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Part 3 of Sicktember 2021
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2021-09-06
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1,483
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1/1
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Praying for the Night to Comfort Thee

Summary:

"Surgery was something that Peter Parker was used to. With his job, he really had to be used to going under the knife, and truthfully the more he experienced it the easier it got.

What Peter was not used to, however, were post-surgery infections. Of course, he knew that it was always a risk when going into procedures, but with the overly careful and competent medical staff in the med bay of Stark Tower, it was rarely something he had to worry about.

But nobody was perfect, accidents can happen, and that’s how Peter found himself in his current situation. Feverish, achy in more ways than one, and utterly miserable."

OR

Peter can't sleep after a surgery gone bad. He needs his Lukey...if Tony can figure out what that is.

Notes:

Sicktember day five and I actually have something written!! I was most excited for today's prompt but it turned out to be one of the harder ones to write for (for some reason) and I'm not crazy confident in this fic but I sorta fine-tuned it into something not too terrible (hopefully lol). So if you like it let me know and I'll be back later with some more sicktember prompt fills!

Title comes from Greta Van Fleet's song "Tears of Rain".

This fic is written for these prompts:
- Comfort Item
- Bed Rest

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Surgery was something that Peter Parker was used to. With his job, he really had to be used to going under the knife, and truthfully the more he experienced it the easier it got. 

 

What Peter was not used to, however, were post-surgery infections. Of course, he knew that it was always a risk when going into procedures, but with the overly careful and competent medical staff in the med bay of Stark Tower, it was rarely something he had to worry about. 

 

But nobody was perfect, accidents can happen, and that’s how Peter found himself in his current situation. Feverish, achy in more ways than one, and utterly miserable. 

 

His left leg, the cause of all his anguish thanks to an unwelcome bullet wound, was currently being elevated and his body was being pumped with an IV cocktail of anti-nausea, anti-fever, anti-pain, and antibiotic medications. Suffice to say, Peter was not just exhausted but he was loopy as all hell. 

 

And he just couldn’t fucking sleep. 

 

For some reason, despite his delirious and debilitated state, sleep would not come to him. So instead, he laid in his med bay bed with tears streaming down his face, as he begged whatever god there was above to just give him at least a minute of rest. The med bay staff, alongside Bruce and Dr. Cho, had been doing their best to synthesize a sedative for the spider-kid but they had yet to be successful, much to Tony and Peter’s disappointment. 

 

Tony, of course, was by his side the whole time, and seeing his kid in this state was similar to experiencing his own personal hell. But he’d be dammed if he left Peter even for a second. 

 

“Shh, Petey. I know bud. Just take some deep breaths kid.” He soothes the teen, just as he had been doing all night. It was nearing two in the morning and he had no idea just how much more either of them could take. He had tried everything from reading to the kid to making fucking ocean sounds with his mouth. Yet still, no sleep. 

 

Peter doesn’t respond, just continues to moan and wail as Tony sighs. “Gimme something kiddie, please. How can I help you, bambino?” 

 

Peter looks to Tony, his eyes feverish and hazy. He takes a shaky breath before finally finding the energy to murmur, “M-May.”

 

“May? You want me to get May back down here?” Tony asks. May had been down in the med bay with the two for most of the day, only retiring to a guest room in the tower after Tony had begged her to get some rest before her early hospital shift.  

 

But even after giving his answer, Peter still didn't seem appeased. “No!” He whines. “I-I need Lukey.” He says with a sob. 

 

Tony’s brows can only furrow. “Lukey?” What/who the fuck was a Lukey?

 

“Please M’ster S’ark, I need him.” Peter begs. 

 

“Okay! Alrighty kiddo I…I will do my best to get…Lukey.” Tony reassures the boy as he stands from the uncomfortable med bay chair, running a nervous hand through his hair. “Just hang tight kiddo, I’m gonna figure this out.” He grabs his phone, quickly but quietly leaving Peter’s room. 

 

He was gonna get this kid to sleep if it was the last thing he did.

 

 

Tony doesn’t understand immediately, but using the context clues he was given, he figures that if anyone knew what a Lukey was it would be May. 

 

He could only hope that she wouldn’t be too pissed at him for waking her up at this hour. 

 

The dial tone only sounds twice before she picks up. “Tony? What’s wrong? What happened?” She asks in a panic, ever the protective aunt. 

 

“May! Everything’s okay! Peter’s…well, he’s um, still awake. I can’t really get him to calm down and-and I think I need your help?”

 

He can hear May flip on the bedside lamp and sit up. “W-What is it Tony?” 

 

“Peter is asking for someone named Lukey? Something named Lukey? I-I was hoping maybe you know Lukey or-or can get him here at this hour? I just…he still can’t sleep May and I don’t know what else to d-“

 

He’s cut off by a snort. An honest to god laugh. 

 

“…May?” 

 

“S-Sorry, I um…” She giggles a bit more before continuing. “Yes, I can get Lukey here at this hour. Just…give me thirty.” She sighs, but Tony can’t sense any annoyance in it. She almost sounds like she’s smiling?

 

“I- okay then? See you in thirty I guess?” And she hangs up. 

 

Tony doesn’t know if it’s the lack of sleep or what, but he feels absolutely crazy. “Still don’t know what the fuck a Lukey is.” He mumbles to himself, before heading back into Peter’s room. 

 

 

Sure enough, after thirty more minutes of doing his utmost to calm the distraught spiderling, Tony hears May coming down the hall. He lets out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding with the hopes that May and the elusive Lukey’s arrival will calm the kid enough to send him right to sleep. 

 

May enters the med bay room quietly. And alone? Where was Lukey?

 

Peter turns his head to the sound of the door shutting, his bleary eyes able to make out his aunt standing next to him. “May.” He rasps, fresh tears spilling over his cheeks. There really wasn’t much that wouldn’t make Peter cry at this point. 

 

“Oh, my poor baby.” She coos, her kind fingers pushing the hair off of his overheated forehead. “You’re having a real hard time, huh tough guy?” 

 

Peter nods miserably. “I-I need Lukey, May.” He whines. 

 

The woman smiles warmly. “I know honey. He’s right here, I got him.” She reaches into the tote bag on her arm and pulls out a small blue blanket with a silky trim. It looked old but ultimately well-loved. 

 

Oh, Tony thinks. Lukey. 

 

Peter takes the blanket eagerly and is quick to hold the fabric lovingly to his chest. His thumb rubs the trim soothingly. Almost like magic, the boy’s crying has basically stopped, replaced with soft hiccups and shaky breaths. 

 

Tony looks up at May, puzzled yet…impressed. He holds his tongue, though, not daring to interrupt the moment or disturb the finally calm spider-kid. 

 

After a few moments of hushed reassurances from May, and of course the comfort of Lukey, Peter is finally asleep. The room is now overwhelmingly quiet, and Tony takes a much-needed deep breath. 

 

He glances at the blanket that is now wrapped tightly around Peter’s shoulders, before looking at May. “So, Lukey?” 

 

“It was a gift from Ben’s mom— Peter’s grandmother. She gave it to him the day he was born. She passed not long after but…she loved him a whole lot, him being her only grandchild and whatnot.” She explains. 

 

Tony’s heart clinches. He knew May was the only family Peter had left, and to hear about other Parkers just made Tony remember how much the kid had lost. 

 

May continues. “He had a connection to the blanket pretty instantly, only ever really stopped crying when he was wrapped in it. It was the only thing that would put him right to sleep.” 

 

They both look at the snoozing boy. “Still is apparently.” Tony jokes quietly. 

 

May hums in confirmation. “We joked that this thing was magic when he was younger, but honestly I’m really starting to believe it.” 

 

Tony nods, reaching up to touch the blanket softly. He had to admit was kinda nice. “And…Lukey?”

 

“Star Wars. Luke Skywalker.” May explains. “We all called it his blankey until he was old enough for Ben to show him A New Hope. It was Lukey from that point on.”

 

Tony feels a bit stupid for not realizing sooner, that goofy space movie was all the kid ever talked about.

 

“I should’ve known he would’ve needed it. Really wish I’d have brought it earlier.” May sighs tiredly. 

 

“Hey you-you’re exhausted too May, please go back to sleep. I said I’d take Peter duty for the night and you have your shift in a few hours.” Tony offers. 

 

May stands from her spot by her nephew. “I guess I should, huh? If you all need anything else though—“

 

“I’ll let you know immediately, May. Swear it.” 

 

May smiles warmly. “Thank you, Tony.” 

 

“Good night, May.” 

 

She leaves the room, shutting the door softly behind her. Tony lets out a deep breath, giving Peter’s hair one last pet before deciding it was about time he retire to his cot in the corner of the med bay room.

 

As he drifts off, he thinks of his mother and the stuffed elephant she gave him when he was a young child. 

 

He makes a mental note to look in the tower’s storage units, see if he can find it. 

Notes:

And that's that on that! Again not my favorite fic written for this month but it still has a soft spot in my heart, so if you liked it let me know! I'll be honest the next most complete Sicktember fic I have is for the 22nd day of this month so I honestly may not be back here until then, but I'm having such a good time reading all the Sicktember prompt fills that it's making me forget I'm actually trying to write for it too lol! Either way, I hope to be back here soon with another fic but we'll just see what happens!

In the meantime, if you love Spideychelle as much as I do, go read AllThingsGeeky's fic for today's prompt "The Baby Blanket"!! It's probably my favorite fic from Sicktember so far and it deserves all the love!

See you all soon and thanks for reading!

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