on thin ice [karen/frank - marvel]

forty seven: vincenzo castiglione

[trigger warning: depictions of violence]

The smell was something he couldn't get out of his nose. The antiseptic - it left a coldness in his nostrils and it was like sniffing petrol. Strong but also sour. He didn't know how you could smell sour. However, today the strong smell of peonies and lilies sat right under his chin. He knew they were her favourites.

Frank walked through the corridors, boots echoing on the flooring as he did. It was squeaky clean and usually his feet skidded a little. Nurses and doctors headed past him, a lot of them saying hi or recognising him and sending a small smile. He didn't know whether to feel sad that people recognised him because he'd been there for so long, but it was also quite nice to see their smiles.

"Back so soon?"

Frank turned quickly before he turned the corner into the ICU and spotted a woman in blue scrubs. He could only smile at her. Her name was Jeanie - Jeanie Franklin. She was the nurse that changed Frank's dressing everyday until he didn't need it and helped massage his scars with oil when he couldn't reach until they were reduced to basically nothing.

"I'm not here for me" he replied, shaking the flowers in his hand. She leaned forward and sniffed, shutting her eyes as she did. Frank watched her closely, wondering if she liked the smell of them been as it would determined whether or not his Mother would. "They're for my Mother. She's dying"

Franklin frowned, "I'm sorry. I didn't know"

He managed a smile in response. "She's not done yet"

--

Frank heard a loud shriek of laughter as he approached the room and he ended up in the doorway, observing the scene in front of him. The flowers drooped at his side and he folded his arms, a smile appearing on his face. His Mother was sat up in her bed, a nurse sat in the chair beside her. The two looked pally, chatting away like old friends and Frank was glad that she wasn't wasting any time moping about. The nurse looked up when she stopped laughing, noticing him at the door. "Looks like you have a visitor"

Frank smiled as the nurse kept her eyes on him and his mother turned to look at him in the doorway. It was only then when he got a glimpse of how wasted she truly looked. She was deteriorating, and time was running out. He forced the thought to the back of his mind for the time being. He held the flowers up, walking into the room and taking the chair next to the bed. "Hey Ma"

She held her hands out for the flowers as Frank placed them on her lap in the bed. The colours contrasted majorly with the white sheet on the top of her bed. He figured she could use some colour to spruce up the dull, boring room, that's what he had when he was stuck in there 24/7. Her hands shook and it didn't go unnoticed by him. Her voice was soft and old. "Francis"

"How you doing?" He asked, taking hold of one of her hands and gripping onto it as tightly as he could without hurting her. Between the three of them, himself, Marco and Gabriela had come up with a system of who would visit when. Marco worked all week mostly in the evenings so he was able to visit in the day. Gabriela was after school hours, sometimes bringing the kids. Frank was left with whenever he could. Even though they all kept each other informed on how she was doing, he still asked her. See if he could get more information out of her.

"Not dead yet" She said in response, turning toward the nurse opposite him and laughing.

"I'll leave you two alone" She said, before getting up and leaving quickly.

"Your strikingly dry sense of humour is still intact then?" He asked.

"Of course it is. How are you my baby?" She asked, looking toward him. Frank locked eyes on her and noticed how thin she was. Her eyes were dark and tired and there was bowls underneath them where her skin sagged. Somehow she still had a smile on her face. She was starting to look like a stranger. Not like his Mother. He knew it alarmed her, so he didn't say anything.