Tony didn't often visit hospitals. Now that he had the money and the resources he preferred to just create his own medical wings at various compounds he owned. Then proceed to pay the best of the best medical staff an absurd amount of cash to come work for him when called upon. Most people found this a rather flashy move, but he was long past caring much what people thought about his spending habits. Well that and hospitals made him extremely uncomfortable.

When Tony had been 19 years old he'd accompanied Rhodey to the local hospital late one night. Rhodey had gotten the call that things with his mom had gone down hill, and that they were only continuing to progress that way quickly. Moral of the story is not only did Tony have a fast sports car to get Rhodey to his mom, and the money to pay off any speeding tickets, he also didn't want his best friend to be alone.

When they'd arrived the creaky old elevator had carried them up to the desired floor highlighted as a shaky finger pushed the button hurriedly. It slowed as they reached their destination, and before the doors even opened Tony heard a horrible noise behind them. As the doors slid aside and Rhodey rushed through, Tony knew it was too late as he watched the scene that was forced upon him so suddenly.

Rhodey had come from a large family, and here they were all gathered, clearly heartbroken. They all were crying and wailing in grief as Tony watched Rhodey's father follow a nurse behind the large doors that led to the shell of the woman everyone in this room had once loved so dearly. Tony shuffled to the side as Rhodey ran to join his dad behind the doors. He hadn't been back to a hospital since.

Well, not until today that was. The portal had opened up to the emergency room of a New York hospital where Tony reluctantly placed Peters body onto a gurney that several nurses came rushing at him with. Those fancy med bays he'd set up didn't mean shit when Peter was bleeding out now and no one was occupying them. So this is where Stephen had sent them.

Peter was in surgery now on a different floor though, and Tony waited behind the big doors just like Rhodeys family had that horrible day over a decade ago. Their screams were like ghosts in his mind as he paced relentlessly across the linoleum floors. His shoes squeaking being the only sound around him as it was late in the evening.

He'd thrown a massive fit to try and stay with Peter before finally being pushed away by several nurses as they wheeled his dying kid away. He was already planning on how much money he would be donating to the hospital if Peter made it through this.

It hadn't been pretty when he'd blown up on the staff. Which in hindsight wasn't fair because it wasn't their fault Quentin Beck had reduced Peter Parker to such a state. It wasn't their fault that Peter needed surgery and Tony wasn't sterilized in his dirty and bloody form to enter an operating room. But Tony only had eyes for Peter's paling face in that moment as he threatened to sue them and get them all fired.

Yes, a very big check was coming their way.

He felt helpless in the silence as he waited. He looked at his watch and sighed as he saw it had only been twenty minutes since they'd taken Peter into surgery. He'd made all the necessary calls, most importantly the one to Peter's Aunt though.

"I've got him May. We're back in New York but he's hurt, pretty bad… well, you need to get the Metro General Hospital."

"I'm on my way"

Then he'd called Pepper and briefly told her what had happened. He knew she would be on her way as well. As for the rest of the team, well there was quite the mess on location still so he didn't expect them for awhile. So here he was, alone with his thoughts.

Panic was continuing to fill his chest as his brain betrayed him, forcing images that reminded him of just how bad off Peter was when he'd been wheeled away from him. God he needed to do something. He need some stimulation, something to do with his hands, he needed to fix something.

Looking around almost desperately he realized his needs were not going to be met in this waiting room. All that was here tech wise was an old TV stuck on a sports channel with no volume, and a remote laying where someone had tossed it haphazardly on the edge of a shabby old chair. He picked up the remote before slowly sitting in the chair.

If he had his tools he would take the remote apart and put it back together again just for the hell of it. Just so he could do something. Part of him wanted to run out of this waiting room, run anywhere else. A much bigger part of him however, anchored him to the chair in which he sat. It was the part of him that accepted that Peter had grown to be much more than a mentee or team mate. He'd grown to see Peter as a son.

So no. Even though he felt like his skin was crawling in the silence as his nostrils filled with the smell of cleaning products, he would not leave. No, he would never leave the kid on his own again when he needed someone.

So there he stayed. The chair grew uncomfortable but he didn't dare leave it incase a nurse graced the hallway with news. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood but he'd wait until Pepper arrived with new ones.

Tony felt as if hours had passed before the elevator alerted him of someone's arrival. Logically he supposed it probably hadn't been long at all though. Either way May rushed through as the elevator pinged and opened its doors.

She looked rushed and her chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. Maybe it was from panic but it also looked as if she had run here to some extent judging by the redness of her cheeks. Her eyes locked on his and Tony stood up as she rushed over to him.

"Has there been any news?" She asked as she threw her arms around him in an unexpected hug.

"He was shot and is in surgery, just playing the waiting game." He responded his voice sounded sad even to him. She pulled away and looked him up and down with a frown.

"You look awful Tony." She said bluntly and Tony tilted his head in agreement. Perhaps he should have made a greater effort to get something to put on besides his blood stained clothes.

"What happened?" She asked and it was remarkable how her voice carried such hesitancy as if afraid of the answer while still conveying a demanding firmness from needing to know if her nephew was okay.

"He was shot, in the stomach somewhere. I got him here pretty damn fast through a magic portal and what not, but he lost a lot of blood." He responded bluntly, unable to sugar coat something so shitty as he sunk back into his chair again. She followed his lead and took a seat in the one beside him.

To his great surprise though May looked almost relieved as she let out a breath. Her expression relaxed ever so slightly. She caught him watching and quickly went to explain as Tony raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"My life is so strange. I never thought I'd be relieved to hear he was shot of all things. It's awful and god I sound like a monster saying this, but with his healing abilities he should be fine, right?" She said, her voice rushed as she explained herself.

"I remember when that plane crashed down on the beach and he was on top of it, not even in it. He survived that… so this, this is like a slap on the wrist in comparison right?" She asked looking so hopeful that Tony felt his heart constrict.

She would have a point any other time Peter had gotten himself into trouble. A gunshot wound would be extremely manageable under any other circumstances with the kids powers. God he hated himself in this moment, because he didn't have the courage to tell her the truth. To admit that the kid's healing abilities had been failing him long before the bullet hit him.

"Yeah I hope so. He just didn't look good." Tony answered dully and he almost cringed when her hand was placed over his own. He realized he'd been clutching the arms of his chair tensely and he loosened his grip under her touch.

"I'm sorry you had to see him like that. I know you care about him a lot and I'm so glad you're back in his life." She said softly and Tony closed his eyes.

"You had it better when you hated me and screamed at me for giving him that suit." Tony countered as he recalled when she had first found out about Peter being Spiderman.

"No I didn't. Were you insane to give him that suit? Probably, but I know now that he would have done it anyway." She argued back and Tony didn't say anything. Silence grew between them before she spoke again.

"You were with him during the first snap, when he disappeared?" She asked and Tony looked up at her in surprise. That was something he didn't talk about with anyone, it was too painful. People knew he'd been with the kid, but never of the horrible details. Never of how Peter had begged not to go before whispering sorry to him and fading away.

"Yeah, I was with him." He confirmed and she nodded, her eyes far away as she looked out the window thoughtfully.

"I didn't just hate you for the suit. I hated you because I saw how important your approval and presence was beginning to mean to Peter. It was always just him and I, and I was scared when you crashed into my bubble. Now I can look back on it all and just be glad you never let him do this alone." She explained and Tony pulled his hand out from under hers.

"I'm gonna need the suit back."

"For how long?"

"Forever."

"I wish I could say that was true." He whispered and she just looked over at him with a sadness in her eyes but a kind smile on her face.

"Oh Tony, as self deprecating as you are towards yourself you've got to stop focusing on the times you got it wrong and relish in the times you did. When you died Tony, god I thought I'd never see his eyes light up again the way they used to. He never held anything against you, in fact he loved you far more than I ever knew." She explained and Tony felt the familiar despair as he thought of his family thinking he were gone.

"Then this whole mess happened. So yeah, I may disagree with you at times, but I know if you'd been here from the start this never would have went so far." She continued looking up at him and he swallowed at the lump in his throat before speaking.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I will be now." he said and she nodded looking up at him as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I know."

They were interrupted by a clicking noise as the large doors opened to reveal a nurse who emerged from behind them. Tony tried to read anything from her expression but nurses and doctors were always so good at keeping that impassive expression.

"Family for Peter Parker?" She asked them as they both stood up together clumsily. May stepped forward dragging Tony by his hand.

"We're his family." May confirmed and Tony squeezed her hand in appreciation at the notion. The nurse nodded and looked down at the clipboard in her hands.

"We've got him stable." She started with while flipping the pages and Tony let out a sigh of relief.

"He's pretty banged up though, but once we got some fluids going we're already seeing small improvements due to his enhancements." She continued and suddenly Tony felt the tension build in his chest again.

How could he have forgotten about Peter's identity being concealed, especially when it was so important to the kid. Private medical wings served their purpose in that regard too. Here though, the wrong person could use that information against the kid. The nurse observed his expression and offered him a small smile.

"We know Stephen Strange, he contacted us earlier this evening. The boy's secret will be kept." She reassured him and Tony once again felt himself relax. The headache Stephen Strange used to cause him sure seemed like a blessing now.

"Could I see him?" May asked as happy tears poured down her face.

"Yes, with his metabolism we suspect he'll be awake soon. He's been fighting the anesthesia for a bit now. So having family there when he wakes will ease the transition. Follow me." The nurse explained and May nodded before looking to Tony to see if he was coming.

The elevator behind them chimed again though and Pepper came walking through a bag in her hands.

"Go ahead. You need time with him." Tony encouraged May quickly and she smiled at him with a nod before following the nurse. The kid needed to see his Aunt, and Tony was in dire need of the change of clothes he knew Pepper had in that bag.

"Tony." Pepper breathed as he turned and she took in the sight of him. Her eyes turned concerned and Tony realized how pitiful he must look.

"It's the kids blood, not mine. He's okay though. Everything is okay." He comforted as he pulled her into his arms. Only this time he really did believe it.