5988/Check-In, not Check-Out

Check-In, not Check-Out
Date of Scene:	13 December 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	In which Steve receives some visitors in Jessica and Tony, both of whom bring their variations on cheer via candy and CC-TV footage.
Cast of Characters:	Captain America, Spider-Woman (Drew), Iron Man

---

Captain America has posed:
After a retrieval made harrowing by the possibility of another sniper round from one erstwhile Winter Soldier, Steve was returned to the Triskelion post-haste. Emergency surgery was the immediate response by SHIELD's expert staff and while this isn't the first time the Captain's been wheeled in, it's still shocking to see him under the bright lights and the steely surgical tools of the doctors.

Two bullets removed, one from his torso where it perforated a kidney, and the other from the meat of his thigh where it nearly tore into the femoral artery. Neither have identifing rifling marks, but it matters very little. Even if no one's actively saying it aloud, the rumor mill isn't incorrect about presuming just //who// attempted Steve's life.

It's been a day of stabilization and only now are the medical staff allowing visitors beyond that of the upper echelon of SHIELD proper. Steve's propped up on white pillows beneath a thick blanket, his body otherwise covered by the generic teal-blue of a hospital gown. He'd look as if he were sleeping if it weren't for the dark circles beneath his eyes and the myriad of monitors he's attached to. Machines make quiet regular beeps and sinewaves prove that he's still kicking. He's lightly napping now at that reclined sitting angle, eyes shut.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
It's been a harrowing experience, to be certain. Jessica Drew has been practically pacing holes in the floor of the Triskelion. Checking paperwork. Checking printouts. Filling out reports. And pissing /everyone/ off by demanding to see Steve Rogers. So it is of great relief to Jessica and everyone else when she's finally allowed to go inside. She's dressed in a crimson bodysuit laced daintily with metallic gold webbing, and a pair of charcoal cargo pants with leather boots. A jacket is tied around her waist by the sleeves, and she's carrying a half-full fifth cup of coffee, still hot. It isn't until she reaches Steve's bedside, pushing past the nurse that holds the door open for her, that she even questions whether she should wake him. It's enough to see him alive, at least for a brief moment.

Iron Man has posed:
    The harassment style of Tony Stark was not one that was in the hospital area itself. No, Nick Fury was the one who got to be up to his eyeball in a Stark. The calls for information were first. Enough was given to temporarly sate Tony, but for the last two hours there has been some 'Tony containment' going on to keep him well out of the way. It is as if Fury knew how to deal with Tony, better than most others. Now, though, Tony has either gotten loose (or been let loose), and he has made his way down to the recovery room.

    Tony needs to shave a little bit, that was skipped that early morning, but doesn't /really/ need to; it's just a slightly different rakish rogue look than his usual. He's dressed neatly otherwise, appreciative smile and nod given to the nurse that didn't realize she was also holding the door for him until he was upon her. Compared to Jessica and her pheramones, Tony is probably amazing in contrast. Not that he needs it.

    Tony's attention is into the room, though, taking in the situation quickly. He got the main information from elsewhere, so this really is a focus on Steve himself. And the machines, taking out his tension on looking at those as if they were not good enough.

Captain America has posed:
The amount of ruckus (what can be called ruckus in hospital terms) of people entering the room is enough to bring Steve up from his catnap. His chest rises in a bigger inhale even as he squints hard once and then opens his eyes. A blink and he rolls his head on the pillows to blearily consider who's present. Ah, not nurses, for once! Or doctors!

"Come to tell me that I'm an idiot?" He asks the self-depricating question with a faint laugh that's clearly all he can manage with sutures still healing on his abdomen. His voice is a little rough and he frowns as he looks left and right for a glass of water that was supposedly nearby.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica notes Steve's searching glances, and she looks around the room, finding a cup sitting next to a small pitcher. Melting ice is floating in the half-filled cup, and a bendy-straw is haphazardly resting at an angle in the clear plastic container. "This?" she asks, without explanation. She picks up the cup and hands it gingerly to Steve. "How are you feeling? Doing all right?" She casts a glance at Tony as he stares judgingly at the machine that goes 'bing.'

Iron Man has posed:
    "Sounds like that idiot part is handled," Tony says smoothly, claiming one of the chairs that appears most comfortable, after drawing it into appropriate position so that Steve can most easily see him. "What /isn't/ handled is me knowing whether or not the infinity stone is threatening to take over the planet or not," Tony says, his tone teasing. "Some information I'm sure you'd like to get off your chest," Tony continues dryly.

    "Also," Tony adds, "I'm going to go ahead and remove access to the Avengers mansion for everyone you've previously vouched for, just for a little while." Mostly Bucky. Entirely Bucky. Tony never liked him visiting the mansion to begin with. Now, there's a firmness in Tony's dark eyes.

Captain America has posed:
"Yes, thanks, Jessica," rasps Steve as he takes the offered cup from Jessica. There's a tired frown at the bendy straw, as if it were somehow insult to injury, but he wants water more than to keep his pride intact at least in this moment. A swallow and he tries clearing his throat carefully; they always have to tube during surgeries and it's hell on the trachea. "I always forget how much it hurts to be shot," he adds to Jessica in particular, as if it were normal to have this benchmark, before he looks over at Tony.

The genius inventor gets a ghost of the usual wry smirk. "It's in my desk, Tony. Meant to get it in that morning," he reveals, laying his head back against the pillows again. The cup is nestled in his hand on the covers as he inhales and exhales slowly, almost meditatively. "And just for a little while is fine. Need to get our ducks in a row as is," he murmurs.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica's brows arch at Steve's offhanded answer to Tony's inquiry about the infinity stone. "In your desk?" She blinks, considering the implications. "I freak out if I forget and leave my phone charger in my desk..."

She looks between Steve and Tony, and nods in agreement. Something about Bucky always rubbed her the wrong way, anyway. She certainly won't protest his privileges being revoked. "Do you need anything? I can get things." Fantastic offer. She is suddenly aware that she sounds like a sleazy guy in a trenchcoat on a street corner.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Since it wasn't urgent, I'm going with not planet-threatening, for the moment," Tony says, with some mixed emotions in the tone. There's relief, but it possibly isn't entirely about the news about the infnity stone. "Get 'it in'? I hope it's a report, and we're not just leaving infinity stones in your drawer," Tony says, giving Jessica a side-look. Steve's on some powerful drugs, clearly, to overpower the Super Soldier's system.

    "Just look on the bright side, you'll be up and ready to get shot again in no time. I have to take /weeks/ off. Well. I'm supposed to." Tony doesn't always rest properly.

Captain America has posed:
Steve blinks again and looks perplexed as he glances between Jessica and Tony. It's a bit of time for the connection to catch up to him and he then sighs and slowly shakes his head. "The report. The report about the stone is in my desk." He rubs at his face carefully with his spare hand. "It's all there, what I spoke about with Thor 'n Loki. ...whatever they put in the drip isn't out of my system yet," he mutters, now glowering at the tube in his arm. However, he is a good patient and does not remove it. Yet.

"I don't have weeks either. I gotta get to Bucky. Stupid punk, just..." A heavy sigh. He squints at Jessica. "You have any reports on him?" His slow shift of eyes now includes Tony as well and there's a bleary but steely glint now in them.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
Jessica considers the question, and then looks to Tony. "I don't know of any. It's just a gut feeling I have. You know that feeling you get when Loki walks into the room? That." She's a little amused by Steve's not-with-it-ness, but it doesn't distract from the gravity of the situation. "Tony? Do you know of any reports on him?"

Iron Man has posed:
    Tony invites himself to get up and flip the IV bag around, drawing his mobile device and passing it over some of the codes. He nudges through some 'low key' overly bright yellow holograms that appear. And gives a whistle. "Well. At least they gave you a mighty cocktail," Tony observes, actually impressed, sitting back down. Tony had his own cocktails with Fury, it has helped Tony be a little more agreeable overall. Fury knew how to distract Tony.

    "Visions of talking nicely with Loki and everything," Tony remarks, with a shake of his head. But then the question about the reports. "They told /me/ he's off the grid. But I'm not done with my own reports, and I think I might have a hit." Because he's Tony Stark.

Captain America has posed:
The man in the hospital gown isn't necessarily suspicious, but he gives Tony a long and vacant enough frown to get his point across after hearing of this potential hit. "I know the feeling you're talking about," he then asides to Jessica, giving her a wane smile. "I was just there speaking to him." Yeah, Steve, we know -- that is indeed one hell of a drug cocktail.

But back to Tony now, his attention slides. "I'm not surprised that he's off the grid. Dammit," the Captain mutters, his head falling back against the pillows again. "Just wanted to jog in the open air. Guess it's back to the track. Where was the hit, Tony? And I don't mean me," he quips with another sardonic little snicker."

Belatedly (and proof of his brain skittering about on those drugs), he glances over at Jessica. "Could get me some jellybeans?" It's another way for the young woman to make more people mad! Of course he's been relegated to hospital food for another day or so. Jello so does not count.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Jellybeans! I'm on it," Jessica replies, as if it's the best idea she's heard all day. And without another word, she slips out of the room, ignoring the daggers stared her direction by two nurses tittering outside another closed door down the hall. She breezes past them, completely oblivious, and disappears down an adjoining hallway. She's on a mission, quite possibly the most important of her life. To get jellybeans for Captain America.

She's gone less than five minutes before returning triumphantly with a bag that must weigh nearly a pound, filled with assorted Jelly Belly beans of every flavour imaginable. Steve in Accounting has an affinity for the delectable sweets, and he was always a sucker for her smile. She knew /just/ where to go.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Busy shopping center parking area in Two Bridges, Chinatown," Tony relates. And because HE would have wanted this information, he provides it. He looks around, though, and decides to appropriate the television. With just a little bit of time he turns it on, mutes it, and takes it over with video footage of a man in killer disguise: baseball cap and hoodie!, walking through. Another camera picks up from there, clearly quickly spliced in by Tony controlling it on the fly.

    "He's not MY best buddy but we got a lot of footage of him when he was jogging inside the Avengers mansion, getting some real clean comparisons." Tony's AI knows what it's doing! "Just not the best detail on those cameras; he didn't do me the favor of wandering outside of my tower." As Jessica returns, she'll no doubt catch the end of that, as well as some of the nice video Tony's set up for Steve.

Captain America has posed:
Steve watches Jessica disappear from the recovery room with a vaguely surprised cast to his features. Wow. She's fast. He then looks to Tony again, having to take a second to bring himself back up to speed. Ah, hit, right, the one not himself. He finishes the cup of water as he watches the man fiddle with the television and slowly sets the empty cup aside on the table, stupid bendy straw and all.

"Why there...?" whispers the Captain, mostly to himself, though easily loud enough for Tony to catch. That is a...ridiculously effective disgise, unfortunately enough, combined with the brisk walking pace of the would-be assassin. Steve's still squinting at the footage when Jessica returns and it's her presence that breaks him from the hyper-concentration on the screen.

"Oh, thank you, Jessica." Another small smile for the woman. Wow -- that is a //lot// of jellybeans.

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Well you're a whole lot of man," Jessica replies, taking the pitcher and refilling the cup. Wow, that sounded....

"I mean you're all muscle of course, not that you're..." Worse, Jess. You're making it worse. "Just eat your jellybeans, Steve," she finally finishes.

Iron Man has posed:
    "You tell me. Horribly crowded, though," Tony observes with a shake of his head. "He almost-- yes, here." Tony keys into the footage to show where a vehicle nearly strikes the person in the hoodie as it was trying to steal a parking spot from another car. Tony looks at Jessica as she makes that comment. He grins promptly, and arches his brows from her across to Steve.

    "Should I give you two some time?" Tony asks, welcoming the fun of this. "To discuss his muscle without me having to listen to it?"

Captain America has posed:
"Yes, m'am," replies Steve to the suggestion about enjoying the sugary confections. Mmm, jellybeans. Hopefully he can hide them from the nurse after these two leave for the day. It'd be a damn shame if someone took Steve Rogers's jellybeans, after all he's been through.

He frowns at the footage, however, seeing the utter disconnect between the danger and the man's travels. The jellybean on its way to his mouth is held instead as he sets his hand in his lap, alongside the bag of open candy. "He's not...not even half-present."

An eyebrow at Tony, however, for his comment. "I'm leaner than I should be."

Spider-Woman (Drew) has posed:
"Oh, for Pete's sake..." Jessica mutters at Tony's suggestion. But she's watching the television, too, transfixed. "Somethin' definitely off there," she observes, her brow furrowed. She walks a little closer, watching intently as Tony replays parts. "You don't think maybe he was being controlled, too...?"

Iron Man has posed:
    "If you blame the reason for that on not having access to the mansion's gym equipment or kitchens lately," Tony begins to warn, and then pauses. "Well--- I am partially responsible, but you should focus on healing, not spreading blame around, earned or not." Tony looks at the television, and does a 'few things'. He's unlocked one hell of a lot of viewing potential for Steve. A nice gift. "That's all we've got, he goes inside at this point. Controlled? Hard to tell." Tony backs up the footage some, since they're still watching it. He lets it play again. And then ends it.

    "Heal up, Cap. We'll nab him," Tony assures Steve with clear certainty. Which may or may not make Steve feel much better about the situation. But Tony feels better. Steve's not dying. It is time to let the guy sleep, and direct his attention onto that assassin.

Captain America has posed:
The Captain lifts one shoulder in a mild-mannered shrug at Tony's defensive reply -- he has a point, in turning the focus to healing. Can't do crunches until the sutures come out anyways. One jellybean makes its way into Steve's mouth and he chews slowly, watching the footage played back one last time. He frowns and looks down at the candies, his eyes suddenly hundreds of miles away.

"He's being controlled," he mutters tiredly, glancing up at Jessica again. "An old friend of ours, Arnim Zola." By Steve's cold tone, drugged as he is, there's a whupping headed that man's way. "I'm not too proud to hit a man who wears glasses." He then gives Tony a significant look. "Keep me updated." It's not a question or anything technically polite, that request, and it promises the usual brusque feedback by voice until he too can join in on this hunt.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Yep," Tony says immediately, without any problem with that. OTHER people are around to try to limit Steve's activity or something. Tony is fine to provide evidence or information, and bend the rules a little. Or a lot.

    Tony moves over to the jar and fishes out a handful for the road. He eats a few, and then sets the tv remote near Steve. "I connected you up to access the files, and I'll add more to the same place as I get them."

    Tony then lowers his eyes to consider Steve in the bed, drugged and hurt, but ends up with, "These're good," said of the jellybeans in his hand to Jessica, a quick mock-salute, and he's exited.