Spinal Cord Injury
The team gathered themselves up from around the compound they had been thrown from during the Ultron fight.
Steve looked around the room before his eye caught Tony on the back of the very last robot. Steve grabbed up his shield to help, but before he could throw it, the genius had shoved his skewdriver into the back of the robot’s neck.
Before Steve could blink, the robot’s last act before deactivating was throwing Tony off it’s back. Steve gasped as he heard Tony fall over the balcony, fall several floors down and impact with a loud shout of pain.
He barely heard the rest of the team shout in surprise as he practically threw himself over the railing to reach Tony.
He found the genius sprawled awkwardly on the floor surrounded by splinted furniture. Tony was panting heavily and his face was squinted tightly.
“Tony, Tony baby, are you okay?” Steve asked frantically, kneeling next to Tony.
Tony whimpered and his breathing hitched.
“What’s wrong Tones?” Steve asked, growing more concerned by the lack of answers. He went to shake his husband but he was stopped by Bruce and Dr. Cho, who had finally reached them.
“Stop! Don’t move him,” Dr. Cho said firmly.
Tony didn’t react at all to the new voices, his face remained pinched and red with pain.
“Tony, where does it hurt?” Dr. Cho asked softly.
Tony wheezed and his fingers twitched. “M’back,” he rasped.
Dr. Cho and Bruce’s eyes widened and they communicated to each other silently.
“Can you get my large medical bag from the med wing? And can you call medical please?” She asked Clint and Natasha who quickly rushed to follow her commands.
Tony gasped again and this time tears dropped from his eyes. “Hur’s,” he whimpered.
“It’s okay baby, I'm here, you’re gonna be okay,” Steve soothed.
“Tones, what part of your back hurts? The top?” Bruce asked softly.
“Middle,” Tony choked out.
They saw his upper limbs twitch in pain and Bruce quickly rushed to restrain him. “No, buddy, you need to stay still okay?”
More tears dropped from Tony’s eyes and Steve wished he could swoop his husband up and cuddle him in his arms.
After Bruce and Dr. Cho held a hushed conversation, they decided they should probably move Tony out of the awkward, twisted position he was in so that it didn’t cause further damage.
“We are going to straighten you out on your back, okay, Tones?” Bruce told him.
Tony let out another groan and Steve took his hand in his.
Bruce grabbed Tony’s neck to keep it straight while Dr. Cho instructed the others how to turn Tony.
They counted down and soon the group was moving Tony in a more comfortable position. Even so, it didn’t help the screams that erupted from the genius.
“AHHHHH,” Tony screamed at the top of his lungs. “Stop, please, stop stop!”
They continued until the genius was flat on his back. By then, Tony was panting in pain, too exhausted to talk. Steve couldn’t do anything but wipe the sweat away from Tony’s brow. “You’re gonna be okay, baby,” Steve whispered, pressing a kiss to Tony’s forehead.
“I can’t feel my legs,” Tony whispered.
Everyone froze at his words.
“No one touch him, he might have a spinal cord injury,” Bruce said firmly.
“What does that mean, Bruce? Is it temporary?” Steve asked, concerned.
“I’m not sure,” Bruce said.
Tony held his breath as the pain in his back grew. “It hurts,” he gasped.
“Hold on, Tones, help will be here soon,” Natasha said, rubbing Tony’s hand.
“Breathe, Tony. Come on,” Dr. Cho commanded as the man’s face grew redder.
Tony let out a huge breath and clenched his fists. Tears squeezed out from the side of his eyes. “Please, please,” he begged. The pain was getting worse by the second, it was sharp and throbbing.
Steve wiped more sweat from his husband’s brow. His hands were itching to take the pain away from Tony. He felt completely helpless.
A few weeks later when Dr. Cho was trying to get Tony to transfer from his hospital bed to a wheelchair after his spinal surgery, Steve still felt helpless.
“Come on Tony, just lean forward, you can do it,” Dr. Cho encouraged.
Tony, who sat on the edge of the bed, tried to force back the tears. Every time he even thought of moving his back pain would shoot up and down his body. It was debilitating. After the surgery, he gained back feeling in his legs even though he wasn’t able to walk yet. He didn’t see this as a win because that meant when his legs spasmed, he felt every twinge of pain even though he couldn't move them to get rid of it.
Steve crouched in front of his husband and softly ran his hand up and down his knee. “Look at me, Tones.” Tony sniffled but moved his eyes to stare into Steve’s. “You can do it, okay? I’m going to be right here.”
Tony held his gaze for a long moment before nodding. Steve stood and rubbed softly at the edge of Tony’s back brace in support.
Slowly, Tony reached forward to the edge of the wheelchair that sat next to him. He winced as his back stretched. For several seconds, his body trembled. The people around him watched with pity in their eyes as he tried to overcome the pain.
“Tony, now you have to lift your bottom while shifting to the left toward the chair,” Dr. Cho instructed softly.
Tony didn’t acknowledge her, but after a moment, his arms started to shake wildly as he pulled himself up. His grunts turned to shouts as his bottom half agonizingly slowly moved towards the wheelchair.
All of them jumped as Tony’s strength suddenly escaped and his bottom dropped harshly into the chair. “Ahhhhh! Ahhhh!” Tony screamed as his back ignited in pain.
Several hands reached to steady him, but he focused on his husband’s voice who stood behind him. Steven stood behind Tony’s wheelchair and had his hand on Tony’s chest, holding the man back against him. “Breathe, baby, breathe. You did it, you did it,” he whispered.
“Hnnngg,” Tony grunted, trying to breathe through the pain. His eyes squeezed shut and he focused completely on Steve’s voice. His body was trembling, especially his arms, but a wave of triumph came over him.