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Chapter 217: Whose Fault?

SHIELD Hospital, Manhattan - 3:20 AM

Minus the background noise in the hospital, the group in the hallway is silent. Apollo, Xavier, Merida, and Daniel look at each other before facing Iqadi again. Her gaze meets all theirs at the same time, not breaking contact with any of them. She doesn't blink but her arms are square across her chest.

"What do you mean?" Daniel finally asks. "I broke it."

"That was a consequence of my contingency plan," Iqadi responds calmly yet sharply.

"I told him to grow big to stop you," Merida points at Daniel, "because of you," then points at Iqadi, "and he didn't want to but I made him."

"Merida," Xavier says.

Merida now points at him. "No, you shut up. You'd better not give me some team captain bullshit about being responsible for us because you just tell us what to do since we know nothing and fill out the paperwork none of us want to do."

Xavier doesn't respond. Instead, he nods once and keeps his focus on Merida's quivering anger.

Apollo steps up. "If anything, I'm at fault."

The argument that was on the precipice of starting stops when they all look at Apollo.

"You weren't even there," Xavier tells him.

"James called me," Apollo points at himself with Merida's phone, "while stopping you," he points at Daniel, "from you," points at Iqadi before himself again, "and I didn't do anything."

Merida rolls her eyes. "You didn't hear shit."

"Yeah, well, I could've. I blame Sigyn for that. Now this is all her fault."

"Hey," Xavier interjects.

"Get off your high horse."

Merida shakes her head. "I'm out of here."

Merida grabs her phone from Apollo and continues down the hallway. Their arguing fades once she enters the waiting room and sees Janet in her Wasp suit talking to the nurse at the front desk. She's pale, stuttering, and tear-streaked, barely able to smile when she looks at Merida.

She joins Angela, Sigyn, and Emily sitting on the cushioned seats. She stops in front of Angela who has her knees up against her chest, leaning against Sigyn as Emily's talking on the phone. She can't make out what the other person is saying, but it sounds like her father.

When Angela looks up at her, Merida hands her the boba with the straw already stabbed through the covering.

"What is it?" Angela asks, looking at the light-pink drink.

"It's coconut milk," Merida responds as she sits on the edge of the table in front of Angela. "I figured you were here all night and will continue to be here."

Angela smiles a little as she takes a sip. "Thanks."

"Places are open?" Sigyn asks.

"You'd be surprised at the number of students in my area who pull all-nighters at the shop. Or how many people stumble in there while drunk? I was once the former and now I'm the latter. By the way, Daniel, Apollo, Iqadi, and Xavier are arguing in some hallway. How's James?"

Angela shrugs as she looks down at her drink and stirs the straw around. "When we got here, they immediately got his vitals and had to calm down his body. It's weird that although he was unconscious, his mind and all that were haywire. They wouldn't let me in because I wasn't - isn't his wife or even his fiancée. I don't know what difference it would've made if I was engaged to him for a minute compared to being his girlfriend for a decade. So I was out here, calling his parents to get here immediately since they were the only ones allowed in there to chat about prepping for surgery. And then he woke up and freaked out at one point so they had to sedate him and maybe change his surgery plan. His father is talking with the surgeon because James has the bioelectricity and size-changing … things."

"Yeah, he's a case. Earlier today, I would've said basket-case."

Angela takes a breath and wipes her eyes with the already-damp edges of her sleeves. "Merida, James had this whole plan. You probably heard it from the other already. James was going to get his Ph.D., resign from SHIELD and start working with his dad, and ask me to marry him while we celebrated. We didn't get to the last part."

"You will one day."

Merida pats Angela's knee as she aggressively sips her drink and more tears fall out. Probably a bad move given the circumstance. Sigyn swipes them away and Angela leans on her shoulder again.

"What if - what if I lose him after all this?" Angela asks.

"You won't," Sigyn reassures. "His stupid knee isn't taking him out, that's for sure."

"Did something happen on the mission that I didn't notice?"

"No, shut up," Merida orders. "You're sounding like Xavier and I already told him to fuck off."

Emily lowers the phone from her ear for a second. "Yeah, have him do all the worrying. He gets paid for that and you don't."

Emily puts the phone back to her ear and continues her call as Hank approaches them. Merida turns around and nods up at him despite him looking tired and worried like his wife.

"James is still out and Janet's talking to the doctors."

"Why aren't you?" Angela asks.

Hank looks at her for a second longer. "I was here to update you but," he waves to get Emily's attention, "Stark, I need a word."

Emily nods, standing up as she ends her call. She follows Hank down the hall towards James' room. For a moment, Emily wonders why she can walk through with him but Angela couldn't at first. Why bring her first and not Angela? They're not seeing James if that's the case.

"Your doctorate in biomedical engineering, all your experiments, research, articles, and practicum and whatnot," Hank states. "I've read them all over the years."

Emily nods. "Yeah?"

"What's your specialty with the biomedical part?"

"Holographic technology and the body given my suit but…" She trails off and stops walking. She looks at Hank and doesn't want to finish her sentence.

"I'm not asking you for anything," Hank clarifies and reassures. "We're not there. We have to alter our surgery plan. Is your father still in California?"

"I just got off the phone with him," Emily smirks a little. "He's expecting your call."

"Ah, shit."

-o-

Freya has no idea where she is in the hospital nor how to find Apollo. Given that she's peeking through a door's window into James' room and nobody else is in there is a clear indication to her that she isn't where she's supposed to be. She's probably not allowed to be here, especially with her sword, but she can't look away.

Her father died in battle when she was a child and she never got to see him in that hospitalized state. She isn't sure why that was kept from her. She was there when her mother died in childbirth alongside her baby brother. That was in a hospital similar enough to this one. A place that isn't still nor quiet. Something's always happening somewhere. There are distant buzzing and people pacing and talking, crying and muffled orders calling out.

Battles won, lost, and in progress.

She blinks out tears, snapping back into reality when she hears voices coming her way. Freya turns on her heels and swiftly speeds down the hall, turning a corner until she hears familiar voices to follow.

"I failed you guys."

"No wonder James didn't get down on one knee. We all broke it."

"You two are ridiculous."

"And so are you."

"You know I made those plans."

"Was one of them snapping James' kneecap? Didn't think so."

They're quiet when they see Freya approaching them. Before she could say anything, Apollo walks up to her and whisks her down the hallway.

"Are you okay?" Apollo immediately asks her.

"I just passed his room and looked inside," Freya whispers. "I don't think I was allowed in that wing but that's where Heimdall dropped me off. He's peaceful in his slumber."

"Really, Freya, talk to me. Are you thinking about your father? Or your mother?"

Freya shrugs. "They crossed my mind but I was thinking about you." Freya stops them just before the waiting room. "Apollo, dear, please be honest with me. James will survive this, right?"

"Of course he will. Why are you-"

"You were all yelling and stealing blame, and I know that if anything happened to any of your friends that you will venture to a place where I thought I lost you before. I cannot lose them nor have you lose yourself again."

Apollo pauses, looking away from her for a moment. Freya watches his mind get lost in thoughts. She imagines him thinking back to those seven years. Just thinking of losing his friends drove him to absolute madness and now he has them again.

Apollo meets her eyes again. "James will be fine. He has to be."

"What about you?"

Apollo holds her head and focuses her face to look at him. He sees tears brimming in her eyes and smiles reassuringly before kissing her forehead.

"I am doing my best."

-o-

James hates that he awoke, unsure why he's in pain and that one of his shoulders is stiff. Was he sleeping weirdly? The hospital setting feels more familiar this time, despite him not remembering seeing it before. His mouth is dry, his eyes heavy, and when he turns his head, he sees a different nurse beside him.

She looks down and smiles at him. "You're awake again."

James coughs. "Again?"

The nurse turns towards the door. "Dr. Pym, Ms. Van Dyne, he's awake!"

The nurse feeds him some ice chips that quickly melt in his mouth. James wipes his mouth on his blanket and the nurse helps him sit up, readjusting his pillows. He watches his parents fly in the room before growing to their normal sizes. The nurse gives them the room and Janet rushes over to his bedside and feeds him more ice chips while Hank smiles down at him from the other side of the bed.

"Why again?" James asks again.

"You actually woke earlier and freaked out a bit," Janet explains. "It was for a quick minute, barely. Angela's outside with your friends. They wouldn't let her in because of that stupid wife-only rule which is one of the reasons I married your father because he always got into crazy shenanigans and they made me sit out there, but we fixed it now for her. Your father's talking with Stark for some reason — Emily, not her father. He likes her more than him, we know that. Actually, I think I saw Hank with Imanu earlier."

"Mom-"

"James, we're all good," Hank reassures.

James looks at them suited up. "Doesn't look like it. Why are you two suited up? I think my voice got deeper than puberty gave me."

"Good. That means you're well rested. Your mother and I spoke with your surgeon for this case and they'll replace your kneecap."

James doesn't say anything. He didn't even think of knee surgery.

"Hank, you're freaking him out," Janet says.

"It's better he hears this from me than him," Hank argues. "He barely listens to me let alone some other form of authority."

"Hank."

"James, no more pins," Hank tells him. "Surgical cement. We should've gone with that the first time but the circumstances were more severe."

"Hank, please."

"Janet, Stark even recommended it. Stark-Banner, not her father. I always liked her more than him and she's way smarter. Anyways, they'll make a cut-down the front of your knee to expose your kneecap-"

"Henry!"

Hank immediately stops talking as he looks at Janet who's now frowning at him with her fists balled and sparking. Even James cranes his body more towards his dad now that his mom got pissed in the few minutes he's been awake.

Hank grins a little. "You have never called me Henry."

Janet exhales a laugh, her fists calming as she shakes her head. "I definitely have at some point."

"No, I'm serious. I thought you forgot that was my real name."

"How could I? We debated naming James after you. Henry Jr."

"Oh god," James winces.

Janet's eyes widen as she looks down at him. "What? Does something hurt? Hank, get the nurse-"

"No," James says. "It's the idea of being Henry Jr."

Hank ruffles James' hair. "I'll tell you the rest later."

Janet smiles. "You will. James, do you want anything? I'll prepare everything for you."

"I already had that covered," Hank tells her.

"Absolutely not."

James yawns, loving that his parents are being his typical parents. "Where's Angela?"

"Sitting outside with the others," Hank says. "I'll get her."

-o-

James wasn't sure when he fell asleep again, but he awoke an hour later to Angela sitting next to him. The moment he locks eyes with her, he feels more alive than he has in so long. Just seeing her blue eyes, bright smile, and tousled blonde hair eases him. But he can't help but notice the fading red from her eyes and her wet sleeves with the damp strands of hair sticking to her cheeks.

She laughs a little out of relief which makes his heart flutter. The monitor picked up on that change.

"Hey you," Angela says.

James clears his dry throat. "Angela Samantha Rogers, let me tell you this. If Merida and Blake somehow get engaged before us, I am jumping on your back and we're running to the chapel."

"He isn't here," she grins. "We're still good."

James sighs. "I don't wanna be this way. If I wasn't in so much fucking pain, I'd ask you to carry me there now. We'll get married, I'll get surgical cement in my new kneecap, and we'll honeymoon while I do PT."

Angela nods, reaching for his hand and holding it. "Good plan. I liked the first one better but that's a good one."

He raises a brow. "Wait, you're not surprised with all the marriage talk?" He pauses. "Who told you? Was it Stark? No, it was my mother, wasn't it?"

"No, it was Apollo. He thought you proposed and then got in here."

"That gossiping bitch. Well, there you go."

Angela smiles. "He told me your whole plan."

"Ass."

"That's the plan I liked better. Merida got me this boba, do you want some?"

James shakes his head. "Can you get me a cupcake?"

Angela frowns. "No."

"Even when I'm in the hospital bed, you're still like this."

"You have surgery in the morning. No eating and no eating that. If anything, I can get you a muffin if they push your surgery."

"That's the same thing."

Angela leans in closer. "A muffin is a cupcake without a topping." She kisses him. "I'll be back."

James hums the Terminator theme as she kisses him again.

-o-

"You can show yourself out if you think this is your fault," James announces.

Straight from his hospital bed, he looks at Xavier, Sigyn, Apollo, and Merida who have finally gained access to visit him. It helped that they relocated from the SHIELD ER to a standard room before they wheel him into surgery.

James knows his friends. Nobody had to tell him that they were all out there yelling at each other about whose fault it is because he would've been in that conversation as well if anyone else was in his position. Given that not all of them are here and Emily was talking with his father, he can only imagine what Daniel and Iqadi are feeling. Hell, if he started this conversation with those same words, then those two would've been the first ones out of here.

"Come on," Xavier argues.

James rolls his eyes. "Blah blah, I'm team leader, blah blah. Shut up. If it helps, you told me to get my knee looked at and I just ignored you."

Xavier opens his mouth to continue debating this but James lights up his fist and Sigyn grabs her husband's arm and shakes her head.

Apollo walks over to James' bedside and takes some of his ice chips. "You'd better be fine."

"I will," James responds.

"Good, because I told Freya you would be fine and I'm not lying to her."

James pauses. "Thanks for that being your reason for wishing me well."

"She brought her sword," Sigyn mentions.

"Why?"

"She brings it everywhere. It's her engagement ring."

James glances up at Apollo who's nodding proudly at his choice. Asgard Business, as he called it before everyone found out it was his sketchy-sounding plan that led to him asking Freya to marry him. Maybe James should've gotten Apollo to plan his proposal.

Then Merida walks by James' bedside and points an arrowhead at him. It's one of the standard, pointy arrowheads.

"Jesus," James laughs a little despite Merida's serious expression. "I was half-joking."

"You said your knee was fine before," Merida states. "Don't make me cry for you."

"God, Merida."

"You already woke me up for this."

"Next time when I go to the hospital, I'll accommodate to your schedule."

Merida draws back her arrowhead. "Thank you."

"Do you know how much paperwork I have to fill out for you because of this on top of your resignation?" Xavier asks him, smiling a bit despite James being able to see that seething anger underneath since he hates any office work.

"I already signed my parts of it," James informs him as everyone else laughs, "have fun with that. Also, Apollo, fuck you for telling Angela about the engagement."

"Give me a break," Apollo says as he continues snacking on the ice chips. "Your mother hates me now."

-o-

Emily walks back into the waiting room, expecting to see her friends but only sees Daniel slouched in one of the cushioned seats by himself. He hasn't noticed her because then he would've looked her way. Instead, his eyes are looking down towards the information desk, but she knows he isn't thinking about the welcome signs.

She knows that Daniel blames himself. Emily caught onto that from when he didn't want to talk about how he knew James was going to propose. Him not telling her is something she can get over solely because she would've told Angela. At least she wasn't the only one who didn't know since Sigyn was as confused as her when she walked in.

But that's not her focus now.

Daniel doesn't acknowledge her until she's right beside him and she hands him a water bottle.

"Hey," Emily says as she takes a seat beside him.

"I'm sorry for snapping earlier," Daniel says, taking her hand. "It's just, this is all on me."

"Daniel. It's not."

"The image of the Hulk - of me - smashing James' kneecap is echoing in my mind. It's just been this knocking at the back like tinnitus but now it's in the forefront."

Emily nods slowly, squeezing his hand. "Are you going to see James before he goes in?"

"I don't know. I think Iqadi just went in. Where have you been?"

"Talking to Hank who's now talking to my father."

Daniel's brows furrow. "Weird turn of events. What are they talking about?"

Emily pauses since she's unsure herself but doesn't want to hear the possible answer. "We'll discuss it later."

-o-

The moment everyone else left and his parents were elsewhere in the hospital, Iqadi slips into the room. She tries her best to mimic James' greeting smile when she walks in, but hers is forced and uncomfortable. For a moment, she thought James would've been asleep and she could've been alone with her thoughts and practice what to say, but now she's looking right at him.

Despite being in so many tense situations where she has to think on her feet and be professional, she has no idea what to do here. These moments are when she would look at Imanu for help since he's better with people, even with their friends.

"Sup, Princess," James says. "Where's Imanu?"

Iqadi shrugs. "Somewhere out there, I believe. We came together but he got asked to run errands."

"Did you come to give me a spiel about your plans causing all this because if so, first call the nurse to knock me out because I don't want to hear it."

Iqadi crosses her arms. "James."

"Last I checked, your executed plan for me was an overweight anxiety blanket with a feedback loop powered by me trying to escape it. Very impressive."

"Stop that."

James grins. "What are you going to do? Put me in a hospital?" He laughs when her eyes widen. "Gotcha there, didn't I? Your plan didn't prepare for that."

Iqadi shakes her head in disbelief as she shakes her head. She walks over to the chair next to his bed and takes a seat, crossing one leg over the other.

"You're impossible, Dr. Pym," she tells him.

"Hey, I'm just trying to keep up with you. You're impossibly smart and scary. In that order too. How long are you staying here?"

Iqadi playfully shrugs. "I guess that while you're out, I'll have to pull my weight more on the team. Imanu and I might look for a place here, but I still have to discuss that with him when he returns. Maybe Apollo and Sigyn will be around more, more so him than her since she lives here now."

"So my place on the team is worth three super-powered royals."

"Glad to know your ego is still in check. I'd be concerned if it wasn't."

-o-

Lucky for James, his surgery got pushed a few hours so he got permission to have a snack or two. He tried negotiating with Angela for a cupcake but she ended up bringing him an assortment of muffins from a cute bakery down the street that she sent Xavier to get. Given the extreme early hours of the morning, the muffins are warm and fresh.

"This is cranberry and orange," Angela guesses as she takes one out of the mixed paper bag to give to him. That's the last time she asks Xavier to do anything for her involving baked goods. "I'm only saying that based on the scent."

She breaks off the top of the muffin and hands it to him while she keeps the bottom, a routine they've always had for muffins. Except this one doesn't result in a smile.

"This muffin sucks," James says.

Angela nods, finding a napkin to wrap it in. "It's so dry."

"We're baking some when we get home."

"We?"

"I'll sit there while you do all the work."

Angela laughs and kisses his cheek as Daniel walks in.

"There you are!" James exclaims. "Don't say anything."

Daniel looks at Angela who shrugs. She rises from her chair and leaves the bag of muffins with James as she steps out. Daniel turns around for a moment and watches her leave, realizing that she gave them the room. Daniel closes the door and stands at the foot of his bed.

"You're out of the field," Daniel states.

"I resigned before all this," James says. "Let's not be ableist."

"I ruined your career, your proposal-"

"I still have a job in sight and my girl loves me."

"I ruined your life."

"Extreme."

"Be serious."

James throws the half-eaten muffin top at him. "You first. Look, Daniel, we lived together at the Academy for four years. You've put up with so much of my shit and I'm not saying this was you getting even but I'm saying that it's good. You're my best friend and I'm not holding you out for this."

Daniel keeps quiet for a second before picking up the muffin top and throwing it back at him. "General anesthetic or spinal?"

"General," James laughs, "I'm gonna be napping."