You Can't Break Us Apart, You Can Only Make Us Stronger

The Hearing Problem

Peter was reading a book in his bed, still getting nutrients and fluids from the I.V for his severely depleted body.

He was calmly turning a page when Wanda's thoughts cut through his mind.

'PETER! Respond to Natasha!'

He closed the book, barely hearing a thud when it slid off his bed and thudded on the floor.

Wanda jumped a little.

Peter turned his head to Nat, who was mouthing something. He could barely hear her, only detecting a small whispering noise.

'What?' Peter asked her, earning a confused look from her and Wanda.

Natasha mouthed it again.

'Peter? Can you hear her?' Wanda's voice rang in his head.

'Is she talking?'

'Yeah, Peter. I'm talking pretty loudly.' Natasha's thoughts came to him.

Oh.

His hearing problem had gotten pretty bad over the week since he had noticed it, but never to the point where he could barely hear anything at all.

'I can't hear you.' Peter looked down, fidgeting with the blanket draped over him.

'Peter. How long has this been going on?' Nat asked gently.

'Since I woke up here.'

'Why didn't you say something?' Natasha ran her fingers through her hair, sitting down next to him.

'I didn't want to bother you.'

'You wouldn't've bothered us at all. Next time something is wrong, you tell me, okay?' Nat said, standing up.

'I'm getting Bruce, okay? He'll know what's going on.'

Peter nodded and bit his lip.

He was scared.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After many, many tests, Bruce came back with a diagnosis.

'Peter, your eardrum was exposed to too much too frequently. It perforated it beyond repair, and it started deteriorating rapidly. You will probably have total loss of hearing in about two days.' Bruce looked sad, and anger was hidden behind his words.

Peter wasn't surprised.

'At least I don't have to worry as much about sensory overloads anymore.' He joked half-heartedly.

'I'm so sorry. But I think I know someone who can help you.'

Peter perked up. 'Really?'

'Yeah. And they're right here in the compound.'