Out Of Time

hundred thirty-seven

"Tony, sit down," Rhodey ordered.

The hospital staff had been kind enough to show the group to a private waiting area once Rhodey had arrived. It had been hours since Y/N and Morgan had been brought back into surgery, and it had been at least two since the last update. Steve, Pepper, Happy, Tony, and Rhodey were all spread out around the room, with Tony nervous pacing.

"No," Tony said curtly. "Not until-"

"Mr. Stark," the doctor called, entering the room. Everyone was up on their feet.

"How are they?" Tony asked quickly, standing in front of the doctor.

"They're both now out of surgery."

"Thank God," Happy muttered.

"But neither of them are out of the woods yet. The baby girl is in the NICU, inside an incubator. Her lugs aren't fully developed yet, so she is connected to a ventilator. Her temperature keeps dangerously fluctuating and is currently getting nutrients from a feeding tube. She's being monitored very carefully, 24/7."

"And Y/N?" Steve asked.

"She had many lacerations and much internal bleeding when she came in. She lost a lot of blood before and during surgery. It was also clear when Y/N was brought in, that her head had been seriously hit."

"How serious?" Tony asked.

The doctor gave him a sympathetic look. "We had to put her in a medically induced both for her physical wounds and her brain."

"That didn't really explain anything, doc."

The doctor sighed. "We don't know the full affects of the head trauma. We won't know until we wake her up."

"And when are you planning on doing that?"

"It will be awhile."

"A-awhile?"

"She needs time to heal, and we must give her brain time to rest."

"What do you think she'll be like when she wakes?" Steve nervously wonders.

"Most likely scenario is that loud noises and bright lights will bother her. And well as forgetfulness and slow thing, speaking, or reading. All of those can go away with time. But we are really concerned about her memories. We fear she'll wake up with amnesia. We are also concerned that she may never wake up at all."

"No," Tony breathed out, stumbling back. "She-she can't. No."

"That's why we are giving her time to rest and doing all we can to help her. And your baby."

Tony began to feel like the world was closing in on him. His heart was pounding in his eyes and his breathing picked up. Rhodey quickly noticed.

"Tony, Tony," he walked over, guiding his friend into a chair. "Breathe, focus." Pepper came to the other side, running her hand down Tony's back.

"I-I can't... can't l-lose them..." Tony panted. "They-they're my w-world..."

"You won't lose them. The doctors and nurses are the best and they will make sure nothing happens to either of them."

"I'll have a nurse come out and get you when you can visit them," the doctor stated. "I am sorry. And we will do the best we can." Then the doctor left.

"Tony," Steve called.

"Don't," Tony said, harshly. "I don't want to hear it." Tony looked up at Steve from his spot, teary-angry eyes. "The only reason you're still here and I haven't totally yelled at you is because Y/N is trying to repair her relationship with you. And I am trying so damn hard to respect that. But that doesn't mean I have to... You should have been there with her. Or sensed danger."