Volume IV: What Kept You From Greatness

Sick: Part 2

I screamed, sitting straight up. I gripped my blankets with my sweaty palms, then realized I felt very nauseous. I sprung from my bed, the cold air hitting my hot, damp body like an icy blast. I didn't care though, running to the bathroom and throwing up into the toilet.

When I was finished, I realized how awful I felt. Not only mentally, but physically. I shivered and developed goosebumps immediately from the cold shock on my body. My pajamas were damp from sweat and my body seemed sticky as well. My hair was everywhere and I felt both scalding hot and freezing cold at the same time. I still felt nauseous and my entire body was trembling. I put my head in my hands, beginning to cry.

I cried and cried, throwing up a few more times, until eventually someone turned on the light in the bathroom, nearly blinding me and making me scream.

"Katelyn?" I heard my father's voice.

All I could do was scream and cry and back away. I soon became cornered beside the bathtub, covering my face with my hands. I could barely breathe. I felt my father touch my arm, in which I tried to fight back. My body was weak, however. All I could do was flail. My mind wasn't right and I was screaming and sobbing.

"Kate, Kate, it's me," my father tried to calm me. I didn't know what else to do, so I continued my flailing. My body was intensely sick, as was my mind. My father backed off as I heard another voice.

"Stephen, what's going on?"

"It's alright, Wong... She's sick."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Yeah, uh, could you go grab her phone from her room?"

He didn't touch me again, my tears blurring my vision. I continued my weeping and stayed in the corner like an abused puppy. I could see his form, standing at the sink nearby. He didn't advance on me, but he tried to coax me out. I didn't know what to think, my head was pounding and throbbing. I could barely hear enough and had a hard time processing, let alone thinking straight. My senses hadn't come to me just yet. I was afraid of being tricked by Kaecilius and Mysterio.

I heard talking, although it wasn't addressed to me. Wong had come back, handing what was presumably my phone to my father. I weeped a little more, sounding like a hurt puppy now, but it was all I could choke out. Then, my emotions overtook me again and I started sobbing again as my father seemingly made a call.

I could barely breathe, curling tighter into the corner as my father moved around. He and Wong were talking but I couldn't hear them. I scratched at my irritated face and shivered, although I was sweating still. My head throbbed and I stayed like that in the corner for what seemed like forever with my father in the room with Wong.

Then, I heard another voice. A softer one. I looked up, rubbing the tears from my eyes and for a moment, I saw Peter. He walked into the room and over to me. "Kate...?"

I reached out for him shakily, starting to sob and cry out again. My heart ached. He sat before me, pulling me close. "I'm here, Kate..."

Peter rocked me and shushed me, saying soothing things to me as I calmed down, little by little. After a while, I finally stopped crying. He ran his fingers through my hair and rocked me slowly. "Kate... You're okay... You're at home... You're safe..."

"I..." I choked and couched a little before swallowing again. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, just tell me what's going on."

"I-It was Kaecilius and Beck... They captured us and Samantha and Jackson... They were gonna sell us..."

"Katelyn... We'd never let that happen..."

"It was s-so real..." I shivered and curled into him. "I... I feel awful..."

"Katelyn... You're sick... I think you should take a shower to refresh... Get clean and then we'll make you some soup and talk... How's that sound...?"

I nodded. Then, Peter helped me stand and steadied my still spinning head. "Okay... I'm going to go downstairs while you take a shower. Will you be alright?"

"Y-Yeah..." I replied.

"If you need me, just yell, okay?"

"O-okay..."

Peter gently kissed my temple then left the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

***

As I finished getting dressed into something comfy, I walked downstairs. My sinuses had cleared a bit and I had come to my senses. I felt guilty, knowing how me acting like that must've made my dad feel. I walked down to the kitchen, but hesitated outside the door. I heard Peter, Wong and my father talking.

"It's no problem, Dr. Strange. It's not that early."

"Well, thank you for coming anyways Peter. I didn't expect you to answer the phone, but I knew this was an emergency. We're close, but she wasn't responding positively to me. All I could tell was she had a nightmare of some kind and her sickness knocked her out of sense," my father replied.

"She said the nightmare was about Kaecilius and Beck capturing me, her, Samantha and Jackson. She said they were going to sell us, but that's all I know. I can't imagine what that must've made her feel like."

"It's her PTSD. She didn't handle any of what's happened too well. Between what happened with Tony and Thanos to Beck and you, I think she needs some good rest. It's a wonder her body didn't get sick sooner," my father spoke with a sigh. "I think I need to pull her out of school to help her recover for a while."

"She didn't handle the years without you too well, Stephen," Wong chimed in. "Five years without you or Peter took a toll."

"I understand. Tony was all she had to hang onto during that time and for him to suddenly be gone like that really hurt... I just wished I could've done more to help her. It's sometimes hard, everything she's gone through in the past years... I feel like she suffers in silence sometimes," my father added.

"It's a hard transition... Losing someone you love, starting over, becoming a hero, then losing others you love..." Peter mulled. "I understand what she's been through... I think a lot of us do."

"I just wish I could do more..." my father stated.

It was then when I came in, tears in my eyes. I hugged my father tightly, sniffling. "I'm sorry," I choked.

He stood, hugging me tightly. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Kate..."

"I've been listening... I-I'm sorry..."

"Nothing to be sorry for... Just... Sit with us."

I sat down, Peter walking out for a moment, then walking back in with a blanket, wrapping it around my shoulders.

"Kate... You're sick... Very sick..." my father said, pushing a stray hair from my face. "You need a lot of rest right now, okay? And I think I'm going to pull you out of school for a while. Peter can collect your work and bring it to you." My father looked to Peter, who nodded in approval.

I didn't know what to say. I was just so tired and felt sick. I blinked, but it must've been for a bit longer than I meant, because I had to force them back open. My father sighed and put one of his scarred hands on mine. "I love you very much, Kate... I'm not hurt over what happened earlier; I've already diagnosed you. I just wanted to help you. That's why I called Peter to give it a try. I'm glad he was able to bring you back. I love you, Kate..."

"I love you too, dad... All of you..." I glanced to Peter and Wong as well, then back to my father sadly and tiredly.

"Why don't we get you back to bed?" Peter suggested, helping me to my feet. "I'll stay with you to keep your nightmares away, okay?"

I smiled a bit as I stood and walked upstairs with Peter. "Sure."