Your Dad is Captain America

The Press & Reprimand

—— Steve's POV ——
My legs are getting that wobbly feeling, better get the second crutch before I have real issues and everyone including my daughter thinks flipping out is a good idea on me. So I grab it I finish putting on my old WWII uniform and head to the elevator, I'm pretty sure this is on live TV at MidTown since it's lunchtime.
Pepper goes up first, "Hello, thank you for coming. Today, Captain America is making a remarkable recovery when we thought all hope was lost but today, he stands proud and tall. Let's give him a welcome." that's my cue to come out on stage. I walk up to the podium, I adjust the microphone.
          "Hello and thank you for coming. These past 6 months, wow, it's hard to believe it's been six months already. I fell quite and seriously ill. At first the team thought I was just tired but I was also shot by Hydra and the injection they gave me which I didn't want. It took my body away from me, I couldn't do anything without needing help from someone. I couldn't go to the bathroom, I had a catheter, that was not fun, as well as having an NG tube stuck down your throat. It was a few nights before Christmas when I yanked out my NG tube and told my family how I felt. As it turned out, if I removed the tube, I would've starved and got worse, because I couldn't feed myself properly and I couldn't do anything really. My daughter on the other hand, who understood a lot of what was happening, she just would curl up beside me and we'd watch movies or talk. She didn't care if I talked funny, because I'm her Dad, she just enjoyed having a dad who was there. There was one point in my battle that I felt hopeless because I didn't think I'd get better but if I didn't get better, I wouldn't have what I have today, a tight knit family to bond with. She drove me to fight my illness so I can be there, someday I hope she gets married like any other woman. Cause I want to and need to walk my baby girl down that aisle and be protective if someone lays a finger on her. Recovery, is still slow but I'm getting better with time. I use crutches because I'm not totally done battling but these help my mobility so I don't depend on help so much. Does anyone have questions?"
      One reporter says "How does your daughter feel about you being much healthier now?" "She's elated and we do jenga a lot which helps my hands still which shake somewhat but not as bad they have been." the next one shouts, "How are you feeling today?" "Pretty good, kinda tired, but not enough where I'll close my eyes and fall asleep I hope. I do that a lot still." "Have you thought what happens if your body reacts again to whatever you shot with like a relapse?" Pepper steps up, "I'm sorry, that's all the time we have for today, thank you for coming." she turns to me, "Steve, I didn't know they would be brutal." "It's ok, Pepper, I've had worse audiences." she gives me a small smile.
        "Chair? I notice you're getting wobbly." "Just an armchair, please not the high back one, I'm not that sick again." she chuckles, "I know, Steve."

   I sit down in it, I hold onto my crutches, Pepper says "Tired again?" "Yeah, I might take a nap before Y/N comes home. She said she wanted to take the subway." "Well, Steve, she sent me a text, naturally assuming you were napping after you got home. And she said she wanted to go to Peter's place so they can work on legos with Ned, MJ is also going to be at Peter's as well." I nod, "Tell her to be home before dark and I'm taking a nap." "Ok, well, we're almost at the elevator." I nod, and close my eyes.
                   —— (Time Skip) ——
     I wake up, and it's must be around dinner time. I hear a knock, "Come in." I say, moving to get up, "Hi Dad, Aunt Pepper said to come get you." "When'd you come back?" "About 40 minutes ago, my homework is all done." I nod, "Chair day?" I nod, "Yeah, Uncle Bucky parked it next to the bed." I nod, I transfer to it. She pushes me to the table, Bruce says "Chair day? I was watching your stats during the press conference." "Ok?" "Tony installed a wobbly monitor which measures the stress for your leg muscles are under when you're standing for long periods of times." "And?" "You're now up to 3 hours standing alone with crutches, 30 minutes without which is why you're gonna be wearing those braces for a while longer which will help your muscles become more stable." I nod, "I noticed you sweating and white knuckling the podium so you wouldn't fall." I am now caught, crap. "But we're proud of you standing there as long as you did." I nod, "But next time you think about doing that, at least have your crutches with you when we go into public or we will pack the chair." there's my reprimand.
     "What, Y/N, you're on their side?" "DAD!!!! I don't want to watch you have a setback, ok, there's my defense and besides, I agree with what Uncle Bruce is saying." "Has my whole family turned away from me?" Pepper chuckles, Peggy says "Steve, we're trying to help you recover faster. And setback when we've gotten this far would be terrible since you've been battling very hard. So that's why you're getting the reprimand is because we don't want a setback in your recovery." I nod, my daughter hugs me, "Dad, we care and you're still weak ok, I love you, I just don't want to see you have a relapse." "Thanks honey." we eat dinner and talk about her first day of school.