It Takes Two 🕷Peter Parker [4]

three

Peter

The trip from the Wallace apartment to the medbay was mostly a blur.

He thought he remembered Alex saying something to him, something about going ahead of her. He could sort of picture May grabbing him by his arm and guiding him down the hall toward the elevator. He didn't remember the ride down, though, because the next thing Peter knew, he was standing in the medical bay with Rhodey, Happy, Dr. Banner, and Dr. Cho—she had been flown in from Seoul a few days after the battle.

Rhodey turned to Peter as he and May approached them. "Hey, there you guys are." He seemed rattled, which was strange to witness. Peter had never seen Rhodey anything other than composed—except in the immediate hours that followed bringing Mr. Stark to Wakanda.

"Hey, hey, we're here," May said, looking between the group. "How long has he been awake?"

"About an hour," Dr. Cho said. "We've been running some tests, making sure he's not in a lot of pain—Ms. Potts and their daughter are already with him." She glanced at Peter. "He's been asking for you."

His cheeks warmed suddenly as the adults all turned to look at him. "He has?" Mr. Stark was asking for him, Peter? While he was with his wife and daughter? His daughter calls you her older brother, Parker, he reminded himself.

"Yes," Dr. Cho confirmed. "I don't want to let too many people in the room at once, but for you four I think we can make an exception—for a little while, anyway. I don't want to overwhelm him. Dr. Banner and I filled him in on... most of what happened."

"He knows he's been asleep for a month?" Happy asked, folding his arms over his chest—a behavior from the older man that Peter had learned to associate with anxiety.

Dr. Banner nodded, subtly adjusting his bad arm—the one wrapped up in a sling. Sometimes Peter forgot that Dr. Banner had been the one to perform the snap that brought them all back. It was then that Peter realized the man was probably the only person in the universe who knew what Mr. Stark was going through.

"He says he doesn't remember most of what happened with—with the stones," Dr. Banner said carefully. "But he remembers most of the battle. Be delicate with what you tell him. I don't want to... startle him."

The others nodded. Peter felt slightly woozy. Mr. Stark didn't remember what he had done with the Infinity Stones, but Peter did. He didn't think he would ever forget. He could still feel the smoke in his throat, could smell the charred flesh and taste the metallic blood in his mouth. He quickly shook his head and refocused himself.

"We—uh—I don't have to go in if—" Peter tried. "I don't want to overwhelm him."

May placed a hand on his arm, trying to reassure him.

Dr. Banner's eyes softened. "You won't, Peter," He promised. "He wants to see you."

That was still weird to hear, even after his conversation with Steve about why Mr. Stark had done what he did.

"Okay."

Dr. Cho and Dr. Banner led the group down the hall to the room where Mr. Stark had been staying for the last month. While Rhodey and Happy all but burst into the room, Peter stopped. Hesitated at the door.

He felt May stop beside him. "Peter?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I'm okay," He answered automatically.

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it with a small smile, which he returned, though it was a struggle. Peter finally nodded at her and they stepped into the room. Rhodey and Happy were crowded around Mr. Stark's hospital bed. Peter could see Morgan curled up against Mr. Stark's side while Pepper was sitting in a chair by his bed, her hand resting on his leg.