The Flame (Avengers Fanfiction)

88-In a Week

Four Weeks Later

My family, my living family, wouldn't let me die.

Pepper had told them to keep going, hoping to keep revive me. And they did. The whole ordeal wasn't without fault, of course. 

A month. I was out for a month. The doctors told me that they thought I was going to slip into a permanent vegetative state. They thought they were going to lose me forever. The damage to brain would be catastrophic for anyone else, but then again, I'm not anyone else. That's not saying I was unscathed. I could barely move and was only awake for short periods of time. Baby steps, the nurses reminded me. They were really right about the baby steps. I needed help to walk and I could only do for a few moments before my legs would give out.

I can barely remember what happened after I got hit with Clint's arrows. I know that I saw him, then I fell-I think. I remember Rhodey holding my hand and I think I can remember seeing Bucky. Peter, I can see, but it's hazy. After that, nothing. I can't remember waking up. I can remember seeing my deceased family members, but I don't know if it was a dream or not. I can't tell. A lot of things are fuzzy, very fuzzy.

"I hate this." I grumbled to Rhodey as he helped me sit up, propping a pillow behind my back before sliding the tray of food closer to me. He chuckles, nudging the spork a little closer to my hand. Rhodey had come with me to physical therapy, rolling me through the halls of the hospital. At a moderate, painfully slow pace. Sadly, they will not let us drift in the hallways. Buzzkills.

"I know you do. You'll get better." He chides me before sitting down on the chair beside me bed. I nod, eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes. My mind immediately drifts to my sons. Are they giving Benny all the mashed potatoes he wants? They better be.

"When can I see my boys, Rhodey?" I ask, looking over to him. I've been asking everyone since I woke up, needing to see them. My friend sighs, shifting in his seat. I hope he's comfortable-I don't want him to be suffering because of me.

"We've been over this. The doctors won't let them come in since they don't meet the age requirement. They could get you sick, get anyone else sick or they can get sick. Especially Neddy." Rhodey responds and I sigh, forcing myself to eat. It still hurt when I breathed and when I really did anything else. Some of my ribs were cracked due to the CPR they had performed on me and I had two new large scars on my body- one under my breast and the other on my abdomen, inches above my belly button. The scars on my face had healed nicely for the most part, so I guess that's good. My therapist says I need to be happy about the little things in life. I think Rhodey notices the look on my face.

"You can FaceTime them later. After Ben gets out of school." Rhodey adds and I just nod in response. I hated only being able to see my babies through a screen, but I didn't want to cause any more trouble. I haven't seen them since before I had left to go clubbing with Wanda, Bucky, and Sam in hopes of finding someone to sleep with. I had kissed both of their foreheads and prayed that I would see them again. I needed to see them again.

"Did you bring what I asked you to?" I question, eating another spoonful of mashed potatoes trying to distract myself from my sadness. Rhodey nods and pulls out a bag, but he doesn't hand it to me. I do the little grabby hands, like Neddy does when he sees anyone with long hair.

"You really should just be resting and not working-" He starts and I roll my eyes. I make the grabby hand once more. Rhodey gives in and hands me the bag. I happily take the tablet out and open it up. Rhodey and Pepper did not reveal to the press that I had come out of my coma, just in case something went wrong. Because of this, I got to watch everyone and anyone talk about me, both in favor and against my life. I look up to see Rhodey's slightly worried face.