Chapter Text
“Mr. Stark, I just really don’t feel comfortable with this -” Peter’s voice held a slight waiver to it as his hand clenched into a fist around the key fob in his hand. Tony had told him that he wanted to teach Peter to drive, which Peter had been excited about… until he learned that he would be driving Mr. Stark’s newest convertible that cost more than the tuition to MIT.
“Oh, come on Pete. You’ll do just fine!” Tony said, clapping a hand on the kid’s shoulder as the two of them stepped into the garage. “You’ve got to learn how to drive, and it’ll be fun! You’re too serious kid, most people your age would be dying to drive this car.” Tony waved his hand in front of the censor, sliding into the car after the door floated up.
Peter took a deep breath before sliding in behind the wheel. The seat was a bit too close to the wheel, but Peter had no clue how to move it, and he didn’t want to risk messing something up by hitting the wrong button.
“Alright, hit the button.” Peter gulped and did what Tony said. Despite how much he didn’t want to do this, the way this car revved up had his stomach jumping in excitement.
Tony smiled at him. “Now, go ahead and put it in drive. Remember, this car is very sensitive, okay? Not saying that to scare you, just be gentle. It’s got a little more power in it than the Audi we’ve been practicing in.” Peter nodded, looking down at the gear shift with a knot forming in stomach. “Kid – you’ve got to breath. We’re going to take it slow, alright?” Tony knew that Peter was terrified, but he needed to help the kid get ready to drive, and why not have some fun while they’re at it.
Peter’s foot touched the gas, and he barely pressed down as the engine began to rev. The car rolled out of the garage, and Peter took a deep breath as they hit the driveway of the compound. The wheel shook slightly as they moved along the lane.
“Pete – I know I said the vehicle was sensitive, but you are going to have to go faster than ten miles an hour at some point.” Tony said with a tease.
“Yeah – Mr. Stark. Okay – okay.” Peter said as though reassuring himself. “Once we are out of the driveway.” He said as he pressed the break carefully rolling to a stop at the gate that rolled open when it sensed them. Peter pressed the gas again, a little to hard this time and the car lurched forward. He felt his heartrate spike as he in turn slammed the break, throwing them both against their seatbelts.
Peter felt tears forming in his eyes. “I’m sorry – Mr. Stark, I’m so – I’m so sorry!” He turned to his mentor, but paused when he just saw the man laughing in his seat. Peter felt a little spark of indignation festering in his chest. “You drive. I’m done, I don’t want to - ”
“No – no. You’re doing fine, Pete. I did the same thing when I first drove it. You’re doing fine. There’s never any traffic out here. Just go to the first stop sign and back, its exactly five miles.” Peter nodded as Tony got his laughter under control, and he touched the gas again, barely moving forward as the car hit the road.
For the first five minutes Peter stayed right at the speed limit of forty-five miles an hour, not daring to go any faster. They made it to the stop sign and Peter slowed the car down.
“How was that?” He asked expectantly, turning to look at his mentor. Tony was smiling softly.
“Really good Pete. See, it’s not as terrible as you’d think. You’re even smiling.” Tony pointed out. “Alright, three-point turn, and we will start back going home.” Peter did as told, pulling forward a bit before he reversed and then started back on the other side of the road.
“I think – it’s not as bad as I thought. You’re right.” Peter mumbled, pressing his foot down a little harder as the car picked up the pace.
“What? Sorry, I didn’t hear you?” Tony quipped as Peter rolled his eyes.
“Haha, very funny.” Peter said as Tony’s hand found the radio, turning the song up.
“You shook me all night long!” The song played as Peter continued to move a bit faster. Peter grinned as the trees began to roll by in a blur.
“I Love Led Zepplin!” He called out over the sound of the music.
“Oh come-” Tony’s face dropped into his hands. “We have got to work on that.” He muttered.
And it was right when Peter had gotten comfortable. He was smiling, going a few miles over the speed limit as the music played and he was settling into the purr of the engine. It happened too quickly. Maybe his spider-sense was off-kilter because of how relaxed he had been, but it spiked up a second to late.
Peter’s foot found the break as he stared straight ahead.
He hadn’t been prepared for something to come from his left.
A large vehicle slammed directly into Peter’s side and everything crunched.
Peter doesn’t think he blacked out. He doesn’t remember his vision going dark. He remembers sliding, a heavy weight pressed over top of him. Bone-shattering pain, and the dripping of liquid as everything stopped spinning.
He heard someone’s heavy breathing beside him, and he wanted to do the same – but all he could manage were quick, pinched gasps. Peter could swear he heard something rumbling beside him. A low deep vibration as someone’s hand touched his right arm. Peter’s head was swimming. It felt like when you were a kid, and you stuck your head underwater in the bathtub and everything zoned out.
Then, the cork was pulled and everything faded right back in. Pain. So much pain, and he couldn’t breathe.
“Pete! God, kid, come on. I need you to look at me!” The voice – Tony – was next to him and so worried. Peter peeled his eyes open, wincing at the pain in his forehead. His face was pressed up against the steering wheel, and he wanted to not be.
“T’ny.” Peter whimpered.
“Okay, okay, bud. I’m here. Hang on, just hang on. I’m going to get you out of here. Let me call the compound, alright?” Peter wanted to ask what on earth Mr. Stark was talking about, but he could hardly catch a breath.
“Steve – get, we need a bus, now. Kid’s down. Bring Rhodes, and – the suits. He’s, God he’s pinned down… some idiot t-boned us in a truck. It looks like the front of the truck went straight over top of us -” Tony’s voice faded out as Peter stared at the floor board, dust and liquid were pooling in the bottom. Something red. Swirling in with chipped paint and dust.
Someone’s hand was on his shoulder and Peter looked up at Tony.
“Alright, they’re three minutes out, buddy. We’re going to get you out okay?” Peter wanted to nod, wanted to say something re-assuring, but instead he coughed violently, blood bubbling out of his mouth and down his chin. “Shit – shit – okay. God, Steve please hurry!” Tony muttered as his hand found Peter’s head.
It was a terrible sight. The truck had ramped up on top of the sport’s car and was resting directly over Peter. The roof of the car was crunched in, pressing down directly on Peter’s back and neck, pressing his face into the steering wheel, turning him to the right and keeping the kid from moving at all. Peter had a busted forehead, blood pooling down over the kid’s eyes, and he couldn’t speak, could hardly breath. Tony knew that the damage was internal, and that terrified him more than anything.
“Hey, Peter, I need you to keep your eyes open, okay? Don’t try and talk, just focus on breathing and keeping your eyes on me.” Tony spoke reassuringly, ignoring the way his left wrist stung as he took Peter’s free hand in his own. Peter blinked slowly, his right hand squeezing every so slightly.
“Hey, guess what? I hear the crew coming in, alright. We’re going to get this off you, no problem. Squeeze my hand if you understand.” Squeeze.
“Tony!” He heard Rhodey, and his friend’s voice had never sounded sweeter.
“In here! Get the truck off of him, have Cho on stand-by to get to the kid!” He called out, as his friend ran to the passenger side, looking in through the busted window. Rhodey saw the unmoving boy, and he nodded quickly.
“The bus is almost here. Two seconds and we’ll have the truck gone.” Then his friend was gone, and Tony just continued to watch and listen as Peter struggled to breath, his lips tinting blue.
He felt the movement, and heard the ear-piercing screech of metal grinding on metal. Peter whimpered, and Tony had no doubt the kid was terrified and confused as a loud crash indicated the truck being dropped from the caved-in roof.
“Hey, bud, listen – they’ almost have you un-stuck, okay? Then Cho is going to come make you feel better really soon!”
“Stark!” A female voice said from behind him.
“Speaking of really soon.” Tony muttered turning back to find Cho.
“Put this on him, They’re going to use the suit to cut the metal out from around him, the door is wedged in. I’ve got medical standing by, but I want you to go ahead and get him on oxygen.” She handed him a mask, and Tony turned to slip it over the kid’s mouth when his heart stopped.
“Peter! Pete, hey – you wake up! Right now!” Tony’s voice was loud and frantic, and he didn’t give one care who heard him if it helped. Peter, started, his eyes jumping open as he blinked sluggishly.
Peter was so confused, and in pain. He felt something cool being pressed over his nose and mouth and he tried to pull his head away but – ah. He could breathe.
Peter closed his eyes in the relief of the cool oxygen. It still wasn’t enough, he lungs were screaming to expand fully, but though the pressure had been somewhat relieved, it wasn’t helping fully. Peter heard the sound of metal being tugged and pulled, and ow!
But then it was gone.
“Alright, bud, I’ll be right back okay.” Peter blinked up, watching Tony as he slipped out of the passenger door and around the other side of the car.
Tony watched as Rhodey and Bucky pulled the deformed roof back, revealing Peter’s bloody and bruised back. He wanted to throw up, but it wasn’t time for that right now.
Cho and her team leapt into action, strapped a C-collar onto the kid before removing him from the car. The team set Peter straight onto the spinal board and began strapping him in the kid grunted with every movement, pain evident in his face. Someone got an IV and pulse-ox on the kid as they began to move him towards the personal ambulance that Tony had bought last year.
“Shit – he’s not getting enough oxygen. We need to intubate now!” Cho said as they rushed Peter into the vehicle.
Someone’s hands found Tony. A face was leaning in, asking him questions, and Tony just stared at the person. A shake to his shoulders brought him back into his head.
“Tony! Are you okay?” It was Sam Wilson, dark eyes looking at him with fear. Tony blinked.
“Yeah. Bumped my head, sprained wrist. The kid took all of –“ It was like his lungs had been sucked of all their air and he bent down, hands braced on his legs.
“Alright, alright. Hey, kid’s going to be fine. Cho’s the best of the best, that’s why you hired her. Let’s just get you to the med-bay, get you checked out.” Sam placed steadying arms on Tony’s own and moved him towards another vehicle. Someone – at some point – put a blanket over his shoulders as Tony just followed to wherever he was lead.
-
It had been a couple of hours, Tony had been sat in a waiting room chair with food sitting on the coffee table beside him the entire time. May had arrived at some point, worried but calm. Pepper had been running her lithe fingers through Tony’s hair, encouraging him to calm down. To be fair, he was quite calm. Bruce had given him … something. To
keep his blood pressure and heartrate down, saying something about keeping Tony from having a heart attack. He figured that was fair.
“Don’t bother standing up.” Cho said entering the room and sitting across from the family. She looked tired but at peace. “He’s going to be fine. It will be… a long recovery. He fractured two vertebrate in his neck, suffered a punctured lung, many broke ribs, and his left arm has pins in it. He’ll be okay, it’ll just take time and patience.” She said calmly. Tony, although immensely worried by the long list of injuries, felt his entire body relaxing. “And before you ask, yes you can all go see him. We got the room set up for at least three visitors to be able to stay with him. He’ll be out for the rest of the night, but I know he will be happy to see you all when he wakes up.”