revivalproject | affliction

Entry tags:

affliction

WHO: Tony, Billy, and anyone that wants to deal with the fallout from the first bug bites
WHERE: L'hopital
WHAT: Come visit Tony as he recovers and try to figure out what's going on with this infestation!
WHEN: Backdate a bit. Shortly after the rage incident with the Young Avengers (Tommy's included? Unsure.)
WARNINGS: Everyone got a little hurt, some injuries might be gross? Depends on if anyone is here to do actual hospital stuff.

The recovery was definitely going much faster than it would have without Extremis' accelerated healing, but that didn't make Tony any more patient with it. They had worked fast, he had only been out for a few minutes, he knew that much-- he had been completely brain dead for half an hour the last time he had a very similar heart attack, and Nick Fury couldn't keep him lying around in bed for more than a day. He could at least get some sleep that time, though. The shock hadn't burst straight through his chest, leaving him feeling mummified under the dressing that only irritated the raw depression over his heart and the lightning burst that shredded across his back, impossible still to put any weight on. And he had been revived by a team of very professional EMTs, not one frenetic teenager stabbing him with a needle that left his whole chest cavity feeling bruised and swollen and impossible to breath in any other position. If he deigned to stay in bed, he was sitting up, cross-legged, bent over the D.A.T.A. sphere recovered from where he had abandoned it in the diner, excruciatingly trying to coax Extremis from focusing on the physical to let him do some programming, at least, barely mustering a small, golden nanoweb over his fingertips to create a contact point with the sphere.

More likely, though, he was draped in a sweater that made him stiff and uncomfortable, too aware of every stitch of yarn in it, but not feel quite as vulnerable as he lurked around the front desk or break room behind it to try to fill in the gaps of his still unreliable short term memory. He still didn't exactly understand why he was here, what could have possibly gone so wrong after several months of solidly risky behaviour in an alien environment on a morning that, Tony was pretty sure, he only had plans to behave himself with a cup of coffee for once. And he was still owed that cup; he definitely didn't remember enjoying it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Tony turned his head enough to glare at that hand, because this was a deliberate choice he had made and he wasn't asking for help, then gathered his strength to turn his back to the cupboards instead with his legs sprawled across the break room floor in front of him, head pressed back to keep his shoulders from leaning back too heavily onto his bandages. He tucked his hands up under his sweater to warm them and keep them away from Billy, not to pull the fabric away from his chest so it wasn't as obvious how he was breathing. "If you just came here to get me in bed, it's not a good time for me," he said, so at least one more time, the joke wasn't going anywhere yet, but at leas this time it came with an inquiry, Tony raising a questioning eyebrow for the visit. It wasn't like he had gone out of his way to see Billy since he got to this planet.

Fine. All right. Billy withdrew the hand and lowered himself to join him, looking more than a little uncertain.

"I'm uh-...I came to...apologize. And I'm kind of a doctor now, so...responsible for you in a whole bunch of ways, I guess, so..." He palmed at the back of his neck with a guilty expression. "How are you...um...how bad is it?"

The suggestion of an apology earned Billy a sidelong look, but Tony grinned as he continued, eyes closed but chuckling out into the break room at the idea of Billy being responsible for him. That was cute. "Well, Dr. Kaplan," he purred, as though this was an indulgence for Billy, "the patient is really hoping there is good news and he can be discharged soon."

Oh, yeah...that's very weird, and Billy flushed a bit hearing himself addressed by the title both his parents carry.

"Well, I can't really assess that when you're sitting on the floor and not in your room, can I?" he countered, arching a brow. "You need rest. And you and I both know the second you leave this place you aren't going to be resting."

That got Tony's attention back on him, skeptical of Billy's premise. "What's the difference?" he asked, before giving a knowing nod, gaze jumping along Billy's posture on the floor as though he was assessing his whole character. "Much less fun to play doctor," he agreed about the floor. It wasn't like Billy was going to do much, the aesthetic was all he really had in this place, and that was debatable.

"...Please?" Billy tried, giving a defeated look. He just wanted to do his part to take care of Tony...begin to make SOME kind of amends.

"I just-...I wanna make sure you're all right."

Because Billy asked so nicely and not because Tony had gathered the strength again by then to make it back to his feet, he lifted his chin thoughtfully then gave a prim little nod, he supposed he could bear it. Climbing unsteadily, he did accept Billy's help to stand, but only took his elbow like he had to show Billy the way to the room as they made for the hall. As far as Tony could recall, this was the first time they had spoken since Billy had told him about...the ghosts, and it made the silence of the hospital feel oppressive until he used the hold on Billy's arm to halt him, then tug him closer for a ginger hug. It was pressure Tony didn't need on his bandages, but he curled an arm around Billy to hold against his chest regardless, drawing the other hand through his hair to pull him against his shoulder.

Oh.

Billy froze up for a moment, afraid to do more damage, breath caught in his chest. His eyes stung, and abruptly he gave in, hugging back probably tighter than he should have, before finding a more measured pressure.

"I'm sorry." For so, SO many things, and he was sure nothing he could say or do would ever make things right. He;d hardly had time to properly deal with or process that guilt, there was so much that needed taking care of, so much to fix. The hug seemed to finally break the dam, and Billy fought not to let the tears spill over his cheeks.

"For everything...I didn't mean-"

The only reply Tony had for the apology was a small, "Ow," but didn't release Billy either, giving a reassuring pat down his back instead for all of the tension in that hug. It was when he could hear the tears in Billy's voice as he started to explain that Tony started to regret the offer, but only muttered, "Don't get snot on my shirt." Billy wasn't supposed to be apologizing right now, Tony was trying to tell him he was sorry about Cassie, and not being there or knowing what Billy was going through, and then avoiding him just because Tommy had said one thing and spooked Tony off without another word as though he could bear hearing about something happening to this kid, too, without ever letting Billy know how much Tony adored him. Maybe that was a lot to try to convey in a hug. Tony squeezed the back of Billy's neck, huffing a pained sigh into his hair, hoping he at least got the last part clear enough.

He does understand, and the sorry really is for EVERYTHING, Cassie, their fight, everything back home that Tony didn't even know about- just...everything. He gave a breathy laugh and sniffed apologetically, nodding and blinking the tears back. "Sorry-" he breathed again, now for getting emotional, cheeks hot, and held on a beat longer before mumbling- "...I should check on you still..."

Before Billy could pull away entirely, Tony caught his face to roughly pass calloused thumbs over his cheeks, wiping away any dampness with a smile before it carried on any further, then released him with a pat and a final kiss to his forehead before finally slouching to let Billy take his weight around his shoulders. Now he had caused the problem, he could deal with it, and Tony grumbled, "You didn't have to try to kill me again," as they made for his prison cell.

Billy didn't realize just how much he'd missed an adult presence in his life, and he smiled gratefully, cheeks hot, moving to support Tony's weight.

"Again? You make it sound like I try to kill you every other week."

"Twice in one week is quite the escalation," Tony pointed out. It took him a beat and a few stilted breaths before he could commit to climbing back up on the bed, where he sat miserably for the effort, on his knees and leaning into his arms folded across his stomach and not sure which he hated more, if it was sweat from the effort or if it was blood from cracked sores that he could feel running down his back. Where was Jon, anyway?

"Fair," Billy noted, and that playful return was only half-hearted that time, guilt threatening to flare back up with how miserable Tony looked.

"...I could heal you-" he offered, lifting his fingers to show he meant his magic, but he was all ready sure Tony would refuse. "Did Jon give you your medicine yet?"

Billy was correct, he shouldn't have bothered to offer. Tony shook his head, lip raised and shoulder tensing like he was ready to bat away Billy's hands if he intended to bring that magic any closer. He was fine, he had everything he needed with the wonders of medical science, thank you. "He's late," he mumbled down toward his knees, a sidelong glance skirting cautiously Billy's way.

"Okay," Billy accepted easily, getting Tony's pills ready without question and passing them and a cup of water off to be take, trusting Tony not to lie about something like that.

"How about the bandages? Want me to change them, or would you rather wait for Jon?" He knew it must be weird for Tony to be treated by someone he was used to mentoring.

It wasn't a lie, they just had different ideas of what his administration schedule should be and right now they were working on Tony's, sort of. Ideally, he would get two more of those right now, too, but that might have been pushing his luck if he wanted to keep this charade going for much longer, so he took his dose placidly then balanced the glass between his knees.

When he refused the next offer, it was less overtly distasteful but not any less defensive, just flicking a free hand dismissively with another shake of his head, "They're fine." The less people involved in that process, the better, and Billy might have been near the top of the keep out list. He didn't need to know the extent of the damage done, not after the way he came slinking guiltily in and broke down from a hug. "Running out of fun doctor things fast, huh?" Tony said, taking control of whatever Billy had in mind for him next and carefully working a leg free over the edge of the bed. "Try my reflexes, that one's always a surprise."

For now at least it wasn't something Billy would press, nodding easily. Tony was probably right, that wasn't something Billy was eager to be confronted with just yet.

He gave a small laugh at Tony's teasing. "I mean- it shouldn't be," he retorts.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

affliction

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject