Seeing Beyond

16

Now it was 2 AM and there was medical staff from the compound in the tower. "Its gonna take some work, but you'll be fine," the woman looking at the stitches commented.

"She might need a feeding tube," another person commented from beside her.

"You mean I can't eat?" she asked, alarmed. 

"Just until we get your stomach used to regular amounts of food. How much were you fed in RAFT?"

"Um..." she looked at Tony and fidgeted with her hands. "Maybe a little twice a day max at first. The last few days or so I wasn't able to eat anything, I lost my food privileges. So, I don't know, really..."

Tony looked furious against the wall with his jaw tightened. 

"Maybe an average of 500 to 800 calories a day?" a man in the room guessed. "We have no way of really knowing."

"Sometimes they'd give me real meals, then they'd just stop and give me little or nothing."

"So intermittent starving," the woman who suggested the feeding tube sighed. "I'm so sorry," she put a hand on Auroras shoulder.

Aurora shrugged it off. "I don't need anything, I just need the stitches out."

"Shut the hell up and let them decide!" Tony rolled his eyes at her.

"I know what I need--"

"You need some serious rehabilitation," the guy in the room commented.

"Suggestions for treatment?" the woman who looked at the stitches asked. He was obviously younger and a little newer. Aurora thought an intern maybe?

"NG tube, obviously stitches need to come out. We would need to start feeds at a small rate, gradually increase until she's able to eat solid food again."

"Sounds like the right plan to me," she nodded and looked at the adults in the room. "Mr. Stark," she addressed. Clearly Tony had hired new people.

"Tony."

"Tony, is this all okay with you?"

"He's not having this shit done to him," Aurora commented.

"But he is your legal guardian, correct?" Aurora stayed silent. "And you're a minor. I have to go through him first."

"She gets to make her own decisions. Whatever she's on board for, I am too most of the time."

"Then, Aurora," she shifted. "Are you okay with all of this?"

"You think this is what I need to get better?"

"I wouldn't suggest it unless it was the best option."

"Then... okay. How are you taking the stitches out?"

"We'll  most likely have to use a local anesthetic and just go from there," she replied. Aurora eased a little at the word anesthetic.

"Could we..." she looked nervously at Tony, who nodded and quickly stood at her side. She felt him grab her hand as she continued. "Could we put me under? I don't know if I can... handle..."

"Of course," Tony replied instantly. "Right?"

"Sure, if you're more comfortable that way."

The other younger woman interjected, "should we do the NG tube then, too?"

"That'd be great," Aurora sighed in relief.

"How soon did we want to do this?"

"As soon as you can," Tony answered.