Tony had explained to them one drunken night that his mother had been beautiful when she was young but by the time he came around life or her husband – he wasn't sure which – had sapped the beauty from her. It was strange, but sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, staring at the faded mustard yellow walls, Steve couldn't help but think that those walls must be similar to Tony's mother. They had to have been pretty at one point but had long ago lost their appeal and it seemed no one had the heart or time to change them. Or perhaps no one noticed anymore.

"He's going to be fine," said Bucky, pacing back and forth, his forehead held together by a thick bandage, the rest of his bruises already fading from sight.

"Yeah," said Steve dully because there was nothing else to say; they both knew that the only thing they could be certain of was the fact that Tony was not fine.

"Family of Tony Stark?" called a doctor, not looking up from his notes because if he had he would have known that the long term waiting room – the one with the ugly yellow walls that they shoved those waiting for people in surgery – was occupied by only two men.

"How is he?" asked Steve, standing up.

"I'm sorry," said the doctor, looking around the room for the first time. "I can only offer that information to those he has listed in his file. Are either of you James Rhodes, Steve Rogers, or James Barnes?"

"I'm Steve Rogers," said Steve instantly.

"I'm James Barnes," said Bucky. "How is he?"

"He'll live," said the doctor. "He's very lucky or very stubborn, I'm not sure which it is, but he held on after massive blood loss and flat lining on the table twice. Several broken bones, many stitches, a mild concussion, and hours later, Mr. Stark is alive and resting. You may see him for a short time if you like."

"Thank you," said Steve. "Is there any way we could take him home? He would have access to a doctor but he doesn't do hospitals well."

"Excuse me?" asked the doctor.

"He has a thing with hospitals," said Bucky in his rumbling tone that did not allow arguments. "They stress him out. We had transportation waiting for us on the roof. We're from out of town. So if you would sign off saying he's allowed to leave, we can take him home to get better."

"That's not how this works," said the doctor. "You may be on his medical release forms but only James Rhodes has the authority to allow something like that. Since neither of you are James Rhodes, you may go visit your friend and then leave for the night without him."

"That's not going to work," said Steve.

Suddenly, Light Brigade came skidding into the waiting room, jumping all over Steve and Bucky, sniffing the doctor, trying to locate his human.

"Of course Tony would pick a dog that refuses to listen to anyone," yelled Rhodey, running into the room, leash in hand, panting. "Light Brigade, you mangy mutt get back here!"

"Rhodey!" said Steve, turning desperate eyes on the colonel. "Tell this man that Tony's not staying here."

"Of course he's not staying here," said Rhodey, confused as he wrestled with Light Brigade to get the leash on him.

"Sir, you can't have that dog in here," said the doctor.

"I know, sorry," said Rhodey with a rueful grin. "But he's Tony's and since Tony will be leaving now I had to go get his dog. He'd be heartbroken if this thing got left behind."

"Who are you?" demanded the doctor. "My patient is not going anywhere."

"I'm Colonel James Rhodes," said Rhodey, standing up to his full height and glaring at the doctor. "I just spent the last seven hours flying here from my assignment with the Air Force because my best friend got in a car accident. I have been awake for almost 48 hours, I do not have time for this shit. Now I assure you that I would never risk Tony's life because it's my job to look out for him and take care of him, it's his job to be self destructive, so rest assured that there will be many doctor visits in his near future. But I am taking him with me now. So either sign the damn papers or wait and bring the full wrath of the overprotective Avengers team down on her head. I don't care which."

"Where is this doctor you all keep claiming will be involved?" asked the doctor weakly.

"He's upstairs waiting for us," said Steve. "Why don't I take you to him and introduce the two of you? That way you can exchange notes or something?"

Steve wrapped a long arm around the doctors shoulders and ushered him to the stairs, leaving Bucky and Rhodey to locate Tony.

Tony was asleep in a private room, hooked up to a heart monitor, IV, and not much else, covered in plaster and bandages and looking impossibly small on the hospital bed. For a moment, Rhodey and Bucky just stared at him.

"This is going to be your life now," said Rhodey, staring at Tony. "You realize that, right? If you date him, he's going to end up in the hospital again, it's what he does. Are you prepared for that?"

"You're not going to scare me off, Colonel," said Bucky. "Tony's a pain in the ass but damn if he's not the best the world has to offer."

"You're telling me," said Rhodey with a small smile. "Alright, let's bust this pain in the ass out of here before he wakes up and has a panic attack."

Light Brigade jumped onto the bed with Tony and splayed out down the side of the bed like a long furry blanket. Rhodey and Bucky detached the unnessasary heart monitor and breaks and wheeled the bed, IV, and broken man down the hall, up the elevator, and to the waiting jet. There they loaded Tony onto the personal bed waiting, returned the stolen hospital bed, and waited for Bruce and Rhodey to finish bullying the doctor into letting Tony leave.

Awareness came back slowly, painfully, as if each cell in his body felt compelled to make it's presence known. By the time his brain was firing at partial speed, Tony remembered what had happened. The zoo. Promises to dress in period clothing. The car spinning – which Steve would never allow, so maybe he dreamed that bit. Red. The screaming. The screaming that stopped. More red.

But the screaming had stopped. Tony could put aside the red – he was clearly not dead because he planned on being greeted by fire and brimstone and a throne with his name on it – but the screaming had stopped. If it stopped, then the one screaming died. Which meant the moment Tony opened his eyes he would discover which one of his best friends he would have to live without.

"Nope," groaned Tony. "Not awake."

There was a soft chuckle near his right ear and a hand smoothing his hair.

"You're not wrong," laughed Steve, his voice sounding on the verge of tears or exhaustion. "You're not supposed to be awake yet. The doctor said you'd be out for several more hours."

"Not the boss of me," mumbled Tony, fighting to get his eyes open, blinking against the dim light that felt entirely too bright to his eyes.

Steve's smiling face swam into view after several seconds, followed by the shaggy brown hair of his counter part.

"Wait," said Tony weakly. "You're both alive? But…but the screaming. There was screaming…and it stopped."

"We're alive," assured Bucky. "We'll explain everything when you're more awake. Right now we're on our way back to New York. We figured you'd want out of the hospital."

"You're not Rhodey," said Tony dumbly. "Rhodey can break me out of hospitals. Not you."

"We just dropped Rhodey off at base," said Steve. "He's sorry he couldn't stay but he sorta left without permission in the first place."

"Oh."

Tony closed his eyes. Being awake and talking was way more work than he thought it would be. His body seemed like on large bag of hurt and his brain could not seem to process all the readings it was getting. He really just wanted to be home with JARVIS and in a bed – but not his bed.

"Don't worry, you're staying with us until you decide to leave," said Bucky, confirming that Tony had said that last part out loud.

"Kidnapping," mumbled Tony, mostly asleep again.

"Some call it stalking, I call it love," quipped Bucky, but Tony couldn't be sure if the assassin actually said that or if his pain and medication addled brain had made it up.