Chapter Seven

Tony's face was flushed bright red and beads of sweat caused by the fever slowly made their way from his forehead to the bottom of his face.. He jerked his neck forward and moved around a little in his bed, thrusting his hands up and down as if searching for something.

He let out a low, raspy cough but he didn't open his eyes. The cough no matter how fierce and deep didn't seem to wake him.

"Ugh," he groaned. Steve heard him trying to breath through his nose, but his nose was so stuffed up that it was nearly impossible.

Steve helplessly tried to cool him down by constantly washing a washcloth and cleaning his face with the icy cold water, but it didn't seem to be working and instead seemed to make it worse. "Come on, Tony," he mumbled. "You were fine a few hours ago."

Tony groaned in response.

Steve pulled back the washcloth. "Tony?"

"Steve," he whispered. "Hurts."

"What hurts?" he prompted.

"Head. Body. Throat."

"I'm sorry," he really was. "But you can't take your medicine, I already gave you a dose only a half an hour, you need to wait a little bit longer."

Tony whimpered in the process. Then he shivered.

Steve covered him up tightly with the blanket and he seemed to relax a little. Steve sighed as he laid back on the duvet couch to rest his head. He was so tired himself and he wished that he could sleep. But he couldn't leave Tony. He knew how bad fevers could get and how it was dangerous if the fever was too high.

Unwillingly he did ended up falling asleep. He didn't know for how long he slept, but he did know what woke him up. Tony's screaming.

"No, please stop!" Tony cried out in pain. "Please don't hurt me. . .don't kill me. . .I don't want to die." a few tears fell down his cheeks without him realizing. "I'm sorry dad. . .I'm sorry mom. . .I'm so sorry."

"Tony, wake up you're dreaming," Steve insisted as he tried to shook his awake. "Tony, wake up."

Tony didn't seemed to hear him as he threw Steve hands away and continue crying out in pain. He petted his brow and Steve found out that it was hotter than it had been. He's delusional from the fever, he though. "Jarvis? Fever?"

"104, sir." Jarvis replied quietly. "I believe that it is time to call Dr. Banner since my master's health is slowly declining."

"You got that right, Jar." Steve said tiredly. "Put Bruce on the phone."

"Calling Dr. Bruce Banner."

"Hello?" Bruce answered concerned. "Tony?"

"It's me Steve." Steve replied.

"Steve?" Bruce sounded confused. "What are you doing in Stark Tower?"

"Bruce, you have to come quickly," Steve said instead. "You have to come quickly, it's about Tony, he's sick and delirious."

Bruce took a deep breath. "I knew he was sick, I'll be right there."

Steve waited anxiously and nearly ripped the door when Bruce started knocking. "Where is he?" Bruce demanded.

"Over here," Steve let him to the bedroom where Tony looked more dead than alive.

"Oh, god." Bruce immediately peeled off the covers and Tony started shivering. "Shh, shh, Tony." he pressed a hand to his forehead. Tony started coughing. "He's really sick, we need to take him to the hospital, I can check him better over there."

Steve nodded as he bent over and quickly put Tony over his shoulder. Tony mumbled something that he couldn't understand and Steve quickly went downstairs and stood in front of one of Stark's luxurious sports cars.

"You drive," he instructed Bruce as he spread Tony over the backseat "And step on it."

When they got to the hospital Tony was immediately taken in so that they could do some x-rays and tests.

"You wait here," Bruce said firmly as he led Steve to a group of chairs. "I'll inform you about Tony's health condition once the tests get done. You better call Pepper and them."

Steve nodded numbly. Bruce gave him a small smile as he sat in one of the chairs and pulled out a cell phone that Tony had given him and he had barely knew how to use. Neither Natasha or Clint answered their phones so Steve left them messages. Now there was the tough one. Pepper.

"Hello?" Pepper immediately answered. "Steve is everything all right."

"Um, not exactly," he said nervously.

"Talk." Pepper snapped.

"Tony. . Well, Tony you know that he was sick right?" he said nervously.

"I know that already," she said flatly.

"Well, he kind of got worse," he flinched when he heard Pepper curse. "Pep, he's in the hospital. Bruce is checking him out, but I think he will be all right."

"In the hospital?" Pepper chocked out. "Is it serious?"

Steve shrugged. "I don't know yet, but he was delirious and he had a pretty bad cough."

Pepper stayed quiet for a moment. "I'll take the first plane out to New York as soon as I can," she said. "Steve will you stay with Tony? You know how much he hates hospitals so that he doesn't escape and keep me posted."

He nodded. "Sure thing." he hung up and looked around the hallway. There were doctors and nurses, but nobody seemed to be paying any attention to him. He sighed as he look at the floor. "Please, God, please let Tony be all right. I know he's not the most modest or religious person but he's still one of your children. Please, let him be all right. He's my friend."

Hours later a tired Bruce shook him awake. "Steve, stand up," Bruce said wearily. Steve was spread across six of the hospital chairs. "That can't be too comfortable."

"Bruce?" he mumbled. "What happened? How's Tony."

Bruce sighed as he sat next to him. "Tony's all right he has a bad case of Pneumonia, which he probably had since that meeting with Fury. But we managed to get his fever in control with a penicillin shot. He's a little bit better now, but he will still have to stay at the hospital for a week, at least."

"Thank God," he blew a sigh of relief. "Is he asleep?"

"Hardly," Bruce snorted. "He's been awake for an hour and he still as insufferable as ever. He's been fussy and he wants to talk to you."

"Me? Why me?"

"I'm guessing to complain to and whine." he gave him a small smile. "But I would very much appreciate it, if you keep him quiet for a while, while I get some sleep."

Steve chuckled. "Sure thing, Bruce and thanks."

Steve stood in front of Tony's room, room 666, how appropriate it seemed. He wasn't sure if he should open the door. What if he was asleep?

"Steve, Steve? Steve!" Tony hollered with a scratchy voice.

"I'm here, don't yell," Steve said as he pushed the door. "I'm here"

"Steve!" he cried happily. He was in the hospital bed, wearing the white nightgown and his right arm attach to an IV. He still looked pretty sick and had dark circles under his eyes, but he seemed better than Steve had seen him. "You came to play with me?"

"Tony, you need your rest," Steve lectured. "Believe me you're going to need it once Pepper gets here."

Tony gaped at him. "You told Pepper. Why? I wasn't dying."

"Clearly you didn't see yourself," Steve said sarcastically as he put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry she wont kill you."

"That's what you think," Tony mumbled as he looked at Steve. "All kidding aside, I have something to tell you Cap and you better listen well."

"What?" Steve blinked back confused.

Tony blushed as he managed to get out what he wanted to say in broken syllables. "I wanted to say. . Well. . .thank you. . .for everything. . .for, um taking care of me. You're a great friend."

"Don't worry about it," Steve couldn't help but tease him, but he was secretly please that despite their misunderstandings Howard's son and him could still be friends." So we're friends then?"

Tony smirked as the blush disappeared. from his cheeks. "On second though I take that back, you seem too giddy at the prospect that we should be friends. You're like a twelve year old girl."

"I'm not!"

"Are so!"

"Are not!"

Tony rested his head against the pillow laughing. "I haven't laughed like that in ages," he smiled. "Truce? We are friends but not the obnoxious kind that have friendship bracelets and all that." he offered his hand. "Friends?"

Steve shook it. "Friends."

Then End!

Thank you to everyone who read, favorite, reviewed, and followed this story, I really appreciate it! Hope you liked the ending!