Chapter 8

Okay… Well not enough reviews I thought to make a shout out. But the next chapter will definitely contain the shout out.

Disclaimer: Okay if I did, I wouldn't be here right now…

"Stay with me buddy! Hold on!" But of course Rhodey received no answer. He was going to go directly to Dr. Yinsen, but he had to get the bullet out first. The last thing he wanted was questions from the doctor. He didn't want Justin involved, all he would do is make a big scene and kill everyone that Tony cared about.

Blood flowed on top of the armor and little droplets fell to the street. Tony's head and arms hung over the side. Rhodey, at first, wanted to sling Tony over his shoulder, but with the injury, it wasn't likely. "Come on… almost there. YES!" Rhodey quickly brought himself down into the secret hatch on top of the garage. Landing and removing the armor, he still held his best friend, bridal style; as he kicked open the door. "LAURA! SEND THE KIDS TO A ROOM! DON'T LET THEM COME OUT!" Rhodey shouted as he placed Tony on top of the kitchen counter.

"What? Oh god… KIDS! GO WATCH A MOVIE!" Laura shouted running to the kitchen. There was a happy murmur and footsteps as Mathew, Cici, and Julie ran into the media room. "What happened to him Rhodey?" Laura walked to one of the cabinet doors and ripped out Latex gloves. Rhodey walked to the sink and rinsed his hands, but he recoiled.

"He got shot. Agh! Did someone just throw up into the sink? Laura, I told you that the kids…"

"Pepper's pregnant…" Rhodey looked shocked. By then Pepper walked in and almost passed out.

"That can't be Tony… No… not my Tony…" Pepper rushed into Rhodey's arms shaking.

"He'll be okay Pepper, you'll see…"

"Déjà vu?" Pepper said smiling. Taking in a deep breath, she faced Laura. "What should I do?"

(NEXT SCENE…)

Laura couldn't of been happier to have gotten a nursing degree. At the moment she needed all her skills. "Pepper go wet a paper towel. Rhodey get me scissors." Everyone scrambled around getting supplies or watching Tony's pale face. Laura reached back into the cabinet and pulled out a needle, alcohol pad, tweezers, and some string. With the scissors she cut Tony's shirt, exposing the wound. Carefully taking the paper towel, she first dabbed then rubbed off the blood. Tony flinched.

"He's waking up. Rhodey I need to get that towel hanging on the oven handle." Rhodey did what he was told and retrieved the blue and white striped hand towel. "Place it over Tony's mouth." Rhodey stood stunned.

"What? Laura… that's torture. I can't do this…"

"Yeah? Rhodey, Tony's my best friend too. But I can't let his screams get the kids downstairs, nor get the neighbors suspicious. Just do it." Rhodey eyed Pepper and placed the cloth over his friend's mouth. Gently pushing on it he nodded towards his wife. Laura started up the stove and pushed the needles tip into the flame. The tip glowed red like the sun and when Laura pulled it away it died into a black color. She opened on of the alcohol packets and ripped it open. Quickly sanitizing the wound she handed it to Pepper. Ripping another packet she let the disinfectant hover over the bloody wound.

"Pepper take the string, sanitize this and string it through. Do the tweezers as you're at it. Make sure to use a different alcohol pad each time. And Rhodey, push." She pushed the pad against the wound. Tony responded by pushing his chest upward. He let out a muffled scream through the towel. His hands grabbed the edge of the counter.

As Pepper did her duty she whispered silent words of encouragement. "Come on honey. Almost done." Laura threw the bloody pad away into a bowl and grabbed the sanitized tweezers.

"This will get ugly. But since it's a bullet wound, it's all I got… I really can't see him like this." Laura said. Sighing she nodded at Rhodey and slowly pushed the tip into the 2 inch wound. Tony writhed, but it seemed to know what was going on, because he didn't let his abdominal part move or twitch. Of course, he screamed, but for what the others knew, he wasn't interfering with Laura's "operation."

Laura did her best not to twist the tweezers too much. The more pain she inflicted, the more she couldn't let herself hear the screams and get the bullet. Finally she felt a hard top. Opening the tweezers, she did her best to grab the thing and pull it out. Once it was out she plopped it into the bowl and grabbed another alcohol pad. Tony calmed down because he was out cold again.

Dabbing the reopened wound, she grabbed the needle and stitched up the remainder of what was left of the bullet wound.

(10 MINUTES LATER)

Laura, Rhodey, and Pepper slowly removed Tony from the kitchen counter and set him in the guest room. Laura made sure to cover the wound with gauze. Rhodey and Pepper went to get the guest room ready, but during that time Tony had woken up and he pulled on her wrist. Laura's ear was in front of his mouth. "Thank you…" Was all Tony said before passing out again.

Laura, being a nurse, did her job and cleansed the entire counter down with so many disinfectants that she was sure no germ could land there for 5 months.

She finished preparing the dinner, Mac and Cheese for the kids, and steak with pasta for the adults. Laura allowed the kids to go upstairs to eat and finish the movie. For all she cared she didn't even care if the kids stayed up until midnight. She didn't want them coming downstairs.

The adults ate in silence. But Rhodey broke the ice first.

"So you're pregnant?" He said directing the question to Pepper. She merely nodded and kept her eyes on her food.

"Thank you Rhodey, and Laura. I couldn't of asked for more from you guys… I owe you…"

"Nothing. Pepper, this is serious… and there is nothing that you owe us." Laura said pointing the fork and her. Pepper nodded and didn't say anything. Another couple of minutes passed.

"So… Justin was behind all of this?" Rhodey and Pepper nodded.

"He installed a 'special something' in me and Julie. It was supposed to electrocute us if Tony misbehaved. But… well… the situation shows otherwise. Tony was also experimented on… on what I don't know… but…"

"Oh crap!" Rhodey leaped out of the table and ran towards the room Tony was in. The girls looked at each other and ran after him. When they walked in they saw Rhodey pushing his hand on top of Tony's forehead.

"What's wrong honey?"

"Justin told me that the bullet had another one of his experiments. And he also said that Tony had only 24 hours…"

YAY! I've been updating quite quickly! So I made a goal to at least type one chapter per each story a week. So sorry but no story over the weekend! :P Oh and cliffhanger! So please review guys! I want a lot of reviews! A LOT!