Hallucinations

The third week of Peter begin missing was almost worse than the last week. You had stopped crying yourself to sleep. You had equated that to grieving him, that he was actually gone. By this point you were no longer sure he was going to be coming back alive and had accepted that. However, you were still helping Tony. You needed something to do and hadn’t thought of anything better to do.

Tuesday…

After one long torture session the Big Bad came in Peter’s dingy cell. He was slowly bleeding, dehydrated and malnourished. There were open sores and cuts all over his body.

The Big Bad turned Peter over with his foot then knelt. “We are leaving pet. Unfortunately, we have no use for you anymore, so you will be staying here. It shouldn’t be too long for you thought, you aren’t in the greatest shape. Plus no one is coming for you. You’ll be dead by the end of the week. So long pet, it was fun.”

Peter heard the door close before he passed out again.

Very early Friday morning…

While looking at the map of the search area, you noticed there was an area missing. You double checked the coordinates Tony had given you. But they were still missing.

“Hey Tony?”

“One second hon.”

He finished what he was doing and rolled his chair over. “What’s up?”

“There is a spot missing.”

“What? Not possible.”

“I double checked the coordinates you gave me. None are in this area.”

He flicked the map over to his screens and rolled back to his area and typed. You walked over there and he had already started the search program on the area missing.

There was a ‘ding’.

You willed your heart to slow down but it wouldn’t.

“What’s that?”

“It found a building.”

“What.”

“There’s a building.”

“Could… Could Peter be there?”

“Maybe. It’s all we got. FRI call Steve, Bucky, and Nat to the jet.”

He got up and started gathering things.

“Tony…”

“Hon?”

“Can… Can I come?”

He froze and turned to you.

“We don’t know what we are walking into.”

“I know. I’ll stay in the jet. I promise.”

He thought for a minute. “Okay.”

He handed you an earpiece. “Let’s go.”

‘We are coming Pete. We found you. I am coming.’

Throughout the rest of the week, Peter was slowly succumbing to bloodlessness and illness. A high fever playing painful hallucinations before him. Sometimes just voices, other times he saw people.

Early Friday morning, when Peter came to, he saw light streaming in through the one window his cell had. He closed his eyes and opened them again and he saw you standing in the light.

“Hey Peter. I have missed you. The team is coming. We are coming for you. We found you. Stay alive. I love you.”

He tried to reach out to you, but you vanished.

‘Not real. Again. I am going to die here… alone…’

The next time Peter woke he was uncontrollably shivering. He was cold, but hot. He knew his body couldn’t regulate anymore. One he got cold he knew for sure he wouldn’t last much longer.

He was stopped from passing out when he thought he heard a noise. It was a louder noise than he had heard since the bad guys had left.

‘No. it can’t be. Just my head playing tricks on me again. Please just let me die in peace.’

He was close to passing out again when there was a big crash.

‘What… my head couldn’t make that up.’

Then he thought he heard the door open.

‘Hallucination.’

“Peter?”

‘Not real.’

When the jet landed, Bucky turned to you.

“Okay. Tony set this monitor up for you. You will be able to watch what is happening.”

You nodded.

“You will be able to hear with the earpiece. Just tap once to turn on the mic to talk.”

You nodded again.

He put a finger under your chin and tilted you head up. “It will be okay.”

“Yeah.”

“Last thing. Stay here. Unless told otherwise.”

“Yes.”

They all left, and you watch the screen. They had to blow off the door.

“Okay. Be ready for anything.” Tony said.

Tony and Nat went one way, Steve and Bucky went a different way.

“Anyone running into people?” Tony asked.

“No, looks like they left. This room has been cleaned out.” Bucky said back.

Nat and Tony came to a room with a metal table.

“Is that blood?” Nat said.

“Yeah…” Tony looked around. “Let’s check these rooms.”

They spilt up and opened doors.

Tony opened one.

You stood and gasped.

Tony shut off the camera.

“Peter?” you heard Tony say over the earpiece.

Bucky and Steve also heard. “We are on our way.”

Tony walked closer and put a hand on his chest.

“Vitals.”

You held your breath. It was killing you not being able to see, but you understood what Tony was doing.

He must have gotten an answer in the Ironman suit. He turned the camera back on.

“Oh Peter…” you said. He looked a breath away from death.

“He is still alive. Peter, are you there? We are here we are going to get you home.”

Peter’s eyes fluttered.

‘Sounds like Tony. I miss him. He sounds worried… He shouldn’t be… It’s okay…It’s not his fault…’

“Doll? Doll you there?”

You couldn’t speak. But they thought you had.

“Hon tap your ear; we can’t hear you.”

Your hand was shaking as you tapped your ear. “Ah… yeah?”

“There is a heated blanket under the bench. Grab it and come in.” Bucky said.

“Straight, left, then straight again.”

“Oh… oh kay.”

You found the blanket and followed Tony’s directions. Your feet carried you as your head was reeling.

Peter was alive. He was okay. Relatively.

Once you got there, Steve slowly took the blanket from you and Bucky put a hand on your shoulder. You almost immediately wrapped your arms around him.

Tony wrapped Peter in the blanket and picked him up. It looked like he was carrying nothing.

“Come on we need to get back asap.”

Everyone made their way back to the jet.

Peter faded back in. His head was against Tony’s chest.

‘This is new… So warm…’

He tried looking up. He mumbled.

“I got you kid.”

‘He’s got me. They really found me… Just in time…’

Tony laid him on the bench. You wanted to be by him, but something stopped you. You couldn’t let go of Bucky. Steve put an oxygen mask on Peter and sat next to him.

Bucky pulled you with him, sitting down across from where Peter was.

“I… I thought he was gone.”

“Shh… it’s okay. You are just in shock.”

“I should be over there.”

“It’s okay. He will understand.” Bucky said and hugged you harder.

‘He is alive. He is alive.’

Once the jet got back to the tower, they wished Peter away to the med bay. Luckily, there were no breaks. Bruce hooked up an IV and pumped fluids and medicine into him.

He was so thin and pale. You stood outside or in the doorway to see him. You were scared to be near him. Like you were going break him by just looking at him. You were still trying to come to grips with the fact that he was alive. It isn’t that you weren’t grateful, you were, you just didn’t know what to do yet.

Everyone was gentle with you that afternoon. Letting you do what you needed. Not pushing you to walk in the room farther. Bucky checked in on you multiple times. Sometimes you were fine, other times you cried for a few minutes.

Late Friday night…

You couldn’t sleep. You just kept thinking about Peter. That he was alive. Wondering what we went through the three weeks he was gone. Knowing he was there but not there with you. You sat up on your bed and looked around the room. Your eyes landed on Peter’s sweatshirt. You put in on a chair about a week ago, trying to distance yourself from him. You put in on grabbed your blanket and made your way to Peter’s hospital room. You slowly walked in, looking at Peter laying in the bed. Then you sat on the couch and covered up with the blanket. You stared at Peter. Watching his chest rise and fall.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

Soon you were asleep.

Saturday morning…

The next morning, Bucky came to your room looking for you.

“Doll?”

No answer.

“Huh… I wonder…”

He made his way to Peter’s hospital room.

He smiled when he saw you sleeping on the couch.

Tony was walking down a hall when he saw Bucky standing at Peter’s door. He made his way over to the room.

“Everything okay?”

“Shhh. Yeah.” Bucky said nodding over to you.

Tony smiled too. “She really missed him.”

“Yeah. She didn’t think he was coming back.”

“Yeah… I wasn’t too sure either.” Tony said.

Sunday…

Peter didn’t wake up until the following day. His healing factor was progressively working better after getting the correct nutrients.

No one mentioned you staying in the room. They just asked if you needed anything.

Which Peter woke, he was very confused. He was trying to figure out where he was. You saw him moving. It took all you had not to run over to him. But you didn’t want to frighten him.

When his eyes finally landed on you, you smiled.

“Hey Pete.”

He stared at you.

“Are… Are you real?”

You slowly got up and walked over to him. You nodded, “Yeah, I’m here. You’re in the tower med bay.”
You put your hand lightly on his. Tears started in your eyes.

“They found me?”

“Yeah.” Tears were now flowing.

“Oh, babe.”

“Peter… I thought you were gone. I didn’t think I was going to see you ever again.”

“I didn’t think I was going to make it either.” He paused. “You came to me in the light. Told me that they were coming. That you were coming. I didn’t believe you, though. The bad guys told me again and again no one was coming. I guess I believed them after a while.”
You gently put your hands on the sides of his face. “I will always come for you. I love you.” You kissed his forehead.

“And I you.”