4

                                    

                                          
When Peter shut his eyes to sleep in the car, he instantly regretted it. Thoughts came running through his mind. Different scenarios of how he could've saved his aunt constantly came up to him. He's Spider-Man, he's supposed to protect people and he can't even protect his own aunt? Pathetic. 
                          
Stupid. He's stupid was all he thought of himself. Worthless and selfish. It was his fault. Now he has no family, it's what he deserves. No one loves him and he shouldn't be allowed to love anyone else. 
                          
This continued on all night. Nightmare after nightmare, yet he wasn't able to wake up to escape it. This is what he's been trying to stay away from the past 2 weeks. He's barely gotten enough sleep to stay sane. He wouldn't eat either. He never had an appetite for anything which explains how oddly skinny he is. 
                          
But finally when morning came, he woke up, miserable. 
                          
"Good morning Mr. Parker," Friday greeted. 
                          
"Oh uh morning. You can call me Peter please," Peter replied.
                          
"Of course, Peter. You don't look well, should I inform Mr. Stark?"
                          
"No, don't do that I'm ok really," he tried convincing the voice. But as soon as he said that he rushed to the joining bathroom. He opened the toilet seat in a hurry and threw up the little content he had in his stomach. 
                          
His body kept wanting him to throw up more though. So he continued to cough hard and gag. Friday told Peter that she's going to inform Mr. Stark for Peter's health. Peter slammed the bathroom door shut with his foot and sealed it tight with webbing.
                          
He didn't want Mr. Stark to see him so messed up. He also didn't want to become another problem on Tony's list.
                          
Just a few moments later Tony was trying to get into the bathroom. "Friday unlock the door."
                          
"It is unlocked sir." 
                          
"Peter, shit, let me in." 
                          
"No Mr. Stark I'm ok," Peter tried sounding fine but failed. He gagged again and it felt like he was coughing up his organs. It sounded like it too. 
                          
"Friday what's keeping the door shut?" Tony asked. 
                          
"Peter's webbing."
                          
"Ok kid get away from the door," Tony said. Peter wasn't near the door so he remained where he was, gagging once more. 
                          
Tony shot lasers through the creases of the door to break the webs bindings. He easily opened it from there and saw Peter slumped over the toilet. 
                          
"Oh kid..." Tony said quietly.
                          
"I'm ok, I'm ok," Peter coughed out. 
                          
"You're not," Tony kneeled next to Peter and the toilet. When he saw Peter's face, his insides twisted. He looked almost dead. He was so pale and skinny. His eyes seemed even worse than yesterday if that was even possible. Tony could tell he was super dehydrated. 
                          
Peter let out a moan because of the pain his stomach was causing. He began to sway and his eyes started to roll. Next thing Tony knew, he was holding the boy's head in his lap because Peter passed out. 
                          
"Friday get Bruce up here," Tony demanded.
                          
"Yes sir."
                          
Tony put his hand on Peter's forehead, holding back his hair as he waited for Bruce to soon arrive. 
                          
A few minutes later Bruce rushed in and found them on the bathroom floor, "woah what happened?" 
                          
"I don't know, dehydrated maybe," Tony said, looking up at Bruce. The stress in his voice was barley hidden. Tony felt weak in the moment, he didn't know why but this kid took such an effect on him. 
                          
"Tony can you pick him up?" Bruce asked behind him, for now he was looking back at the kid who was knocked out cold. 
                          
Tony didn't really give an answer, so Bruce told Friday to get Steve. Bruce was comforting Tony while waiting for Steve to come. 
                          
"Oh god what happened?" Steve was concerned for Peter.
                          
"Most likely dehydrated. I need him on the medical floor so I can hook him up to an IV. Can you take him Steve?" Bruce informed. 
                          
"Yeah," he bent down and carefully picked up the kid from Tony's lap. Steve now realized how young he was and how unhealthy he seemed. Tony told Steve all about him this morning since they were both the first to wake up and Steve was wondering about the kid. But it just seemed to hit him now about his age and experiences. 
                          
"Set him down on the table," Bruce said snapping Steve out of his thoughts. They were already in the medical room. Steve set Peter down carefully, watching him closely. 
                          
Tony took his temperature in silence while Bruce set up the IV. Then when Bruce was finished setting up, he shot the needle up Peter's arm quickly. Peter didn't even move, he was still knocked out. 
                          
"So when is he going to be better," Steve asked not knowing how all the medical stuff worked. 
                          
"Depends how dehydrated he was, we'll wait and see. It shouldn't be super long, maybe a few hours," Bruce informed. Tony grabbed a plastic chair from the corner of the room and sat himself down in it next to the table. There he waited for Peter to wake up.
                          
Bruce pulled Steve aside, not wanting to involve a stressed Tony in the conversation, "who is that? What's he doing here?" 
                          
Steve caught Bruce up on who Peter/Spider-Man was and what his story was based on what Tony told him. Bruce's look said how sympathetic he felt for the kid.