Flight Lesson - or - Hulk Saves the Day
“Damn it, Thor!” Dean growled as he slammed open the door to the infirmary under the stairs. He never stopped his forward motion but when his eyes scanned the room, catching sight of his brother sitting on the edge of one of the beds, he made the slight course correction towards him. Bruce had just finishing cutting off his t-shirt.
“Dean-,” Sam started, but hissed when Bruce jostled his arm while reaching for the portable, handheld scanner he had laid beside the hunter. Bruce flinched and glanced up with a quick apology.
“Sorry.” Bruce also glanced over where Dean was baring down on them but didn’t move out of the way. When Dean stopped at the end of the bed, eyes going over Sam to catalogue any injuries.
“It’s just a dislocated shoulder,” Sam tried to say soothingly, but Dean’s eyebrows dipped lower.
“Give me a minute to finish scanning,” Bruce told him, holding it up and pressing the touchscreen. “But I’m pretty sure he’s correct.”
“What the hell, man?!” Dean yelled as he spun on his heel, staring down the blond demi-god who was standing on the other side of the room, Mjolnir planted at his feet. “Did you forget that not all of us are indestructible like you? You could have gotten him killed!” Thor opened his mouth to speak, perhaps apologize, but Dean whirled back to his brother, finger pointing accusingly. “And you. Why do I have to have Jarvis tell me when my little brother has done something so monumentally stupid?!”
Sam’s eyebrows went up nearly to his hairline, then dropped again. He would have curled his shoulders in and dropped his head if that movement wouldn’t have screwed up the scans or hurt.
The machine in Bruce’s hand beeped and he pulled it away from Sam to review the info. He scrolled through, then touched it again to turn it off. The short doctor smiled up at Sam, then hesitantly over at Dean.
“He’s right. It’s just a dislocated shoulder. Nothing torn, nothing broken.” When Bruce put down the scanner, Dean gently pushed him out of the way. Dean glared at Sam, who grimaced as he partially turned his back to his brother, a practiced move that spoke volumes about how many times they had been in this position before.
“On three, bitch,” Dean growled as he put one hand on his back, between Sam’s shoulder and spine, the other coming around to the front of the dislocated joint. “One-,” he grunted as he shoved forcefully with the hand in front. They could all hear the crackle of the joint as the bones ground together while being forced back into place.
Sam groaned and then grabbed the wrist of the injured arm with his good hand as he grimaced and blinked. Dean backed off, letting Bruce back into the space.
“Jerk,” Sam muttered under his breath. Dean glared at him one more time before it turned into mild concern.
“You’re supposed to be the smart one, Sam,” Dean grumbled. Sam did duck his head this time, but it was partially hidden by the motion to let Bruce put a sling on him. “You’ve seen the force that the hammer exerts in that kind of maneuver. I’m assuming that’s what yanked your arm out of socket.”
Sam nodded and glanced across the room at Thor, who was staring silently, concern and regret written on his face.
“I could have dealt with that, Dean,” Sam replied to Dean’s unasked question, “but then the gees that hit me and being so high up there…” His brother nodded, pacing, running a hand over his mouth.
“And you passed out.” There was another glare in Thor’s direction and he wisely did not respond. Sam, however, sighed.
“And I passed out. You’re right, I didn’t take all that into consideration. I mean, I was so excited that Thor was going to teach me how to use Mjolnir and the thought of being able to fly without an airplane or Iron Man or the Hulk, it just never occurred to me.”
“The mistake was mine, Samuel,” Thor finally said, stepping closer. “No one besides myself and Odin has ever wielded Mjolnir, so I did not consider the effects it would have on your Midgardian body. I apologize deeply.” Dean narrowed his eyes at Thor but it was no longer a death glare.
“You’re both just lucky Bruce happened to be there when it happened,” he said, pacing back towards Sam, his eyes drifting to the quiet doctor, then back to his big little brother. “You had Thor’s hammer and Iron Man isn’t here. The freaking Hulk had to come out to save your gigantor ass.” Bruce was smiling shyly but said nothing.
“Absolutely, you’re right,” Sam said, looking directly at Bruce. “Bruce, thank you again. You and Hulk saved my life, because from what I could see before I passed out, I was pretty high up there.” Dean blinked hard at his brother, mouth open as he tried to not think about how high he really had been and what would have happened if Bruce hadn’t been there at the time. Sam apparently caught the look of horror that crossed Dean’s face, because his smile wiped right off his face. Bruce squared his shoulders.
“You’re welcome. And…if it’s any consolation, Dean, the reason I was out there was because I really couldn’t see Sam’s first Asgardian flying lesson going well.” He shrugged one shoulder before looking down with a soft smile.
“See? Someone with common sense!” Dean looked around at the three of them, all of them not meeting his eyes and looking sheepish. He caught a few grins and glances that they cast at each other, like naughty school children. “Seriously? I need a beer and a burger.”
“A beer and a burger? Count me in,” Tony smirked as he ambled into the room, taking in the scene. “When Jarvis contacted me in Malibu and told me what was going on here in the bunker, I had to come see the genesis of ‘Superman’ for myself. Alas, no planet Krypton. But as everyone is alive and I assume lessons were learned…?” He pointed a finger at each of the three men, Sam, Bruce, and Thor. “Then mischief managed. Dean-o, let’s go get that burger and a beer and I’ll tell you all about my first Iron Man flying lesson...er, attempt.”
Tony strolled over, putting an arm around Dean’s shoulder casually, turning him to lead him from the room. Amazingly, Dean let himself be led out. Before they were out the door, Tony turned his head to glance back at all of them. He shook his head, then smirked and rolled his eyes. That caused Bruce to snicker under his breath, followed by Sam, then Thor.