even heroes have the right to bleed.

Laurel was in shock with her body hardly able to move and her brain unable to think properly. Spiderman's hands were laying on her shoulders, but she could barely feel them, and it took her a few moments of looking at him to even realize he was there.

She shook her head gently, trying to snap herself out of her trance. She needed to be as calm and focused as Spiderman was, though that was more difficult than she expected. "I think I'm okay," she said, nodding her head. She figured he was asking her questions to make sure she didn't have a concussion or something. "It's Laurel Madison. I was born May 1st and I just graduated from St. Marks high school. My mother's name is Rebecca and my father's name is David." She recited off facts as quickly as she could, trying to convince both herself and Spiderman that she was okay. "I'm okay, right? I still know all that stuff."

---

Steve knew better to protest against what Katie was saying. Though she may have been wrong about trying to sneak into the lab under her own orders, he knew that whatever the men had done had affected him greatly, and he would do more harm than good out there. At least he still had enough smarts to see that.

"I'll grab him," Steve said, motioning towards the costumed man. "You go ahead." He paused as he looked at her, not missing the annoyed look on her face. He already knew that she'd be pissed off at him, but he had accepted that already. "And Katie, please, be careful."

Peter felt relief when she began reciting facts, knowing that she was okay. "Okay, good," he breathed out, giving his head a nod. "Alright, look, you're - " That's when he heard it, the shouts in the alley way. He had ten, fifteen seconds max before the police invaded the lab. "The cops are coming, alright? You'll be safe, I promise you," he told her, running down the empty hall not a second later.

He ran into an empty room, automatically straining to shoot web and failing. He groaned, knowing that he'd have to get out the old fashioned way. He ran over to the window, jimmying the lock until it pushed open just a bit. He used his shoulder to shove it open more and looked down. A dumpster was just beneath it. He made a face to himself before jumping, landing in the dumpster with a dull thud.

---

Katie let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging when he told her to be careful. She wasn't annoyed with his words - it was more the situation than anything else. Worry was blatant on her face as she watched him. "Steve, I - " She cut herself off, unsure of what she wanted to say. "Just be careful too, okay?" She waited a couple more seconds, her gaze on his before she headed out into the lobby.

There was one man left and he was already aiming his gun at her. Without a second thought she barreled forward, throwing her weight against his body, managing to dislodge his gun. But as they both fell he threw his body on top of hers, her foot twisting beneath them. She felt a jolt of pain go through her, almost enough to make her cry out. But she twisted underneath him, her fingers barely grasping his rather large gun. She brought it up, slamming the barrel against his head, instantly knocking him unconscious.

Spiderman was gone just as quickly as he'd saved her, and Laurel was left standing in shock as she watched him run away. He seemed a bit disoriented, like he didn't know where he was going, but Laurel just brushed it off as him running from the police.

When the police busted into the room, they immediately point their guns at the men on the floor before escorting Laurel outside and to an ambulance, where they wrapped her in a blanket despite the fact that it wasn't even cold outside.

---

Just as Katie ran out of the room, the police broke their way into the lab and Steve instantly pointed them in Katie's direction. She definitely needed back up if she could get it, and he was fine in there on his own. A few of the officers grabbed the men they'd tied up, while another tended to the girl who had nearly been kidnapped. The rest followed after Katie to get to the other gunmen and the rest of the hostages while Steve was left wondering what would happen out there and what had happened to him to make him so weak again. He knew he needed to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters as soon as possible to get some tests run on him.

Peter rolled his body out of the dumpster and ran down the alley way, breathing out a sigh of relief when he found where'd he stowed his backpack. It was a stroke of luck that he hadn't stashed it where he usually did, which was up high somewhere. He switched clothes, managing to make the switch back to Peter Parker with ease. He found his father's glasses and put them on, everything suddenly becoming sharp and clear once more. He slung the backpack over his shoulder and headed towards the police barricade, heading towards the girl, wanting to make sure that she truly was alright. "Hi," he said, offering her an awkward smile. "Are uh, are you alright? I'm with the... ambulance I'm an intern," he lied, attempting to think on his feet.

---

Katie shoved the man's unconscious body off of her and she stood up warily just as the police swarmed the lobby.They ignored her entirely, focusing solely on the men with guns. She tested her foot, wincing when she put pressure on it. She knew that it was only a sprain, but it still managed to hurt like hell. She limped her way back into the lab, looking for Steve. "We should head back to headquarters," she said, motioning towards the door. She was on a mission to get back and run some tests on him. She was worried that whatever they did was irreversible. The thought alone made her stomach churn.

Laurel was very clearly in shock. Even with no medical training, she knew that. It was hard to think and her mind felt like it was somewhere else. Time passed so quickly it was like she wasn't even in the moment. When a man in a pair of glasses came up to her, she had to focus to listen to him. Plenty of the ambulance workers had already asked how she was, but he seemed the most concerned out of all of them. "I - I think so," she said, giving a quick nod of her head. "But I can't really feel my feet." She looked down at them then back at the man. "Is that bad?"

---

Apparently both Steve and Katie had the same idea about getting to S.H.I.E.L.D. as quickly as possible, so Steve didn't object when Katie said they needed to go. He was more desperate to find out what was going on than he was. When they began their walk back to headquarters, Steve noticed Katie had a new gait, though it was obvious she was trying to hide it. "You're limping," Steve said as he looked over at her. "Are you alright?" He nearly offered to carry her back before he remembered that it would be all but impossible for him.

[ There was dirt on my phone when I read this and it made churn look like cum ]

[Oh my God. That's... Wow. ]

Peter looked over her, taking everything in. "Did you hit your head? Or anything else?" He questioned, gazing into her eyes to check her pupils. He'd gotten pretty good at diagnosing himself ever since he'd gotten bitten, so he was running through the mental checklist that he had. "If you hit your head, might be a mild concussion. If not, you're probably in shock," he said. After a second he cracked a grin, lifting up the edge of the blanket. "It's what the blanket's for," he told her, hoping to lighten her mood even just a bit. "Shock blanket. I'm still not sure what it's supposed to do."

---

Katie was struggling to keep from limping, but the longer she walked as she normally did, the more it began to hurt. The limp started to become more prominent as they continued down the street, and she made a face when Steve said anything. "I'm fine," she said quickly, ignoring the pain that suddenly shot through her foot, as though it was attempting to prove her wrong. "It's a sprain," she added, glancing over to him. "How are you?" She realized that she really had no idea what had changed in his genetics, and that was what worried her. He looked fine, though. He looked as he normally did.

"I really can't remember," she said, shaking her head. The whole thing was like one big blur. All she remembered was guns, fear and Spiderman saving her, but she didn't really want to remember much else. the details made it that much more terrifying. "Do you think they want me to sleep?" She asked as she gripped the blanket with her fingers. "That might be what it's for." She truthfully didn't know, but she thought that if he was intern, it was probably something he should find out.

---

"I'm fine," he said, nodding his head once. Until they found out what was really going on, he thought it better not to think about it so he wouldn't freak himself out anymore than he already was. Katie limped again, more deeply this time, and he reached his hand for her. "We should get a cab. You really should't be walking more than necessary." He hated feeling as helpless as he did, even though this was how normal people felt most of the time. He'd grown so accustom to his life as Captain America that he forgot what it was like to be anything else.

Peter shook his head at her. "Don't - do not sleep, okay? If no one's confirmed that you don't have a concussion, then you can't sleep," he told her quickly, looking down at her in worry. "It's more for comfort than for anything else, okay? So don't sleep. Has anyone come to check you out completely?" He asked, his concern growing. Mild amnesia cold be from the shock, or it could be from a concussion and he was starting to grow worried. "Can I get a medic over here?" He yelled, turning around to look for someone to help.

---

Katie gave him a look when he said that he was fine. Obviously there was something that was very wrong. She kept quiet, though, not wanting to push the subject. She shifted her gaze forward, realizing just how far from headquarters they were. She looked back to him when he reached for her hand, frowning. "Steve, I'm fine," she said, realizing that she'd forgotten to grab any money or anything when she'd left. She'd been in a rush, and the only thing she'd grabbed was her gun. "It's not that far. We'll be fine."

"I don't want another medic, please," Laurel said, reaching out and grabbing his arm before someone could take his place. She didn't know why but he made her feel safer and she didn't want him to go. "Can't you do it? I know you said you're just an intern but I'd really rather it be." Thought of someone else coming over and touching her and looking her over made Laurel fell anxious. She knew it probably just had something to do with what she'd went through, but that didn't make her feel any better.

---

"You're not fine, Katie," he said, looking over at her with a worried gaze. He knew she was still pissed at him, but he still cared for her. "You should have had one of those medics take a look at you." He knew she was way too stubborn to do that, though, and she'd have insisted there were other people that needed him more. "We'll take a cab," he said, and before she could pull out her wallet, he finished, "And I'm paying, no exceptions."

Peter looked down at her hand, realizing just how scared she was in that moment. "Okay, okay, you're alright," he said, his voice immediately softening to help calm her down. "Are you drowsy? Nauseous? Unable to concentrate?" He questioned, keeping his voice low. "Just try to relax, okay? I know you've had a very stressful day, but I need you to focus, okay? What's your name? I'm Peter."

---

"I am fine, Steve," she quipped, giving him a look. She'd gone through worse for longer, and she'd probably do it again. "They were too busy. Did you know that there were hostages to take care of?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she stared at him pointedly, wanting him to understand. She didn't need help. She would be fine. "No, we won't - Steve, stop." She sighed, scowling up at him. "If I call a car, will you not call a cab?" She conceded, looking up at him with a sigh.

"I feel confused more than anything," Laurel said, biting her lip as she looked at him. She hoped his questions meant that he wouldn't be leaving her. "Um, and a little worried." She was surprised at how soothing his voice was the more he talked, and it made her feel the teensiest bit better. "I'm Laurel," she said softly. "Laurel Madison. Do you need my ID? I don't think I have it."

---

"Call the car and I won't say another word about it," he said, folding his arms across his chest. He could be as stubborn as her sometimes, though he wouldn't admit it. "And you're getting your leg checked out when he get back to headquarters." Luckily, back there, he'd have more people on his side. Agent Fury certainly wouldn't let her walk around with a limp without at least getting it checked out.

"Confused? What are you confused about?" He questioned. He was quickly ruling out a concussion. It was looking more like shock than anything else. And that he could handle. "No, it's okay. I believe you. Have the police asked you anything yet, Laurel?" He asked her, watching her closely. "If they have, I could call you a cab, maybe? Have you get home? That might be the best thing for you right now. Do you have anyone to stay with you?"

---

Katie reached into her pants pocket, grasping her phone and dialing a number. "I need a car. No, just - Track my location. Yeah, we were at the labs. And I - Yeah, I figured he'd want to talk to me. Just hurry it up, okay? I need Rogers checked out as soon as possible," she paused, rolling her eyes at him when Steve spoke again. "And I need to get checked out too. But it's not that important. It can wait. Alright, thanks" With that she hung up, frowning at him. "Are you happy now?"

"I guess the whole thing is just a big blur," she said, rubbing her eyes for a moment. Things were all starting to run together and she couldn't keep anything straight. "Do I have to talk to them?" She asked, a slight worry to her voice. "I really don't think I can, Peter. I won't be any help. I can't remember what happened." She paused, struggling for a moment to remember everything. "My parents are out of town, and um, I don't really have any friends I could stay with."

---

"I'm very happy, actually," he said, looking at her a bit smugly. There was no telling how soon a car would get there and Katie didn't need to be using her foot more than necessary. "Come here," he said before reaching his arm around he waist and pulling her towards him so she could lean against him instead of resting weight on her foot. He looked around but didn't spot a bench anywhere, and he didn't know how long Katie would let him touch her. He was surprised he'd gotten this close.

Peter nodded his head. Confusion was common in shock victims. He reached over and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it comfortingly, hoping that it would help relax her just a little bit. "I'll talk to them, okay? I'll let them know," he murmured, offering her a small smile. "You don't - You shouldn't stay alone, Laurel. That's probably the last thing you need," he said, trying to think of something that he could do.

---

Katie rolled her eyes at him, sighing at how smug he was looking. Of course he'd be smug about this. "What? What are you - " She let him pull her against him more because she wasn't sure what he was doing at first than anything else. She went to pull away, but a sharp pain ran through her foot and she winced. Maybe the sprain was worse than she'd thought. "Shit, that hurts," she mumbled, leaning her weight on him just a bit more.

"Would you please stay with me, Peter?" Under any other circumstance, she certainly wouldn't have asked him and her parents would have killed her, but he was a medic and looked safe enough. Maybe her judgement was clouded or it was the PTSD talking, but she didn't really want to be around anyone else but him right now.

---

"Would you mind if I take a look?" He asked, pointing down at her foot. He knew he was walking on thin ice with her at the moment, but he was trying to make things better. He had never been good at having people angry with him, especially when it was someone he was as close to as Katie. "I'm not a doctor but I learned a few things in the war."

Peter took in a deep breath. Without his powers, he couldn't go out at night. And at least he'd be doing something to help someone. "Are you sure?" He asked, wanting to make sure that she was okay with that. He wasn't sure what was going on in her mind, and he didn't want her to freak out in a couple of hours that she'd let some sheer stranger stay with her in her home.

---

Katie sighed, wanting to be mad at him. She really did. But, as always, she was finding it harder and harder. She understood that he was just looking out for her, even if she didn't want him to. She looked up at him for a couple of moments before motioning to her foot. "You might as well. God knows you'd keep bothering about me if I said no," she said, finally allowing herself to crack a small smile.

"Yes, I'm sure, I swear," Laurel said with a nod of her head. She was more confident of that than she was of anything else at that moment. Nothing was making any sense, but this guy, Peter, for some reason made sense to her. "I don't want to be alone. Please, Peter." She didn't think about sounding desperate or that this went above and beyond the call of duty for intern paramedic; she was just thinking about what she wanted.

---

"Here, let me lift up your pants just a bit." Steve got down on his knees and leaned towards her leg, slowly rolling up the leg of her pants so he could see her ankle. It looked a bit swollen, but he couldn't tell how bad with the her shoe in the way. Without even asking, he used one hand to hold up her leg with her shin while he used the other to slip off her shoe as slow as he could. "Does that hurt?" He asked as he pressed his thumb and forefinger on opposite sides of her ankle.

"Okay, okay," he murmured, watching her close. The last thing that Peter wanted was for her to freak out. "Look, do you want to stay with me? Or should I stay with you?" He asked her, his hand on her arm, brushing his thumb up and down in an effort to comfort her. He knew that this was probably not a good idea. That all he should do would be to go to SHIELD headquarters and figure out what was going on. But Laurel was in front of him and he wanted to make sure that she was okay. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

---

Katie kept her leg still, her body tensing as he rolled up her pants. Her hand was on his shoulder, gripping it tightly to help keep her weight off of her foot. She bit her lip, refusing to make a sound when his hand hit her skin. She wasn't used to people touching her. In fact, she usually felt uncomfortable being close to just about anyone. Without meaning to she let out a sudden noise, giving her head a short nod. "Like a bitch," she murmured, her grip tightening. "Must be a bad sprain."

"My house would be good," Laurel said, nodding her head once as she tightened the blanket around her. She guessed Peter was right about it being comforting. "I think I'd like to lay in my own bed." She paused and bit her lip softly before she gave him the only smile she could form. "Thank you, Peter. It means a lot to me."

---

"It looks pretty bad," Steve agreed, not moving his hand from her foot. "Do you mind if I just..." He didn't wait for her answer before he was massaging it slowly, hoping to relieve a bit of tension from it to make Katie feel better. A couple of his war buddies had gotten simple injuries like that, and it seemed rubbing it and splints were the only things they could do.

Peter nodded his head, offering her a small smile. "Alright. It's no problem, really," he glanced around, looking for someone that looked in charge. "I'm going to go see if we can then, okay? I'll be right back," he added, not wanting her to think that he was just going to leave. Normally he wouldn't' have been worried about it, but she seemed to be in shock and she might not be thinking that clearly. "You just... Stay here, yeah? I promise that I'll be right back over. I'm not leaving."

---

It was taking her longer than it should have for a response. Part of her was dying to tell him to stop, her level of comfort taking priority over easing her pain. But another part of her wanted to let him continue since it was actually starting to help it, if only slightly. "Steve, can you - We're in the middle of New York City, just... Please stop, okay?" She was partially lying. She didn't care that people were walking past them, but it had been the first thing that had come to mind. "They'll take care of it at headquarters."