Last chapter, *teartear* really enjoyed writing this and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as well.
Chapter 8 The Big Day(s)
Tony sat in the long busy unnaturally lit hallway. Doctors and Nurses racing by but none of them had his attention. His mind haunted by images of his beloved laying in a pool of his own blood on the stairs. The events that happened just hours ago, playing through his head like a bad film.
"Please! Anyone help!" he ran frantically around the deck to anyplace that had reception "Anyone!" his shouts going unheard, through the empty halls.
Stark shut his eyes, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. The words "if only" running through his mind as he sat alone on the hard bench in the hallway. Word traveled quickly through the tower. There was a cloud of sadness surrounding the building, literately thanks to a certain god of thunder. Everyone was eager to hear news of Loki's condition; they had been waiting for hours. Jane rubbed her stomach, feeling terrible about the whole situation "Thor..." her voice rang softly in his ears as she watched him ware a hole into the floor. "Thor...please...have a seat."
He stopped, his faced hardened, then soften as the tears that he had been holding back fell. It started to rain, softly. "Jane..." her name fell from his lips but he didn't dare look at her, instead he watched the droplets form and fall on the window. "Loki..." the god mumbled to himself.
Everyone else was huddled in the kitchen, eating the leftovers from the baby shower. It was 3 am and waiting could really build up an appétit. Clint opened the fridge reaching for the milk, holding it up offering to his friends but no one waited any. He took his seat next to Natasha "Any word?" the occupants around table shook their heads slowly. All they had heard about the situation was that Loki had collapsed on the stairwell in the parking deck and it was bad. The call blasted over the radio that there was a person gravely injured in the stairwell and a helicopter was on it's way. The emergency response team said that a pregnant person was bleeding and that's when everyone knew.
The second call came in, confirming that it was Loki but all the agents were already in action. Clint, Steve, and Bruce rushed to the helipad where they found Tony. He and the emergency crew were about to take off when the group finally reached the top. They watched the helicopter take off and everyone desperately texted Tony.
It wasn't until a little after midnight that they heard from Tony, all that was in the massage was that Loki was still in the OR. So now everyone was waiting, waiting on the news that could change everything.
It was now four o'clock in the morning and Tony hadn't left his spot on the faded green bench in the hallway. The nurses had tried to persuade him to rest, but gave up around one o'clock. Instead they just settled on bringing him coffee. The minutes texted by, turning up the degree of Tony's headache. He groaned into his hands, the same hands stained in his lover's blood just hours before. He decided at that moment that he would construct himself new hands. Then scratched the idea because it was stupid, maybe the nurses were right he could use a little sleep. Loki had been in the OR for a grueling six hours and each passing second was driving him to the edge.
He sighed, standing up slowly, even over the noise of the hospital he felt as though it was raining. Raining for him and all his grief, it reminded him that he needed to take a shower. A shower sounded so nice right now, he looked down the halls, it was quiet now. He rounded the corner, exiting through the holding doors, and to the nurse's station. Where he was surprised to see Thor.
"Thor." he was actually happy to see him, he needed a distraction
"Tony," Thor rushed over to him "How is my brother?"
"Still in surgery," Tony could hear his stomach rumbling but was in no mood for food
"How long does it take heel my brother, it is taking too long," the big guy looked like he about to burst through the doors
"Easy big guy, how bout we grab a bite to eat." he only suggested it, he wasn't hungry but the hospital environment was making him edgy. The two walked down to the cafeteria, which to Tony's relief was still open and fully operational. Thank goodness for five star hospitals, not that hospitals were a luxury or anything. Just that trauma specialized hospitals had the best food and he would know he's pretty much lived in them since he'd invented the Iron Man suit.
Tony ordered a large coffee with a double shot and a chocolate glazed doughnut. Thor ordered the rest of the food in the hospital. He order three slices of pepperoni pizza, two orders of fries, one order of corn dog nuggets, a order of chicken nuggets, three chocolate puddings, and two large sodas.
"You got enough food there?" Tony took a small bite of his doughnut
"I am sorry friend, I tend to eat more when my nerves are on edge." The god placed his tray down and sat across from the playboy.
Though his stomach was rejecting food right now, it did look good, he was almost tempted to steal a fry. "So, ah, how's everyone." he wanted to make sure the subject stayed off of Loki
Thor polished off his chicken nuggets, drenched in ketchup, mustard, and mayo and moved to the his fries "They are all waiting for news." Tony nodded, watching the god, finish the first order of fries and onto the corn dog nuggets. "They are all praying for my brother's good health."
That news made Tony smile, it was nice to know that he had his friend's full support. He and Thor walked back to the holding area, Thor set while Tony paced. It was forty after and they were beginning to loose hope. Then the doctor, rounded the corner, he was covered in what Tony had hoped wasn't blood. The doctor looked exhausted and asked to speak with the spouse. Tony looked back at Thor, for some reason only Thor seemed to understand, the god nodded and Tony left with the doctor.
Walking with the doctor had to be the longest walk he ever took. The blood soaked man led him down the hall and through a set of double doors with the letters "OR/ICU" at the top. Tony held his breath as the doctor stopped before another set of double doors, these ones glass and sliding. "The surgery went fine, as far as I can tell." The doctor took out of napkin and wiped his brow. Tony let out a sigh of relief, truly just moments before he was sure Loki would be gone forever. "But, because of his 'unique' physic we believe that the cause of his sudden bleeding was due to exhaustion and malnourishment." the doctor paused to make sure the information was sinking in, Tony nodded chasing his thoughts around his head. When this was over, he would need a drink, a big one. "So I recommend he remain on bed rest for the duration of his pregnancy." Tony nodded again, he could hear the doctor but the information wasn't sinking in. "Can I see him?" Tony finally said, the doctor nodded and lead him to the ICU.
The Intensive Care Unit at the hospital was really nice and if Tony were in a better mood he would have stopped and complimented on it, but he was in no such mood. He looked at all the patients in the other rooms, wires running from their bodies to machines he has never saw before. All looking like they were to seconds away from death, it made his stomach churn. The physician stopped at a similar room "I can allow to look, but you can't go in yet."
Tony nodded slowly, the doctor leaving him to his thoughts. Tony stood there peering into the large glass room, there Loki lay hooked up to breathing tubes, IVs, and other monitoring equipment. He wanted to cry, for every drop of blood his beloved lost and lose himself in his grief.
A little after nine in the morning Thor returned to the tower, he was surprised to see that everyone was still awake. Barely but still hanging in there for any word about Loki. Steve and Bruce were the first to get up when Thor entered the room. The blonde god gave a content smile, Steve and Bruce returned his smile and showed the tired god to his room.
The couples were in their final month of pregnancy. Just weeks after the big scare everything returned to normal. Loki had been moved to a lovely hospital room for patients spending more then a week under their roof. Clint and Natasha shared some quality time together in water aerobics, and Jane taught Thor Midgardian nursery rhythms. Each couple counting down the days until their special bundles would be born.
Natasha waddled around the kitchen, trying to prepare the best grilled cheese in the world. The pot was all buttered up and the bread and cheese ready, this evening was shaping up to be a good one. Around three or so everyone planned to visit Loki at the hospital. He had been in there for about three weeks now and it had became a ritual to visit him a few times a week. Since what else is a bunch of expected parents to do.
She tossed the cheesed bread into the pan, lightly shaking her hips to a pop song playing on the radio. "Are the girls wanna be her," she hummed in between licking the sticky cheese off her fingers. "She a sexy chick!" Natasha jumped around to see Clint humping the air in the doorframe. "Clint," she couldn't contain her laugher, this was to funny to pass up. The archer put his hands on the back of his head and humped/jumped his way over to his girlfriend. He kissed her on the temple "How's my girls," he took out two more slices of bread and cheese.
"Good," Natasha's smile was so soft, her face glowed even though she had no make-up on. She was beautiful inside and out, Barton kissed her again "We could be a little late today." He kissed her again, Natasha returned the kiss, "Maybe a few minutes."
Thor and Jane arrived at the hospital a little after three. It was a nice place, small but prepared to handle any type of pregnancy issue thrown it's way. The place was just three floors and each it's own department. The first floor was mostly appointments and had a small but cozy section for mothers deciding on natural birth, but still wanted to be near a hospital. The second floor was all deliveries and the NICU and the third floor were for expecting mothers needing to stay longer then a week. Each room on the third floor could be personalized depending on how long the stay, to make the new mothers as comfortable as possible.
Loki's room was down the hall in the back, his room was larger then the others because he planned to deliver in there as well. The doctors all agreed that the less movement the god did the better, they didn't want to chance another bleeding. He was lucky, his room was painted a light green and had a nice view of the grounds. Thor and Jane knocked on the door "Come in!" they could hear Tony's voice.
The couple walked in, Tony and Loki were playing Marvel vs Capcom 3. "Sup," Tony completed his combo, before Loki paused the game.
Jane took a seat on a cushy couch near the door and Thor walked over and hugged his brother "Evening Tony, Loki how are we feeling this evening?"
"Very well thank you," Loki placed the controller down, ignoring Tony's pouty face
Tony, giving up on trying the finish the game finally put his controller down as well "Where's Bruce?"
"Dr. Banner, is giving a speech to his followers." Thor said proudly
Tony raised an eyebrow "Followers?"
"His new assistants and technicians assigned by SHEILD," Jane commented "Pretty much a quick information session."
"Ah, and Steve? Don't tell me Fury sent him on another mission again." Tony complained
"Nay, Stark he is preparing the tower for the arrival of the newborns." Thor sat down next to Jane
"Good stuff," the playboy picked up his controller again and Loki unpaused the game. Thor and Jane just watched, cuddling each other and laughing the men's reactions.
It was a little past four when Clint and Natasha finally left the tower, running a little late because of a certain lustful archer. There was a car ancient a few miles down the road, so the traffic on the highway for backed up, but the couple didn't seem to mind. Natasha's pregnancy was the most time the two had ever spent together and they were enjoying ever minute of it.
"I wonder if we have enough baby clothes?" Natasha rubbed her swollen tummy
"Yeah, we should. We bought around twenty boxes worth of stuff." The car in front of them inched up ever so slightly
"Yeah, are you okay with the name?" she glanced out the window
"Yeah, love it." He reached over and kissed his girl
She blushed, which was nothing more then a soft red tent on her fair skin "I don't know about you but I could go for some fries!" she said randomly
Barton laughed into the steering wheel "And a soda and a burger with that?"
Natasha laughed, but suddenly felt queasy "No…"
Barton wiped his eye "What no soda?"
"My water!" Natasha grabbed her belly
Barton slapped his head "Aw shoot, I left it at the tower."
"No, my water!" Natasha winced
"Yeah and it's back at the tower," Barton looked her in the eyes and she glared back slowly leading his eyes do to her legs "OH! Your water! Shit," Barton slapped it into reverse and jetted down the shoulder.
"Clint!" Natasha shouted and pointed
"I know baby, we'll be there in a sec." the car raced down the empty lane
"NO! LOOK OUT!" Natasha braced, little orange cones flew everywhere
Jane stood up slowly Thor, eyeing her warily; she told him she would be right back. She was just going to the venting machine, around the corner, and promised Thor she would not do anything risky. Not that a little trip to the vending machine was that large of a task. The god smiled halfheartedly and let his love leave the room. Tony and Loki were on their hundredth game with Loki winning most them all.
Jane made it to the machine; there was so much to choose from. Chips, powdered doughnuts, candy, all of it looked so yummy. She inserted her coins, but one slipped through her fingers and rolled onto the floor. "Damnit," she slowly lowered herself down to the floor to pick it up, the darn thing had rolled under the machine. "Drats!" she was on her knees reaching her tiny arms under the surprisingly clean machine, "Gottcha!" she beamed, but her mood quickly changed when she felt warm water running down her legs. She looked down "Oh no…" she glanced back at Loki's room, which suddenly felt so far away.
Clint sped off the highway taking the exit to the maternity hospital. Good thing he and Natasha planned to have their baby there too. He ripped through the parking lot and sled his car into a vacant parking spot in the front. He hopped out of the car, not sure what to do, but Natasha shouted something about going to the front desk and the archer took off in that direction.
Jane walked as quickly as she could down the hallway, with a bag of chips in hand. She reached the room, panting like a mad dog "Thor-Thor it's coming!" she panted, the blonde god jolted up, frantically running to his beloved. He held her as she breathed and looked back at Tony and Loki for some kind of clue of what to down next. The couple pointed to the emergency button near the door. The thunder god got the hint and mashed the button in. With in seconds doctors and nurses rushed into the room.
Each of their doctors were on stand by so it was no surprise when Dr. Lee-Jackson and Dr. Jeffreys bumped into each other at the front door. They wished each other luck and went to their respective birthing rooms. Tony and Loki watched the nurses put Jane in a wheelchair and roll her off. It was hilarious watching Thor run around the room, they were so sure the god had no clue how these things went. All in all, even though they didn't see Natasha and Clint and the rest of the Avengers the day was a good day. Loki sat back in his bed, feeling that something was not right. He looked down at his legs "Son of a-"
Natasha was wheeled into her delivery room, she screamed through her contractions. Clint just stood there, petrified in his hospital garb watching. "We're almost there!" the doctor checked how far along she was "There! You can start pushing now!" she took her position between her legs, to see the baby crown. "GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH SOOKIN SYN*!" Natasha shouted at the top of her lunges. The doctor watched for the baby and Clint finally gathered up the courage to walk up to her, he held her shoulder "It'll be okay." He tried to comfort her. "POSHOL TI NAHOO*!" she spat, her eyes dark with hate, Clint gulped and backed the hell away.
Jane breathed slowly in and out as slowly as she could, on the delivery bed. Thor at her side, holding her hand, "Alright Mrs. Odindottir, you're fully dilated, you can start pushing now," Dr. Jeffreys looked up over her legs. Jane nodded, giving a soft smile to Thor before she tried her first push. "GAAAAHHH naaahhhhh," her breathing increased.
Her screams were making Thor nervous, this was probably why men were never allowed in the deliver chambers back in Asgard. "It's crowning! You got this!" the doctor shouted, Jane laughed at the doctor's poor attempt at slang and gave another hard push "NAAAAAAHH FUCK!" and out came a beautiful golden blonde baby, Dr. Jeffreys held up the child before handing it to the nursing staff for cleaning "Congratulations! It's a girl, alright one out, one to go." Jane groaned.
Loki leaned back into the bed, sweat forming on his brow "Tony…" he whispered through his contractions. The playboy was changing video games "No, we're not play Mortal Combat," Tony put another game into his PS3 "You enjoy that game too much." Loki grinned "No Tony, it is you that enjoy that game too much-" he groaned, finally getting Tony's attention. "Loki!" the billionaire stood up, rushing to his bedside. "Now?" Loki nodded, pushing his head further back into the pillow, he groaned again. "I'll-I'll go get the doctor," Tony got up and did a 360° when he realized he could call from the room "Fuck, that's right, we have a button right here." Tony slammed the button "It's going to be okay baby, the doctor's on their way." Tony bent over his lover's bedside.
"BARTON YOU COCK SUCKING DICK HEAD" Natasha shouted through her final push "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" she screamed, the doctor reaching out quickly catching the newborn. The room falls silent, as the couple listens for the newborn's cries. "Waaahhhhhhh, hic- wahhhh" The doctor wrapped a blanket under the bloodied child, turning to Clint to cut the umbilical cord "Here you go daddy," Dr. Lee-Jackson smiled. Clint tried to fight the tears, but he was too overwhelmed by this moment. The doctor positioned the child and Clint cut the cord. Clint cried, as the newborn was handed its mother. "What are you going to name her?" the doctor asked. Natasha stared into the child's deep brown eyes "Nikeya, Nikeya Leala Romanoff." Clint rubbed his child's head "Or Barton." the widow rolled her eyes "Fine. Barton it is." Giving up quickly, she'd liked the ring of that.
Thor nearly passed out when he was asked the cut the umbilical cord of his first child. He could feel parts of his mind black out watching all the blood and after birth spill from his mate. "Alright Mrs. Odindottir, just one more push!" Jane grabbed onto the bed with the strength of a hundred gods and let out a thunderous cry, that made even Thor shutter. "OH MY GOSH THOR!" The baby crowned and sled out into the doctor's hands, the child was equally as beautiful as his sister. The doctor once again handed the newborn over to Thor to cut the cord. "Congratulations! You are now the proud parents of two beautiful babies!" Each child were wrapped in a soft blanket and handed over to Jane. She and Thor cradled the newborns "I think I'll name you Janea," she spoke softly into her daughter's ear "And you Janik," she looked down at her son. "What do you think Thor?" She smiled, "Good-Good strong names-" The god finally fainted, falling like a rock to the floor. "Oh my," Dr. Jeffreys and Jane laughed.
Just upstairs a similar scene was taking place. Loki's room was in chaos, both Loki and Tony fighting viciously between themselves. Dr. Joy laughing slightly, trying to coach the god through his contractions. "Now is not the time Stark!" Loki growled, is labor was progress slow, probably due to recent events. "Yo, it's okay, it's just one baby." Tony held his hand, he winced a little as he felt it being crushed through every contraction. "Pushing just ONE child through my small opening-SON OF ODIN!" he grabbed the rails attached to the bed "-is a challenge," he hissed "You want this thing, YOU CAN FUCKING HAVE IT-GAAAAAHH, SWEET MERCY!" the shut the playboy up.
"Would you like an epidural?" Dr. Joy suggested. Loki nodded, the epidural was given and he could feel the effects almost immediately. "How refreshing Tony," Loki's voice was feathery and light. Tony wasn't sure if it was all done or if he was in the eye of the storm. "Yeah...refresh-" the billionaire was cut off by the doctor "You're fully dilated you can start pushing now!" And the miracle that was called drugs allowed the baby to come quickly with one huge straining push. The doctor caught the baby and held it up for Loki to see, "Look Tony a baby." Loki lazily pointed
"That's right baby, that's right." Tony was on the brink of tears as his kissed his love on the head. The doctor handed over the newborn slowly "It's the cirrrrrcle, the circle of liffffffe." the doctor sung as Tony cut the umbilical cord. "What's the child's name?" the doctor inquired. Loki spoke this time "Aries," Tony looked at his child "I like that, Aries Michèle Stark, has a nice ring." The two held each other, completely lost in the moment.
Bruce and Steve nearly shat bricks when they found out all the babies had been born on the same day. This was either a miracle or some cruel twist of fate, never the less they were happy to have all the new arrivals. Each child they hoped would be the next generation of Avengers, protecting Earth just as their parents did. They had a long journey a head of them but that was a story for another day, for now it would just be them and their special little arrivals.
FINALLY DONE! w00t! Thanks for sticking around, I'd like to do a follow up if anyone's interested, but for now I'm happy knowing I finished this.
Through in the Lion King reference for the lulz
*sookin syn: Russian, m. son of a bitch
*poshol ti nahoo: Russian, m. go fuck yourself