Just A Call

₁₁. A Bᴜʀᴅᴇɴ

After a successful mission, everyone was safe, so they all went to their rooms to rest. Well, everyone except Emerson. She was already feeling like a burden, that she didn't want to say that she had been shot in the arm and was bleeding. A lot. She had managed to stop the bleeding a little with a sheet she had found at the base, but since she had helped clear the Quinjet, she could feel the blood starting to pour out again. 

Her world was spinning, she couldn't feel her arms and legs, and she felt like a drill was going through her brain from the pain in her head. She could only think of one person and went to him. By the time she got to the lab, Tony hadn't come back yet and Emerson couldn't take it anymore. She took off her suit, finding herself in a bra and gym shorts, found in the lab, and lay down on a table that was there. She didn't have to wait for a long time before she blacked out. But before it was too late, JARVIS told Tony that Emerson was waiting for him in his lab. He did not hurry nor did he worry and enjoyed Pepper a little more.

"Mr. Stark, I'm sorry to bother you again, but Miss Parker hasn't moved an inch in five minutes and her pulse is slowing down considerably." added JARVIS five minutes later

"What's wrong JARVIS?" asked Tony

"It seems to me that she was badly injured during the mission Mr. Stark."

"What!? Why didn't she say anything!"

"I think she feels like she's a burden, Tony..." replied Pepper "...What are you waiting for? Go for God's sake!" she added seeing that he didn't move

He got up and ran to his lab, calling Bruce at the same time.

When he arrived, he indeed saw Emerson lying on one of his tables, both arms spread out, her head on one side and paler than a ghost. He hurried to her side to check her pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt one, weak but there was one.

"What's going on, Tony? Need some-oh my God!" he stopped talking when he saw Emerson and ran in the opposite direction

He returned a few minutes later with his equipment. He starts by connecting her to some machines and for safety, he anesthetized her affected arm. About 30 minutes later, her arm had been stitched and bandaged and she had been moved to a couch in the lab, to wait until she woke up. 

The mission had ended nearly three hours ago and Emerson was still not awake, despite a stable heartbeat. No one had come out of their room yet, so no one noticed the extended absence of Tony and Emerson, as Bruce went back to his room after the operation.

As for Bucky, he was still looking for the information that would kick Emerson out of his new life with the Avengers. He knew something was close, so he read all the files, even the ones that didn't have her name on them. 

Tony was still at Emerson's side when she slowly opened her eyes.

"It's about time," Tony sadly smiled, "why didn't you tell anyone? You could have died earlier!"

"I know and I'm sorry Tony, I really am. I just didn't want to bother you guys after that mission and look like a total loser after getting stupidly shot in th-" she said in one breath

"Emerson, you can't be lame. You've been through half the things other people have. And you survived it, every. Single. time. And you know what? I'm proud of you for that." he replied, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him

"No one ever told me he was proud of me," she smiled, holding back tears "thanks Tony."

"And I mean it, pumpkin." he finished before standing up.

He brought a glass of orange juice and gave it to her, advising her to rest a little before walking again.

"I can't, I need to talk to Peter before Bucky finds out. And I can hear that he's close." she replied, difficultly standing up