Dog Days

The moment Tony slipped into unconsciousness, everyone just kind of stopped. They stopped trying to tell Tony to stay awake, stopped trying to pick up the shards surrounding the dog’s body. Everyone was so panicked that they couldn’t think clearly, until Steve bolted up and towards the bathroom. He returned with a towel and nearly slipped on the shattered crystal himself from how fast he was moving.

He scooped Tony up and wrapped him in the towel, applying pressure to his head where blood was gushing out of a large cut, effectively turning his white fur a deep crimson. He yelled for any of his teammates to get a set of keys so they could go to the nearest animal hospital - where that was? Steve had no idea, but that was where he was going. Natasha bolted out of the kitchen with a set of keys dangling from her fingers while Clint already hit the elevator’s down arrow, holding the doors open.

Steve and Natasha quickly headed down to the garage, and got into one of Tony’s Audis. Luckily, Tony had customized all of his cars so they had JARVIS installed, and after quietly observing the accident from one of his many interfaces, the AI already had the navigation set to the nearest animal clinic. Steve mentally made a note to thank him later.

Natasha sped out of the garage, following JARVIS’s directions while Steve tried to pick some of the larger shards out of Tony’s fur, trusting Nat to find the way. Steve never thought he would be okay with anyone speeding while he was in the car, but found that he was actually demanding the assassin to go faster. If Natasha did run a few red lights, he didn’t say anything.

They arrived at their destination in a little less than ten minutes, and both frantically scrambled inside. It was late at night, so luckily there wasn’t anyone waiting for their appointments. Even if there were people waiting, Steve was sure they would’ve had the common decency to let them get seen first. The sight itself was horrifying, most of Tony’s white fur was red, and Steve unbeknownst had a few tears rolling down his cheeks.

The receptionist was quick to run to the back and return to the lobby, followed by a veterinarian. Natasha opted to wait in the lobby, stating that it’d be more crowded if she was there. Steve didn’t argue, he just knew he had to get Tony help. He quickly followed the vet to one room, and was requested to lay Tony on the examination table, which he reluctantly obliged to. This was totally out of Steve’s field of expertise. It was best to not argue.

The vet used his fingers to open Tony’s eyelids so he could shine a light in his eyes. When he was satisfied with what he saw, he moved on to the next pressing matter: the huge cut across Tony’s head. He gently prodded at the surrounding skin, grimacing. Steve could hear him mumble something about stitches under his breath, as if talking to himself. The vet seemed less rushed after checking out Tony’s head, which made Steve relax a little, assuming Tony wouldn’t have to go into emergency surgery. The man asked Steve what happened without looking over his shoulder and Steve tried to explain in fullest detail about the accident. He just nodded in response.

As the vet continued feeling around, he ‘tsked’ with his tongue and sighed. Steve’s nervous expression must’ve caught the eye of the vet, who was quick to address him. “I know that you’re nervous right now, and you have every right to be. But just know that he should be fine. I’m just going to take him to the back to get some x-rays.” He went to scoop up Tony, and Steve couldn’t help but reach out to take the dog from him, pulling his arms back at the last second knowing the doctors will take care of him.

After being left in the room for a few seconds, a nurse came in with a reassuring smile, “If you want to wait in the lobby with your friend, you’re more than welcome to. We’ll let you know as soon as Dr. Browning finishes up.” Steve nodded slowly and shakily stood up. The nurse led him back to the lobby, and went to retrieve both him and Natasha cups of water. And just like that, Tony was out of Steve’s grasp and the soldier had no choice but to wait.

Natasha had already signed all the paperwork presented by the receptionist. Now it was a matter of waiting to take their teammate home. By the time the doctor returned to the lobby, Bruce, Thor and Clint were there as well. Their little group was silent, worried expressions plastered on their faces. All of them perked up - Steve actually stood up - when the doctor approached them.

“Well, your pup is gonna be alright. There was nothing too seriously damaging, and you were very smart to bring him in immediately. He is actually quite lucky that the vase was made of crystal rather than glass or ceramic. If that was the case, his injuries would require a lot more treatment. For the time being, I put him on some meds to keep him relaxed and comfortable. However, he is still unconscious, so I would like to keep him here overnight. I just want to make sure that everything’s all set so he can go back in the best condition possible. I will need you to sign some paperwork, giving us permission to keep him,” the man nodded as the receptionist protruded another clipboard towards Steve, who signed it quickly.

“Thank you. You can go back to your home now, get some rest. I promise we’ll take good care of, um-” He looked down at the paperwork Natasha filled out, which had Tony’s name on it “-Tony. But you should get some rest.”

Steve begrudgingly stood up, unsure if he should leave Tony alone. But he knew that if he stayed, he’d be more of a nervous wreck. At least at home he could find something to occupy himself. The group left the clinic and got in their respective cars. When they arrived back at the tower, it seemed as though no one was going to sleep peacefully that night.

----------------------

The next morning, Tony started to rouse. His head felt extremely fuzzy, and his thoughts were clouded. He winced when he opened his eyes to the bright light coming in through the windows, and immediately closed them again. He groaned at the dull pain radiating off his entire body. He heard someone approaching him, but shifted his body enough so he was facing away from them, not really ready to wake up yet. Luckily, after a few seconds, Tony could hear the person’s heavy footfalls heading away from him.

He rolled back over, and came face-to-face with some not-so welcoming bars. Panic rose up in his throat as he looked around, and he found himself locked in a cage of sorts. He tried to back away from the bars and collided with the back wall, whimpering as his side throbbed. He backed into the corner, making himself as small as possible. He assumed that his captor would be back in a matter of time.

He tried to not make any noise as he thought about how this came to be. Surely his team wouldn’t have gotten rid of him… right? He involuntarily whimpered at the thought, remembering how well they were getting along. That couldn’t be it. He had to be here for something else. Then, a pang of pain from his head made him yelp loud enough to alert his captor.

The door opened almost immediately and revealed a larger man in a white lab coat. He wore his glasses so that they were on the tip of his nose. He went straight for Tony’s cage and stopped before reaching for a clipboard. He looked over it, then looked at Tony, and looked at it again. He jotted something down and went to open Tony’s cage. When Tony snapped at him, he backed away hands raised, trying to show he wasn’t a threat. Well, Tony just wasn’t taking any chances, so he let out a low growl. The man hummed his displeasure, but retreated out of the room once more.

When Tony looked back up when the door opened - man, did this guy ever give up? - his mouth opened in surprise as Steve was standing there. He wagged his tail, glad that his initial thought of his team giving him up wasn’t true. He barked happily and Steve smiled. Unlike the previous attempt to be taken out of the cage, Tony allowed Steve to pick him up and bring him to another room, unfortunately followed by the man.

Once Steve was sure Tony wasn’t going to make a break for it, he sat down in one of the plush seats that were lined up along the wall. Tony almost fell off the table when the man advanced towards him with his now-gloved hands. Tony, once again, growled his displeasure. He only stopped when Steve flatly stated his name, silently warning him of the consequences if he continued.

The man nodded gratefully at Steve, then went to examine Tony’s entire body, starting with his head - which was throbbing, but Tony was too preoccupied to notice. “So Tony here had to be stitched up in a few places, specifically, his head, left flank, and right hind leg. I’m going to bandage him before you leave so he won’t rip them out. From what I can see, nothing serious happened to his head in terms of internal damage. He may have a minor concussion, so just keep a close eye on him for the next few days.” Now that Tony was fully awake, the details of the accident suddenly came to him. Jeez, no wonder why he was in so much pain! He was almost made into a dog-shishkebab…

“The wounds will become more painful by the end of the day, so I prescribed him some pain meds to make him more comfortable. Other than that, he is all set to go and should fully recover in a week or so. The stitches will dissolve in a matter of time, so you don’t have to come back. Of course, if you have any questions or concerns, we are always a phone call away,” the man stuck a hand out to Steve, who shook it in response.

“Thank you so much Dr. Browning. I’m sure Tony appreciates your help as well,” Steve glanced at Tony, raising his eyebrows to silently tell Tony to cooperate. Tony faked a playful yip, just to make Steve happy. The doctor chuckled, “I’m sure he does. Here, I’ll lead you out.”

After Steve signed all the necessary paperwork for Tony’s release, the pair left the clinic. Tony was grateful to be able to leave that place, not a fan of being poked and prodded. Steve carried him to one of Tony’s car and placed him in the passenger’s seat. Tony looked down at himself and saw all the bandages. They were wrapped a little too tight for comfort, so he used his front teeth to pull at him. Steve sighed before gently opening the dog’s jaw to make him release the gauze.

Tony could blatantly see that the excitement of the accident had taken its toll on the super-soldier. He had bags under his eyes, presumably from lack of sleep from the previous night. He was tense and looked ready to jump in front of the frail dog at any threat. He kept stealing glances Tony all the way to the tower, afraid that he was just going to disappear at any moment.

Tony sighed, “I’m sorry.” It was all he could manage, he was sorry for - once again - not listening to Steve, for being reckless without thinking, but most of all for worrying his teammates. He knew they were all looking out for him, and if they were in his shoes he would undoubtedly be a panicked mess right now. Ugh, why did he mess everything up? He laid his head on his paws, and yelped loudly when the stitches jostled and his head started to shoot sharp pains.

Steve was quick to pull over to the side of the street, and he looked clueless regarding what to do. He laid his hand on Tony’s neck and scratched gently, Tony involuntarily leaning into the touch. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” was all Steve said, but it was quite obvious he wanted to say something else. Tony was kind of hoping that he would scream at him or something, knowing the following silence was much more dangerous.

Steve stopped petting Tony, and pulled back out into the street. Once again, silence filled the car. When they reached the tower, Tony attempted to stand up so he could walk, only to collapse when the world spun around him. Steve was picking him up before Tony could protest, he felt very useless at the moment. Steve carried him into the elevator and pressed the button for the communal floor. Tony was starting to drift asleep by the time they reached it.

As soon as the pair walked through the doors, everyone stood up. Steve set Tony down on his blanket on the couch, and went into the kitchen to put Tony’s pain meds away. Everyone settled down on the couch, all wary of the dog next to them. Tony glanced at all of his teammates before whining at the pounding from his head. He closed his eyes and curled up in a little ball, ashamed at himself for being so pathetic, for being the cause of the amount of worry in the room.

Tony didn’t see all the sympathetic looks directed at him, but he did feel a hand lay on his back. It felt like Thor’s. He heard the TV turn on, glad that the team wasn’t addressing him. He wasn’t in the mood for the inevitable ‘Talk’ about his latest screw up.

Tony kept his eyes closed to block out the pain, and it wasn’t proving effective. He groaned at another pang swept through his body, and the hand stopped as if afraid of causing more harm. Tony shifted to lean into the touch, needing Thor to continue so he had something else to focus on.

After a few minutes, his throbbing head dulled down as he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

----------------------------

By the time Tony woke up again, it was late in the afternoon. The only reason why he woke up was because he was incredibly itchy. The bandages weren’t helping one bit, but everytime he tried tugging them off, one of his teammates was quick to stop him. At the moment, Thor was the only one in the room with him from what he could tell. Everyone else must have been training, in the lab, or on their own floors.

The TV was on, so Tony tried to pay attention to that to take his mind off the itchiness. He looked to Thor, who was damn near drifting off completely - he was constantly jerking to stay awake, but the show that was on was quickly losing his attention.

It was only a matter of time before Thor’s head was thrown back and his mouth hanging open, his snoring causing Tony’s head to throb. Tony looked around to make sure he was alone before he started to rip his bandages off - quietly enough to not wake the snoring god. He was able to get his leg bandage off, but the constant itch from his head kept bugging him.

He used his uninjured hind leg to scratch at the stitches, glad to not be interrupted. And man, did that feel good. He kept scratching, unaware that the stitches started to tear slightly. Blood started dripping out, once again staining his white fur red, but he didn’t notice. He closed his eyes in pleasure as he scratched even harder, causing it to tear open even more. He nearly punctured himself in the brain when a set of hands grabbed at his paw, causing him to flinch.

“Tony!” Bruce was in his lab coat, he must’ve just came up from his lab for a quick snack. He had a worried expression plastered across his face, and Tony wasn’t sure why. Then, he saw that his paw was also red, and sucked in a breath. Bruce was pulling tissues out of the tissue box on the little table next to the couch and was pressing them to the open wound. Thor was now awake too, and he immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean for this to occur. I must’ve fallen into a slumber.” Thor scratched the back of his neck, a guilty look quickly taking over his sleep-driven face.

“It’s okay, Thor. Can you do me a favor though?” Thor stood immediately, ready to do whatever Bruce asked.

“Can you wet a towel from the kitchen? And you’ll also see a package on the table, Steve picked it up this morning. Can you grab it for me?” Thor nodded enthusiastically, glad to be of assistance. He practically sprinted towards the kitchen.

“Oh, Tony. I really didn’t want to do this,” Bruce mumbled. Tony had no idea what he didn’t want to do, but it couldn’t be good by the look on his science bro’s face. And the fact that Steve was somehow involved meant that it probably wasn’t going to be enjoyable for Tony. Thor came back with both a wet towel and an unidentifiable box. Bruce first took the towel and dabbed at the area around the wound, cleaning up some of the blood.

“Hey Thor, can you hold Tony for a sec,” Bruce said as he went to go open the box. Thor picked Tony up and set him in his lap, wrapping his arms around his tiny body. Tony tried an experimental squirm, and found he was not gonna be moving by his own free will anytime soon. His breathing started to hitch, wondering why Thor was holding him so tight. Then, he saw what was in the box and tried squirming even harder.

Bruce was holding a medium sized piece of plastic, and Tony could tell immediately that it was one of those dog cones. “No Bruce! No no no! Please Brucie, I promise I won’t scratch again, please. This is me begging, Tony Stark actually begging. I thought you’ve always wanted to see that!” He tried struggling even more, now knowing why Thor was tasked with this. Thor was actually a huge pain in the ass ever since this started.

“I’m sorry, Tony. But Steve was told that if you scratched your head, this would be necessary. We were being too lenient, and now because of that, you tore your stitches,” Bruce at least had the decency to look guilty. He attempted to strap the cone around Tony’s neck, groaning as the billionaire kept moving his head. Thor eventually held his head tight enough so Bruce could easily put it on. He adjusted the straps so that there was no way Tony could slip it off.

Bruce backed up at the same time Thor loosened his vice grip, as if he was expecting Tony to bite him. Instead, Tony shook his head with all his might, trying to dislodge the cone but to no avail. He groaned, frustrated and embarrassed, and he turned so his back was to his teammates. Some would say he was pouting, but Tony would say he was being disrespected.

Thor laid a hand on his back, and Bruce sighed, picking up the bandages that Tony ripped off. “You’re lucky I know how to perform simple stitches, or else we’d have to go back to the vet,” Bruce stated flatly as he headed to the closet in the hallway, where the medical supplies were. He threw the bandages away, and grabbed the first aid kit.

Tony still had his back turned to the doctor when Thor picked him up once again, turning him around so Bruce had access to his head. Tony whined when Bruce dabbed the wound again with an antiseptic, causing the cut to sting. “Sorry, sorry…” Bruce whispered as he dabbed some more. It was a good thing Thor was holding him, or he would’ve jumped away from the pain.

Tony closed his eyes when Bruce pulled out the suture kit, definitely not a fan of needles. Bruce put on a numbing gel before, and now he was poking and prodding at Tony’s head, sewing up the tear. It didn’t hurt, but the pressure made Tony whimper. Bruce finished the stitches under ten minutes, and went to put the kit away when the rest of the team walked in. They all must’ve been training in the gym because they each were sweaty and had water bottles.

“Well that didn’t take long,” Clint said looking at Tony, trying to hide his smile.

“I’m really, really not in the mood,” Tony growled from his place on the couch. He made to get up, but the cone threw his balance off and he flipped off the couch. Luckily the floor was carpet, or else that really could’ve hurt. Everyone in the room was laughing, even Steve who chuckled before going to pick up Tony.

“God this is embarrassing,” Tony mumbled under his breath, but Steve apparently heard.

“I know, I know. But the doc said you should be all set by the end of the week. It’s only for a few more days,” Steve said as he adjusted the cone. Tony casted his eyes down, glad that his fur hid the red blush creeping along his entire body. Steve set him upright on the floor, allowing him to gain his bearings. He took a few experimental steps and when he felt comfortable enough, he trotted out of the room away from the rest of his teammates.

The rest of the team sighed, but made no effort to get up and chase him. “I feel bad,” Bruce said as he rubbed at his temples. Everyone nodded in agreement, and Steve pursed his lips, “Thor, have you heard anything about Loki’s whereabouts?”

Thor shook his head, “Nay, I was unable to track him. It seems as though he is using magic of some sorts to hide his location. Heimdall couldn’t see him, and he has the ability to spot anyone in the Nine Realms. Loki will only make himself be noticed when he wants to be.” Thor obviously wasn’t happy about that, his shoulders sagging.

“I wish we could do something. I hate Loki,” Clint mumbled from his spot on the couch. Usually Thor would’ve defended his brother, but he must’ve been pretty upset seeing as he didn’t move a muscle.

“We just have to give Tony space. He’s more worried about his dignity than his form at this point,” Natasha shrugged and reached for the TV remote. Steve knew she was right, and he had to physically make himself sit next to her to keep him from running to his embarrassed teammate. She turned on a comedy show, and the team reluctantly watched the program, each of them wanting to go comfort their resident genius.

-----------------------

Tony trotted to the spare bedroom on the communal floor, and went to hide under the bed but the cone made that impossible. He growled in frustration, shaking to try to dislodge the cone once more but to no avail. He flopped down in the corner, scooting behind a small dresser so no one would see him. This was the worst thing that has ever happened to him, how dare Bruce - his Science Bro - do this to him. He’s never been more embarrassed in his life.

He curled up, silently praying for Loki to pop up and change him back. He knew that would never happen, but a man - or dog - could hope… Damn, he couldn’t even lay comfortably, the cone was pressed against his face. He closed his eyes, trying to think of anything Loki would want from him. But in reality, Tony knew this is exactly what Loki wanted - for him to be humiliated and vulnerable. He involuntarily whimpered, knowing that there was no chance he would be turning back soon.

He must’ve fell asleep because he wasn’t in the corner but rather the bed later that day. Steve was also sleeping next to him, hand in his fur. He closed his eyes, relishing in the peace and glad that he wasn’t being lectured at the moment.

He was almost asleep again and found that he was happy that he could just relax without having to worry about anything. But things typically didn’t work in favor of Tony’s preferences. Just as he was slipping back into unconsciousness, he awoke with a jolt and whimpered when the Avengers alarm sounded throughout the tower.

Steve was out of bed and down the hall before Tony could even register what was going on. His heightened hearing didn’t help either as his head pounded every time it rung out. Luckily JARVIS must’ve noticed because the alarm seized in the room. Tony would have to remember to thank him somehow later. He uncurled from himself and went out into the hallway on uneasy legs.

The team, each of them in their uniform, were all gathered in the living room. Tony overheard Steve telling them that some bots were attacking Downtown, and they needed to move immediately. The team, as if rehearsed, all turned towards Tony with a pointed look, silently telling him to stay put. On that note, Tony was left alone. All he could do now was sit there and wait for them to return.