Because I love you guys, I'm giving you another chapter today.
And I kind of lied. Not really, just decided to cut this chapter in two.
And I don't know what's wrong with me but I can't seem to come up with good chapter names.
Oh well, enjoy!
Words: 2,620
After much pacing and changing seats, probably annoying the people in the room around him, Tony walks back to the desk to ask for an update on Ada's condition. It doesn't make him feel better. The lady behind the desk can't tell him much, just that she's still in surgery. He's not family so she can't tell him any more than that.
Pepper is on her way but it's taking to long for his liking.
His hands shake, nothing he does is helping. Wringing his hands only makes them sweaty. The stress ball he keeps in his pocket only makes him want to through it at something. His hair probably looks like he was electrocuted from the many times he'd run his fingers through it.
He wants to demand answers as to why they called him if they weren't going to tell him anything.
Peter texted him, asking if he'd heard from Ada. Apparently she was supposed to go out with him and their friends after dinner with her father. Peter had said she wasn't answering her phone. And she wasn't, because she was lying on some table, cut open while people tried to put her back together.
He didn't tell the boy that. But he couldn't avoid it so he told him which hospital he was at. Told him there had been an accident.
Sometime later, Tony isn't sure - his concept of time is pretty much none existent right now - May and Peter enter the waiting room, their eyes scanning it until they land on him.
"Where is she? Is she okay?" Peter asks quickly, his wide eyes frantic.
"I don't know, kid," Tony sighs sadly, placing his hand on the teenager's shoulder. "She's in surgery. That's all they'll tell me."
"Peter, stay with Tony, okay?" May tells her nephew while rubbing a hand over his arm. "I'm going to go see what I can find out."
May's gone for longer than either thought she would be. Peter is more fidgety than Tony is. The billionaire hadn't realized that was possible. But when May comes back, she has more information. Apparently nurses know each other well, even if they work at different hospitals. More on Ada's condition. May says the doctors were still trying to fix the damage best they could, they didn't go into detail. But it's her head they're most worried about. Subdural hematoma, May called it. And swelling. It was bad enough that they had to cut her head open.
Tony bites down on his fist as May tells them this, her arms wrapped around Peter comfortingly.
She moves on quickly, changing the subject to other things. Social services were called. Turns out the only living relative they could find of Ada is Nathan's mother. But she woman lives at a nursing home in New Hampshire.
But before Tony can stress over it, Pepper, the angel she is, arrives then, taking him into her arms. She whispers to him that's it's going to be okay and he wants to believe her but it's not so simple.
Pulling away, Pepper pushes Tony into the closest chair before having May fill her in. Peter sits on the other side of Mr. Stark with his hands over his ears.
When finished, Pepper takes a seat next to her fiancé and places a hand on his arm. "Hey, I'm going to make some phone calls then I'll come right back."
"I can-"
"No, you need to stay here." Pepper tells him with a shake of her head. "It's okay, I won't be long." Placing a kiss to his cheek, Pepper stands from the chair and walks off. Tony will forever be grateful for her. She's always there to step in when he can't stand alone on his own two feet.
May chews her nails when she's nervous. Tony had never noticed that before. She's also a pacer, much like him. She requests two updates on Ada before Pepper comes back.
"Okay, I've dealt with things for now, are you up for the details?"
"Yeah," Clearing his throat, Tony nods and sits up straight while rubbing his hands on his pants. "Fill me in."
"I talked to our lawyers and a social worker." Pepper explains. They didn't need to talk about it, she hadn't needed to ask him to know what to do. "With the...delicate circumstances...Ada will soon be under our care."
"You got custody?" Tony asks, unsurprised but needing to hear the words before his brain accepts it.
"It's still pending and it's temporary custody, but yes." Pepper nods while chewing her bottom lip. "Any news?"
Shaking his head, Tony runs his hands through his hair for the umpteenth time. "No. Pep, what if-"
"Don't even think about finishing that sentence." Pepper cuts him off, taking his wrists in her hands and pulling them closer to her. "Ada is going to be fine."
It's entering some unholy hour of the night - or morning - when someone finally approaches them. Dr. Andersand, he introduces himself as before leading them to a small, private room with a few chairs.
They might not have the papers proving custody yet, but the doctor was given the go-ahead to inform them of his patient's condition. "First off, Ada is stable." Everyone releases a breath of relief. "When the paramedics first arrived on the scene, she was pinned inside the car. It took some time before they were able to get her out." Pausing, the older man lets out a quiet sigh. "Ada's injuries are extensive." He doesn't say it, but he'd thought it more than once after the teenager's long, taxing surgery. It's a miracle she's alive. He's seen pictures of the car. Or what used to be a car.
"The thing we're most worried about right now is her head injury. We were able to locate the source of the bleeding and stop it, but the swelling has yet to go down."
"Okay, what does that mean exactly?" Pepper asks as calmly as she can manage, her hand holding Tony's in a tight grip.
"Well, we need to keep a close eye on it. If it doesn't go down soon..." No matter how many years he's been doing this, it never gets easier. "There are a lot of risks. The biggest is, that she may never wake up." May wipes away the tear that falls down her cheek while Peter bites his lip hard enough to draw blood. "But I am optimistic that that won't be the case. I can't promise anything but it's still early."
"Okay," May breaths and clears her throat. "What else?"
Anderson offers her the box the tissues resting on the table beside him before he continues. "Do to the impact of the crash, Ada broke many bones. Her ribs included and when she was shifted, her lung was pierced and it collapsed. We were able to fix it with a chest tube, which will remain until more properly healed."
Everyone breaths tensely and the doctor pauses for a moment. Sometimes it's easier to take in bits of information slowly. "There's damage to her spine as well. We repaired it but we had to insert four screws in her L3 and L4 vertebrae."
"She'll still be able to walk?" The question comes from Pepper who has to clear her throat when her voice cracks.
"I'm sure with time and plenty of physical therapy, she will walk again." Dr. Anderson nods and offers them a tight-lipped smile. "The last thing is her right arm and hand. The ulna and radius were both snapped in two places while there are smaller breaks throughout her hand. The bones have been set and put in a cast."
"Can we see her?" Tony finally finds his voice but it sounds hoarse, raspy.
"She's in the ICU, I can take you all to see her but only for a few minutes. I'm afraid it's three visitors at a time during visiting hours." The doctor stands and everyone follows after him. Peter stays tucked into May's side while Pepper and Tony wrap their arms around each other.
The walk isn't long and the group pauses outside a glass door covered by blinds from the inside. "I must warn you," Anderson turns to them, his hand on the door handle behind his back. "She does have a breathing tube in. Seeing that can be hard. She doesn't look how you remember right now, but just know that it's helping her."
Waiting another moment, Anderson looks among the group before sliding the door open. The room is dark. The only light seeping in from the observation window across from the hospital bed, the now open door, and the machines showing the young girls vitals.
Anderson moves in first and stands to the side, allowing the others to enter. His hand reaches for the dial on the wall and turns the lights up slowly.
May tightens her hold on Peter when silent tears spill down the boy's cheeks. He's biting the inside of his cheek now, even harder than before. The doctor had been right, seeing his best friend with a tube down her throat, a bandage around her head and cheek, and a bulky cast around her arm was hard. But he doesn't look away because he needs to be there for her.
It's no easier for May, seeing the young teenager like this, but she was more prepared than the others. Being a nurse, she's seen people in the same position.
Pepper is the first to step forward, cautious of all the tubes attached to the girl. She rests her hand atop of Ada's left that rests on a pillow by her side. It's bruised and scratched, but it's the most unmarked part of her skin.
"It won't hurt to talk to her," Anderson says softly from behind them all. "I always recommend it."
Pepper nods but doesn't acknowledge the man any further. She only looks back after a moment to Tony. He's just standing there, arms limp by his sides. Eye locked onto Ada's face. Pepper has seen Tony in some of his worst places, but she's not sure she's ever seen him look the way he does now. Lost doesn't quite feel like the right word and sad doesn't seem strong enough.
"Tony, sweetie," Pepper moves away from Ada, vaguely aware of May and Peter moving towards the girl in her absence. "Hey, look at me," Cupping his cheeks, Pepper gives Tony no other choice but to meet her eyes. "She's going to be okay. You have to focus on that."
Pursing his lips, Tony nods and blinks his eyes rapidly when his vision becomes blurry. Too bad he can't just focus on just one thing.
"You can stay a little while longer, but I can't bend the rules much more." Anderson's voice once again flows through the room. "One person is allowed to stay with her throughout her time here. But any more visitors have to come during proper hours."
"Thank you," Pepper nods and gives the man a tight smile as he makes his way out of the room. "Come here." Taking her fiancé's hand, Pepper turns around and tugs him closer to the bed.
Peter is sitting in a chair by Ada's legs with May's arm wrapped around his shoulders.
"Here," Pepper lifts Tony's hand before placing it over Ada's. It hits her then and she nearly chokes. This girl, lying here, broken in a hospital bed is their kid. She has been for a while now. Not by blood, but in all the ways that matter.
Tony notices Pepper's sudden shift in emotions and wraps his arm around her, turning her to him. She buries her face in his shoulder and cries.
Another hand on his shoulder has Tony turning his head to see May. "We have to go," She whispers to him regretfully, glancing behind her to Peter. "We're going to come back tomorrow."
"Okay," Tony nods as Pepper moves away to wrap her arms around the other woman. "Hey, Pete," Bending down, Tony sits in front of Peter who has yet to remove his eyes from his friend. "Don't worry, kiddo, Ada's going to be just fine." He only wishes he believed his own words. "Try to get some sleep, you can come back tomorrow."
Nodding, Peter clumsily wipes his face with trembling hands. "C'mere, buddy." Standing on weak knees, Tony pulls Peter to him in a tight embrace.
"Alright, sweetie, we need to go." May shares a quick hug with Tony when Peter pulls away before aunt and nephew quietly step out of the room.
"I'll stay the night," Tony tells Pepper when she rejoins his side. "You go back to the apartment, get some sleep."
"Tony,"
"I can't leave, Pep."
Sighing, Pepper places her hand on his chest. "I know." She nods, glancing down at where he's loosely holding Ada's hand before placing her's over his. "Stupid hospital rules."
"Yeah," Tony nearly smiles. "I love you, you know."
"Of course I do," Sliding her hand over his shoulder, Pepper cups the back of Tony's neck. "I love you, too. I'll be back first thing."
Nodding, Tony kisses her before pulling her into a tight hug, holding her for a little while longer before finally letting her go. "Be safe, let me know when you get home."
Pepper turns away from him and back to Ada, carefully placing her hand on the girl's cheek. "It's okay, sweetie, we're here." She whispers to the teenager, letting her fingers find the hair peeking out from under the bandage that's wrapped around her head. "Tony is going to stay with you but I'll be back in a few hours." When her fingertips brush over something, Pepper squints before gripping the fleck of glass hidden in the teenager's hair.
Closing her eyes, Pepper takes a deep breath as a tear falls down her cheek and turns back to Tony. "She'll be okay." She's not sure if she's trying to assure him or herself.
"She will," Tony nods back to her. They embrace again in one last hug before Pepper slowly makes her way out of the room.
Tony lifts a hand to rub his chest at the sudden tightness he feels there. His legs give out and he falls into the chair next to the bed. Now that the others are gone, he lets the tears he's been fighting fall. He purses his lips and squeezes his eyes shut while leaning forward.
Sniffing, Tony stubbornly wipes at his face and looks up. "It's okay, kid," He whispers while gently taking her hand in his own. "You're gonna be okay." When his voice falters, the only noise filling the room is the hiss of the ventilator forcing air into Ada's lungs. The screen displaying her vitals with different colored lines but there's no beeping. Tony is grateful for that, he feels the noise would make him go crazy.
Pretend the whole custody stuff is realistic. Because I'm sure that's not how it works but this is Pepper Potts we're talking about, that woman can do anything.
Everyone take a deep breath for me. I'm stressing over some things right now.
Random thought. If you guys have a little prompt you'd like to see me try and write into one of the chapters, that could be fun. Like short dialogue or a sentence like the teasers. Just let me know and I'll try. Figured It could be a cool little thing but it's just a thought. If not that's cool too.
And also, I have the next few chapters written, but if there's some characters you want to see more interactions with, please let me know and I'll do my best to put that in.
And more. I have another character we have yet to see planned to come in, in later chapters. Any idea on who it is?
Teaser: He takes her limp hand in both of his, cradling it like it's the most fragile thing in the world