Tony got off the phone with Bruce, and laid his head back against the headrest, rubbing his weary eyes. He was exhausted, but he now felt psychologically better than he had in days. He had the makings of a plan, and could better face the results of the cat scan knowing he and Bruce would be working together to get Pepper better. He glanced beside him, the holographic image reader he'd made for Pepper sitting in the passenger seat next to him. He worked his jaw, picking it up to look at it. He hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the power button. The inner processor fired to life, and a soft whirring began as the first image appeared. It was Pepper walking down the aisle, in 3D, and he gasped, the image literally taking his breath away, just like she had that night. He smiled to himself, though it was distorted from on-coming tears. He inhaled sharply as a sob caught in his chest, and a couple of stray tears rolled down his cheeks. He swiped at them, and shook his head, putting his fist to his mouth as he shifted his eyes to the cars passing by outside. After a moment, he looked back at the image, and clicked to the next one. It was when Pepper had made it to the alter, and was standing in front of Tony. They were both smiling so lovingly at each other, and his heart panged at the sorrow of how different their lives had suddenly become within the last few days. It was so hard for him to understand how Pepper could go from being his beautiful blushing bride one day to comatose in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, the next. He was still reeling from how quickly the landslide had happened, and that he was close enough to witness it first hand, helplessly. It was hard to accept that Pepper had been caught right in the middle of it, and he was powerless to stop it. A guilty knot formed in his gut, and he cursed himself again for not bringing the suit. If he'd had it, he may not have been able to prevent what happened, but he could have got to Pepper a lot sooner. And that thought was going to haunt him for the rest of his life, if he and Bruce didn't succeed.
He jabbed the power button to shut off the platform, and set it back down in the seat, as tears began rolling down his cheeks again. "She can't stay this way. I won't let that happen," he vowed in a murmur to himself, flicking his eyes back to the traffic outside, and bringing his fist back to his mouth.
After regaining his composure, Tony exited the car and walked back into the hospital. He rode the elevator alone to the floor where Pepper's room was. He took one more deep breath and watched the floor numbers tick up on the digital display. Soon, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Tony exited and walked out into the corridor, the nurses and doctors on the floor who had been treating Pepper nodding politely in his direction as he passed them, their eyes sympathetic.
He came to Pepper's room and softly opened the door. Her mother was sitting bedside, holding her hand. She turned around to look over her shoulder, nodding and smiling softly, acknowledging his presence. "Hello, dear," she said. "Get some rest?"
Tony shrugged. "I got what I needed," he said. "Any word on that scan?"
Marilynn nodded. "They'll be in momentarily, honey," she said. She sighed heavily and looked back to her daughter. Her chin began to quiver, and she swiped at the tears rolling down each of her cheeks. She patted Pepper's hand lovingly. "It's gonna be tough to hear," she told him softly. "I'm hoping for the best, but bracing for the worst."
Tony started to say something to her about his and Bruce's conversation, but suddenly decided against it. He didn't want to let her know of his plans until he knew what they were up against. So he nodded in agreement. "Whatever she needs, she'll have," he said. "I'll do whatever it takes to help her."
Tony saw Marilynn's head bow, and her shoulders begin to shake. He went to her and put his arm around her as she sobbed. "No one should have to go through this," she said. "Especially not our Ginny." Marilynn raised her head and tried to give him a brave smile. Tony just smiled softly back at his mother-in-law in understanding.
Just then, the door opened, and the doctor walked in with Irene following behind. He shook Tony's hand and nodded at him gravely. Marilynn grasped Tony's hand silently as the doctor began to speak.
"Well, we have good news, and we have bad news," he said. "The good news is the swelling in her brain is coming down nicely. I don't suspect we'll have to do anything more but let it heal on its own. So, that means her skull fracture will also begin to heal,too. Again, just by letting it run its course."
Tony braced himself now, for the worst. "And the bad news?" he asked cautiously, he and Marilynn sharing trepidatious glances.
"As you know, Tony," the doctor began. "There were some concerns about damage to the greater occipital nerve behind both eyes. We thought maybe that would pose the possibility of blindness in the future. And truthfully, I am still of the belief that your wife will have some significant vision loss, if not complete vision loss."
Tony's heart stopped, the fear of such a bleak future for Pepper flashing in his mind. He thought he'd prepared himself over the last few days well enough to be able to take this news, but it felt like he'd just been gut punched. He couldn't speak. He could only stare as the doctor continued.
"But, to be frank, her blindness isn't the main concern," he continued. "It's more what we've kind of suspected all along. That the severity of her head trauma will, most likely, dramatically lessen her likelihood of having the same quality of life in the future."
Tony swallowed hard, and Marilynn crumbled as she started to sob. "W-what do you mean lessen?" he stammered, forcing out the words.
The doctor pursed his lips, and frowned sadly. "It...doesn't look good, Tony," he explained.
"Doesn't look good? What does that mean?! Come on, doc! English!" Tony exclaimed, his frustrations mounting with the situation. He wasn't meaning to lash out at the doctor. It was just in reaction to the raw emotion of the situation. Tony never liked feeling vulnerable. It made him feel helpless, and weak. Which, in turn, made his hackles raise, and he wanted, no, demanded, answers for the injustice.
The doctor saw this in Tony's eyes, and raised his hands in surrender, "It means," he said calmly. He dropped his hands and looked Tony in the eye grimly. "That she might never wake up," he stated.
Tony flinched, and Marilynn let go of his hand to rush over to Pepper so she could pull her daughter into her arms. She moaned as she sobbed, stroking her hair, and kissing her forehead. Tony's chest heaved, his eyes flicking from Pepper and Marilynn to the doctor, and back again. "No," he said, shaking his head in denial, and scrubbing a hand over his goatee. "No, that's unacceptable," he muttered, spinning around, away from the doctor. He put his hands on his hips, trying to steady himself. It was all he could do not to go at the doctor and give him a piece of his mind, even though he knew that none of this was the poor man's fault. That's the problem, Tony thought. There will NEVER be any justice for this. By a cruel stroke of fate, Pepper could be a vegetable for the rest of her life, or totally blind, unless Bruce and I find a way to fix this. We HAVE TO find a way to fix this!, he resolved to himself.
"I know it's a lot to take in," the doctor offered. "It's never an easy thing to hear. And, believe me. In the 25 years I've been in medicine, it's never got any easier to say."
Tony stood quietly, his hands staying on his hips as he listened to the sounds of Marilynn crying. He clenched his jaw, trying to keep his temper from flaring as new tears threatened to burn his eyes yet again.
"I'll leave you both to process this," the doctor said. "And, when you're ready, and you have some questions for me, I'll be available."
Tony heard Marilynn quietly thank the doctor, and then he heard he and Irene go to leave the room. The doctor left, but Irene paused before she followed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. Truly," she said. "I saw such a bright future for you both, too. Such a shame." Tony glanced at her, and nodded in appreciation, pursing his lips grimly. Irene smiled sadly at him as she left, the door softly latching behind her. Tony squeezed his eyes shut and then slowly opened them. He turned his head to look at his wife, lying unconscious, connected to all of the breathing tubes and wires currently keeping her alive. "Life support," he whispered. He shook his head. "The only thing that's keeping her alive right now," he said to himself, the idea that the woman he loved might never return to him as he knew her being more than he could take. Marilynn stood up and turned away from the bed, as she reached for some tissues and tried to dry her eyes. Tony went to Pepper's side, and cupped her cheek. He bit his lip hard, staring at her face. He kissed her forehead, and then murmured in her ear. "I'll fix you, baby. You know I will," he whispered to her. He kissed the side of her head and looked at her again. "I promise."