick a movie on."
"Sounds like a plan," I said with a small smile. "Do I stink that bad?"
"Yep," Clint smirked at me as he got up. "You stink as bad as you look."
Geez, thanks Barton. You sure know how to give a girl some confidence in herself. I scowled at Clint, pushing myself up and away from the table. The little bit of food in my stomach did wonders for my energy levels. Ignoring Clint's very smug smirk I went back upstairs and did as I was told. The shower did feel amazing. The steam managed to unblock my nose enough I could breath properly. I found a change of clothes in the bag Clint packed for me. Clean and dressed I almost felt like a normal person again. Almost.
Clint already had a movie on. I lay across the couch with my feet in Clint's lap. I frowned at the screen, wondering what the hell I was actually watching. There was some guy on the screen rambling about double tap to make sure a zombie was dead.
"Zomebieland," Clint beat me to it before I could ask. "It's hilarious. Just watch it before you judge me."
Clint had a very random taste in movies. But I usually couldn't fault his taste. If he said a movie was good, I usually agreed with him. I grabbed a cushion, putting it under my head settling in to watch the movie. He was right, 5 minutes into the movie and I was laughing my ass off at it. When it was finished, Clint coaxed me into soup for dinner again. Despite for sleeping for hours, I went back to bed straight after my early dinner.
It became a bit of a routine for the next few days. Get up, laze on the couch and back to bed. I barely saw Laura. She seemed to be working crazier hours than normal, the kids more than made up for it. Natasha as well. By Monday I felt well enough to head to work with Clint. Not that I had much of a choice. On Friday afternoon an email came through to all STRIKE personal. Compulsory yearly medicals and the warning of random drug testings. Both Clint and Natasha had snorted and rolled their eyes at that one. Apparently one of the joys of being STRIKE Team Delta was they always got selected for the drug testing. We also always got called in first being the smallest and general the easiest team to get through. It was just another wasted morning we could have spent blowing up targets, or making nuisances of ourselves in Coulson's office.
It saw me sitting on a bed trying not to yawn as I got the usual things taken. It was Max, who seemed to be just as bored as I was with all this. He'd spent more time admiring the lack of scar on my leg from coming off my Kawasaki earlier in the year than anything else. Whatever Laura had used really did work wonders on it. He'd already drawn a few vials of blood and thrown them in a small machine.
"So you need to pee in this," Max picked up a small container and handed it to me. "Lucky you for the random drug test."
Max made quotation marks with his fingers as the word random. It made me laugh quietly at the not so random drug test. I took the sample container off him and took another sip of water like I had been all morning. It was partly so I could pee when I needed to. The other part was to try and push my weight up a bit. I was sitting on 119 pounds thanks to my week of throwing up. It wasn't a good number to be on. I really should have been at least 125 pounds due to my height to pass a basic BMI test. 130 pounds would have been better like I was a few months ago. I'd lost so much muscle mass over the last few weeks it was frustrating. I'd only just been able to stomach decent food as of last night so I couldn't even feed myself up for this.
"Any chance you could be pregnant?" Max's eyes dropped down to his clipboard.
"No," I was relieved to be very confident to say that. "I was sick last week and a friend made me do a pregnancy test just to rule it out."
"Awesome," Max didn't look up. "Do you take birth control?"
"Yes," I really hated medicals. I felt like they needed to know when you wiped your ass last time. "IUD, its due to be replaced in a few weeks."
"We can do that today if you'd like," Max tapped his pen on the clipboard. "That way its done and you don't have to worry about it if you get called away on a mission."
I grimaced but nodded my consent. It saved me a lot of hassle but I wasn't looking forward to it. The fucker hurt enough going in. Let alone getting one pulled out and then it replaced. I didn't get to dwell on it much longer because Max was firing questions at me again. When he was finally done asking about the list of vaccinations I'd had while in the Air Force, he tapped his pen against the sample jar.
"Off you go," Max said. "I'll grab one of the female medics and get her to do your IUD after I'm finished with you."
"Yay," I muttered under my breath, but complied, jumping down off the bed and headed towards the door.
"Don't give start giving me attitude," Max swatted me with the clipboard as I left the room. "I'll start calling you Romanoff Junior otherwise."
That made me laugh. I did as I was told and headed to the bathroom. Thankfully my sipping on water had done the trick. I was done and heading back in less than 3 minutes. Natasha was just coming out of the bathroom as I went in. We pulled identical bored faces at each other in passing. Neither of us stopped to chat though. The sooner we got this done the quicker we could all go home.
Once I went back to the room I handed the sample jar to Max. He pointed to the scales.
"Shoes off," Max instructed. "You should know the drill."
I kicked my sneakers off and got on the scale. I flinched as the numbers showed up at 118.5. Yikes. That wasn't what I wanted to see. Before I could react, Max gave the scales a hard kick. It sent the numbers haywire before the screen blanked out.
"Oh fuck look at that they broke," Max's fake look of surprise made me smile. "I've got a good idea. Why don't you head to the cafeteria? I believe the spaghetti bolognese is really good, plus some ice cream and the biggest milkshake you can manage with it."
"Okay?" I looked at Max questioningly.
"Come back in about," Max looked at his watch. "Half an hour. Don't go to the toilet. I should have the scales replaced by then. Maybe throw a protein shake down on your way back up."
This was a good way of making me sick all over again. But I was getting the train of thought. If I stuffed myself full I might just make the minimum weight to pass my medical. Max was currently doing me a very big favour. Though I had no idea why. I barely knew the guy. It wasn't any skin off his nose whether I passed my medical or not. Instead of arguing about it, I did as I was told.
I was hungry by the time I made it to the cafeteria, so it wasn't hard to stuff myself full as quickly as possible. I even managed to have the extra large helping of ice cream and milkshake. I was disgustingly full to the point of uncomfortable by the time I walked back to medical. Max was waiting with a new set of scales.
"Lets see if these work," Max said with a smug smile.
I kicked my shoes off again and got on the scales. This time they jumped up to 123 pounds. At least the water weight was giving me a boost. Not as much as I needed. I bit my lip looking down at those numbers. I was so damn skinny at the moment. I really hated my body type sometimes. Why couldn't I put on weight as easily as I lost it? There was no way I was going to pass this medical with my weight. I tried not to let my disappointment show. Good bye the small amount of flying time I was getting.
"128, damn those last scales were dodgy," Max noted it down on the clipboard. I raised my eyebrows and looked up at Max. The 3 was very clearly not an 8.
"You must have a magic pen too," I couldn't keep my mouth shut.
"Being the head doctor here does have its advantages," Max flashed me a cheeky grin. "Magic pens are one of them. Sit so I can do your blood pressure too. Your blood work is a bit shitty meaning you had a virus recently, so that can make up for the 2 pounds you need to pass for your minimum weight."
That was easier than anticipated. My disappointment was replaced with surprise and a small amount of suspicion. Why was he doing this for me?
"Thank you," I couldn't think of much else to say as I sat back down on the bed. Thank you felt insignificant to say for what he was doing for me.
"You're welcome," Max grabbed the blood pressure cuff and attached it to my arm. "I'm not about to ground you for a silly reason like being a few pounds underweight when you're otherwise healthy and fit."
I was silent while he took my blood pressure. Thankfully it was normal, probably about the only thing not wrong with me at the moment. Its little wonder I'd gotten so sick. My poor body probably just had enough of the stress and couldn't cope anymore. It was the only reason I could think of with me being the only one so sick.
"I've seen the way you train," Max had a small chuckle. "I dare say with your body type you'd find it hell to gain weight."
"Tell me about it," I grumbled lightly. "But, again, thank you. I appreciate it a lot."
Max's smile wavered for a moment.
"I'm sorry to hear about your boyfriend," Max said quietly. "Right now I'm guessing the last thing you need is to be sitting around with nothing to do. So, you're all clear on my end for field work again. I've seen too many people in Operations grounded for stupid reasons and it does more harm than good."
I was lost for words. I guess news always traveled fast in SHIELD. Not that it would have been hard to forget about Riley after his dramatics with Rollins. That felt like it was a lifetime ago instead of just a few months. What's more is that a complete stranger had just gone and done me a massive favour. I had no idea I could get this lucky about being back at work so quickly. I still hadn't heard anything about any psych appointments. Not that I was complaining. It was just a very strange set of circumstances allowing me to do this. I was sure it'd all come crashing down on me sooner rather than later. But for the moment I'd run with it.
"And before you get all mushy on me," Max glanced over his shoulder towards the door. "Here's your replacement IUD. Want some vidocin and valium to go with that?"
I nodded vigorously at the promise of good drugs to make this go smoother. Maybe if I was lucky I might even get enough sympathy from Clint to make me stir fry tonight.
Authors Note.
Wow, look at this update! It's actually not 6 weeks from the last one. Are you surprised as I am? I know it's a bit shorter than usual, but its all part of the long term plan.
So hands up who thought Kari was actually pregnant? Sorry guys, I couldn't quite resist the bit of angst and drama there.
Thank you to everyone for sticking with me while I've been unwell and the updates and writing have been all over the place. And thank you for the well wishes. I'm excited to start getting back into the action side of things and pushing towards Iron Man 2 and Thor over the next piece of timeline I have planned.
Until next time.