Fic: Tin Man (5/?)

[eumelia]

Title: Tin Man (5/?)
Author: Mel (eumelia)
Disclaimer: Marvel owns it all, I just like to play with other people's toys and get no money from it.
Rating: PG-13, here be some language and violent imagery
Fandom: Iron Man (Movieverse) - this happens approx. a month after the events of the movie.
Characters: Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, James Rhodes
Previous chapters: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4


Part 5

Pepper let herself drop heavily onto a plastic chair in the emergency room. She had just finished explaining what the huge glowing thing in Tony's chest was.
While Tony had made sure the whole world knew he was the Iron Man, the reality of the arc reactor embedded in his chest was not for public consumption. She had used her most threatening I-Speak-In-The-Name-Of-Tony-Stark-The-Tony-Stark voice to make sure the doctors treating Tony, the chief of the ER and the Hospital Director that if any information regarding the reactor found itself in the papers, Stark Industries would take Measures.

Pepper found it hard to speak in capital letters all the time.

She buried her face in her hands and quickly pulled them away. She wrinkled her nose and felt a slight nausea of her own.

"Happy" she stood.
The burly man turned to her.
"I'm going to the bathroom. If the Colonel gets here before I'm out, don't hesitate to call me".
"Will do, miss" Happy nodded and stood stiffly outside the room where Tony was being treated for the most immediate cause of distress; his inability to breathe.
"What the hell have you done to yourself?" she muttered as she washed her hands and face. Her face was pale, her impeccable make up long gone, all her freckles stood out across her nose and cheeks which seemed hollow to her.

Her eyes were red.

"Damn it" she said and bit her lip squeezing back the tears. She took a couple of cleansing breathes, smoothed her wrinkled shirt (the jacket was in the limo), found an emergency clip in her pant pocket and lifted her hair into a messy up do, which was more dignified than loose hair.

She straightened her back and walked out of the bathroom just as Rhodey, his dark skin damp with sweat, burst into the ER skidding to a halt.

"Pepper" he walked towards her and gave her a hug. Pepper wrapped her arms around Rhodey and was comforted by his girth, in her high heels she was as tall he was and was able to lay her head on his shoulder.
"Jim" she sighed and gently moved away from him.
"You look paler than usual" he said, trying to be funny.
"Ha ha" she replied sarcastically, she gave him a watery smile and said "Thanks for coming so quickly"
"You're kidding right? As if I'd be anywhere else"
Pepper raised her eyebrow at the blue uniform Rhodey was wearing.
"Don't give me that look. I was already off duty when you called"
"Okay, okay" she raised her hands in surrender.

Rhodey took her hands in his and pulled her gently to the uncomfortable chairs. Happy had by this time given up all pretexts and slumped down on a chair as well. Pepper could see he was feeling useless.
"Happy, now that Colonel Rhodes is here, there are some things I need you to do"
Happy frowned at her, but gestured to her to continue.
"Go to my apartment and bring the travel bag in the entrance closet. There's a change of clothes and other essentials I need. After that, stop by the estate and pick up my laptop and some pajamas for Mr. Stark, you know how he gets when he isn't wearing his own pajamas to bed" she gave him a wobbly smile, but her posture and expression didn't brook any argument.

She was, after all, Tony Stark's Personal Assistant Extraordinaire.

Happy stood, nodded and said "No prob, Pepper" the formality gone.
He gave a quick nod to Rhodes, who nodded back, an unspoken understanding was communicated and Happy turned and left the emergency room.

"Pepper" Rhodey said, "Tell me what happened, from the beginning".
Pepper took a deep breath "It started in the bar…" she frowned "No, it started in the limo on the way to the bar… I think".
Rhodey listened intently to what she was saying; trying to piece together a clear picture from what she was telling him. Pepper was giving choppy details, going backwards and forwards in the story.
"…It was when he threw up that I realized something wasn't right" she said and looked up to Rhodey's face "I was so irritated with him".
Rhodey frowned and said "Not that I don't get that, Tony could irritate the patience out of a saint, but I'm getting the feeling you're being specific here" he gave her a "go on" gesture with the hand that wasn't stroking her back comfortingly.
"After he vomited he called my name, I thought he was just being clingy again so I ignored him" she rubbed her eyes and wiped away the moisture, not letting it fall.
"Then I heard his voice was strained. He was so pale and he couldn't breathe…"

"Okay, okay" said Rhodey "I'm guessing that's when you called me?"
"Yeah"
"Sorry it took me so long"
"That's all right… wasn't your fault you were on the other side of LA" Pepper gave him a wobbly smile.
Rhodey didn't smile back and hers fell off her face.

"Miss Potts?" a voice to their side said.
Pepper and Rhodey looked up and saw a doctor in pale blue scrubs; she held a clipboard close to her chest, her short brown hair was mussed and messy around her brown eyes and face; she looked slightly stressed, creases ever present on her brow.
"Yes" Pepper said and stood, Rhodey stood up beside her.
"I'm Dr. Valencia Medina, Mr. Stark's attending" she said.
"What's the matter with him?"
"Is he breathing?"
"Is he is pain?"
"When can we see him?" were the rapid questions from the two worried people.
Dr. Medina looked at the two worried faces and considered her answer carefully, as it was quite a complicated situation.

The doctor took a deep breath and replied "We've managed to stabilize Mr. Stark's breathing, he is currently intubated and anesthetized" she let that information register. Rhodey was stony faced and Pepper was managing to keep a neutral face though she was biting her lip to keep from interrupting the doctor.
"His lungs were filled with liquid, which we've sent to the lab for testing. The titanium apparatus embedded in his chest has made other tests difficult at this time" the doctor stopped at the look on Rhodey's face who said:
"That's it?"
"Mr.-"
"Colonel Rhodes. Is that all you have to tell us?!" Rhodey was beginning to lose his veneer emotional detachment.
"Colonel, Mr. Stark is out of immediate danger and we will now be able to find out what's wrong with him and-"
"I want to see him" Pepper interrupted.
Dr. Medina looked at the disheveled redhead.
"He doesn't look good"
Pepper and Rhodey gave a dry chuckle "I've seen him look worse" they said in unison and gave each other side long glances.

The doctor blinked, nodded and said "Okay, but one at a time. We're moving him to the ICU as soon as the private room is ready"
During Pepper's "taking Measures" speech, she also insured that Tony got the most private suite in the ICU. One that ensured total privacy and strict registration and knowledge of the comings and goings of each doctor, nurse and orderly (who all signed oral confidentiality agreements she had recorded onto her Blackberry, of course).
Pepper and Rhodey nodded their understanding. They followed the doctor to the trauma room. She pushed open the door. Pepper went in first and nearly gasped, but managed to swallow her astonishment.

Tony was lying on the bed, his skin was ashen and his eyes looked bruised. His mouth was covered in a plastic device that held the intubation tube. He was attached to various IV's and monitors beeped all over the place. His chest was uncovered and the arc reactor was glowing brightly, making the redness around the titanium ring look purple.
Pepper didn't know where to touch that wouldn't hurt him, as he looked as though every part of his body was in pain, though he wasn't wounded. She decided that stroking his hair was safe enough and touched his forehead. His skin was clammy and warm.
"Oh, Tony" she said, a tear trailing down to the corner of her mouth.

TBC in Part 6
Previously

I know it's a little slow going, but there is plot and a point to all this.
I promise.

---

Feedback is appreciated and always replied with thanks.

Comments

[downeyfan1.livejournal.com]

That was great can't wait for the next chapter.I couldn't stand the long wait.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I was worried the slow going would bore people.

Thanks you so much for reading and commenting.

[wm-law2003.livejournal.com]

This is really interesting! I'm so intrigued!!

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I'm glad people are interested and not going WTF?

:-D

[la-dame-boheme.livejournal.com]

i'm lovin' this, darling. Very good. And angsty...I love angst, lol. Keep up the good work!!

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I love the angst too!

Thank you so much for reading!

[hils.livejournal.com]

I'm really enjoying this but I just wanted to let you know you have a line repeated in your fic

"Colonel Rhodes. Is that all you have to tell us?!" Rhodey was beginning to lose his veneer emotional detachment.
"Colonel Rhodes. Is that all you have to tell us?!" Rhodey was beginning to lose his veneer emotional detachment.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Fixed!

Thank you very much for reading (and letting me know of the mistake :)

[captain-elessar.livejournal.com]

This is a very interesting story. I'm occasionally having difficulty following some of the dialogue or paragraph breaks, but whatever, it's not like we're trying to be the next James Joyce in fanfic. I also loved Pepper's "I-Speak-In-The-Name-Of-Tony-Stark-The-Tony-Stark voice", I could totally see this.

You threw me for a loop though. The whole time this story has been screaming at me "heart condition", especially when he collapsed, I was thinking he was having a heart attack. So this surprised me. I imagine that there's some kind of explaination for the immediate onset like that.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

I'm occasionally having difficulty following some of the dialogue or paragraph breaks

No, no, no this is important! I thought I was making things simpler by breaking up the paragraphs like that.
What would make your reading experience better?

I'm glad you were surprised.

Thank you so much for reading.

[captain-elessar.livejournal.com]

Well I mean, it's up to you as the author, but sort of traditionally in stories each time the perspective changes and/or a new person speaks, there's a new paragraph. I guess it just looks a little different because some of the paragraphs are double spaced and some aren't? It's really not that important, I could follow it. I think the diagnosis surprised me more, sounds like congestive heart failure, which would be a little strange.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Not to worry, there will be an explanation (albeit sci-fi-ish) to all :)