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One hour and fifty-three minutes later Tony burst through the main doors of the emergency department of the hospital, with Happy in tow. The sight that greeted the pair when they were shown to the private examination room was hard to take in.
Sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair, Pepper was positioned by the bedside, her hand encasing Charlotte's small hand, being mindful of the dozens of wires and tubes that were surrounding the child. Tony swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked at his daughter lying asleep in the bed. Her skin was now a transparent shade of grey, yet her cheeks were flushed with heat; a sheen of sweat covered her body and her breathing seemed wheezy and shallow.
"Pep," Tony spoke quietly, not wanting to startle his wife, who seemed to be falling asleep herself.
"Tony," Pepper sighed, and stood from her seat. As she moved across the room to her husband, Happy walked around the couple and took a seat by Charlotte's bedside, a hand resting on her head in concern.
Tony opened his arms for Pepper to fall into, her head tucked under his chin and his arms wrapped securely around her body, keeping her pulled close to his body. "I'm sorry it took so long. The storm slowed us down."
"You're here, that is the main thing."
"Mr. Stark. Mrs. Stark," The doctor approached them with caution, not wanting to intrude on their sentimental moment. "We've managed to bring your daughter's fever down slightly, so it is much more manageable, however, we are going to have to conduct further tests."
"Why? What do you think is wrong with her?"
"Truthfully, we aren't one hundred percent sure, that is why we need the tests. But at first inspection, we suspect that she has a viral infection of sorts. They're very common among young children, especially at her age, but we just want to double-check and be safe."
"What about her leg?" The doctor seemed puzzled as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "She was complaining of her leg hurting, and she couldn't stand up properly or put any pressure on it. I did tell the nurse when we checked in."
"Hmm." The doctor flipped over the clipboard and examined the papers. "There is nothing in Charlotte's notes about pains in her legs." He explained, looking perplexed at the chart he held in his hands.
"Well, why wasn't it in her notes?" Tony asked, his brows pinched in frustration.
"I suspect the nurse forgot to include them, as she was checking you in."
"The nurse forgot?" Tony snapped, glaring at the doctor. Bashful and clearly embarrassed and intimidated, the doctor hustled past them and back to Charlotte, who was still sound asleep despite everything that was happening around her.
"Which leg was it?"
"Her right one." Pepper explained. She closed her eyes for a brief second as she recalled watching Charlotte crumble to the ground in pain as her leg just seemed to give way beneath her. Tony ran a comforting hand along her back, gently squeezing her hand as they watched the doctor flit around the bedside. "While she was vomiting, she tried to walk to her bathroom but as soon as she stepped off her bed, she just started screaming and fell to the floor."
