Touch the Sky

In the morning, Clint woke up and realized Bruce's bed was untouched. He must have made it and was already up or something. Slowly Clint sat up, throwing his hearing aids back in.

The buzzing static noise returned and Clint made his way downstairs and to the kitchen where everybody was moving about. He couldn’t hear them because they were all talking at once, but he slowly took a seat.

“Morning pupper,” Bucky laughed as he gave him another one of his specific grins. “It’s my week for breakfast so I hope you like eggs.”

“I can’t believe you have the audacity to call this pile of yellow lump eggs.” Tony scoffed, lifting a forkful as the rubbery mess slid off.

“If you don’t like it you can make your own food,” was the teenager's response.

“You guys ready for school? Bus leaves soon, Bucky you’ve gotta come with us today. We’re running appointments and I figured you could stand another physical.” Phil explained as he threw on a flannel and was rolling up the sleeves. “Oh and we need to get Clint some clothes too, do we need any more food?”

“Cheerios!” Thor and Tony immediately said to which Phil made a note.

“Alright. We need to go through before we’re late. Clint, wanna put on your shoes?”

The boy nodded, getting up and going to grab the pair of beat up sandals he owned and slipping them onto his feet while Bucky got ready too. Then Phil nodded to Maria, said goodbye to the boys and they were off to his car.

“This is Dr. Helen Cho. She’s gonna be in charge of the physical,” Phil explained when they reached the exam room. “Bucky, please wait outside the door.”

“Sure thing Phil,” he said, heading out and closing the door.

“Hello Clint. Would you mind putting your feet up against the wall?” She asked, taking his height and then going over the basics of the physical. She also paid attention to the black eye he had, making sure that nothing was damaged. “Quite a bruise.”

He made a hmph sound in response but otherwise didn’t say anything.

Then she checked his throat and moved to check his ears frowning slightly as she pushed back the thick messy hair..

“What is it?” Phil asked.

“These hearing aids are pretty out of date. You didn’t mention him being deaf,” she noted as Clint shot a glare.

“I didn’t know.” Phil admitted, his eyes were curious and confused but Clint didn’t seem open to the idea of talking so they continued.

“Well.. anyway, can you lift your shirt up so we can check your spine and lungs?”

Clint did so, cautiously pulling it up and over his head so that his bare chest was revealed.

There wasn’t a single inch of skin not covered in old scars or bruises, or new ones for that matter. Bumps jutted out on his side that Phil realized were his ribs and the small bit of his hip that was visible was sharp and boney. His stomach looked small and sucked in but Phil knew It wasn't, he was just that malnourished. Most of Clint’s skin was pale and almost transparent, veins visible.

After checking his spine she let him pull his shirt back on, just looking at Phil out of the corner of her eyes before finishing up her files and then examining the bruise near his eye again. “Next is blood work, then we’ll be almost done,” she said, smiling encouragingly at Clint. “I wanna check that head too though, you seem to have a lot of damage to the skull.”

The boy didn’t mind the needle, instead he seemed all but fascinated as the doctor threaded it through his veins and then let it draw his blood. He stared, transfixed by how mess free it was.

The scans were another experience all together. He hated the loud rattling, the machines, the cold sterile air and the fact he couldn't have his hearing aids. He was absolutely vulnerable. Clint felt like he was in some sci fi movie with the weird machines but eventually it was over.

Then Clint was sent out to wait for Bucky's appointment. Clint sat down on the ground, back against the wall as he watched the doctors and nurses walk back and forth. Without Phil in sight, Clint became much more alert. Not that he trusted Phil a lot. Just that he knew the man would watch his back. Whether he would betray it or not, Clint didn’t know. But he’d watch it at least.

As he eyed the people walking he caught onto a kid who was limping, murmuring something to the nurse before they broke off and he headed down the hall. The boy was in high school but thin and gangly, all bones and stretched skin. His hair was thin, light blond and messy.

But as soon as the kid turned his eyes Clint recognized him. He would know that boy blind. He’d know him just by the colour of his eyes.

They were light brown. Long spidery eyelashes that were almost invisible by colour but way too visible when compared to the brown of his irises
Clint's breathing stuttered as the kid narrowed his eyes, looking at Clint before recognition dawned on his face.

“Heya their Hawkeye,” the boy said, spreading a wild grin across his face and revealing the two missing teeth Clint had always remembered.

“Trick,” he blinked, standing up.

“Whatcha doin’ all tha way in the hospital, poor kiddo?” he asked, his smile still loose but his eyes bright. He was always mischievous like this. You’d think he wouldn’t notice if you tried to pull something, but he always noticed.

“Appointment,” he murmured, watching his old friend carefully. Reading lips was hard, but added in with a person who moved all over and had a really lazy southern accent… it was like a nightmare.

“Crazy seein’ ya here. Felt like just yesterday we were shootin’ up bottles and coins. Real sorry bout that ordeal with Carosn. H’erd bout it in the mornin’ when Jacq woke up. Aint’ a pretty sight, no siree. Glad ya made it though. Where’s ol Barn at?”

“You tell me,” Clint muttered, eyeing Trick warily. “He went back to find the gang, and he never returned. What did they do with him? And why’re you here?” hearing Trick Shots southern accent made Clints become more prominent than he’d like to admit.

“I’ve been captured lil’ Hawkeye. Got caught a month ago and now with a foster fam till I age out soon. But i ain't seen Barn ever since that night. Though Jacques did say somethin’ bout being busy for a while with some projects…” he recalled.

Clint's eyebrows narrowed. “Yer lyin’” he called.

Trick gave another shit eating grin. “And yet accents showin country boy. So how’d you get here?”

He shrugged. “Stayed on streets, got caught. They were gon’ send me to the big house but guess it was too full so I’m with a temp now till they find a placement. Plus I got a probationary too.”

“Ooh, gettin’ your hands dirty my little hawkboy. Now that i think bout it, the house was quite full. Couldn’t even breathe my own air,” he laughed, but it sounded more like a rattling breath of air and a gasp. “Oh times be callin’ gotta get back before i be in anymore trouble. Nice seein’ ya hawkeye, keep in touch later!” he called, already heading off towards where the nurse was waiting.

Phil and Bucky exited the room a while later and Clint had resumed sitting on the floor thinking about his encounter with Trick. It unnerved him a little.

“Ready to go Clint? We gotta get some clothes and groceries” Phil asked when the boy stood up.

“Yeah les go,” he agreed, invisibly frowning at the accent he had tried to erase.

“Ooh getting all Midwestern now?” Bucky teased but Phil gave him another warning. Clint couldn’t help but notice Bucky got a lot of warnings. Clint wondered how many punishments he got after them.

When they got back to the house Phil had to go to the office to work on calls with some parents of his students so he sent Clint and Bucky to the living room to socialize or whatever. Maria stayed in the kitchen to make sure they actually did it.

“So…” Clint said slowly, eyeing Bucky. “We jus gon’ talk then?”

Bucky shrugged in response. “Why not, got nothing better to do Texan Boy.”

Clint scoffed at that. “I’ve never even been to Texas!”

“You sure sound like you have though. What’s with that accent? Faking it on for some fun?” He mocked.

“You don’t know anything,” Clint yelled, shoving Bucky.

“Ooh cattle dog gonna bite,” he laughed, enjoying the fight as Clint launched himself at Bucky and the older boy was caught off guard at first. Clint got a good punch before Bucky sent one right back, hitting the kid in the head but not that hard. Then he pinned him and Clint bit him hard on the arm.

“Maybe gotta get you a muzzle,” he muttered, examining the bite mark clint left on his right arm.

Clint kicked Bucky’s chest out, escaping the grip before storming up the stairs and to his room.

Maria crossed her arms and looked at Bucky. “You better go to your room too Bucky.” She warned.

Phil heard all the yelling but he hadn’t been able to address it until a few hours later when his calls were done. Maria filled him in on the fight the boys had and Phil sighed, rubbing his temple.

“You regret bringing him in,” she said, reading his thoughts aloud.

“The house has already been shaky with Bruce.” Phil pointed out quietly. “Maybe it’s too much to handle.”

“How did the doctors go?”

“Good yeah. Bucky doing fine, no concerns. Clint is in fact the opposite.”

“Oh?” She asked, allowing Phil to cue her in.

The man sighed, closing his eyes. “He’s got a lotta scars and improperly treated wounds. They recommended a surgery for his femur before it gets worse. They did some scans and found he had a major concussion. Or several really. Some brain tissue damage, I was told to look out for seizures and developmental problems. Apparently he’s pretty deaf. Has had hearing aids behind all that hair he has this whole time” Coulson admitted. “Overall it’s a general mess and I’m surprised the station didn’t get him in sooner.”

“They did their best. So did we,” Maria assured him tactfully. “But you know he’s not gonna get placed with impending surgeries. We’re going to want to either act fast or wait and see how it goes without intervention. Plus if he is deaf… we were looking for a special needs home. Add that to the list and the homes become much more slim. Not to mention the possible seizures…”

“I know that look,” Phil murmured, rubbing his hand across his face.

“What look?”
“You want me to keep him here and look after him.”

“You don’t want to?” She challenged.

“It’s not like that. I just… Clint needs a lot of help, Maria. I don’t think I’m able to get him all that.” He confessed. “Especially with special needs. I don’t know sign. I don’t know what to do with the whole injury spiel.”

Maria looked at him closely, noting how exhausted the man was after Bruce’s breakdown. “I think you can do your best Phil. We can do it together. And we can learn too. Besides, If not us then who? He’ll be sent to Juvenile detention. And I’m certain that won’t help anything for an 11 year old kid with disabilities.”

“You’re right. You're always right,” he sighed, opening his eyes again. “I’ll consider the option. For now I should probably check on them. If he is staying for the long haul, the family’s gonna have to get along better.” He murmured, standing up and opening the door.

“I’m sure they will,” she said softly. “Albeit eventually.”

Phil went to knock on Clint’s door before opening it. He noticed that the boy wasn’t on his bed and wasn't in the room at all. That was strange but Phil knew he must be around somewhere or else his phone would have dinged. He had motion sensors at all the doors that exited the house just in case of flight cases. Same with the windows too.

Phil headed downstairs to check the common spaces and still couldn't find him.

“Buck, where’s Clint?” Phil asked, noticing the teenager in the kitchen with his homework.

“In his room.”

Phil trudged back up the stairs just to check but to his surprise the bedroom door was closed. Carefully Phil knocked twice before opening the door, seeing Clint on his bed where he definitely wasn’t there before. The clunky hearing aids were on the nightstand.

The boy was staring absently, blinking every few moments and then going back to his staring. He didn’t seem to notice Phil even as the man sat down at the edge of the bed in front of him.

He waved his hand in front of the kid's face but he didn't react all that much.

“Clint, can you..” he didn’t know what he was asking. Hear me? He's deaf. See me? If he’s deaf he can’t hear the question anyway.

Phil was saved when the kid suddenly jolted, however saved wasn’t the appropriate word. He became more worried when it became more obvious the boy was seizing.

“Marai!” Phil yelled, cursing himself for not being able to remember all the procedures for seizures.

He knew not to restrain the boy, but he also knew he had to be somewhere safe where he wouldn’t hit anything. Phil picked up Clint as loosely as he could without dropping him while getting to his room, placing him on the Queen sized bed. It was cushioned and it was the best Phil could think of. Then he stood guard to make sure the boy didn't fall off, he was certain that wouldn’t make things any better.

“What is it Phil?” Maria asked, opening the door and then stopping when she saw Clint. “First observed seizure? We should go to the ER just to get it figured out,” she advised, glancing at the door hurriedly before looking at Clint. They couldn’t move the boy until it was over. “Time?”

“It’s been two minutes since the jerking started, but he was.. Was having a different kind before where he couldn’t comprehend anything. Overall maybe five minutes?”

Maria cursed. “That’s not good,” she said, pacing worriedly. “We need to go then.”

“What about bucky?”

“He’s gotta come with, we’re not leaving him home alone,” she said, “Get him in the car, I’ll take Clint,” she ordered, carefully picking up the boy, trying not to restrain him but he wiggled and jerked, hitting her constantly and she was certain she’d have bruises.