Sorry for the long wait!
"S'evie," Tony cries.
Steve was laying on the bed with Tony curled into him. He was near the end of last dialysis treatment for the week but was experiencing abdominal cramps. Steve was rubbing his stomach, trying to help him relax but it didn't seem to be helping. "It's okay, baby, almost over," Steve said softly.
"Hurts," Tony cries, burying his face into Steve's chest. The oxygen mask made the position uncomfortable, but Steve ignored it in favor of comforting his husband.
Steve ran his fingers through Tony's hair. He accidentally brushes up against Tony's forehead and frowns at the heat. "You feel a bit hot, Tones," he says.
Tony moans, fisting Steve's shirt weakly.
"I just want to go home," Tony cries softly. "I want to go to my workshop with Dum-E and U and Butterfingers and Jarvis. I want to wear my suit and fly and-"
"Calm down, baby," Steve hushes as Tony's breath hitches. "I spoke to Dr. Jones yesterday and he said he sees some improvement with the dialysis."
Tony paused. "Really?" His glassy eyes looked up at Steve.
"Yes, so hang in there okay?" Steve says softly, massaging his stomach.
Tony nods slowly, closing his eyes. He was trembling slightly and felt like an ice cube inside, but he stayed quiet, trying to stay strong.
Dr. Jones came a few minutes later to remove the machine. "It looks like you're doing well on the dialysis machine, . You are scheduled for some more tests tomorrow, but it looks like the dialysis is helping," he reported.
Tony gave a shaky smile. "Thank you," he said softly.
"They will be bringing your lunch in a few minutes and I want you to try to finish it. It looks like you haven't been eating much and you are losing a lot of weight. You know what happens if you are not eating."
Tony shuddered, nodding. "Okay, i'll try," Tony said.
Despite his promise, Tony fought Steve as he tried to feed the gross looking food to Tony a few minutes later. Tony felt lethargic from the dialysis, but that didn't stop him from flopping his head side to side to avoid the spoonful of soup Steve tried to feed him.
"Please, Tones," Steve pleaded. They had been fighting one spoonful for almost ten minutes now and Steve's patience was thinning.
"I'm not hungry," Tony whined.
"I know baby, but you gotta eat to stay healthy. Doctor's orders," Steve said.
Tony let out a few silent tears but nodded, opening his mouth slowly.
Every bite of soup made his stomach bulge and growl in distress, but he ate just for the accomplished smile on Steve's face. Natasha came in about three quarters through and sat at the edge of the bed, looking through a binder of notes.
When the bowl of soup was finished, Steve finally let Tony relax and lowered the bed back down while putting back on the oxygen mask. Tony bit back a groan and curled onto his side.
"Can you get me some ice chips Stevie? My mouth is dry again," Tony asked softly.
Steve's face melted at Tony's pitiful look and nodded. "I'll be right back," he smiled.
As soon as Steve closed the door, Natasha grabbed a basin and wrenched it under Tony's head, just in time for him to move the oxygen mask out the way and vomit. Tony heaved violently for two minutes, bringing up the soup and whatever else he had eaten before that. He was even reduced to dry heaving for several seconds, only bringing up stomach acid. Tears flowed from Tony's eyes from the pain in his stomach and throat.
"It's okay my bednyy mal'chik," Natasha cooes, wiping Tony's mouth with a tissue.
"Don't tell Steve," Tony asks as Natasha helps him get settled in the bed again.
Natasha gives him a look.
"Please," Tony whines.
"Fine, but you must try to eat more. You probably threw up because your stomach isn't used to the food," Nastasha chides.
Tony nods, snuggling further into the bed.
"Okay, I got the chips," Steve says, entering the room.
"Thank you," Tony croaks from the bed.
Steve walks over and kneels in front of Tony's head. He opens his eyes, smiling under the mask at his husband. Steve smiles back and slowly moves the oxygen mask to the side. "Did you miss me?" Steve smirks.
"Always," Tony whispers.
Steve rubs his nose against Tony's before spooning out some ice chips. He spends several minutes feeding them to Tony while Natasha rolls her eyes at the loving pair.
By the fifth mouthful, Tony's eyes are shut and he is breathing heavy. Steve stands up, not before pulling up the blanket and kissing his husband on the forehead.
"Does he seem extra sleepy to you," Steve whispers to Natasha. "These past few days he's been so tired."
"It's probably the dialysis," Natasha supplies.
Steve sighs and moves to go sit in his usual chair.
"No vonyuchiy mal'chik, you need to go home to shower and rest. You've been here forever," Natasha says.
"But-"
"No, go!" Natasha says, pushing Steve towards the door.
When the door closes, Natasha rolls her eyes before crawling onto the hospital bed and snuggling up to Tony. He hums and snuggles closer to her chest.
"Love you, Nat," he slurs, half sleep.
"Love you too, now get some sleep," she said fondly, pulling up the blanket.
Several days later, the tests had come back saying the dialysis was helping and Tony was able to stop dialysis, which was a big relief. Despite the good news, Tony didn't show much physical improvement. His cough was still present and he was still relying on oxygen to breathe. The doctors were trying out different medications to boost his lungs, but they had to be careful because of Tony's other medical issues, including his heart.
The team was once again crowded in Tony's hospital room. Clint was instructing Bruce and Steve how to play a video game on the television, and Natasha was sitting at the foot of Tony's bed looking through SHIELD files. Tony was sleeping, which is all he seemed to do these days besides refusing to eat.
Seeing the doctor walk past the door, Bruce jumped up, handing his controller to Clint and dashed out the door.
"Dr. Jones," Bruce called.
"Hello, Dr. Banner," the doctor stopped.
"Hello, I was just wondering if Tony Stark was going to be released soon? Since he's been off the dialysis for almost a week now," Bruce asked.
"Yes, we want to observe him for three more days and on the third day we will do more tests. If they all look good, he will be released under your care," the doctor says.
"What about his lungs? He's still on oxygen," Bruce asks.
The doctor sighs. "Listen , is getting older. We haven't really found a cause so we are thinking its just his age-"
"Tony isn't the healthiest man, but I think you should perform more tests. He was fine before this. He was fine," Bruce says, getting worked up.
"Okay Dr. Banner. I'll look into-" Dr. Jones starts.
"Help!" They hear coming from Tony's room.
The two men don't hesitate before running over, finding the room in chaos.
Tony was on the bed, face quickly turning blue, gasping for breath. His back was arched in his search for air, wheezing and clenching the sheets.
The two doctors quickly move everyone out of the way, taking a different side of the bed. Dr. Jones listened to Tony's chest while Bruce read the beeping machines.
"Keep it on, Tony," Bruce scolded when he noticed Tony trying to pull off the oxygen mask.
Tony ignored him and pulled the mask to the side. Immediately he started violently coughing. Bruce frowned when he noticed the pink froth that painted Tony's gown with every cough. Dr. Jones lifted the bed to help Tony's airway and put a hand on his shoulder to calm the flopping man.
"He can't breathe," Steve screamed hysterically, being held back by Clint and Natasha.
In seconds, the coughing stopped and was replaced by weak gasps. By now, several nurses and doctors surrounded the bed, putting things into the IV and shouting orders.
When Tony's face turned completely blue and the wheezing came to an abrupt stop, Dr. Jones ordered them to bring Tony to an operating room. In two seconds, Tony's hospital bed was out the door and all that remained were four rumpled Avengers.
"What just happened?" Steve whispered.
"His lungs are filling with fluid, they are probably going to perform a thoracostomy," Bruce supplied, sitting down.
"Which is?" Clint asked, still staring at the door.
"They are going to get the fluid out by putting a tube in his chest and then they will have to do another surgery to keep the fluid out," Bruce explains.
Steve collapses in a chair, holding back tears and wishing his husband was in his arms again.
Translation: Natasha was calling Tony 'poor boy' and Steve 'smelly boy'.
Thanks for reading!