My War Is Over (Original Unfinished Version)

Chapter Sixteen

Tony sighs after Bruce leaves the room, the muffled voices of him and the rest of their teammates reaching his ears but not quite translating into coherent words. He supposed Bruce must be updating them about Loki's condition. 

Tony shoves the tray Bruce had been using during the operation out of the way. It's covered in bloodied utensils and gauze. He doesn't want to see it. Instead, he turns off the bright overhead lights above Loki's bed, checks the heart rate monitor out of paranoia, and then quickly crosses to the far side of the large room to the wall of cabinets. He pulls out a mild antiseptic cleaner, some gauze, cotton balls, and soft bandages. He then carries the supplies back to Loki's bed and places them on a different tray, wheeling it up beside the bed along with a chair which he settles himself into.

He reaches for Loki's right wrist, the closest to him, and pulls it a bit closer, his touch impossibly gentle. He douses one of the cotton balls in the antiseptic and very gently washes the blood off from around the sutured wounds. He continues to clean Loki's arms, hands, face, and neck; clearing away all traces of blood from his skin. He then pats the wounds dry with gauze and wraps them very carefully. He repeats the same process on Loki's left wrist. 

Bruce enters the infirmary when Tony is halfway finished with Loki's left wrist and pauses for a minute. He's never seen Tony so intently focused on something, not even his inventions or on his suit. His shoulders hunched and his tongue poking out the corner of his mouth just slightly, his movements very slow and deliberate; nothing like his usual charisma. When Tony finishes, Bruce very softly calls his name, but the genius still jumps a little in surprise. 

"Hey," Bruce greets him, looking over Tony's bandaging job as Thor crept to Loki's side. "You did well here. Listen, Thor is going to go home for a little while, and I was thinking with all the shit that's been going on Loki should probably stay with just one person for a little while, and-"

"I'll do it." Tony interrupts, eyes on Thor as the thunder god bends down, and places a careful kiss on Loki's clammy forehead, whispering to him as he did. Bruce nods, choosing to ignore just how quickly Tony had jumped to the opportunity. 

"Good, okay. I was just about to ask if you would. Can he stay on your floor? I don't think we should leave him alone anymore, but we shouldn't overcrowd him either. I can set things up there and I'm sure you can handle it from that?" 

"Yeah, I've got 'em," Tony assures him. 

"Okay, good. You tell me if you need me. The wounds should heal up pretty fast if we're taking the last few weeks as an example. Thor is going to carry him up and Steve offered to help take up some supplies. Do you have an extra bed?" Tony nods. 

"Cool, I'll get a bag ready." 

-oOo-

Bruce trails behind Steve and Thor as they carry both Loki and two large bags of medical supplies to the elevator. He slows his pace deliberately to match with Tony's. 

"Are you sure you're up for this? He might be very upset when he wakes up, and in an extremely fragile mental state. That applies in general, too. Not just now. He was already, this will be worse, Tony." Bruce murmurs, placing a hand on the inventor's shoulder and finding it trembling slightly. 

"I am. Trust me. He and I are more alike than you think. He trusts me, and-and I-"

"You like him." Bruce finishes for him. Tony lets out an indignant squawk, cheeks reddening. 

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Bruce," he growls. 

"Everyone can see it Tony, which is exactly why I'm worried-"