Splintered Arrows

When I woke up, Clint was asleep, and Tony was walking in front of us.

“Where are we at?” I whispered.

“Somewhere over the Atlantic,” Tony replied. “It’s been about three hours since we left, so we should be getting there soon.” I nodded and sighed, trying to keep my nerves in check. This is happening. It’s actually happening. Tony sat on the floor in front of me.

“I know we haven’t had the chance to talk one-on-one, and that’s on me. So, I understand if my words don’t mean as much to you as Clint’s, or Steve’s, or Natasha’s, but I’m going to do everything I can to help you. Right now, that means going to Wakanda and trying this. Now, I’m hoping that it works, in which case I’ll make sure you get the best possible rehab when we get back. If this doesn’t work for whatever reason, I’ll do whatever you say you want to do. If you want to keep trying, Bruce and I will keep trying. If you want us to stop, we’ll stop.

“I know you’re nervous, and I don’t blame you one bit. But, the plan we have is solid. If this doesn’t work, it’ll be because of something completely out of our control.” I smiled and nodded.

“I guess I’m still struggling with doing it without Charlie. Like, I’m not super nervous about the procedure anymore. I’m just- I know that you’re all here for me, and I’m so incredibly grateful, but this is the first time I’ve ever been without him since I was a baby. And it’s the most chaotic time of my life.” It wasn’t long after that before we landed in Wakanda.

After getting off the quinjet and being greeted by Okoye and Queen Ramonda, we were shown to our rooms to get settled in.

“Alex, you’ll meet with our doctors after dinner,” Okoye said as she and Ramonda led us around the palace. “If all goes according to plan, the procedure will be as soon as Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark are ready. How long you stay after the procedure depends on how the procedure goes.”

“We can’t thank you enough for this,” Clint began. “I know your people have already given so much more than anyone could have asked, so this really means a lot.”

“My son only ever wanted to help people,” Ramonda said. “Now that he is no longer with us, it is our responsibility to keep his legacy alive.” We thanked them again when we got to my room, and they left us to get settled in.

After dinner and meeting with the doctors, we were exhausted. Still, Clint came into my room, like he has every night. Most nights, it was just to say goodnight. Other nights, it was for a midnight therapy session. Usually, I could figure out which one it would be by the way he walked in, but I wasn’t sure that night. That is, until he sat on my bed and sighed.

“I heard you talking to Tony on the plane earlier.”

“I thought you were asleep until we landed.” I wasn’t scared or offended that he heard us; just surprised, I guess. He shook his head.

“Nah, I haven’t been able to sleep on planes for a long time. Anyway, he had a point; we’re all going to listen to you. If this doesn’t work-”

“No,” I stopped him. “It’s gonna work. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about mentally getting through all of this. I mean, my life has never been close to this chaotic, and I don’t have the person who's been my biggest support since day 1, no offense.” He sighed and nodded.

“No, I get it. Maybe not completely, but I know what you mean. I can’t tell you what to do or how to grieve, but I’m going to tell you this again; we’re all going to listen to you. If you want to lay in your bed all day, we’ll leave you alone. If you want to talk about it, you’ve got all of us willing to listen. Whatever you decide you want to do, we will do whatever we can to get you there.”

After a couple days of Clint, Natasha, and I touring the palace and Wakanda, Tony and Bruce were ready, which meant the procedure would be done the next morning. As soon as they told us they were ready, the nerves started setting in again. Relax, Alex. It’s going to be fine. Whatever happens, you’ve got the freaking Avengers in your corner. One day at a time.

After getting no sleep that night, it was a very early morning for all of us. The sun was just starting to come up when Clint knocked on my door and came in.

“Are you ready?” I stretched and nodded before getting myself into my chair. We went to Shuri’s lab, where everyone else- including the doctors- were waiting. After another quick rundown of what the procedure would be, I had to say goodbye to Clint, Natasha, Tony, and Bruce. The doctors helped me up onto the bed, and it didn’t take long before the anesthesia kicked in.

When I woke up, I was back in my room, and Clint and Natasha were sitting beside me.

“Did- Did it work?” I looked over at Clint, who smiled as he looked back at me.

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” he asked and gestured towards the food of the bed. When I looked down, I saw it; two little humps where my feet should be. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears.

“Oh, my God. They did it.”

“I’m gonna go get Bruce and Tony,” Natasha said, and she left the room, smiling. As soon as she shut the door, I stopped holding the tears back and almost launched myself off the bed, hugging Clint. For the first time since I moved to the compound, he laughed, and it was more than just a chuckle. This was a full-on laugh that I hadn’t heard since that morning at his house.

“Jesus, Alex,” he said. “Don’t fall.”

“Sorry,” I began after I finally let go.

“It’s okay. I just wasn’t ready to have to catch you.” Natasha came back with Tony and Bruce, as well as one of the doctors.

“Good to see you awake, Alex,” the doctor said. “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly? Amazing. I can’t actually believe this worked.”

“We don’t know if it did, yet,” Tony began. “We still need- Hey!” he groaned as Natasha elbowed him hard. She smiled at me, and I made a mental note to thank her later.

“No, no,” the doctor began, “Mr. Stark has a point. We won’t know for sure until we get you on your feet. Before we do that, we need to see if you can move them.” The doctor led me through the different movements, and I surprised everyone- especially myself- by being able to move them at all the joints. Everyone had a smile on their face, and the mood was even happier than the day of the wedding.

“Do you want to try standing, or-” Bruce began.

“Yes, absolutely.” I looked at Clint and smiled. He stood up and helped me turn so my legs were dangling off the edge of the bed. Bruce and Tony stood on either side of him, and Natasha stood off to the side with her phone out. I assumed she was recording.

“You can do this,” Clint said, nodding as he looked at me. He held out his hands, and I nodded as I reached out to grab his arms. Bruce and Tony got ready to support me from the sides, and I pulled myself up, using Clint to support myself.

“I’m doing it!” I said, a huge smile on my face, immediately before collapsing onto Clint. Tony and Bruce helped us back up.

“Would you like to try to take a step?” the doctor asked. I nodded, unable to wipe the smile from my face. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly swung my left leg forward. I gasped and opened my eyes to look at Clint, who looked like he was trying not to cry.

“Don’t you dare start crying,” I whispered. “You start, then I’m gonna start and it’s just gonna be one big mess.” He chuckled before helping me sit back on my bed.

After a couple days of rehab in Wakanda, we had one last meal with Okoye and Ramonda before we left.

“We can’t thank you enough for all of this,” Clint said again as we slowly walked back to the quinjet. I was still using him for support, but not as much as that first day. “If there’s anything we can do-” Ramonda held up her hand to stop him.

“All I ask is that you help people. Help me continue my son’s legacy. That will be payment enough.” I shook her hand and thanked her myself as Tony, Bruce, and Natasha got on the plane to go home.