To All Those Brave and Lovely

Sick Day

Nora doesn't like to admit that she's sick.

At first it was because even when she was little, she knew that going to the doctor would take money that they didn't have.  And then, when she got older, it was because she knew that even if she did complain about it, her dad wouldn't do anything about it.  By now, it's just so ingrained that she doesn't even consider saying anything about it, even though she knows that Tony would have no problem paying for some medicine and Happy could drive her to the hospital to get checked out, because driving her around is part of his job description.

But she doesn't say anything, which is how she ends up at the Avengers compound during the school's three day weekend (she's officially a flight risk after the whole running away thing, so Tony doesn't let her stay alone at the tower if she can help it), lying on the floor and gasping for air like a fish out of water.   

Vision is there, because he doens't get the concept of walls and seems to float in whenever he hears something that resembles distress.  It's normally annoying, but Nora finds she doesn't mind this time, pulling herself to her feet and still choking on the nothing that is in her lungs.  "Are you alright?"  He asks, and he looks just as strange and terrifying as ever, but Nora lets him help her to her feet anyways.  

"Not really."  It takes an effort to say even those words, but she chokes them out.  Asthma, she remembers, and Nora hasn't had it so bad for a long time, but maybe because of the cold and the not sleeping thing, its back and worse than ever.  "Could you maybe-,"

She wants him to get Wanda, but when he comes floating back in, Captain America bursts in a second later, kneeling down beside her.  "I'm fine," She coughs out, and wonders why, again, she insits on telling people okay when everyone can see that she isn't.  "Just a cold."

"Just a cold."  He snorts, and then he's helping her onto the bed, letting her bend over in a way that shouldn't help but does.  Nora doesn't notice Natasha there until a minute later, when she comes over and puts a bottle of water in her hands.  "You can barely breathe."

"Yeah, well."  She leans back, slumps against the pillows.  It feels like there's a weight on her chest, and every time she takes in a breath, its like there's hooks holding her lungs in place and every time she tries to make them move, they pull at her.  "It's a really bad cold."

Vision laughs, but no one else seems to think its funny.

Wanda sits with her while Dr. Banner pokes around with a stethoscope and pronounces that yes, hospital is a good idea.  And then she sits with her for another hour, holding a bucket under her chin and rubbing at her back while they listen to Thor and Natasha and Clint and Steve argue about how they were to get her there, seeing as neither Tony or Pepper would be able to make it back until morning.

"For the love of Odin,"  Thor finally says, voice booming.  "I'll take her."

There's a pause, and then Natasha speaks up.  "No way.  Tell Tony to meet the two of us there."

The team is surprsingly good at taking care of her, with Steve carrying her to the car despite her protests and Wanda going in search of a change of clothes.  Natasha drives slower than she would have thought, then leads her into the hospital and tries to make the time pass faster as they sat in the waiting room.

"Tony's on his way,"  She says, calm and comforting, once they got back to the room and Nora had gotten to lay down on the bed.  "He said to tell you he'll be here as soon as he can."

"He didn't have to come back for this."  She struggles to sit up, leaning back against the pillow.  "It's just a cough."

Natasha glares at her.  "It's a bit more than just a cough."