Icky Peaky
CHAPTER 19: ICKY PEAKY
“You were so great there, baby,” said Tony proudly as he twirled his son around in his arms. “I’ve never seen a better Edward Winslow ever in my life. You really nailed the accent there, kiddo.”
“Thank you, daddy,” beamed the 6-year-old in doublet, breeches, and stockings. The felt hat had long been snatched from him by an over-enthusiastic uncle. “Uncle Steve and I practiced lots. Uncle Bucky helped sometimes but he mostly just watched.”
Tony smirked and ruffled Harry’s hair. “Oh, I knew. You both won’t even let me see.”
“Because it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore, Tony.” Steve appeared right next to them, a baseball cap over his head.
“What happened to the whole Thanksgiving is just Americans glorifying colonialism and slavery, Tony. Why are we celebrating this?” said Tony under his breath, chuckling at the face Steve made. Obviously, he didn’t change his mind, but starting a protest at Harry’s school wouldn’t have been received very well. Plus, he got to help Harry with his lines. There were parts in there that were totally Steve Rogers, by the way. And everybody noticed.
“And ruin my bubby’s first school play? I think not. I’ll just have to groan and gripe another day,” answered the Super Soldier, leaning forward to kiss Harry on the back of his head. Harry laughed and squirmed to be put down. As soon as the child got back to his feet, he was running towards the rest of the group.
“Hey, you two!” Rhodey yelled from the theater room’s entrance. “Get your butt moving.”
“Don’t say but in a room full of children and their parents, Honey Bear.”
**
Four days after the Thanksgiving break, the whole country was shaken by the news of Alexander Pierce, Secretary of the World Security Council, exposed as HYDRA leader. Then, the very next day, America’s very own Senator Stern was arrested by the FBI in front of the whole senate.
Behind the news, Nick Fury quietly swept SHIELD off any sleeper agents. Brock Rumlow and Jack Rollins were killed in a STRIKE mission gone wrong. Jasper Sitwell suddenly resigned, and unbeknownst to the public, was locked up in the Raft. It happened to seven other agents and officers. Across the ocean, six world leaders and three big businessmen either suddenly succumbed to a heart attack, got assassinated by a rival, or their criminal records exposed to the public leading to their lifetime imprisonments. If Black Widow and Hawkeye hadn’t been seen for a few days, no one truly noticed.
In the same week, Winter Soldier and Captain America, backed up by Falcon, raided and destroyed five HYDRA bases all over Europe and America. Inside the tower in New York, Tony Stark and Bruce Banner tracked persons after persons affiliated with the organization and sent information to Black Widow and Winter Soldier. In a matter of days, HYDRA lost their good heads.
It was a hard week for everyone—including a little boy who sorely missed his aunt and uncles. With everyone but his father and one uncle away, who were also busy most of the time, little Harry had to stay with Happy or Aunt Pepper. For days Harry only got to see his dad in the mornings, dinner, and bedtime. He understood the importance of their mission so he didn’t protest much. Harry overheard his Uncle Bucky and Uncle Steve talk about HYDRA, and Harry found himself wanting them gone too.
On top of that, he’d been feeling weird since Saturday night. His throat kind of hurts and his body aches when he moves sometimes. He didn’t want to tell his dad who always looked worried when he’s on the phone with any of the Avengers and busy doing stuff with Uncle Bruce in the lab.
When the Avengers started coming home on Sunday, Harry felt so much worse. Yes, he’s happy because Aunt Natasha, Uncle Phil, and Uncle Clint were back, but he only got to see them once for a hug before they were whisked away to medical. He thought he was only tired and sad because everyone was away, but now that everyone was coming back, he knew it wasn’t that. He’s felt like it before when he was still leaving with his relatives. The Dursleys would always lock him inside the cupboard and slide a few slices of bread and a bottle of water until he felt better again. Harry didn’t want to be locked again, as he thought it was the normal procedure when someone gets sick.
Because none of the Avengers get sick a lot, and when they do, they tend to stay out of the tower, Harry never saw how sick days are truly spent.
He didn’t say a word about it on Monday when his dad drove him to school. Uncle Steve was coming home in a few hours, and his dad was obviously distracted. After a quick hug and a kiss on the head, he was left in school.
Things went downhill after that.
He was sort of fine the first few hours. His head had been hurting since the morning and the coughing hurts his chest but it didn’t feel too bad. Then, all of a sudden, right before they were released for lunchtime, Harry felt cold and sweaty. He tried to stand but found his legs were too shaky. Rory and Cedie might have talked to him and called his name multiple times but Harry couldn’t even concentrate enough to understand a few words. His teacher noticed it quickly and went straight to Harry’s side.
“Harry? Hey, buddy, what’s the matter?” Mr. Lupin asked the young boy. Harry’s eyes were dazed and he was shivering. The adult immediately grabbed the class first aid kit and wrapped him in a blanket and checked his temperature. Everyone who was still inside the classroom was watching their teacher and classmate with worry. “Oh no. 102.9,” muttered the man. “Harry? I’ll have to pick you up, okay? We have to go to the school clinic.”
Harry seemed to understand at least the picking up part because raised his arms with teary eyes. With the shivering child in his arms, Mr. Lupin quickly made his way through the hallway. Normally, a teacher calls up for a wheelchair when needed, but with the school’s clinic only a few doors away, waiting for someone from the clinic to come over would only take time.
As soon as the in-house pediatrician saw Harry, she immediately called the School Head. She already had two students in the clinic with a possible case of seasonal flu—three if she counted Harry— and it might be time to inform other parents.
Steve, Bucky, and Sam just got home when Tony received the call. To say that he was shocked and worried was a complete understatement. As soon as he heard the words Your son is sick, Tony immediately jumped out of his seat in the briefing room and burst his way out, uncaring that he was in the middle of a serious discussion regarding the recent HYDRA fallout.
“Tony! Tony!” Steve yelled from behind, having followed his panicking boyfriend the moment he left the room. “What happened? Where are you going?” The soldier asked just as they got into the elevator.
“Shit, shit. JARVIS, crank up the speed,” Tony cursed then turned to Steve with a frightened expression. “Harry’s school called, Steve. He’s sick. My kid’s sick.”
Instantly, Steve’s demeanor changed from confused and worried to extremely worried. He hadn’t seen the child yet since they got home long after Harry’s school started, and he thought he’d have to wait until later that afternoon to see his favorite boy. Never had he imagined Harry being sick. “JARVIS, tell the rest of the team we’re on our way to Harry’s school. Reschedule the meeting indefinitely,” instructed Steve as he pulled Tony to his side, attempting for comfort.
“Of course, Captain,” came JARVIS’s response.
Fortunately, JARVIS also informed Happy since the man was already waiting for them by the car. Steve wasn’t sure whether he nor Tony could drive at the moment. Both of them were too distracted to focus on anything apart from each other and Harry.
They were already halfway to school when out of the blue, Tony shook his head and muttered, “I didn’t… I didn’t know.”
“Maybe it only just started. The others saw him today too, right? No one noticed anything. It’s not your fault, Tony,” insisted Steve.
While the father didn’t respond, he did let out a lungful. There was no point in casting blames. Steve knew personally that kids can get sick without warning. It just never crossed his mind that Harry could be that kid. Well, kids like Steve Rogers before the serum.
Happy hadn’t even parked yet and Tony was already out of the car. “We’ll call you, Hap. Thanks!” said Steve apologetically before running after the billionaire for the second time.
When they got to the clinic (Thank God Tony paid attention to the school tour), it took all of Tony not to break down upon seeing his child in a hospital for the second time. Harry was unconscious, shivering, and tear tracks were evident on his pinkish cheeks. Without a second ado, the billionaire crouched next to the bed and doted on his son. Steve was quick to occupy the other side, grabbing one of Harry’s hands and gripping it softly.
“Oh, baby,” whispered Tony, wincing when he felt the warmth coming off Harry. He swore when he kissed him goodbye earlier, his son didn’t feel warm. Harry might have been quiet, but he’s been that way ever since the Avengers left for their mission. Tony thought it would change as soon as everyone’s back. Steve, especially.
“Mr. Stark. Captain Rogers,” the pediatrician, Dr. Smethwyck, greeted from the end of the bed. “I apologize for the circumstances but I am glad you got here so fast.”
“What’s wrong with Harry?” asked Tony immediately.
“RIDT results showed Harry’s positive with the flu. Has he received his shot yet?”
“Yes, of course. Three months ago. Are you sure? Can he still get it even with the vaccine?” Tony reached over to hold Steve’s hand just to stop his from shaking. While flu can be normal, Tony worried that with Harry’s weaker immune system, he’ll have a harder time than most.
Dr. Smethwyck nodded. “Unfortunately, he still can. It says in his file that his pediatrician, Dr. Cho, is at Presbyterian Hospital today, am I correct?” At Tony’s confirmation, the doctor added, “I’m suggesting you take him to the ER. Two others tested positive, and we’re already calling all parents from their classes to watch out, but Harry’s got the worse symptoms of the three. Since Mr. Lupin brought him here, his temperature already raised to 103.”
“Okay,” said Tony unsteadily, the grip on Steve’s hand tightened a fraction. “Can we take him now?”
After signing a release form and grabbing Harry’s backpack from his classroom, Tony walked out of the school with Harry shivering in his arms and Steve behind him talking to Dr. Cal on the phone. Tony—not willing to let go of Harry—sat on the backseat reminiscent to the way he cradled his son that first night they took him out of the Dursley’s house.
“Dr. Cal’s waiting for him at the ER,” informed Steve from the passenger seat. “He also got a room prepared.”
“Good,” whispered Tony back. “That’s good. Can you call someone from the tower and have them pack some of Harry’s clothes, some books, and Poppy? Harry’s not gonna like it when he wakes up in a hospital without Poppy.”
“Already did. Natasha’s on it. She’ll likely come around by the time we get him to a room. She’s packing some of yours too.”
Just as they turned left on Broadway Street, Harry suddenly started twitching uncontrollably in Tony’s arms. The panic on the billionaire’s face was unsettling and Happy had to step up the speed, which fortunately at two in the afternoon, traffic wasn’t bad. As soon as Happy hit the breaks, Steve jumped out of the car and helped Tony carry Harry inside.
The ER was packed with similar cases to Harry, but from the looks of it, none were as bad as his son. Dr. Cal had a bed waiting for them and immediately ushered the two men and the seizing child.
“It’s okay, febrile seizures are normal,” assured the pediatrician. “How long since it started and was this the first?”
“About a minute and a half,” answered Steve, then Tony added, “First, yes.”
Thankfully, the convulsions ended soon after. Both Tony and Steve let out relieved but harsh breaths. They watched as Dr. Cal checked Harry’s vitals and inserted the IV. The sight suddenly took Tony back to time Harry woke up and tried to scratch the needles out. “Doc, can you wrap the hand with something Harry could not take off? He didn’t like it the last time. I’m not looking forward to a repeat.”
Dr. Cal nodded in understanding, excuse himself for a moment, and came back with a plastic knee-pad-looking material. He then placed it over the needle insertion point and strapped it around Harry’s hand.
“I will have to take a blood sample just to make sure there isn’t anything else. We have a lot of seasonal flu cases right now so he likely has that, but with Harry’s immune system, I’d rather be sure it’s the only one.”
Tony shut his eyes when Dr. Cal started taking blood from his son’s tiny arm. He’s never been afraid of blood, but when it comes to Harry’s, he hated the sight of it.
“How long ‘till you’ll know?” Steve asked from beside Tony, one hand holding onto Harry’s leg.
Dr. Cal sighed. “It depends on what results show on the first few tests. Some tests clear multiple possibilities.”
That had Tony’s eyes bug out. “You mean you’ll have to take more blood?”
“No, Tony,” responded the doctor without difficulty. “I’m not testing everything. Just those that Harry’s susceptible to. I’ll have someone wheel him up to his room, but I also have to talk to you.”
There's a lot Tony wanted to do, and none of those involved leaving Harry's side. He didn't have much of a choice, though, since he could not just throw his willing boyfriend into talking to Dr. Cal. While Steve was Harry's second emergency contact, he's still not his father.
"Steve, go with Harry to the room. I'll meet you there," said Tony, voice steady as he placed a kiss on his son's free hand.
Understanding a vital role has been passed, Steve nodded and bent forward to also give Tony a kiss on the head. "I won’t take my eyes off him."
Tony watched as two orderlies wheeled Harry towards the elevator, Steve following beside while still holding onto Harry’s limp hand. The sight had Tony almost weep in appreciation. Steve, his boyfriend for three months and friend for a year never hesitated when it came to Harry’s well-being. He was there on Harry’s first day of school, accompanied Tony at every Parent-Teacher meeting, makes fun and adorable lunchboxes for Harry’s lunch almost every day, waited with him in the lobby whenever Harry has an appointment with his therapist, and now, doting over Harry with so much care. Steve being here to support him and Harry had Tony feeling so relieved.
Dr. Cal asked him a series of questions he did his best to answer. No, Harry wasn’t irritable last night and no, he didn’t feel warm at all this morning. Yes, he went somewhere public over the weekend. They went to the park Saturday morning. There really wasn’t any sign that Harry was feeling sick or else JARVIS would have notified him immediately.
It took Tony half an hour before he could back to Harry’s bedside. It was likely Steve never even let go of the boy’s hand because when Tony entered the room, the Super Soldier still held it between his huge ones.
“How is he?” Tony asked quietly as he strolled to sit beside Harry’s head, immediately brushing the hair off his feverish face.
“Temp’s still at 103,” Steve answered. “But the nurse said it’ll go down as soon as the medicine kicks in.”
Tony nodded gratefully. They both just sat beside the sleeping child for a while, frowning at every hitched and rattled breathing Harry releases until Natasha came knocking in. In her hand were two duffle bags Tony didn’t think he owned.
In fact, he really didn’t—because the duffle bags were Steve’s.
“Like Steve will ever leave Harry’s side.” The red-head rolled her eyes when Tony asked why she brought so much stuff. “Everyone’s coming over to visit later. James made us check in with Bruce first to make sure it wasn’t anything he got from our travels.”
“Probably isn’t,” said Tony but appreciated Bucky’s initiative. “Doc said he might have caught the flu Saturday morning when we went to the park for a bike ride. I’m definitely canceling that fully off our schedule, by the way. Maybe Harry will like go-karts better. I’m thinking of building a track in the tower.”
“No building tracks in the tower, Stark,” Steve piped from behind. “I don’t need another reason for the team to skip off training.”
“Hey, go-karts are good training, Cap. It teaches ruthlessness.”
“Seconded,” smiled Natasha. “But Harry likes riding his bike in the park. I doubt both of you can say no to those eyes.” She ignored Tony’s indignant huff and Steve’s blush, choosing to sit by the end of the bed and touching the child’s scrawny leg. Harry had improved a lot since the first time he came to live with Tony, but even five months of doting and spoiling couldn’t instantly turn Harry into the healthiest kid. Everyone has done their small parts like always bringing with them cereal bars and oat cookies whenever borrowing the tiny Stark. Tony kept a strict schedule on meals with Harry, and the billionaire never once missed an appointment with Harry’s many doctors.
But even then, the scars of neglect and abuse were still present. He’s still smaller than most his age, and his immune system is still shitty. The lack of medical files on Harry for the past four years has always bothered Natasha. How much more had it bothered Tony and Steve? Yes, Steve as well because no matter how much they both denied it, Harry and everyone else already think of Steve as his second—third father.
She stayed for some time, refusing to leave until Harry’s test results for pneumonia comes back. Steve didn’t have to say it but the fear was clear on his face. She knew that similar to Harry, Steve also got the worst cases of flu back in the 20s and likely got bouts of pneumonia on the side. While medicine has advanced greatly since then, Steve may still remember what it was like.
So, when Dr. Cal came to tell them Harry’s off the dangers of pneumonia, the fact that it wasn’t only Tony that ducked his head down and let out a relieved sob was not at all unexpected. The chances of Harry getting complications from the simple flu he acquired had dwindled down a huge percent. The very high fever was the worst of Harry’s symptoms, and everyone in the room could finally breathe better knowing their loved little boy wasn’t in too much of a danger.
The team did visit late in the afternoon. They brought with them get well soon cards and balloons. Pepper, always the practical one, carried a basket of fruits. And surprisingly, Rhodey was back from another deployment bringing with him a gift bag that Tony immediately checked to contain a puffy winter coat.
“Kid’s gonna need it, especially if he’s like you who gets hypothermia at the smallest bit of cold,” shrugged the Air Force Colonel. “I’m off duty for the next three months. As soon as my godson is out of this hospital, he and I are gonna have the best sleepover ever. I bought a tent.”
“My baby’s not camping out there in this cold. No sir-ee,” insisted Tony, which was instantly backed up by Steve’s serious nod and Bucky’s glare.
Rhodey simply raised them a brow. “Who said anything about going out?”
**
Harry woke up sometime around dinner. It was gradual, a hand twitching then a small whimper that had Tony jump off the couch he shared with Steve and onto the bedside. Harry’s eyes didn’t open, nor did he do anything that may point out he was out of consciousness apart from the subtle shifting on the sheets, but Tony knew his son could wake at any moment now.
“Hey, baby,” whispered Tony softly against Harry’s hand. “Gotta wake up now, kiddo. Uncle Steve is here.” Steve, who took his space opposite to Tony, started rubbing circles on Harry’s stomach.
The 6-year-old whined and shifted again, enough that Steve had to hold onto Harry’s other hand where the IV was connected just so he won’t move it too much. Then, slowly, bleary eyes opened and blinked. The sight of the familiar beautiful emerald eyes made both men smile in relief.
“Daddy.” Harry whimpered pathetically, green eyes sans glasses staring right at Tony with exhaustion. “I feel icky.”
“Oh, I know, Harry. I’m so sorry,” answered the father pitifully.
Much to their surprise, Harry immediately started crying. By that time, Steve had already pushed the button for a nurse, just as they were instructed to do so when Harry woke up. “Sorry, daddy. Didn’t… didn’t mean to… to get sick.”
Tony made quick eye contact with the Super Soldier before shaking his head gravely. “No, baby, you don’t have to ever apologize for getting sick, okay? It’s daddy that has to apologize because daddy didn’t notice you weren’t feeling well.”
Of course, Steve couldn’t let Tony blame himself now, will he? “And daddy shouldn’t think it’s his fault that Harry’s sick.” The little boy, having heard the familiar voice quickly turned to find its owner.
“Uncle Stebe?” Harry cried out in a cracked voice, one hand reaching out for comfort. “Missed you, Uncle Stebe. Gone so long.”
Steve’s smile was sad as he wrapped an arm around the child delicately. “I missed you, too, bubby. I missed you so much.”
Coughing, Harry buried his face on Steve's black shirt. "Uncle Steeb, I feel icky," complained the boy petulantly, so unlike the sobbing way he whimpered to his dad, eliciting a snort from Tony. Trust a Stark to milk some from the Captain.
Even Steve found it adorable and he responded with a slightly amused tone, "I know you do, sweetheart. That's why we're in a hospital right now so Dr. Cal can help you feel better."
As expected from hearing the word hospital, Harry gasped and grabbed Tony's hand. "Poppy! I need Poppy," insisted the child.
Chuckling, Tony picked up the bear from the bedside table and placed it right next to Harry, immediately prompting the 6-year-old to snuggle her with the free arm. Harry still looked exhausted and feverish. Without his glasses, his tired green eyes were even more pronounced. Thankfully, Dr. Cal and a nurse soon came in. While Harry's temperature had dropped to 102.7, it was still quite high. The coughing was still painful to the chest and the throat, but there wasn't much they could do after already giving him a dose of his medicine.
They also brought in Harry's dinner consisting of warm chicken soup, a bit of rice, and green jello. Actually feeding the child his food was harder because Harry kept refusing. Obviously, his appetite had been affected; however, this didn't stop Tony from trying. He bribed and begged, only succeeding to feed him half of dinner. It was better than nothing, Tony and Steve thought.
After dinner (Tony and Steve ate ahead when Happy brought them food while Harry was asleep), Tony had moved to lie next to his son on the bed while Steve pulled up a chair beside them.
"Why didn't you say you weren't feeling well, kiddo?" Tony asked, a soft pleading evident in his voice.
Harry, now wearing his glasses again, went teary-eyed and shook his head. "Don't wanna be locked. Daddy, please don't."
Not completely understanding, Tony tilted his son's head by the chin to face him. "What are you talking about, Harry? No one's locking you up."
"But I got sick! Sick means I hafta stay in the cupboard!"
Steve let out a pained noise from beside Tony. For a brief moment, none of the two men knew what to say. Strictly speaking, Tony knew his son lived in a cupboard for years, but hearing it from the child himself begging not to be locked in for being sick brought back bad memories.
“Bubby, when you were sick before, did the Dursleys lock you in?” Steve asked, voice gentle but containing a dark rage if one truly looks at him.
Harry nodded, eyes still pleading.
“Harry, you’re never staying in a cupboard again. Do you understand?” muttered Tony, agonized that his son still thought he’ll be locked inside storage spaces. “Being sick doesn’t mean you have to be locked anywhere. You’ll have to stay at home or at the hospital but never inside a cupboard. When you’re not feeling well, you have to tell me or any of the adults, okay, kiddo? Sick Harry days means cuddles in bed, lots of chicken noodle soup, and your favorite movie.” Tony explained.
“Cuddles?”
Steve fiercely nodded. “Hundreds of them. From everyone.”
“Even Uncle Bucky?”
“Especially Uncle Bucky.”
That elicited a smile from the child. “Okay,” whispered the child then turned to his father. “Sorry I didn’t tell, daddy.”
Tony brushed the wayward curls off the forehead and kissed it. “As long as you promise to tell me next time, baby. Doesn’t matter if it’s a scrape on the knee or an ant bit you. I’ll always want to know.”