Avengers: Jr. Stark (Avengersxteen)

Chapter 36

The car was absolutely silent. Nobody dared to even think about saying anything. I looked out the window trying to find something to distract myself with.

Line, line, another line, some more yellow lines ooh a pothole back to the yellow line.

"We're here." Dad whispered as he pulled into the parking spot. "It's room scu-2 on the third floor. I'll walk you kids up and then Peter you can have your privacy."

"Alright." Peter mumbled.

Peter and I slowly unbuckled and exited the car taking a moment to process everything. Walking through the double door the bright lights hit us as dad guided us through the narrow hallways.

"Sir, can I help you. Nobody is supposed to be on this floor." A nurse snapped as we tried to go into the room.

"I'm here with Peter Parker, the nephew and next of kin for May Parker in Scu-2 right across the hall. We have explicit permission to be here now would you please let us in before I have you fired. Thank you." Dad smiled making direct eye contact.

"I-of course Mr. Stark. Please, follow me." She instructed guiding us to the room. "She is currently in a coma, but we believe that she can hear you. After you have a visit her doctor would like to speak with you Mr. Parker. If you need anything press the nurses call button on the remote. You can't miss it. If that's all I'll leave you guys to visit."

The nurse walked away leaving Peter standing in the doorway frozen.

"You ok underoos?" Dad asked gripping peters shoulder in a comforting manner.

Peter nodded meekly before slowly waking into the room fully.

"I'll be out in a couple of minutes."

"Jr let's go sit."

Dad and I sat in the waiting room just outside the SCU unit.

"You ok Jj?"

"Why May? And Peter? Haven't they been through enough already?"

"I know Jr, but we can't control these kind of things sometimes. These doctors are doing everything in their power to make sure May makes it to the other side."

"And what if...?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, if we even need to go there."

"And if we do?"

"Don't worry bout that right now. I know it's difficult but just try to relax."

"I'm a Stark, we don't know what the word relax means."

"Stop using my own name against me and try to rest." Dad joked flicking my arm. "But seriously, we're gonna be here for a while. At least just close your eyes for a bit."

I slowly nodded lying down with my head on his knee like I would when I was a little child. The constant beeping of the hospital machines made it almost impossible to rest, but at the same time it let me know they were alive.

. . . . .
"Jr wake up hon." Dad called shaking my shoulder gently.

"Jus 5 more mins." I mumbled already drifting off again.

"Come on JJ, we're gonna go visit May and go keep Peter company. He's asked for us to visit with him."

"How long was I out?"

"Just over an hour."

We stood up from the chair stretching. But not a normal stretch, that stretch where you crack everything in just the right places after you wake up in the morning.

"Geez don't get old Jr, I can't imagine what your joint will sound like then."

"Yeah yeah. Let's just go find Peter."

No amount of time could have prepared me for the aight that kid before my eyes.

May, the funny sweet woman I was lucky enough to call my surrogate aunt, the one who always made sure Peter and I had the best time possible and who was always there for us, was not the same woman in the bed. Her skin had lost its warm color, now covered in deep bruises. She looked fragile, like she would break if I sneezed, her arms and face littered with a stitches making it look like some super creepy sfx Halloween costume. Peter sat next to her on the bed gripping her hand so tightly I thought it would break. He didn't say anything, just kept his head down in thought.

I sat down next to him and grabbed his other hand. He gave me a sad smile and squeezed my hand tightly. Dad took a seat on the other side of May's hospital bed.

"Peter did you have a chance to talk to the doctors yet?" Dad hesitantly asked.

"They're gonna stop by in a few minutes, can..." Peter paused trying to weight out his question. He couldn't handle the possible rejection right now in his fragile state but he also couldn't face this alone.

"Talk to me Parker. What's goin on?" Dad asked giving his full attention to Pete.

Peter swallowed the lump in his throat before speaking. "Can you stay Tony, I don't think I can do it alone. I know it's a lot to ask and you can say no-"

"Of course Peter. Whatever you need."

We continued to sit in comfortable silence waiting for the doctor to arrive.

"I'll be back guys I just need to find a bathroom." Dad announced before leaving.

"Do you think he'll mind?" Peter asked quietly.

"Will who mind?" I ask utterly confused.

"Calvin, do ya think he'll mind that Im holding your hand?" Peter asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Peter." I whisper shouted in complete shock, but it got Peter to laugh and that's what he needed right now.

"Im sending him a picture. I'll make him jealous." Peter snapped a quick picture before I could pull my hand away and immediately sent it to Calvin.

Within minutes I revived a text message from the one and only.

C~ wooooow jr you're seriously holding hands with another man rn 🙄 I can't with you
C~ how is he tho

J~he's doing the best he can, I'll keep you updated

"Did I succeed in making him jealous?" Peter asked cheekily.

"Yes Peter, now I have a jealous boyfriend on my hands."

"Speaking of boyfriends, do you remember when we were like 5 and you wanted to marry my neighbor. The little boy, what was his name, oh wasn't it like Timmy or something? And you told my aunt you were gonna marry him." Peter asked laughing at the absurdity of it.

"I remember Timmy. We almost had a whole wedding planned. May was gonna help me plan it and then he moved. Can you believe he moved! My husband gone, just like that." I emphasized with a snap of my fingers.

Peter and I kept exchanging our favorite stories involving May, from something as simple as her Christmas party to when we accidentally lit her kitchen on fire, we spent over an hour laughing at all of the stupid things we got away with as kids. And for a moment, it didn't seem like the world was ending. And then dad returned.

"Peter, the doctor's here."