Down for the Count

[otiosity]

Who: Hawke, Pepper Pots, and Tony Stark
When: During when the new arrivals show up
Where: The medical tent mostly
What: Hawke is an amazing hero who rescued the princess and Tony Stark better not hate and start to appreciate.
Warnings: Quips.

Comments

Hawke + Tony + Pepper

[otiosity]

[Hawke hangs up her new device after speaking to Tony and shoves it into her pocket (Pepper had to help her with it a little bit. Technology is dumb.) and turns to Pepper with a casual shrug like she hadn't just spent most of the conversation jabbing at him. This is the most normal friendship ever, right?]

He's going to meet us at the medical tent when we get there. I can't wait to see his face.

[She moves to wrap an arm around Pepper again to continue helping her make her way across the terrain then suddenly she pauses, her eyes dancing with mischief even in the darkness.]

What if instead we really give him something to be shocked about. It was a very daring rescue after all.

[Then she ducks and puts one arm under Pepper's knees and hoists her up into a princess carry. It's obviously a lot of work. Both Hawke and Pepper have a similar slight build but Hawke is firmly committed to trolling Tony Stark and seems to think everyone else is too.]

You have to be the one to tell the tale though.

[efficacy]

[ It's all very stressful and she still can't see properly past the length of her own arm, but Pepper thinks she's doing okay, all things considered -- the prospect of seeing Tony goes a long way to calm her too, as funny as the notion might strike to anybody who knows the man. Anyway.

She breathes a faint laugh at Hawke's assessment, carefully replacing her arm over Hawke's shoulders as they prepare to go on. The quip is on the tip of her tongue, but then the other woman pauses and looks too much like she's up to something. ]

Oh? What did you have in-- oh, okay!

[ It comes out sounding a little alarmed when Hawke determinedly hoists her up, Pepper's arm going tightly about the other woman's neck and her body tensing up, slightly worried Hawke will drop her. Pepper remains as still as she can so as not to make this any more difficult, her ridiculous heels in the air and all.

This probably looks ridiculous. ]

...I did promise to make you look good.

[ Clearly they're off to a great start already! Pepper certainly looks the part of a damsel in distress with her bloody temple and torn, dusty clothing, her ponytail unraveling sloppily. But off they go! ]

I wouldn't let just anybody haul me around like this, you know.

[arcreact]

[ Tony actually shows up to the med tent before they do, which is beyond strange, because Tony Stark is never early to anything in his life. (He can't say he's enjoying it, either.) But since he's here, he may as well make himself useful. By the time Hawke and Pepper make their theatrical entrance, he's requisitioned a small corner of the med tent to pull apart one of the armor's gauntlets and fix a wiring problems that may or may not have put him in a life-or-death situation at least twice this week. But look, he's getting around to it! No big deal.

He doesn't even need to look up to know when Hawke has entered the tent; her self-assured gait is announcement enough. His hands just keep flying over the exposed circuitry as he greets her. ]

I was expecting a Nerf gun barrage or something, you're really slacking—

[ He glances up almost as an afterthought, but his eyes end up skipping Hawke entirely to zone in on - Pepper.

Pepper Potts. Pepper Potts being princess carried into the med tent by Marian Hawke.

The disassembled gauntlet hits the rocky ground with a loud clatter in his haste to get to his feet. ]

Holy shit.

[ Is he shocked by Pepper's presence, or the apparently incomprehensible fact that Hawke didn't lie to him? Toss-up. ]

[otiosity]

[The sound of the gauntlet clattering to the ground is like a victory horn to Hawke's ears. Something that she'll be able to play in her mind when she's sad or lonely. It's just that good.

Doing her best to avoid looking smug (at least for now), she gently deposits Pepper into to one of the cots and then sits next to her on it, ignoring Tony.]

There we are. You'll have medical attention soon. Much poking and prodding, lucky you. I suppose it makes sense, you did go through such an ordeal when you arrived. Thank the Maker I was there to find you.

[She pats Pepper's shoulder emphatically.]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper focuses on not stabbing anyone with her shoes as they clear the entrance of the medical tent, trying to tuck her long legs close without hindering Hawke. Being a graceful damsel is a lot more work than movies make it seem! Her heart skips a beat when the loud clattering draws her gaze unerringly over to Tony's corner -- though she can't see him clearly yet from this distance with her blurry vision. ]

Tony? [ She breathes the name out so softly she's not sure he even heard it, just before Hawke sets her down on the cot and takes a seat next to her. Despite the emotional upheaval she's suddenly going through, she manages to huff a tiny laugh for Hawke's benefit. She has her end of the bargain to uphold. ]

Yes-- I don't know how I would've made it without your help. Thank you, so much.

[ She does her best but she's still distracted, unable to help the way her attention strays back to Tony, a wobbly smile spreading to her lips when he's finally close enough for her to see clearly. Relief and affection are evident on her expression, a glassy shine in her eyes. ]

...Hi. Surprise?

[arcreact]

[ Tony distantly registers what Hawke is saying - somethingsomething stuff Tony's gonna seriously owe her for later, something - but he'll address that in a minute. For now he crosses the space between himself and the cot faster than some of the actual superpowered people running around here, his heart deciding to re-situate itself somewhere in the vicinity of his throat. ]

Pep, Jesus Christ. [ There's a hand at her temple, briefly, checking on the state of the blood there, but then his hands are firm on her shoulders. He just barely resists the urge to shake her. Barely. ] Are you alright?

[ Of course she's not alright, who here is alright? Stupid question, Stark. He has to wrestle with some overwhelming mixture of selfish relief and alarm as he takes in the sight of her, battered and tired but undeniably Pepper and here. She doesn't look right against the backdrop of this place, like something is fundamentally out of sorts. ]

[otiosity]

Would have been worse without me. Just don't forget that part.

[Hawke comments cheerfully before standing up from the bed to allow Tony to take her spot at Pepper's side. She moves away from them, giving them some time to reunite as she takes the opportunity of being unobserved to wince and rub at her bad shoulder. It hurts like hell from supporting Pepper and then from taking it a step further by lifting her up.

Worth it though, she thinks, as she stretches her arm over her head to pull at the aching muscles. Showboating will probably get her killed someday. But at least it will never be boring.]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper lifts a hand immediately once Tony's in her personal space, curling her fingers gently about his wrist but not hindering his touch. She gives a tiny, tired smile at the question, nodding her head a little. ]

I have no idea what's going on, I bumped my head falling down a hillside and probably have bruises all over-- but other than that, I'll be... okay.

[ Hopefully. Maybe. She doesn't want to come out and admit how wonky her vision is right now when he looks so terrified. In a bit, then. She motions toward Hawke with her free hand instead. ]

Your friend here found me and was kind enough to help me get to the camp.

[arcreact]

[ Tony scrutinizes her for a moment, but since there are no other (obvious) injuries, he accepts that answer as the wholesale truth. At Pepper's gesture, though, he finally turns his wide-eyed attention to Hawke, who's playing it totes cool in the background. ]

You—

[ First Dum-E, now Pepper? This is getting out of hand. This is getting embarrassing. ]

You need to stop doing your job, it's starting to alarm me.

[ Since Hawke speaks Stark, that probably sounds a lot like thank you. ]

LATER

[arcreact]

[ After Pepper's injuries have been seen to and they finally have a moment to breathe, Tony leads her back to the tent that's been a shelter for other people more than him - he's spent most of his time scavenging and exploring, rather than resting. And since J and others had more or less requisitioned it as their own during that time, well, he'd had no inclination to kick them out. They were getting more use out of it than he would.

But by this time, J is nowhere to be found and giving Pepper a place to decompress that's free of dozens of unfamiliar prying eyes seems like a good priority. He holds the flap aside so that she can slide into it first, then makes an expansive, sardonic gesture. ]

Home sweet home.

[ A far cry from the Malibu house or a penthouse, to the point that it's actually laughable, but you make do with what you have. Better than sleeping on a rock, he guesses. ]

[efficacy]

[ The cut on her temple is covered with a small white bandage, but no clear medical reason for her declined eyesight hadn't been found, much to Pepper's chagrin and frustration. She keeps close to Tony as they go partly because of this, relieved to finally grab a moment in private. Or, as private as a tent ever could be, anyway. ]

Well, it's... cozy. [ She purses her lips as her dulled gaze roams the small space perfunctorily before shaking her head with a tired little smile. ] Honestly, I'd take a bed of rocks under the sky right now.

[ It's no mansion, no, but it could always be worse so she can't really find it in herself to complain. It doesn't even matter now. She's got other, more pressing things on her mind, namely Tony and how he's really doing. She'd get to that soon. ]

Oh, Tony. This whole thing is insane. [ She sighs and pushes back strands of hair escaping from her disheveled ponytail, longer now than it was the last time he'd seen her. ] How did you handle it when it happened to you?

[arcreact]

[ Tony drops himself onto one of the meager camping pillows on the far side of the tent and gestures for her to join him. At the question, he offers a cavalier shrug. It figures that Pepper would be concerned about him when she's the one whose world has been flipped upside down. ]

When I got here, we were docked at a vacation colony and given credit cards with an unlimited credit line. So I mostly handled it at an open bar.

[ It sounds dry and hyperbolic when he says it, but actually, that's exactly what happened. ]

You've gotten the short end of the stick here, in my opinion. [ Y'know, what with the shipwreck and the dwindling supplies and the injuries and just... everything. ] You must have half a million questions.

[efficacy]

[ Pepper does so with grateful relief, glad to be off her feet. Her shoulder bumps his as she settles down next to him, peering at him with an incredulous frown on her face when he answers. ]

...What? [ No, seriously. ] Okay, that's just patently unfair.

[ Pepper isn't really much of a drinker, but if it were offered to her now, she likely wouldn't turn down a stiff drink. She draws in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, something resigned in the sound. ] Half a million and one, probably. Where do I even begin?

[ But it's true; she can't help but worry about him, no matter what. It was her job for the longest time, but now it's just... a compulsion, or some other natural state of being. Her hand finds his again and grasps gently, the look in her eyes impossibly soft when they meet his; her quiet but earnest tone echoing her tender concern. ] How are you? Really.

[arcreact]

[ Tony hasn't had a drink in months, but even he wouldn't turn one down right now. He settles his free arm around her shoulders once she's seated herself next to him, giving that question some thought. How often does he really think about it? Never, obviously. And very few people ever ask.

Typical Pepper. ]

Well. [ He meets her gaze as honestly as he can, because the very least she deserves is honesty, even if there's no delicate way to discuss some of the things weighing heavy on his mind. Like how this entire situation with the ship is his fault in the first place, and if it weren't for him, she might've arrived safe and sound aboard the Moira like everyone else usually does. ] Sssstressed?

[ Final answer, no lifeline. ]

[efficacy]

[ Pepper leans into his side a little when his arm wraps about her shoulders, enough to draw comfort from the contact but not crowding so close she can't comfortably look him in the eyes. ]

Okay. [ That's a start. For all that he could prattle on about everything and nothing, she knows it isn't always easy for Tony to really talk about actual feelings, always one to let his actions speak for him. In instances such as these, Pepper had the patience to coax out the answers. ] About the crash, or over me showing up here? Something else?

[ A hint of her usual humor bleeds into her tone, the corner of her mouth twitching up just a little. ] All of the above?

[arcreact]

[ Ten points to Ravenclaw for this tremendous effort he is currently expending. Mostly he thanks his lucky stars that Pepper handles this with the gentle levity and expert grace that she's always handled Tony Stark-related matters. ]

All of the above, as well as some things you probably haven't even thought of yet. Actually, probably some things I haven't even thought of yet.

Gimme a few hours and I bet I could produce an itemized list.

[efficacy]

Ooh, itemized lists. And it isn't even my birthday.

[ She nudges his side gently with her elbow, a small smirk making a brief appearance. The only way she can deal with this whole enormous situation is to aggressively make light of things as much as she can, lest she break down in a hysteric fit. While those have never been her style, exactly, a sudden space kidnapping is probably a justifiable reason, if any. ]

So. Another fine pickle, huh? [ Her lips flatten a little at that slightly hopelessly, her levity flagging for now. ] Hawke said you two arrived here -- or the ship -- at the same time. When was that?

Hawke + Elena (This is my log I do what I want!!)

[otiosity]

[Hawke is pretty sure she's coming down with something.

Which is probably a fair conclusion for someone living in a world where they barely understand disease let alone things like anxiety. All she knows is that her chest feels constantly tight, like there's something inside weighing down her lungs. Kind of like when she was a child and breathing got hard when the winter came. But she could still breathe, it just never seemed to register that she was taking in oxygen.

She tried to cough to clear whatever it was inside her and sometimes it worked and sometimes the air kept getting thinner and thinner and her chest heavier and heavier that she had to drop into a crouch to regain control. During those times, the world became distant as if everything was happening down a tunnel or behind a sheet of water. Blocking out the world to deal with things was something she did but it had never been so intense. She's stopped sleeping. She barely eats anymore. She just coughs and tries not to have bad dreams.

So she must be ill. It's the only logical choice. Not that she's going to tell anyone about it. Which is why she creeps into the medical tent without alerting anyone to see if they have anything to help with her coughing and nausea.

Unfortunately Hawke doesn't know anything about medicine so she basically stands in the middle of the tent, Kitty at her heels, coughing into a sleeve as she stares at the medical supplies.]

I didn't think this idea through.

Sitting in a tree

[tearsinajar]

[ It might seem like the place is dead. That's because it is. No one really takes to the cots, not a patient in sight. There's someone off to the far right, partially blocked by the cabinet.

Elena has been in there for the past three hours doing whatever that needs to be done for her shift. Tidying, prepping and refilling drawers, counting. The last part helps her block out most of her thoughts and worries. Hell, it's been a week since Flynn's arrived, there's still some lingering anxiousness but she's worked through it with a good support system in the name of Tony Stark, Nate, and Adrien.

The muffled cough draws her attention from around the cupboard door she has open currently. Oh, a patient. ]

Hey there. [ Door shut, Elena moves forward and smiles as she draws nearer. Been a while since she's seen Marian. ] What idea?

Is something wrong?

[ There must be because Hawke doesn't exactly look too good, and that's why the warm smile of greeting slips into a more concerned look. ]

[otiosity]

[Hawke freezes at the familiar voice. Another emotion comes bubbling up under the surface. Shame. Shame at the idea that someone might see her in a state where she hasn't quite put herself together. Where the cracks in the mask are too visible.

Kitty takes a step forward, wagging his nub of a tail, tongue lolling out of his mouth happily. Hawke, on the other hand, takes a step back, glancing around to see where the closest exit is.]

Nothing wrong. Just thought I'd... inspect the medical tent. Make sure it's all working properly. [She knocks on one of the poles hold up the tent] Seems sturdy enough to even resist a dragon swooping down. Very good. Onto the next. [There's that tightness again and the ever thinning air. She coughs and tries to quickly turn away before Elena can engage her further.]

[tearsinajar]

[ Hawke needs to understand that it's okay to feel vulnerable around friends. But at the same time, Elena understands completely what it feels like to not want to show any cracks. To keep strong, to keep that front up and not let weakness show.

She smiles at Kitty and goes forward to pet his head, scratching gently behind his ears with her one hand. All the while she keeps an eye on the other woman. The concerned look is back. She gets the sense that Hawke's looking for an out, and Elena is all too familiar with that, painfully so. ]

A dragon? Somehow I doubt that.

[ There's that cough again. Her brows furrowed and she drifts away from Kitty to follow, at a distance. ]

How long have you had that cough?

[otiosity]

They're not as big as you might think. Well some of them.

[She should know that she could never fool Elena. She's old hat at this. But Hawke's brain is focused on the fact that she can't breath properly more than anything else.

She wants to say "what cough?" but then her chest tightens and she coughs to clear it.]

...Only a week. Just a cough. I've had much worse. I've had pneumonia five times you know.

[tearsinajar]

You have dragons back home?

[ That's kind of cool. And it also tells her that she doesn't know all that much about Hawke or her world, which is something they should work on.

Elena keeps her distance to not make her feel uncomfortable, taking her time. Maybe keeping her talking might help. ]

A week is a long time to have a cough. Usually you should be seeking out medical assistance when symptoms don't clear in three days on their own. Five times? That's... Wow.

Do you feel like you have a fever accompanying this cough of yours?

[otiosity]

It's sort of our "thing", so to speak.

[Then she frowns. That aside wasn't supposed to be something to be concerned about. Plenty of people still die from disease like that in Thedas but Hawke has always toughed it out. So whatever this is is nothing.

She sniffs and rubs her nose.]

Usually they clear up on their own and I don't see a healer. No fever or anything it's just... something to make life even more troublesome than it usually is.

[tearsinajar]

I don't know whether to be afraid or in awe.

[ Getting closer now, almost reaching Hawke's side. ]

So scratch the fever. Just a cough.