[hero, the hard way]↣ p. parker | t.s daughter

|five| - edited

I woke up, and I felt heavy. I felt groggy, my muscles didn't want to move, and thinking really hurt my head. Something felt... off. Wait, I'm not dead.

That's why it was so weird.

I was alive. I let out a small groan, as the realization of what happened hit me. I lived. I only have one leg. I have an Arc Reactor. It worked. Damn it.

I opened my eyes and searched the room for Peter, or my dad, or the doctor that didn't kill me out of pure luck. But there was no one. With a loud groan, I sat up. My balence was off a lot, weather it's because I don't have equal weight on both sides or the fact that I'm still groggy from my amputation I don't know. I tipped back and forth trying to find my center of balence.

I looked down at the foot of my bed. You could see one leg under the sheet, and the other cut off right above where my knee should have been. Everything hit me like a load of bricks.

I'm not dead.

I have to live like this.

No more Avenging.

No more running.

No more leg.

No more normal.

Why did this have to happen to me? Me, out of all people. I get good grades. I'm nice to everyone. I respect people no matter race or religion or whatever else. So why me? I was crying, I realised, harsh violent sobs racking my body.

"Hey, Ari, I just ran down to the cafeteria, I didn't think you'd be awa- oh, Ari," Peter came in and I quickly wiped my tears, but he knew.

"I'm okay," I looked up and gave him a small smile, rather unconvincing because of the tear tracks on my cheeks.

"I know, Ari. I know you are," Peter came and sat down next to me. I sniffled again and wiped my eyes.

"I wasn't really planning on being alive right now so I don't know what to do," I said quietly, looking at a blank spot on the wall. I wanted to cry so much, but Peter was here. If I cried in front of him, he would feel bad.

"This is a good thing, Ari. We get to finish growing up together," He said softly, taking my hand in his.

"I don't want to grow up like this," I whispered softly. I don't want to live a life where I can't do the things I love. I'm going to miss out on so much.

"Don't say that, Ari," Peter pleaded, but I didn't look away from the wall.

"It would have been better if I died during the surgery."

"Don't say that! Losing you isn't something I can handle."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how. I didn't know how to tell him that everything leading up to this was all pointing to the fact that I wasn't going to make it out of surgery, and then I did. I never prepared myself for after, because there wasn't supposed to be one.

My dad walked in, then.

"You're awake!" He exclaimed, a smile lighting up his otherwise tired face.

"Seems that way, yeah," I forced a small smile and my dad came and sat down next to me.

"I can go-" Peter started, but I stopped him.

"No, stay. Please," I'm alive, and it hurts, but Peter had to be here with me. I'm not me without him. I leaned back into my pillow and closed my eyes. Peter and my dad were sat on opposite sides of me, each holding one of my hands. They were talking about new updates that they could make to the Iron Man suit.