3058/Wake Up Call

Wake Up Call
Date of Scene:	23 August 2020
Location:	Medbay
Synopsis:	Peggy and Bruce talk after his rampage. They grow closer.
Cast of Characters:	Peggy Carter, Bruce Banner

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Peggy Carter has posed:
While there are plenty of good hospitals in New York, Bruce has worked with the Avengers long enough and is on SHIELD's radar that Peggy makes the call to bring him back to the Triskelion. She trusts their medical technology more than anything IF something is wrong, and it's less likely to be flooded with reporters. She brought him in and gave her report while they were moving him into the recovery ward.

All scans, fortunately, turn up nothing except for exhaustion and dehydration. It means he's got a single IV line running and two monitors at his chest, just to be certain nothing strange pops up, but it's mainly precaution tools. She didn't let them hook him up to ANYTHING ELSE and, while he was sleeping, he might have dimly heard her insisting, "No. He is not your science experiment and there is no reason any of that is necessary." Which might be why she's made herself his watcher. Just so SHIELD doesn't decide to deeper monitor one of it's 'assets'.

She's now sitting at his beside, a while later, a datapad open in her lap. She's got her suit jacket off, showing her cream satin camisole beneath and the slightly strange sitting of the fabric against tension taped ribs. She has a datapad in her lap, looking over some of her catching up to modern day studies in the silence of the medical room.

Bruce Banner has posed:
Banner was dozing in and out of consciousness. Despite him having little to no control at all when the Hulk takes over, the physical strain of the transformation is something to behold. It?s like burning out to the most extreme degree when Banner reverts. Alas, his eyes seek to start to flutter open, apparently unaware of his location or even what he's doing.

He lifts his hand to notice the IV and the monitor pads on his chest. Speaking of the monitor, his heart rate spikes from sudden panic of not knowing where he is.

"Where am I? Where am I!" it?s like waking up from the worst of nightmares. He doesn't seem to recall Peggy defending him.but he does notice her in a very relaxed state out of the corner of his eyes.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The moment his monitors change, Peggy sits forward. Work put aside, she even only slightly winces as her ribs inform her moving *quite* that quick wasn't a wise choice. But she's more worried about Bruce than anything. "Bruce, it's me. Take a breath... It's Peg. You're fine. You're at the Triskelion with SHIELD. I had them take you here instead of one of the hospitals, better to avoid any nosy reporters."

Her voice is calm and reassuring, tone measured, not quite flat because there's still concern behind her words, but she's doing her best to model that everything is fine. There's no reason to panic. He's safe and sound. She reaches out to gently wrap one of her hands across his palm without the IV.

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce looks around like he was stuck in a prison with no way out, but Peggy serves as his shining light when her hand wraps around his palm. "Peggy?" He asks of her before his breathing begins to slow, soften, even as his heart rate slows right back down to a calm, gentle pace. The least chance of Banner becoming angry the better.

"Thank you, Peggy." He takes a deeper breath before he looks at her. "H....How many?" It?s like he's asked for the Hulk's kill count of the day. Granted, two thugs were absolutely Yahtzee-tosses by the Hulk when Bruce first changed and though critically injured, they'd make it. Any other possible casualties were prevented by the Blue Marvel.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Her hand doesn't pull back. If anything, Peggy slightly tightens her grasp, squeezing his palm in quiet reassurance that yes, it's her. Yes, she's here. She's not leaving and he's fine. She gives a slight shake of her head as he says thank you, "No, no reason to thank me. I'm just glad I was able to make it in time. Glad... glad I could help at all." She admits softly.

The question of how many gets a slightly confused furrow of her brow, but just for a moment. Then she catches on, already aware of what his concerns about the Hulk are. She releases one of her hands from his palm, reaching to the datapad to pull up the to-this-moment updates she's already asked for. "...None. A few in critical condition but the last report I got is that they are all stable. Blue Marvel helped a lot. I've asked for SHIELD to keep giving me updates, but it looks like it wasn't... that awful."

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce actually...squeezes her hand in return when she gives him that quiet reassurance that its really her and she's not going anywhere. "You helped more than you know, I feel like." his finger gently rubs against her own as a comforting motion, but it seems that Peggy and Bruce's bond is growing ever stronger by way of reliability.

When she tells him that there've been no casualties thanks to her and Blue Marvel, he seems relieved. "I'll have to thank him too." Its then that he looks at Peggy. "I feel like my list of owing you is starting to get taller." he says as an awkward attempt at humor. "What can I do to repay your kindness to me?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
Red lips curl into a slightly wry smile as he says that, but she's shaking her head again almost immediately, "You don't owe me a *thing*, Bruce. Truly. You can thank Blue Marvel. I think he got far worse of it than I did. But I was happy to help and... he... He was really quite gentle with me." Dark eyes look back to his, not exactly apologetic, but with a wariness of someone who knows she might be saying things he doesn't want to hear.

"He clearly knew who I was. He had no wish to hurt me. The only time he started fighting was when..." She sighs a moment, knowing he wants to hear none of this. But she's not the sort who is willing to lie to a friend to make them comfortable. "When he felt you coming back, because he was calming down. He... didn't want to go away. But he didn't want to hurt me either." Her hand still hasn't left his.

Bruce Banner has posed:
Banner seems to smile when she suggests that he doesn't owe her a thing, but his eyes seem to narrow and his face seems to contort to one that is largely uncomfortable with this conversation. "Why would the Hu-....the other guy...not want to hurt you? Thats kind of what he does." He looks largely confused, like he doesn't understand quite what happened.

"Like the Hulk...liked you?" He asks curiously, but it makes sense that the Hulk doesn't want to revert to Banner. Hulk hates Banner.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Her thumb brushes quietly up and down the edge of his hand, a subconscious, reassuring sort of touch, but she's not stopping it, even as they discuss less comfortable subjects. "I don't think that's... all he does. He's more like an over emotional... Toddler. He's hurt, angry, fighting back at a world he doesn't really understand. But he still has feelings. And he *clearly* recognized me. He even knew how to say my name. So..." She sighs quietly, eyes a touch apologetic that she's giving him news he doesn't necessarily want to hear. "He retains some of your memories and associations. He wouldn't have known me, otherwise."

She lets that news hang in the air for a heartbeat or two before carefully turning to reach for the side table with her free hand. A cup of ice water, though now mostly melted, is passed in his direction. She's still moving a bit sore, but manages to hide it fairly well. "Here. Drink something. How are you feeling?"

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce feels a light shiver run through his form at the attention being given to his hand. Bruce usually never feels this kind of comfort, where someone actually -wants- to be there for him. It makes him smile, even if he truly does hate hearing about the Hulk with all of his soul. "It makes sense. We share a body in the most extreme split-personality disorder ever recorded. It makes sense that he affects me just as much as I affect him." Bruce lets out a sigh.

"I'm...happy he didn't hurt you. You mean a lot to me." Bruce allows himself to reveal that before he's offered the water. "Thank you." his free hand accepts it, but he notices that Peggy looks hurt. "What happened, Peggy?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"At least we *know* now. It... it might give us a better way to deal with him when he does come out at... Inconvenient points in time. It's more data. And more data is a better understanding. That's progress, at least." Peggy knows he doesn't like to hear it, but she also knows how to talk to scientists, her voice doing its best to be as reassuring as it is encouraging. She truly doesn't seem near so bothered by Hulk as he is.

Then she's caught, too relaxed and too sore to really effectively hide it. She looks momentarily almost guilty, but waves it off with her free hand. "Nothing. It's nothing. This isn't anything you did, I promise. Just... had an unexpected run in last night." There's a slight chuckle behind her voice, "While I didn't plan on testing the limits of modern body armor, it's... Nice to know. Between that and encountering the Hulk today, I... realize how much I've missed being in the field. I feel *better* than I have in ages. If... sore.

Bruce Banner has posed:
"I've known such for a little bit now, but I never considered that my likes and dislikes could transfer to the Hulk as well." He takes a deep breath. Even when Banner gets irritated, the Hulk show's his colors -- literally he eventually will. But Peggy is putting this in a very nice way, which largely makes things easier for Bruce to hear these words from her. "Maybe. It worked last time, but we have no guarantee that he won't try to do it next time...you know?"

Banner is just worred about Peggy. When she mentions she had an unexpected run in, Banner actually sits up a little bit even if he feels a little tired. "A run in with who?" he asks in equal parts terror as much concern. Granted, it doesn't look like Banner's going to Hulk out, but...its okay to be concerned right?

Peggy Carter has posed:
Hopefully it's alright to be concerned. Peggy isn't staring at him like he might dramatically shift any moment, even as emotions seem a little closer to the surface. She flickers a look across her shoulder, making certain no one from SHIELD is straight out in the hall or about to come in the room. Apparently, whatever she's been doing isn't totally above board. "It's truly not that bad. I've been doing some digging into... possible loose threads of some old enemies. HYDRA. I didn't expect the fight to actually happen, I was mainly there on survellience. But... sometimes life catches you off guard."

She squeezes his hand again, the motion meant to be reassuring, echoing along with a warmer smile. "It's not so bad. Cracked ribs are always horribly more painful than they are dangerous. I took two bullets but the armor handled it all. Not even a scratch. So, don't worry, yes? Just work on getting your own rest and back on your feet."

Bruce Banner has posed:
"How can I not be worried about someone I care for so much?" Bruce asks Peggy then, a look of deep concern on his face as he looks Peggy in the eyes. "Next time, please be more careful. I know I'm not exactly the kind of person to ask that sort of thing, but...please be careful." Banner pleads with Peggy, before he feels that squeeze to his hand once again.

"I'm glad you were wearing armor." he smiles then in relief before he rests his head back. "I'll take your advice. Just...we probably shouldn't be angling for another Code Green." a metaphorical term for Hulking out, no doubt.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Her lips press into a deeper smirk as he begs her to be more careful. Peggy's gaze is one of honest amusement, but part of her is still touched by his concern. However, she can't hide the amusement either. "Bruce, you are incredibly sweet. And goodness knows I'm going to worry about you out there as well. But I have been throwing myself at dangerous situations for upwards of 70 years now. I do not know if being *more* careful is who I am. But I will try. I already told Howlett I won't go on these hunts alone if I can help it." It's a compromise. She stares flatly at him, seeing if that offer is enough to calm his worry.

"...Code...Green." That just makes her smirk more, "I shall have to remember that. And no, I'd prefer you not to go through that again for quite some time either. But, if it happens... I'm going to try and run to you again, you know that? It worked once, and if I'm in the city, there's no reason for me to not try again."

Bruce Banner has posed:
Bruce keeps his attention firmly on Peggy as she tells him that she'd always worry about him. "But out of everyone that you could worry about, that you could care for...why me?" He asks. "You're a beautiful woman Peggy, very intelligent. A person who could turn into a W.M.D doesn't deserve your worries." He looks like he might even lift a hand as if to touch her cheek.

"Why me?"

Its a deep question, one that he's not exactly banking on Peggy to answer, but...anybody who has been this kind to him had to be earned, not freely given. Banner has very, very, very few people he could call friend, and Peggy had made it.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Something in those words gently breaks Peggy's heart, able to read the fact he feels like he needs to earn this. She shifts a little closer to him, her free hand now resting against his knee, though her other palm has never left his grasp. She shakes her head quietly, "Bruce... For one, I actively *made* a person who could turn into a WMD. Now, we both know Steve Rogers never would... but we didn't know that at the time. Project Rebirth was one of the most dangerous programs on the planet and I thank every star it turned out the way it did. But... the amount of people who tried to steal the technology. Who emulated it for awful purposes..." Peggy exhales slowly, the weight of decades momentarily clear in her face. "I won't regret what we did. But I can acknowledge that it was wildly dangerous."

Then she's looking back up to him, trying to push back the weight of her life, because that's not why she's here. But it's rare that Peggy looks her actual age of near a century. In that moment, her eyes did. "...But, more importantly, you're a kind, generous, brilliant man who has been nothing but wonderful to share companionship with since the moment we met. You have been honest with me and kind. Why would I do any different?"

Bruce Banner has posed:
When Peggy comes closer to him to look him in the eyes, his cheeks flare a different color than green: red. He takes that deep, shaky breath when she tells him that while she has made a torrential amount of mistakes, or things that could certainly escalate into mistakes, Bruce is not a mistake. He notices perhaps emotion in Peggy's face, his hand lifting to caress her cheek with his palm, if she allows him to, like its his turn to be the pillar of comfort for that brief instant.

"I..." he wants to say so many things, but his heart rate is rising again, not out of panic, but out of sheer just...nervousness and affection to be around Peggy. "When I recover...I would like to thank you. Maybe I could buy you a coffee?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
While some people might fear him, and the Hulk that dwells inside of him, Peggy is clearly not one of those people. She doesn't shy away in the least as his hand comes up to cup gently around her cheek. She just smiles a bit more, leaning against his steady palm. She's warm and surprisingly soft. Her cheek, at least. Her hand has the callouses of someone who spends daily time in a firearms range, but that's no surprise.

"Coffee would be lovely. But, there's no rush on it. Recover, get back to work, and I'll be here when you are feeling up to it. You know where to find me." She reassures him gently, not pulling away from that touch quite yet.

Bruce Banner has posed:
Soft indeed, softer than a cloud, if Bruce were the romantic type. She'll feel his thumb rub gently against her cheek. Unlike Peggy's hands, Bruce has the hand of a doctor, unshaking and meant for fine, acute tasks. His hands are surprisingly soft, compared to the Hulk's extremely tough skin. He looks like he's trying to sit up a little bit. "I'll be fine by tomorrow...the after effects hit me like a bus, but I'll be okay. I promise." he smiles He gets lost in those eyes.

He wants to make a move. He wants to do -something- to tell Peggy how he feels, how she's made him feel...but he refrains out of nervousness, for now. "I'm not keeping you from work, am I?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
Finally, she does sit back a bit, so their hands can gently fall and he can relax into the bed. If she's aware of the struggle he's feeling, she definitely doesn't comment on it. The last thing she'd want is to make this awkward. "No, no. I don't really have much...work... Assigned these days. I suppose I'm in semi-retirement until SHIELD figures out what they want to do with me. Or...what I'm going to do myself. But *you* should try and get some more rest so you can get out of here sooner rather than later. Just relax. I'll stay as long as I can. I've still got a few decades of military action and politics to continue reading up on."

She motions to her data pad with those words, apparently doing everything she can to study the modern political situation which is complicated on the best of days.