Survivor

21. Challenge

"When life gets harder, challenge yourself to be stronger."

Dr. Cho ran in to see her favorite patient leaning against the headboard, holding his side awkwardly. He looked really out of it, though it was clear he was trying to put on a brave face. "Hello, Peter." Helen said softly as she jogged in, pulling on her coat and nodding at the nervous Tony Stark behind her. Natasha and Clint stood up from chairs beside Peter's bed with uncertain expressions. "I've got it, you can go." Cho insisted, and after another unsure moment they left - having to physically drag Tony with them.

"So... what happened?" Cho asked, prompting Peter to take a hand off his freshly healed side. "Well... I kinda got... shot..." Peter said slowly, and Cho's heart skipped a beat. "You got shot." She repeated evenly, and Peter nodded. "Yeah... m'fine though... just worried 'cause I passed out before I could check if the bullet... exited." He slurred, gesturing weakly with one hand.

Helen resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Ok. Ok, let's see. Does it hurt when I press here?" She asked, pressing beside the small star on Peter's skin that would no doubt soon disappear thanks to his sped up healing. Peter shook his head and Helen moved her hand to the opposite side of the scar.

"Here?"

Another head shake followed.

"Does this-?"

"GAH!" Peter yelped and twisted out of her touch when Helen put direct pressure on the wound, which made her let out a long sigh of relief. Even though Peter was in pain, the fact that the area around the scar wasn't sore meant there was no bullet - probably only a build up of scar tissue because his metabolism healed it to fast to smooth out the skin evenly.

"Good news; you do not have a bullet lodged in your side." Helen explained with a smile. "Just some scar tissue that should dissipate once you've finished healing." Peter let out a sigh of relief and grinned at her. "Told... you... m'fine!" He managed triumphantly, making a move to get up.

"That's not to say you can just go!" Helen said quickly, lunging forward to stop him. "Your body needs time to heal - even with your even-more-sped-up-than-normal metabolism. Speaking of which, it does seem to be taking a while... for a hyper charged metabolism, I mean. Any normal person probably would've bled out. Anyways, what I'm saying is, this is slow for the state your metabolism is in right now. Have you eaten anything today?" Helen asked, turning to arrange some papers and taking her coat off.

Peter was about to respond guiltily when Steve came rushing in. "Cho! We need you!" He yelled hysterically and Helen quickly grabbed her jacket. "What happened?"

"Clint and Natasha were training and...!"

"Say no more; where was Clint hurt this time?"

"Arm." Steve said with a crooked grin, sending Peter a relieved smile. "The kid's ok?"

"Yup, no bullet, just some scar tissue that's taking a strangely long time to heal."

"Huh..." Steve was about to ask into it when Rhodey came lumbering around the corner. "Oh good, you found her!" He said. "How's Peter?"

And Helen had to explain the boy's condition about 15 times through her journey to the training room.

oOo