Chapter Text
“Stephen!” America’s shrill voice echoed throughout the halls of the New York Sanctum causing absolute terror to rush through Strange like a raging torrent.
Throwing down the book he was reading, he leaped to his feet before sprinting toward the bathroom where America had said she was going only a few minutes prior.
He reached the door seconds later, completely out of breath, but hesitated just outside the door. No matter how panicked he was, he respected her privacy, and barging in on her while in the bathroom wasn’t acceptable.
So, instead, he knocked on the door and spoke through it hurriedly. “Are you okay? What happened? What's wrong?”
“My-My underwear,” she stuttered, stumbling over her words. “There’s blood on my underwear!”
Underwear…what…ohhhhh…
Stephen breathed a quiet sigh of relief once he realized what was happening, but upon hearing America’s clear panic still coming from inside the room, he spoke again.
“America, it’s okay, you’re okay. What’s happening right now is completely normal.”
“There’s blood, how is that okay!?” She said, clearly still confused and in disbelief of his words.
Stephen pinched his nose, feeling utterly disappointed and slightly angry at himself. How could he have possibly forgotten to educate her on this subject? He was a doctor for christ's sake, you would think he would’ve known better.
“You’re on your period, kid. Your menstrual cycle. Time of the month, whatever you want to call it. But you’re not dying or bleeding internally. All women go through this, though they usually start around 12 to 13. You’re a bit of a late bloomer,” he said, explaining as best he could through the still-closed door.
“Oh,” she said, and he could practically hear the gears turning in her head. “I still don’t really know what that is, but I’m okay, right?”
“Yes, you’re okay,” he reassured her. “Give me a minute and I’ll go get you a pad and some clean underwear.”
As he went to procure the necessary items, his head swarmed with thoughts.
How much had he forgotten to tell her? Come to think of it, how much didn’t he know about her health background such as allergies, past injuries, or illnesses? He felt negligent as her guardian and the man who America looked up to as a father figure.
He returned shortly with the things before shutting his eyes and quickly portalling them through the door. America mumbled a quick thanks, and seeing that everything was fine for the moment, Strange settled himself to lean against the wall to wait.
Roughly a minute or two went by before the embarrassed teenager came out of the room. She seemed to be looking anywhere but at him and he felt bad that such a regular process had to be discovered so suddenly and without any knowledge.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he said, noticing her discomfort and pulling her in for a hug. “It happens to all women and I’m sorry I forgot to tell you about the process sooner.”
“It’s okay,” she said, mumbling into his clothes. “But, um, what do I do now? I don’t feel good. I’m all crampy.”
Strange pulled back with a comforting smile. “We’ll get you some pain meds and I’ll set you up on the couch with a hot pad. How does that sound?”
“That sounds good. Thanks,” she said. Strange was glad that she looked less nervous and more at ease now.
After walking her to the couch, he grabbed what he said he would before he came back to her with the supplies and set her up with all the things.
Once she was settled, he took a deep breath as he mapped out how to explain the process in the most easily understandable way since America had no previous knowledge about the female reproductive cycle.
“Alright, so first things first…” He then went on to explain everything there was to know about feminine organs ranging from the fallopian tubes to the uterine lining before he eventually explained what a period was and why women had them.
To his surprise, America handled everything very well and listened attentively and some might say she was even intrigued. Though, she’d never been one to shy away from new knowledge.
At the end of everything, Strange paused for a brief second before speaking again. “Any questions?”
America shook her head, but Strange could tell there was an idea forming behind those bright eyes of hers. Finally, she spoke. “So, you said it was something to be celebrated, right?”
Strange raised an eyebrow, unsure of where she was taking the conversation. “Yes, I did.”
“Does that mean we can go get ice cream?” She asked excitedly, eyes shining. “Pretty please!”
Strange rolled his eyes and chuckled quietly to himself. “Sure, kid. We can go get some ice cream.”
“Best period ever!” America squealed, sitting up.
Strange smirked. “Yeah, tell me that after a few months of it,” he murmured under his breath but got up anyway and the two left to go get the frozen treat.
Well, at least things went better than they could’ve. He was sure that in raising a daughter, this was going to be the least of his struggles. But, when things came to her, he doubted they would be all too bad.