Starks Pheonix {2}

Eleven

Tony had refused to leave her, once she was out of surgery. He was thankful that it was a success, but hated seeing her in the bed, battered, bruised and broken. He had drawn the blood from both soldiers, thanking them both, but not meeting their eyes. He could feel their anger radiating from them, knowing that they blamed him for this. She was their family, and because of his actions, she was now laying in a hospital bed, recovering.

'She's a fighter, she'll be ok Tony..'.. He didn't turn to look at Pepper as she came in, but she moved to the other side where he was, placing a coffee on the unit next to her bed for him. She moved back around, sitting in the chair on the other side of Izzy... 'Its not your fault either, I know you Tony, she wouldn't want you blaming yourself..'

Tony scoffed, looking over at Pepper, not letting go of Izzys right hand... 'If I hadn't treated her like shit, she wouldn't have been in that accident. I watched her in the training room, I heard what she said to Cap..'.. His voice wobbled... 'She said that everything Hydra did to her, is nothing compared to the pain I've put her through..'... He dropped his head forward, onto their linked hands, as he cried. He didn't care that others saw him breakdown, the only one he cared about, almost died because of him being an asshole.

'Tony, I'm telling you, don't blame yourself. You know she'll kick your ass if you do..'.. Pepper came back around, hugging him from behind. He was her friend, one of her best friends, and she hated seeing him like this. She knew that nothing she could say, would make a difference, she only hoped that Izzy would pull through, and wake up.

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Bucky and Steve looked at each other, as they stood out in the hallway, hearing Tony breakdown. Bucky jerked his head, and the two moved back to the elevator, and back up to the main floor. Neither said a word the whole time, not knowing what to say. They exited onto the floor, seeing Sam and Nat step away from each other, and look over to them.

'How is she?..'.. Nat asks, as the two soldiers head for the bar.

'Surgery went well, Bruce said the serum should help with her recovery, but they found she had a ready hard hit to the head, causing swelling to her brain ..'.. Steve sighed, his hands shaking slightly, as he poured a drink... 'Connors thinks that she may suffer with some memory loss, but we won't know until she wakes up..'.. Just as he went to take a sip, the elevator opened again, and Hill stepped out.

Everyone could tell by the look on her face, she had been crying... 'I've tried to get a hold of Fury, but there's no answer. You wouldn't happen to have any luck would you?..'.. She flopped onto the couch, rubbing a hand over her face.

'Tony has tried since we found out too. Even got Jarvis running through communications, trying to locate him..'.. Nat tells her, and comes to sit with Maria, putting an arm around her.

'He'll hate himself if he's not here, or if..'.. Maria didn't finish her sentence, she didn't need to, they all understood... 'What the hell happened? Izzy has always been on alert when driving, I've seen her drive backwards, with her eyes shut through traffic..'

The team look between one another and Nat sighs, before telling her what had happened. Maria did look over to Bucky, and she didn't blame him for what had happened, she already seen his files. Nothing he did, was in his control. She sighed, shaking her head... 'I'd punch Stark for the way he's acted, but seeing him in her room...'... She gulped... 'Hitting him wouldn't hurt him as much as seeing her in that bed..'