Maybe We Can Work (stony fanfic)

Hospital Rooms Are Awful

Steve's POV

I sprinted harder than I'd ever done before towards Tony lying on the ground, limp and bleeding. His helmet lay discarded metres away and I could see that his eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling weakly. He looked so innocent and weak.

"Bruce. I need Bruce." I said aloud to no one in particular. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Thor hit the Chitauri with Mjölnir.

"Bruce." I said into my earpiece, still crouched over Tony. "Meet me on the sixth floor. Tony's injured."

I scooped him up and ran towards the stairs, ignoring the fight commencing between the rest of the Avengers and the Chitauri. I'm sure they'll be fine without Tony and I.

---

Tony wasn't as heavy as he looked, even with the armour, but I still stumbled down the stairs, almost dropping him once or twice. I managed to carry him through all the thick smoke, past all the bodies, and down to where I'd told Bruce to meet me.

By the time I reached the sixth floor, Bruce was already there. I carefully laid Tony down on the only clear patch on the floor so Banner could examine him. He knelt over Tony.

"Um... He's definitely still alive, but I think he may have passed out. He's definitely bleeding, heavily, but I can't figure out where from with his suit still on. We need to get him to S.H.I.E.L.D hospital. Quickly." Bruce stood up and I lifted Tony up again, holding him protectively against myself. At least he was still breathing, although it was shallowly. 

---

I stopped at about the third floor, still clutching Tony in my arms. I was exhausted, dripping with sweat, and covered in ash, Tony's blood and small fragments of metal.

"Hey, Bruce." I panted. "I can't... carry him much... further. Can... you take him?" I stopped for deep breaths every few words. Bruce nodded and gently took Tony from my arms, not quite looking me in the eye. He held Tony close to his body, although it wasn't as close as I'd been holding him.

Then, without a word, he continued down the steep flights of stairs, now slippery with blood and littered with fragments of debris and bodies: both human and Chitauri. It was a horrible sight, everything red, silver or flesh coloured. 

---

By the time we finally got out the building, there was a black Chevrolet waiting for us on the curb.

"You took your damn time." Nick Fury was sat in the front, looking calm as ever. I don't think anything ever bothered him. 

"Sorry, sir, but we did have Tony to carry down 12 floors." I replied, strapping myself in and lying Tony across the seats and my legs, lying his head on my lap. Bruce sat in the passenger seat, next to Fury.

We sped off quickly. Then I suddenly remembered about the rest of the Avengers, still fighting on the rooftop.

"Sir, how will the others get back?" I asked as we zoomed down a highway. The traffic was awful, but Fury dodged between the cars, obviously in a rush.

"They'll find a way. They always do."

We all spent the rest of the car ride in silence.

---

I can barely remember anything that happened in the first few hours at the hospital. I remember carrying Tony in my arms, someone taking him off me, being lead to a room onlooking the operating theatre where they had Tony, watching his heart monitor beat steadily. I remember being offered coffee over and over, someone asking if I wanted food, Fury saying something to me. I hardly took in anything. I ignored anyone who wasn't hospital staff, Fury or Bruce. I didn't even smile at passing strangers.

Then after a while, I remember Fury leading me to a hospital room, which had everything but the bed. He told me this would be Tony's room, and that I should just stay here for a while. I sat down in a chair, thankful for the rest. There was nothing to do so I ended up staring at a magnolia-coloured wall.

Soon, Tony was wheeled in on a hospital bed, and hooked up to all the machines and drips and everything that he needed. He was wearing a blue hospital gown and he looked paler than ever. I glanced at him, but his eyes were still closed. I resumed my post staring at the wall.

About an hour or so later, Nick Fury came back.

"Captain. Listen here. I need to talk to you." Fury started. Oh god, was he going to tell me Tony may die? Will he tell me it was all my fault? Will he kick me off the team?

"Uh... okay." I could only muster up two words. My throat was dry, my hands were shaking, I was probably sweating and I was definitely thinking of the worst case scenario.

"Don't worry, Cap. Tony should be alright. I just need to ask you some questions. Do you have feelings for someone on the team?" I was a little taken aback.

Is that it? I was so worried. I thought he'd say something awful, something that would make me really hate myself. I realised I was hesitating.

"I... Maybe."I didn't know what else to say.

"Is it, by any chance, Tony? And be honest with me, Rogers." He looked right at me with his one good eye. I glanced at Tony, lying peacefully in the bed. He was probably in so much pain. 

"I... Um, well... I- I don't know. I mean... I think... Maybe? I don't know... I'm really confused, sir." I answered, nervously. Wait a second. What if Fury kicked me off the Avengers because I might be gay?

"So do you think you're gay?"

"I don't know, sir. I think I might be, but to be honest, I really don't know." I blushed furiously, but I didn't stutter or hesitate this time, but I was still extremely anxious.

Fury started to get up to leave without another word.

"Sir? You're not going to kick me from the team, are you?" I blurted out, anxiety bubbling up inside me.

"Kick you from the team? Rogers, you're Captain America. Even if we wanted to kick you from the team - which, I might add, we don't - the public sure as hell wouldn't let us. You're with us for as long as you live, and there's no getting out. Don't matter if you're gay." And with that, he left, slamming the door behind him

---

I must've fallen asleep at some point, because I awoke to a pale trickle of sunlight seeping through the thin curtains and a stiff pain in my neck from sleeping in a chair.

Tony was still deep asleep in his hospital bed, only the steady beeping of his heart monitor letting me know he was still alive.

I heard the door open quietly, and saw Bruce walk in. He was wearing a lab coat and holding a clipboard, his glasses balanced on his nose and a pen tucked in his pocket.

"Don't you look professional." I said, making Bruce jump about a mile upwards.

"I didn't know you were in here! You scared me so much. Wait, did I wake you up? I'm very sorry if I did. Do you want a coffee or anything?" What was it with people and offering me coffee? I shook my head.

"I'm alright. Are you here for Tony?"

"Just here to give him a check up. I'm sure he'll be fine."

Knowing that Tony would be safe with Bruce, I went back to sleep.