Volume IV: What Kept You From Greatness

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Part 3

I woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. My breathing soon began to speed up as I remembered every detail of what happened. Tears flowed from my eyes as I remembered Tony getting shot, my father being beaten, and Peter being stabbed. I broke down in sobs as I remembered the blood pooling on the ground and the dead expressions of their faces.

Mercy...

"It wasn't mercy!" I screamed into the darkness. I stood from my bed, only to fall to my knees on the floor. "It was torture! Pain!! Suffering!!!"

Suddenly, my door opened and the lights flicked on. I didn't care who it was. I was in anguish. My father was gone.

"Katelyn?!" I heard a voice, but it seemed distant.

I sobbed on the ground until I felt arms try to pull my hands from my face. I resisted. "No, no, leave me alone!" I cried. I heard another person walk into the room, along with another voice but I couldn't make out what either of them were saying through my sobs. It was getting hard to breathe. Arms continuously tried to pull me every which way, in which I resisted them. "Thanos, leave me alone!!!" I screamed, now trying to fight the arms back. Eventually, someone grabbed me from behind and tried to stand me up, but I fought back, elbowing them in the stomach.

Soon, the arms stopped as I was close to hyperventilating. I tried to move, but couldn't. I felt my cloak wrap around me tenderly. It gently pulled my hands from my face and got me to look up. My father was kneeling in front of me, concern plastered on his face. "Katelyn," he said gently. "What happened?" My sobs slowed as I stared at him, shocked. Is he real?

I reached my arm out, my hand gently touching his cheek. "Dad...?"

"I'm here, Kate," he replied softly.

I lunged forward, collapsing in his arms. "Dad, you're not dead..."

"No, no, I'm not... Are you alright? What happened?" He asked, holding me tightly.

"Thanos, he," I swallowed a sob. "He killed you. You and, and Peter, and Mr. Stark!" I stuttered, the memories flooding back again. I buried my face in his neck as he held me close.

"Hey, hey..." my dad whispered. "I'm alive now, remember? Tony saved me, saved us all."

"No, it... it wasn't like that..." I said, pulling back to look him in his gentle blue-green eyes.

"Come on," he replied, helping me to my feet. My cloak tightened around me gently, as if to hug me. My father put an arm around me as we walked. "Tell me everything, from the beginning, Kate," he said, sitting me down at the kitchen table. He got some water for us both, then sat down across from me. Wong walked in behind us, also concerned. He leaned against the counter, ready to listen.

I sniffed, wiping my tear-stained face. "It was... so real... so vivid... we went to fight Thanos. Me, you, Peter, and Mr. Stark did. And then we wanted him to give up the stones but he wouldn't, so I told him to destroy them instead. But he lifted you three up into the air and told me to pick who to kill. I couldn't so instead he killed all three of you. Several guns shot Mr. Stark and he bled out, then you were beaten up with bats. Thanos called it mercy when he smashed your head in. And Peter was stabbed with lots of knives, slowly and painfully like everyone else. And all of you died and then I woke up. I don't even know if he destroyed the infinity stones and I thought it was real and that you were gone and," tears welling in my eyes just thinking about it. "And I didn't know what to do."

My father reached across the table and grabbed my hands. "Kate," he spoke with a soft, calming tone. "Thanos is gone, remember? I think you're suffering from some form of PTSD. I've seen it before."

"PTSD? But..."

"Fighting Thanos... All of us injured... Tony's sacrifice..."

"Dad, I... I just..." I couldn't find words to say. I just wanted him to hold me for a while. I wanted to make sure this was real and not some cruel joke by Thanos.

"What do you need, Kate? Wong and I will do anything in our power to help you through this."

I sighed, then stood, making my father stand as well. I walked over, then hugged him. "Hold me," I whispered. "Please let me know this is real... not Thanos..."

My father wrapped his arms tightly around me. "I'm real, Katelyn. You're safe..."

"You could die at any point in time," I whispered again. "I... I couldn't go on without you... I have nobody else..."

"You have Wong and Peter. And someday, Kate, I will be gone. But I'll never regret spending time with you, especially like this. I love you, Kate, and anything you ever need from me, just let me know. I'd do anything for you. Anything..."

"I know," I croaked. "That's what terrifies me..." I buried my face in his neck once more, trying not to cry. My father gently hummed to me, rocking us side to side. I didn't want to let go. I cherished these few moments with him, knowing I may never get another chance. He could die at any moment. "I love you, dad... please... please know that... I love you so much..."

"I love you too, Kate. More than anything. More than anyone. More than life itself," he said, pulling gently away to look into my eyes. "And I know you love me, Kate... I know..."

I smiled a bit as my father wiped tears from my face. "There's the smile I love to see... Come on, let's get you to bed. You have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, oh, what time is it?" I asked, suddenly realizing I was exhausted.

"About two-thirty," Wong replied, looking at his wristwatch.

I hugged my father once more, then walked with him upstairs and into my room. "Will you be okay, Kate?"

"I... I think so," I replied. "You're alive, why wouldn't I be?"

"That's my girl," he said with a gentle smile. "I love you, Katelyn."

"I love you too, dad," I said with a soft smile. I took off my cloak, then crawled into bed, rolling over and falling asleep once more.