Day 50
Tony rested his head down on the the cool lab counter. It felt nice against his hot sweaty skin. He tried to focus on the damaged gauntlet he had been trying to calibrate for the past month; he needed a way to increase the power input. He had given up on it a week ago, and hadn’t planned on picking it back up, but his head was swimming to much focus on hundreds of piles of paper work that needed to be filled out. Working on the gauntlet was better, maybe not safer but definitely more tangible.
“Tony?”
Tony snapped his head up immediately upon hearing Steve’s voice.
“Little busy right now!” Tony called clipping one of the power transfer lines his arc reactor. Doing a direct transfer from the the arc to the gauntlet could work to give it more power. He would have to rewire all of his suits if it worked, but it would be worth it.
“When was the last time you slept?” Steve asked walking over to him.
“Yesterday I took a nap before you guys started lecturing me.”
Steve ran a stressed hand over his forehead, “Tony that wasn't yesterday.”
“Yeah it was,” Tony argued despite not being sure of that.
“No Tony. That was on Tuesday.”
“And? It’s Wednesday.”
“No Tony. It is Thursday.”
Tony raised an eyebrow and sat back in his chair. Steve glanced under the lid of a doughnut box.
“Tony when was the last time you ate a real meal?” Steve asked concern rich in his voice.
“Tuesday apparently.”
“You should come eat something, and get some sleep.”
“Maybe in a little while.”
“Tony come on you have been in here for three days.”
“I’ve been busy,” Tony countered.
“Tony-”
“Rogers please get out. I have work I need to do,” This time Tony let his agitation into his voice. To his relief Steve didn’t argue and left the lab looking a little defeated.
Tony threw his screw driver down on the table in frustration. His hands were shaking to much for him to move it to his will. He buried his face in hands and closed his eyes trying desperately to force the nauseating pounding out of his head.
“Friday what’s wrong with me?”
“Where do you want me to start?” The AI quipped.
“My head,” Tony groaned and let it thump against his desk.
“You are running a high fever, and coffee is not adequate for keeping you hydrated.”
“How high is the fever?” Tony groaned. He was pretty sure he was going to throw up.
“104,” The AI replied, “I would highly suggest telling the team, and resting.”
“Steve told me you kicked him out,” Tony looked up as Natasha walked over to him, arms crossed angrily over her chest, “Gosh Tony! You look like shit.”
“Thanks.” Tony rasped dryly. He felt like shit. He wished he could curl up in bed with Pepper and sleep. He couldn't sleep when she wasn't around. He should have gone on the business trip with her to Europe.
Natasha pushed her cool hand against his face. Instinctively Tony jerked back.
“Hey cut that out idiot,” Nat scolded and pressed her hand against his face. The touch of her cold hands sent an involuntary shiver down Tony’s spine, “Tony your burning up.”
“Mmhmm,” Tony sighed and leaned his head against her.
“I’m going to call Pepper if you don't start letting us help you. We both know she’ll be pissed if she has to reschedule her meetings.”
“Mhmm,” Tony mumbled.
“Come on Tony,” Natasha guided Tony to his feet, “Clint got take out for dinner.”
Tony flopped down on the couch with a plate of pizza, and coffee.
“No sir,” Clint gabbed both his plate and his coffee. Clint knew as well as the next person that coffee and pizza was not the kind of food that should be eaten when one is sick.
“Hey give those back!” Tony cried half heartedly.
“Nope,” Clint said and handed Tony a bowl of chicken and rice soup, and a glass of ginger ale mixed with orange juice.
“Seriously?” Tony dead panned.
“Dead serious,” Clint stated, “That’ll help you feel better, and it is much better on the stomach.”
Clint was really curious what Tasha had threatened Tony with to make him so agreeable, because he ate the soup with no further argument.
“Hey I have returned with the medicine!” Steve announced walking into the room holding a small bag over his head.
Tony looked up from his bowl of soup looking relieved.
“Here you go buddy,” Steve poured two pills onto his hand and gave them to Tony. Tony nodded his appreciation and swallowed the pills with no further prompting. Clint REALLY wanted to know what Tasha had threatened him with. Tony finished off his bowl of soup, and curled up on his side on the couch. The next time Clint looked up from his pizza the man was snoring softly. Clint’s smile faded into a frown when he noticed the shivers shaking Tony’s shoulders. He set down his pizza plate and grabbed the thick couch blanket. Clint tucked it gently around Tony’s shoulders. He never the touchy feely type, but he still brushed his hand against Tony’s cheek to see how hot he felt, which was far to warm.
“Uh guys, his fever is really bad,” Clint stated prompting Steve and Natasha to look up from their plates. He had three kids he knew how to guess temperature by feel, and Tony was way to hot.
“How bad is bad?” Steve asked standing up.
“Not sure,” Clint hissed through gritted teeth, “Friday how high of a fever is he running?”
“104.”
“That’s to high,” Natasha commented and came to stand next to Clint and Tony, “Friday recommendations?”
“I would suggest proper rest, and an IV fluid drip. He is quite dehydrated.”
“Steve you wanna get him to his bed?”
“On it,” Steve scooped Tony carefully into his arms.
“Nat can you get an IV set up?” Both she and Clint had been given medical training and they were both very familiar with putting together an IV, “I am going to call Pepper because she should know what’s going on with him.”
Tony woke to find Clint sitting next to his bed
“Is there a reason you’re in my room?” Tony asked sitting up a little. A slight prick in his arm made him look down and discover the needle in his arm. A line ran from the needle to a bag of clear fluid hanging above his head, “Is there a reason I have an IV in my arm? And how long have I been asleep?”
“Yes and yes, 40 hours.” Clint said folding his magazine down.
“And what might those reasons be?”
“Answer to question one: It was my turn to keep you company. Answer to question two: You were very dehydrated, because coffee does not count as fluids, and we also needed a way to give you medicine to bring down your high fever,” Clint answered.
“What’d you mean keep me company? I can sleep perfectly fine on my own. I don’t need a babysitter,” Tony was confused why they would sit there and waste away hours of their lives while he slept.
“Because we wanted to.”
“Why?”
“Because we care about you!” Something seemed to snap in Clint, “I honestly don’t see why it is so damn difficult for you to understand that! You acted like we were the ones over reacting when we expressed our concern that you think you have to do everything alone. Tony you got stabbed! That is something that normal people get concerned about. That is something that normal people tell their teammates! You weren’t doing anyone any favors by not telling us. Sure you spared us some concern for a little while, but Tony that isn’t worth risking your life over. Trust me buddy we can handle being concerned about you. We are a team. It is part of job to be concerned and take care of one another. That is why we each took turns sitting with you. We care about you and we wanted to be here for you. You are our team- no family member, you are valued and the last thing we wanted was for you to wake up alone and think that we didn’t care. We care Tony, and that is why we want you tell us things."
Tony really didn’t know what to say to Clint’s speech.
He knew his team cared about him… or at least thought they did. He had sometimes lain awake at night and doubted it along with many other things, but now, thanks to Clint’s speech, he was pretty sure he could actually believe that he had a family.
“Thanks Clint,” Tony mumbled. He didn’t feel sick anymore, but he wanted to sleep more, so with the comfort of knowing he had family right there he drifted back off to get some more much needed sleep.