Make Him Proud, Peter Parker

ELEVEN. are you, you know, avenging things, peter parker

Nellie was jolted awake by the feeling of something hitting her on the forehead.

She shot up quickly, falling right out of the chair she'd dozed off in while in Happy's hospital room. She rolled to her knees before standing up, a groan escaping her lips.

"What the--"

"Oops," Happy shrugged from his bed, "I was just trying to wake you."

Nellie nodded, rubbing her forehead and looking around on the ground to pinpoint what he had thrown at her, "Well, I'm awake. You succeeded. You can die at peace now, like you wanted. If I don't kill you first." She gave up, turning her attention to him with narrow eyes.

Happy used the remote control to raise the bed to more of an L shape, so he could sit up.

"Can you put on Family Feud?" He asked, staring blankly at her with his purple, bruised eye.

Nellie chuckled to herself and began searching for the remote around the room, "You know, if the roles were reversed and Peter was the one taking care of you, he'd be down in the cafeteria right now. And then what would you do?"

Happy rolled his eyes, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, kiddo. I don't need you taking care of me."

Nellie raised her eyebrows, "Really? Then why don't you find the remote?"

The two stared at each other for a moment before Happy scoffed, "Fine. Now keep looking. I need something on to drown out the sound of your snoring."

Nellie was about to open her mouth before her cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket.

She spotted the remote and set it carefully in Happy's reach before taking her phone out into the hallway.

"Hey, Peter, what's going on? Done any avenging yet?" Nellie whispered into the phone, watching as nurses and doctors rushed around throughout the halls of the hospital.

"No, not yet, we spent all day yesterday coming up with a game plan for when -- or if -- the space lady comes back. But right now I've locked myself in the bathroom--"

Nellie shook her head, "Oh no, what's wrong? Are you nervous? Is it your stomach thing again?" She asked, remembering that sometimes when he got nervous, it completely wrecked his digestive system.

"No! No," Peter shouted into the phone, clearly embarrassed. "I mean I literally locked myself in the bathroom. I can't get out. I've been stuck in here for like ten minutes."

Nellie burst into laughter but quickly recollected herself after getting shushed by a male doctor, "How did you even do that?"

"Well, there are no knobs on any of the doors in here. It's all built in with sensors and stuff that I don't understand. Tony just couldn't design this place with a normal turn-and-lock?"

Nellie sighed, still laughing a little, "Even in death he is still smarter than the rest of us. Ugh," she leaned back against the wall outside of Happy's room. "I wish I could be there with you."

"In the bathroom?" Peter sounded confused on the other end of the line. "Probably not, because Sam Wilson was just in here and he kinda blew it up."

"Ew, no Pete, I meant just there with you. Helping. Somehow. I know it sounds stupid," She breathed into the phone, pausing. "I know it's not like I'm able to do anything useful. Well, maybe I could bore the bad guys to death with random climate change facts, but--"

Peter cut her off from her ranting.

"I miss you, too, Nell."

She smiled, holding the phone tighter against her ear. That day and the one before, she'd spent watching gameshows with Happy, eating crappy cafeteria food, and leaving only when she needed something -- like a toothbrush, or a change of clothes. Leaving in a rush like she did, she hadn't exactly had the time to pack a bag.