Heartbeat (Natasha x Wanda + One)

Seventeen

Two days later I'm woken up by the sound of multiple alarms.

At first I thought they were my monitors, but after forcing the sleep fog from my brain, I realized they were coming from Ash's side of the hospital room. I glance towards them, gasping as their eyes meet mine in pure panic.

I'm up and by their bed before I even register what I was doing, hitting the call button for the nurse as I silence the alarms. Ash is trying to sit up, their breath coming in quick gasps.

"Easy baby," I tell Ash gently, putting my hands on their shoulders and forcing them to lay back down. "You were hurt pretty badly, take it slow."

Their eyes dart around, fear and confusion clouding them, "Allie?" Ash whispers in a raspy voice.

"She's alright," I reassure them. "She wasn't hurt." I give Ash a teasing grin, "she's going to be pissed that you woke up on the one day she's not here."

Ash grimaces slightly. We both knew the wrath that is my daughter's anger. And she would be pissed that she wasn't here when Ash woke up. It would figure though, that the day I finally convince her to go home and get one nights sleep in her bed, is the night Ash wakes up.

Ash breathes deeply, "sorry."

"For what, love?" I ask, genuinely confused. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"Foster.. dad," Ash gets out, their eyes filling with tears. "Allie."

"Sweetie, that was not your fault," I tell them firmly. "That asshole is the one who should be apologizing, not you. I should be apologizing, not you. I should never have let you go back there. And I am so sorry that I couldn't protect you. But I promise you, that man will never hurt you again. You are never going back there, ever again."

The nurse runs in before I can tell Ash about Wanda and Natasha. She rushes over to us and checks the machines, giving me a look as she realizes I've already reset them. Finally she acknowledges Ash, "it's good to see you awake. You had everyone worried. Your mom hasn't left your side in weeks."

Ash's eyes widen at her words and I don't correct the nurse. In all the years I've known them, all the times I've tried to get custody of them, somewhere along the way I'd started to think of Ash as mine.

The nurse turns to me, "you shouldn't be out of bed either. You just had heart surgery, you should be resting."

I shrug, "my kid woke up from a coma. You'd be out of bed too."

She gives me a reluctant nod, "yes I would. But that doesn't mean I have to let it slide. I'll be back in ten minutes with the doctor and you better be back in bed."

"Yes ma'am," I tell her as she walks out. "Scoot kid," I order Ash, pulling their blankets aside. It takes a minute for us to get situated in Ash's bed, especially considering they haven't used their muscles in weeks. When we finally get situated, I'm on my side which I'm sure the doctor will have something to say about and Ash is pressed against me.

Ash grasps the front of my shirt loosely, "thanks."

I kiss their head, "always, love."

"Moon song?" They ask softly.

I pull them closer and start to softly sing. Ash is asleep before the second verse and the doctor is given a death glare when he walks in on the third. But as always, I sing the entire song and hold my kid through the night.