I Need A Doctor - IRONSTRANGE

long road to recovery

It took quite awhile to try and get Stephen off his feet. He didn't have much patience, so staying in the hospital for weeks wasn't something he was particularly happy about. But there were many things he wasn't particularly happy about. Shall I fill you in?

Stephen learned his hands shook uncontrollably, no matter how hard he put his mind into stopping it. He had lost his line of work, which was practically what he ate, slept, and breathed for the longest time. It was like losing life.

So sitting in the hospital he had worked at for so many years, learning and harboring his injury, definitely wasn't something he was keen on.

Thank god for Tony though. He was the only one who was keeping Stephen semi sane. Tony cared so much, even on Stephen's worst days there. And when I say worst days, he was in his roughest shape in the hospital alone. Stephen wasn't sure how or why Tony put up with him. But Tony's sappy ass simply said it was love.

But god did Stephen feel so helpless with Tony's help. Tony would shave his face for him, despite his protests about how good Stephen would look with a goatee. He'd also feed him, due to the inability to use his hands. It was all so frustrating.

Going home wasn't easy either. Since he had lost his job, Stephen didn't really have a source of income. Since he lived with Tony, he didn't worry too much about the living situation, but often felt bad not pitching in on bills that he used to cover for Tony.

But using the last of his money, he went under sugery after surgery to try and fix his hands, but it seemed to be no use. But Stephen was so determined, he never stopped researching, never stopped trying to get back into using his hands, never stopped trying to sign his name legibly.

It drove him from a state of determination, to practically a state of mania as he begged foreign doctors to operate on his hands, spending some of his last thousands of dollars for treatments that would be no use, he did everything in his power to get better. No matter how many times someone told him it was impossible, how many times Tony told him to think things through before proceeding with an experimental surgery.

It was particularly an afternoon that it was storming that really set of Stephen. He had been home for a bit now, attending physical therapy, and seeking out doctors. It had been storming all day, the thunder particularly getting under Stephen's skin. He was on a skype call with a doctor, explaining the procedure he had researched, practically begging the man to perform surgery on him.

"It's so experimental, I simply cannot do it. What you ask of me," The doctor paused for a second to find the right words. "It's simply impossible."

"No no listen-." Stephen began to say, his tone frustrated as he wrote his name over and over, his handwriting not getting anymore coherent.

"Stephen. I cannnot do what you ask of me." The doctor said, and with one swift click, the doctor ended the call.

Thunder struck, and Stephen knocked everything off his desk in a fit of rage. Why wasn't anything working? Why couldn't he heal like the man who was once paralyzed? So many thoughts swam in his brain as he repetitively wrote his name over and over.

The front door opened then to Tony, who had a brown bag. "Hey! I'm home. I got wine and some bread and-." Tony stopped in his tracks seeing the state Stephen was in.

"He won't do it, will he?" He asked, his tone sympathetic. Seeing Stephen like this had been so rough on Tony. He wish he knew how to help him out of this mania or funk, but there was only so much Tony could really do.

"No I, there's this procedure in Japan where they duplicate cells and, if I just get a small loan together or-." Stephen stopped his rambling, setting his pen down angrily.

"Stephen, I would maybe wait a little bit before going into something like that." Tony said softly. "I'd hate to see you get hurt." Stephen shot Tony a look. "Well, any more hurt than you already are." He then continued. "Maybe, maybe this isn't a bad thing."

"It's not a bad thing?" Stephen asked, his tone still as frustrated, if not more, than before. "I lost my life's work and it's not that bad?"

"I'm just saying there's more to life than work. It took me awhile to realize myself but honestly-." Tony was then cut off by Stephen.

"Like what? More to life than work? Like what? Like you? Peter?" Stephen stopped talking when he realized what he had said.

"Take it back." Tony said, his cheeks red and tears brimming in his eyes, as he slowly blinked them back. "One thing to bring up us, but another to bring up the kid. Seriously Stephen. You aren't thinking straight." Tony spat angrily, Stephen turning to look out the window.

"This isn't determination, this is mania. When you know the difference, come get me." Tony huffed angry, heading up to their bedroom.

What had Stephen done.