Project: A Stark Winter

Chapter Fourteen: Million Dollar Question

Anger, frustration, and confusion hung in the tense air between the team as they all stood and watched your gasping form. Your muscles ached as you rolled yourself onto your stomach, summoning all your remaining strength to push yourself off the ground. With arms shaking from the strained effort, your body protested your attempted movement. Pitifully you collapsed back into a heap on the floor and closed your eyes tightly. Tony gingerly rested a hand on your head, smoothing your hair. You sighed into his fatherly touch, allowing a breath of calm between you in this room of anxious people.
"How we doin' kiddo?" He whispers, moving a sweat soaked strands away from your forehead and smiling a frown. Weakly you give him a thumbs up and close your eyes with a deep groan.
"Tony, you better start talking. Now." Steve fumed, his jaw clenched tightly and hands flexing at his sides as he steps forward. Without taking his eyes off your huddled form Tony relayed all the information about your test results. As he spoke the team, who had been on edge since the mission, gradually began to relax their hostilely toward you as it appeared you were safe, for now.
"Bruce and I have been working on a cure for whatever multiversal radiation poisoned, y/n. The last few weeks haven't been...the most successful for testing, but it seems like Bruce was able to conjure up a band-aid remedy." Tony finished with an empty flourish, gesturing to the puddle of black goo you had vomited up.
"I was able to extract some of Tony's DNA to create a sort of temporary radiation neutralizer and help flush out the bad stuff. We mixed it with various stabilization agents until we found one we were...fairly certain could work." Bruce spoke reluctantly as he waved the syringe in the air.
"You mean to tell me that you hadn't tested that crap, but injected it into her anyway?" Bucky demanded, venom and displeasure dripping from his words. Steve gave him a look of surprise but continued prodding.
"Bruce, how do we know that it's safe?" He crouched by your side and helped you into a sitting position. Your weak body goes limp in his arms as he lets you rest against his chest.
"We have seen testing of part of the stabilization agent at work so we weren't entirely concerned on that front and it's a small dose meaning the effects aren't long term.. The rest was, for lack of a better term, Hail Mary."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Natasha growls out as she slams her fists on the table loudly. Tony uncomfortably shifts on his feet as he watches you continue to regain control of your body after whatever just happened. Sensing all eyes angrily watching him, Tony scoffs and throws his hands up.
"Y/n is perfectly fine. I'm not sure why you're all looking at me like that. See? She's acting like her usual self. Show them!" Tony half begs as he encourages you to smile and wave who h he instantly regrets as you begin to move around like toddler who just gained control of their limbs.
"Immm fiiiiine, guyssss. Reallyyy." You mumble incoherently as your floppy arms gesture around you in an attempt to prove your words true. Bruce cringes as Steve looks at between him and Tony sternly.
"Well, like I said it's temporary . And we didn't have another option." Bruce concludes glumly, as Natasha shoots him a dangerous glare.
"Hold up. Temporary? You mean she's not fixed?" Sam chimes in from his seat at the conference table.
"Fixed? She's not a damn dog Sam!" Tony growled back in your defense, whipping his head to stare down his friend.
"That's not what I meant and you damn well know it. Besides, we all know the real dog is you, man." Sam retorted with a wink and laugh causing Tony to jump to his feet.
"Alright tweety bird, say that to my face."
"Ha okay, you're a dog."
"Okay, boys . Enough. We have bigger problems right now." Natasha steps forward between the two of them and rests a hand on Tony's chest in a firm but gentle warning. Wanda, who had been nervously skirting the edge of the room with Vision, kneels next to you and Steve and raises a hand to your temple. As she closes her eyes, red swirling magic flows from her fingertips and into your mind. Trying to navigate your mind, Wanda pulls her arm back suddenly and looks to the group in confusion.
"She...she blocked me out. I can't see anything." Her words hang in the air as everyone silently attempts to find a solution to the problem at hand. As debates and conversations take place, pain begins to trickle up your spine once again. Shivers splinter over your body as tiny whimpers escape your throat. Clint, the real dad of the group, notices your head lulling and stands quietly.
"We can stand here all day and chat, but I think we should probably get her to the med bay." He holds his arms out and Steve reluctantly hands you over. Clint holds you firmly against his chest as he walks you down the hall in the direction of the medical wing of the tower. Your eyes flutter open as you peer over his shoulder; the world around you bouncing with every step he takes. Deep in your throat, you make a gagging sound as you pinch your eyes shut to calm the growing feeling of nausea.
"Please, don't throw up on me, kid." Clint grumbled, sighing deeply. As he strode through the automatic doors of the med bay, the small staff of medical personnel sprung into action. They pointed to a medical bed and Clint gently rested you there as the medical staff began hooking you up to a heart monitor and IV.
"What's wrong with her, sir?" One questions him, searching his eyes for any answer. Clint runs a hand through his hair, trying to formulate the words.
"That's a million-dollar question, sweetheart." The doctor just nods curtly and sets about running basic diagnostic testing. Your skin was cold and clammy to the touch as she held your wrist to check your pulse. You had small amounts of black vomit on your clothes and they were soaked through with sweat. She leaned into your view as she spoke in soft hushed tones.
"Alright, y/n. We are going to give you a little something to help you sleep, okay? I think you just need some fluids and rest. I'll check on you in a bit."
"No...please...don't wanna sleep..." You warbled out, words coming slowly from exhaustion. You didn't want to sleep afraid of what dreams would come, but as you felt the sharp poking of a needle you knew it was too late. Your eyes began to droop shut as tears fell silently down your cheeks.