Hello! Lets pick up where we left off!
The three of them made their way into the narrow stairwell. Silently the actuators retreated beneath Octavius's trench coat. Once MJ joined them inside and secured the door, she moved between them and took the lead. Peter settled one of Octavius's arms over his shoulders and with a thankful glance guided the doctor down the stairs.
As they made their way downstairs Peter could hear Octavius make small groans when they turned a corner too fast. MJ checked around the last corner before waving them on. Once at her door, she fumbled with her keys to unlock the door. Octavius was breathing in sharp shallow breaths
"Alright, everyone in." MJ got the door open and beckoned them in quickly before latching it shut the moment Peter and Octavius were inside.
MJ's apartment was decorated tastefully while on a budget. The furniture was mainly square including a couch and two comfy-looking chairs.
"Here ya go Doc." Peter guided Otto to the couch and eased him down. The brace around Doctor Octavius's abdomen with four metal tentacles protruding from it prevented him from lying on his back so the unfortunate doctor was forced to sit up straight.
MJ turned to her small kitchen to grab some glasses and began filling them at the tap. Peter took a long look at all of them and decided that they all looked like hell. When MJ returned with three glasses she handed one to Otto, who took it gratefully with a shaky hand before noticing her elbow.
"My dear your elbow is bleeding."
She turned her arm to look at it "Oh that's nothing I scraped it when we landed. I guess you were right about rough landings."
Otto blinked and swiveled his head to look at his left actuator which looked at him in return.
"When we landed I was in quite a bit of pain and they are protective. They must have been more focused on that than setting you down gently."
"It's okay, just a scrape. I'll take care of it with some antiseptic from my first aid kit." She went through her bedroom where the bathroom was.
Otto and Peter watched her leave silently. Peter looked down at Otto and instantly felt a twinge of pity. The man had lost his wife, career, and sanity in one fell swoop and all the while he couldn't even process it because the AI wouldn't let him.
"Doctor Octavius?" Peter sat back down next to him "How are you actually?"
Otto shook his head "Truthfully I am currently in pain. Both physically" he rested a hand on his brace " and emotionally. My Rosie is gone." He lamented "My dream is gone. It's all…gone." Otto exhaled deeply as his eyes slipped shut and he fell forward passing out. Peter dropped his glass and caught his mentor before he tumbled to the floor. Gently, Peter lowered Otto onto his back to try and make him more comfortable.
The tentacles gently shifted so two of them went over the back of the couch while the other two snaked under the coffee table. Peter lifted Octavius's legs onto the couch but when he stepped back and looked at the now-sleeping doctor he realized that the position didn't look particularly comfortable. The base of the actuators were stiff and forced the doctor's middle to jut up while his head, shoulders and legs were all lower.
Peter looked around for one of the throw pillows. Behind him was a navy blue one, he nabbed it, and lifting Otto, he placed it behind the doctor's shoulders. Next, he grabbed the green and white pillow from the chair and placed it under his head. Neither of the pillows did anything at all to improve Octavius's position.
MJ came back into the room and smiled at Peter before turning to Octavius. After a moment she looked back at Peter looking confused.
"What happened?"
"I think he's alright. Coming off an adrenaline rush after all this can cause this sort of thing." He shrugged his shoulders "I should know."
"Well, that doesn't look comfortable at all. Especially with broken ribs. " she said
"It's not like we can take them off." He found himself whispering.
"Here." MJ went back to her bedroom and came right back out with two large pillows. Setting them on the table she went back and came out with a cylindrical decorative pillow.
"Peter, could you help me?"
"Sure" Peter kneeled down next to her and helped gently lift the limp man's shoulders while MJ slipped one of the pillows underneath. The pillow was both large and firm enough to support Octavius's whole upper body and head. MJ motioned for Peter to lift Octavius's legs but before he could the two lower tentacles grabbed Octavius just above the knees and lifted enough for her to slip the pillow under. Peter could now see that MJ left a gap between the pillows just enough to fit the base of the tentacles whose pressure was now relieved by the firmness of the pillows. Finally, MJ placed the smaller pillow under Octavius's heels.
She smiled at her work and turned to Peter. Unfortunately, between her and Peter an actuator was hovering in the air aimed at her. Looking around she could see the others "watching" her from under the table and over the back of the couch. After some tense moments of silence, MJ gently reached out and patted the actuator awkwardly. Slowly it returned to its spot on the floor and Peter and MJ smiled.
The two of them made their way to the dining table and sat down.
"So…you're spiderman?" she asked.
"Yep"
The awkward silence that followed could be cut with a knife.
It's short I know but the next chapter is going to be interesting...I promise...
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