Chapter Text
Frank sniffled.
God, he can’t remember the last time he cried that hard. Luckily no one had bothered him.
He looked at the clock above him on the wall. It couldn’t have been more than two hours since Spidey was in surgery.
He lifted his head and rested it against the wall, taking a deep breath.
“Hey Punisher.”
God dammit.
He lifted his head to see the two police officers from before.
The eyes of the one who hadn’t spoken to him yet widened when they locked with his. He guessed it was obvious that he’d been crying.
“Yes, Officer?” He tried to sound as little confrontational as possible, but he didn’t think it worked.
“Now that Spider-Man is in surgery, I don’t think that the doctors need your information to keep him alive anymore.” Officer Daley continued. “So I think you’d better come with us. Right now.”
An unfamiliar feeling came to him in that moment.
Dread.
He dreaded leaving Spider-Man. When had that happened?
Maybe after you shot him.
Frank put his head down and let out a huff of air. For once, he really didn’t have the energy to argue with these guys.
Frank didn’t say anything for a moment.
Imagining the kid waking up on his own in a hospital room sent shivers down Frank’s spine.
No. I can’t let these assholes take me.
“I can’t do that.” Frank said.
“Why not?”
“I need to stay with Spider-Man.”
The cop squinted at him.
“How do I know you’re not just gonna kill everyone here?” He said.
“Why the fuck would I do that?” Frank spat.
Officer Daley scoffed.
“You’re the Punisher. You’ve wiped out entire gangs.”
“So what,” Frank stood up and stepped toward them. “You think I’m just gonna rampage and murder a bunch of kids with cancer?”
The cops also took a step in his direction.
“I don’t know, are you?”
“No!” Frank cried, throwing his hands in the air. “Why would I-“
He cut himself off.
“Listen, guys…” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t fucking do this right now, okay?”
He looked back up at Officer Daley, who looked slightly taken aback. This guy had obviously expected Frank to come at him guns ablazing. When no one interrupted him, Frank continued.
“The kid was shot. And I know that I’m probably the last person someone would want to be taken care of by, but…” Frank sighed. “I don’t think there’s anyone else. He doesn’t have anyone to take care of him. I gotta be here for him.”
Wait, that was way too sentimental.
“Look, what I’m trying to say is, can you guys just let it be? Just until Spidey is out of the hospital. Once I’m out of here, it’s fair game. Just let me stay with him until I know he’s okay.”
For once, Frank let his emotions show on his face. Let it show how much he wanted, needed to be here.
Officer Daley looked Frank right in the eyes, like he was trying to find something. Finally, he sighed.
“Let me talk it out with my partner here.”
Frank nodded as the two guards walked away.
The minute they had their backs turned to him, he cringed.
God, that was embarrassingly sappy.
He watched them whisper to each other, and the feeling of dread returned. That little speech better have been enough.
After a few moments, Officer Daley came back.
“Okay Mr. Castle.”
Frank’s eyebrows raised at that. He couldn’t remember the last time someone called him that.
“We’re letting you stay. It’s obvious that you and Spider-Man are pretty close friends.”
Frank wanted to tell him that they really weren’t, but if that’s what the guy needed to tell himself, then that was fine by him. Frank let out a sigh of relief.
“He better get home in one piece, you got that?”
Frank stood up and put his hand out to the man, who seemed unsure but shook it anyway.
“You got it Officer.”
A truce.
The officers walked away, leaving Frank alone with the quiet again.
———————
Frank wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting in the god-damned waiting room, but he knew night had fallen a while ago.
He looked out the window beside him.
Outside, about 150 people were gathered at the entrance of the hospital, many with candles, camping out to support Spider-Man.
It made Frank’s heart fill to know the kid had so much support. The city cared about him. They wanted him to be okay. It was the least they could do after all Spider-Man did for them.
He looked back down the hallway, his leg bouncing with nervous energy. He had already paced the hall enough, and he was afraid that if he left it, he would miss Dr. Jones coming to get him.
He had thought about sleeping, but he knew he wouldn’t. Not until he knew Spidey would be ok.
Peter.
The name rang in his head.
It fit him so well. The kid looked like a Peter.
Frank wasn’t going to call him that though. Not yet. Not until the kid introduced himself as such.
Spidey hadn’t meant for Frank to see him or to know his name, so he would wait. It was the honorable thing to do.
“Mr. Castle.”
Frank practically jumped from his seat. There, walking toward him down the hall, was Dr. Jones. She looked exhausted.
This was it. The moment of truth.
“Is he gonna be okay?” He practically pleaded.
The woman stood in front of him and smiled warmly.
“Frank, he’s gonna be just fine.”
He stood frozen for a moment.
The kid wasn’t dead.
Frank hadn’t killed him.
Peter was going to be okay.
The relief he felt was so overwhelming that he practically fell into the chair, letting out a huff of air.
“Oh my god.” He chuckled. “Fuck.”
He was going to live.
“We took the bullet out, but Spider-Man’s regenerative powers are amazing. They did most of the work.”
And someone else I know. But he didn’t say that.
He felt like he could cry all over again. He stood up and shook Dr. Jones’s hand.
“Thank you so much for your help, and for telling me Dr. Jones.”
She smiled at him again and patted him on the shoulder.
“Of course.”
“Can I see him?” Frank asked.
She thought about it for a moment.
“I don’t see why not.” She said. “He’s unconscious, but I don’t think he’d mind the company.”
Dr. Jones led him down a few hallways to Spider-Man’s room. They passed a clock on the way there that read 2:45 AM.
Finally, Dr. Jones stopped at a door that was being guarded by two security guards.
“We’re not allowing anyone inside unless they have been specifically asked to be in here. We’re trying to keep his identity under wraps as much as possible.” She explained.
She pointed at Frank as she spoke to the guards. “This man can come and go as he pleases here.”
The guards nodded, and Dr. Jones finally opened the door, letting Frank go in first.
The room was relatively small, with white walls and a white tiled floor. A small nightstand housed a lamp, warm yellow light filling the room. In the center was a bed with all sorts of medical equipment on either side of it.
On the bed was a young man.
Spidey.
“We’re keeping him sedated right now so that his body can continue to heal.” Dr. Jones said. “At the rate he’s healing, I think we might be able to take him off of it in a couple of days.”
“I’m clocking out soon, but do you need anything before I go?”
Frank shook his head.
“All right, have a good night Mr. Castle.”
“You too.”
After that, she walked out the door and shut it with a soft click.
Frank walked over to the edge of the bed, pulled off his armor, and sat down in a chair beside it.
He knew Spider-Man had been young by his voice, but now that Frank was getting a chance to really look at him, it sort of shocked him. No person this young should have the weight of the world on their shoulders.
His eyes were closed. He was wearing a blue hospital gown, tucked under a white sheet. Several cuts and bruises covered his face and arms, and a breathing mask was over his mouth. His dark brown hair was clean, curls falling softly into his pillow.
God, he couldn’t be older than 25.
Just a kid.
Frank simply watched him breathe for a few minutes. He could tell the girl was still helping him. How long had she been at this? He wondered where she was, what she was doing.
He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. Those were worries for tomorrow.
He fell asleep more easily that night than he had in a long time.