EYLIS ※ Tony Stark [3]

5 - GECKO

IT ONLY TOOK a few minutes to get to the hospital. Vika landed the jet seamlessly on the emergency helipad.

"Go, I'll catch up with you!" she told Bruce.

Bruce did not argue although he wouldn't have preferred to leave Vika on her own. But Angie's situation was becoming dire and there was no time to lose. He picked her up and burst through the doors of the emergency department.

Soon enough, nurses and medics were swarming around him. A stretcher bed was brought in, which he lay Angie on. They wheeled her into the depth of the hospital, leaving a haggard Bruce behind. Vika soon caught up with him and the two could do nothing but wait and hope for the best.

⁂

It felt like hours had passed, though it probably wasn't that long, when a doctor finally walked into the waiting area.

Bruce and Vika immediately stood up "Is she okay?"

The doctor's eyes shifted between the teenage girl and the man "Are you the father?" he asked Bruce.

"No, I'm a friend."

"Then I'm sorry, I need to protect Mrs Dean's confidentiality. But I can tell you she's okay. She lost a lot of blood but we caught it just in time."

Bruce made a face "Mrs Dean...?!"

The doctor cocked an eyebrow "Yes, Angela Dean, your... friend? There was a wallet and ID in her pocket, it's ED procedure to extract them so we can identify the patient... Are you here for someone else?" he looked flustered "I might've confused it, I'm sorry..."

Bruce was just as flustered but when he thought about it, Angela Dean did sound a lot like Angie's name. Perhaps she was using a pseudonym here on Earth. After all, he hadn't seen her in a while. Clearly a lot had changed.

"Oh no, you're right," he forced a laugh "I just know her as Angie, sometimes you forget she has a full name, haha hahaha..."

From the corner of his eye he could see Vika cringing at his terrible save but tried to play it off coolly "Anyway, can we go see her?"

The doctor looked slightly incredulous but extended his arm anyway "Of course. Right this way."

They followed him into a hallway, stopping in front of one of the rooms "She was resting but she just woke up. She might still be a little disoriented."

Bruce nodded as the doctor left them.

"Go, I'll wait outside," Vika told him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I shouldn't be in there. I don't even know her."

Bruce didn't argue. He pulled Vika towards him and planted a kiss on her hair "You did really good Vi. Lyre would've been proud."

Tears prickled at Vika's eyes but she quickly blinked them away "Thank you Bruce..." she sniffled a little "Now go."

Bruce nodded and opened the door of Angie's room as Vika went to sit on one of the waiting chairs along the length of the hallway.

The room inside was slightly dimmed down. Angie lay on the bed in a hospital gown, covers pulled up to her chest. She was hooked onto an IV fluid bag as well as a beeping machine. Her tired, glassy eyes watched as he closed the door behind him and went to sit by the side of the bed.

"Hey Angie..." he said softly like he was afraid of startling her. Her face had regained some colors but she still looked unnaturally pale.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.