The more I write, the more something seems off.
I'm so anxious.
Inside the bedroom, the atmosphere was tense and oppressive, the two locked in a long, silent verbal tug-of-war. Pepper's anxiety turned into anger, each question laced with barely concealed fear. She had seen Tony return wounded countless times, yet she still couldn't get used to him risking his life time and time again. Tony's shoulders slumped, all his usual arrogance vanished. Looking at his lover's reddened eyes, he knew he was in the wrong, and the usually eloquent Tony was utterly speechless.
After several silent standoffs, Pepper looked at the unhealed scrapes on his arm and his pale, haggard face. Her anger finally gave way to heartache, and she couldn't bear to continue arguing with Tony, who was covered in wounds. However, with nowhere to vent her pent-up grievances and worries, she silently turned and left the bedroom, walking across the soft carpet to the empty, quiet living room on the top floor. She sat alone in the corner of the sofa, gazing at the morning light through the floor-to-ceiling windows, her lips pursed, silently fuming.
Seeing Pepper leave the bedroom alone and sulk in the living room, Lynn slowly walked to the bedroom door, his gaze falling on Tony, who was restless by the bed and completely at a loss for how to comfort his lover. He didn't say anything, but simply raised his chin slightly and gestured gently in the direction of Pepper in the living room, his eyes straightforward and helpless: Go over there quickly and coax her.
Tony understood the implication in Lynn's eyes and stood silently for a long time.
He was naturally proud and arrogant, used to being indulged by others, and never willing to easily bow his head and admit defeat. But last night, Lynn's words, which advised him to give Pepper a proper status and not let his lover keep waiting, echoed clearly in his mind.
Looking up at the lonely, forlorn woman in the living room, his heart pounding with guilt, he could no longer harden his heart. Finally, he sighed softly, setting aside all his pride and stubbornness, and took a step forward, slowly walking towards Pepper, who was sulking alone in the living room.
Having witnessed Tony willingly lower his pride and confront his relationship issues, no longer allowing the conflict to fester, Lynn lingered no longer. With a calm expression, he turned and, with Natasha by his side, who had been quietly waiting, walked down the corridor to the living room, leaving the two upstairs alone.
The living room on the first floor returned to quiet. Morning sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the floor in its warmth and dispelling the lingering chill of the night. Lynn leaned back on the sofa, her fingertips casually tracing the imitation gemstone on her chest. She looked up and softly called out to the home's smart system: " JARVIS."
Lynn calmly and methodically gave the instructions, "Organize the data on the shrapnel residue in Tony's body, the imaging data of the Arc Reactor attached to the flesh, the complete medical examination report, and the preoperative risk assessment. Categorize and integrate all the medical documents into a concise and easy-to-understand consultation document. Remind him after he's dealt with his relationship issues."
[The instruction has been confirmed. All medical data is being rapidly integrated. Document generation is complete. Mr. Stark will be notified promptly.]
Up in the rooftop living room, Tony set aside all of Stark's arrogance and stubbornness, patiently sitting beside Pepper and softening his tone to soothe her. He recounted his struggles, every word sincere.
After Pepper calmed down, Tony turned to look at Pepper face more closely and clearly saw the heavy dark circles under her eyes and the tired bloodshot eyes. Tony's heart softened, and his tone became even gentler as he softly advised her to put her worries aside and go to the guest room next door to catch up on some sleep.
Watching Pepper lie down in the guest room and fall asleep peacefully, Tony gently closed the door, feeling a huge weight lifted from his heart. He didn't linger, but walked slowly down the stairs alone, heading straight to the living room on the first floor to find Lynn, who was waiting there.
Hearing the voice, Lynn looked up at Tony, who had walked up to her and whose expression had calmed down somewhat. She said, "Perfect timing, you're here. We can talk about that time bomb in your chest."
"I remember a cardiac surgeon surnamed Wu gave you his contact information. It's better to act sooner rather than later; contact a professional doctor for a consultation as soon as possible to finalize a treatment plan."
Seeing the hesitation and fear that Tony couldn't hide in his eyes, Lynn softened her tone, becoming less direct and more earnest in her advice. "The longer you avoid this, the heavier the torment in your heart will be. Not only are you tormented day and night by the fear of surgery, but Pepper, Yinsen, and everyone who cares about you are constantly worried about you. Make a decision sooner, and everyone will be able to rest easy sooner."
After a slight pause, Lynn, noticing his tense expression, offered a non-surgical, completely curative alternative. "Actually, if you still resist open-chest surgery and are afraid of the helplessness of lying on the operating table, I can do it myself. I can non-invasively remove, transform, and extract all the shrapnel from your body, without any incisions or wounds."
The moment those words were spoken, Tony reacted violently, instinctively taking half a step back, his face turning pale.
Almost instinctively, she raised her hand to refuse, her fingertips even turning slightly white from the force, her tone betraying genuine panic and fear. "No."
"I'll contact Dr. Wu. I'll have JARVIS send the data right now, and we'll schedule a consultation immediately."
Tony knew better than anyone the extraordinary and bizarre nature of Lynn's power. The surgery had clear risks and a controllable procedure, but Lynn's ability... was a completely unknown abyss.
"Throughout the entire subsequent surgery, all you need to do is stay by your side and provide support, stabilize the situation, and eliminate any unexpected complications."
Lynn glanced at Tony's tense expression, a faint smile flickering in his eyes. He quickly withdrew the invisible pressure emanating from him and readily agreed, "Alright, since you trust the certainty of modern medicine more, then go with your plan. I'll just be your backup plan."
Tony's tense back finally relaxed completely, and he let out a long sigh of relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted. He immediately turned around and ordered in a deep voice, " JARVIS, send the medical records that Lynn asked you to compile to Dr. Wu, and immediately initiate a video consultation request."
[Command confirmed. Data sent. Awaiting Dr. Wu's confirmation of connection.]
Before long, accompanied by a soft notification sound, the light in the center of the living room slightly distorted, and a deep blue holographic projection instantly took shape.
In the projection, Dr. Wu, wearing a white coat, appeared gentle and composed.
"Good morning, Mr. Stark." Doctor Wu's voice carried a reassuring certainty. " Miss Potts Pepper Potts has already shown me your file. Although the situation is complicated, it's not without reliable solutions. When would you be available to come in for an examination and evaluation?"