A Bird whose Wings have been Cut

He drove them up to the Death City hospital with Iris running through the speakers on repeat. Tony let the song finish running through one final time before turning the car off completely and going around to her side to let her out. He offered an arm to her to help her inside, though he didn't say a word.

She sat there for a few minutes, running her hand through her hair one last time before taking it, waiting for him to guide her into the hospital.

He led her without question, saying not a word as he brought her in and requested the necessary paperwork for her. The nurse at the front desk kept shooting him looks and flirting advances, but he reciprocated nothing, merely helping Claire however he could.

Finally finishing the paperwork, she handed it back to the nurse, and they were instructed to take a seat in the waiting area. Claire split from Tony, taking slow steps over to one of the chairs. She practically fell into one, fatigue seeping into her bones.

He walked over to her, kneeling down in front of her rather than taking a seat beside her. "Claire, have you even slept at all?"

Claire nodded, giving a long yawn. "I slept last night... I was just as tired as I am now..."

He shook his head, "Aside from that?"

She shook her head, resting her head in her hands. Not a moment after, a nurse stepped out of the door, peeking around. "Claire Farron?" She stood at that, wobbling a bit from fatigue

Antonio didn't give her even a moment, instantly lifting her into his arms and approaching the doorway. "I'd like to at least set her down,"

The nurse looked between the two, then nodded. "Alright, but we do need to run our standard tests... This way to the examination room. She can sit in there until she feels more able." With that they were led through the door and into a hospital room, where Claire immediately slipped into one of the chairs, rubbing her head. The nurse grabbed a clipboard, jotting down on it. "So, aside from fatigue what are her symptoms?"

Tony flushed, shifting on his feet and looking down. "I'm just a friend with a car... you'd... have to ask her."

Claire looked up at the nurse for a moment, then looked down at the floor again. Finally, she managed to say. "I'm pregnant." The nurse nodded in comprehension, offering a reassuring smile. "I'll grab a doctor for you. Just wait here." With that she left, leaving them alone. After a moment Claire spoke again. "Why couldn't you just talk for me?"

"What was I supposed to say?" He said, looking at her sheepishly, "How am I supposed to know your symptoms? And aside from that, I'm not even supposed to be BACK HERE." He shrugged, shifting on his feet while his teeth played with the ring in his tongue.

Claire clenched her hands into her hair, tugging not so gently. "I just want to be home. I want to sleep and eat and cry and punch something and I can't handle the way I hurt right now."

He reached over, hand hovering at the base of her shirt, "Can I see the scars, kiddo?"

She looked over to him, her tired and almost hollow eyes questioning his own, but slowly she pulled the shirt up just over her stomach. Again, the singular scar running across her stomach was the largest, though there were a few smaller ones from her time in the labs.

He knelt in front of her, eyes scanning over the surface. "Do you.... know what they did....?"

Claire looked down at him, unsure. "I don't know. But I think... I think they did this to me. I just... I don't want this..."

His teeth went into his lower lip quickly, even as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a surgical steel rosary. He held it up for her to see, the cross and Virgin Mary swinging lazily where they dangled. "I... can't support that, Claire."

She shook her head as well, nodding. "I'm catholic..." She ran her hands through her hair, sighing. "I just... I'm afraid that...for all the support I'm going to get...I'm going to do all this alone."

"That's really not how that works," he began but just as he was going to continue to speak, the doctor came in and he promptly backed out.

The visit was, surprisingly, short. The doctor had asked so see her scars, told her to keep cleaning them in the mornings, and to call immediately for an appointment if it looked like the pregnancy might cause them to reopen. However, she was told, they looked to be well enough along in their healing that she would be fine. Soon enough, they were headed back out to the car. Claire leaned against the passenger side, rubbing her eyes. "Take me home?"

"Nope," he said instantly, driving her to the first place that he felt was appropriate: the cathedral.

She looked up at the cathedral, even going so far as to step out of car. Then she shook her head, sliding back into her seat and resting her hands on her thighs, squeezing her pants. "Tony... Just take me anywhere but here?"

"Not gunna happen," he said instantly, picking her up once more and leading her inside, setting her down at one side of the alter while he knelt at the other.