Grant

Chapter Eleven-Play by Play

"It's been nearly two weeks."

"He needs to heal and sweat out the drugs in his system. We've done all that we can for now."

"For once those damn lost years are going to do him some good. He's got resistance."

"Only you would point that out."

"Guys. Not now."

Then it's quiet. More voices blur in and out of my ears but I'm not able to grasp onto any of them. I'm not sure how long it is before I wake up and am actually lucid. I take a deep breath and open my eyes, relieved to find I'm in a shirt and sweatpants with my burns all bandaged. My eyes lift and I find various members of the team draped over some piece of furniture asleep. Peter's asleep on the bed next to me, Tony's asleep in the chair to my left with his head on Pepper's shoulder beside him, and Victory's slumped in a chair next to the door with Steve's jacket over her shoulders. Comfort and safety surround me, but I just feel...numb.

Still, I reach for Tony first and put a hand on his arm. My strength isn't one hundred percent yet, but I can squeeze him a bit. He takes a deep breath before his head lifts and I try to smile at him. "Hey, old man." I tease and find that while I can talk, my voice is still raspy from all my screaming.

"Grant. Jesus, Grant." He breathes as he wakes up properly and takes my hand in both of his to squeeze tight. "I was...we were...are you-"

"I'm fine, T." I tell him although I'm a little thrown off by him being speechless. He scoffs.

"Fine. You're fine? Grant, you're covered in burns. When you came in you were half out of your mind from the drugs and delirious from the pain. God, the shape you were in." Tony shakes his head as if replaying the horror in his head.

"Alright, I feel like shit. But now I'm all bandaged up and what's better for a druggie than more drugs?" I barely lift my arm that has the IV in it as Tony shakes his head.

"This is no time to joke. What the hell happened?" He asks and when suddenly faced with the reality; I blanch.

"Look. I'm going to pass out in another minute or two. Just...just tell everyone to head out." Tony's brows furrow.

"Head out? G-"

"Go on with life as normal. Don't need an army of nurses and honestly can't handle them. Send Victory home with the kids. Liya and Buck too." They've got to be here too. I know them all far too well to think that any of them would stay home.

"Grant, they're here to back you up." My head shakes sleepily as my body starts to succumb to the drugs still hooked up to me.

"I don't want them here, T." I tell him bluntly and he blinks. My head falls back against the pillows as I sigh and my eyes shut. "I just...I need some time." He doesn't say anything before I've fallen asleep again.

It's dark again. I can't see anything, but it smells damp as if I were in a sewer or somewhere else underground. My limbs are spread and cuffed and won't budge even when I tug with all my strength. I try to change my eyes, but they won't change. My abilities are gone completely.

"You thought you got away, Redhallow?" A voice slices through the dark and my entire body stiffens. A chuckle floats around me in far too many places to just be coming from one man, but then an arm wraps around my throat and chest. Lips press against my ear before a wet tongue licks up the side of my face. "Gotcha."

I sit straight up in bed with my chest heaving with gasps and my body slick with sweat. I look straight ahead and just see the facility hospital. Golden light streams through the glass doors from the windows just beyond from the morning sun. When I feel a hand on my shoulder, I instantly shove it off and cringe away before looking over to see soft amber eyes. "T." I pant and wipe some sweat off my forehead while he stares at me with furrowed brows. "Scared me." My breathing evens out somewhat as I focus on steadying it.