A deep blue holographic projection floated in the center of the living room, Dr. Wu's calm and gentle voice slowly descended, carrying the unique sense of security of a professional doctor.
Tony stared at the composed Dr. Wu on the projection screen, his chest rising and falling slightly as he suppressed the lingering panic in his heart and finally let go of his long-standing desire to escape.
He clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, finalizing the arrangements. "I'll be there on time tomorrow morning. Please reserve an operating room and all the necessary testing equipment. If conditions are suitable, we can perform the surgery on the spot, so I don't have to back out."
"No problem."
Dr. Wu nodded slightly, his tone remaining calm. "I will adjust all the plans in advance and customize a surgical procedure specifically for the old shrapnel in your body to minimize intraoperative trauma and postoperative risks. See you tomorrow, Mr. Stark."
As the words fell, the holographic projection's light slowly dissipated, and the living room returned to silence.
The only sound inside was the faint noise of traffic outside the window. Tony stood there, motionless for a long time. Even though the consultation and surgery plans had been finalized, the shadow of surgery buried deep in his heart for many years still clung to him tightly.
The excruciating pain of impending death in the Afghanistan cave, the sensation of cold surgical instruments piercing flesh, the helplessness of lying on the operating table with no control over his own destiny—scenes flashed rapidly through his mind, causing his fingertips to tremble slightly.
Lynn sat on the sofa, taking in his subtle emotional expressions, but didn't deliberately expose his feigned composure. She simply spoke softly, her voice calm and reassuring:
It's normal to be afraid.
"What you fear is never the surgery itself, but losing control of your body again."
Tony stiffened upon hearing this, turned to look at Lynn, and all his feigned composure crumbled instantly. He remained silent and did not refute her.
He was indeed unafraid of pain, battlefield fire, or close combat with monsters in Extremis, but he was terrified only of the cold operating table.
That was the beginning of it all.
"Don't worry." Lynn looked up at him, her tone resolute, offering the most trustworthy promise, "I'll be there for the entire consultation and surgery tomorrow."
"I can suppress any unexpected event instantly. You just need to trust Dr. Wu and trust yourself; you don't need to force yourself to be brave."
Natasha, leaning quietly against the side of the sofa, added at the opportune moment, her tone concise and reliable. " S.H.I.E.L.D.. will take over all security for the building and the hospital's perimeter; no one will interfere with the entire surgical procedure."
These words from the two men eased Tony's tense nerves a little.
Just then, the sound of soft footsteps came from the stairs. Yinsen, who had spent the whole night talking with Tony, slowly walked downstairs. He had already washed up and was dressed in clean, casual clothes. His gaze immediately fell on Tony, whose expression was complicated, and he saw through Tony's anxiety at a glance.
Yinsen slowly walked to Tony's side, and after learning everything,
He didn't preach any grand principles; he simply spoke softly, using the gentlest tone he had ever heard in the cave:
I'll go with you.
"Back then in the cave, I couldn't fully cure you. This time, I'll stay outside the operating room and wait for you to come out."
A simple sentence instantly shattered Tony's last psychological defenses.
He looked at Yinsen who had saved his life and always understood all his vulnerabilities, and felt a slight sting in his nose. He nodded gently.
Not long after, the guest room door opened gently, and Pepper, rubbing her temples after catching up on her sleep, came downstairs. She was a light sleeper, and her mind was still on Tony, so she didn't sleep very soundly. The first thing she saw when she came downstairs Tony, whose expression was serious but who was no longer avoiding her.
Sensing the atmosphere inside, Pepper quickly walked up to Tony and quietly asked what was going on.
Tony didn't hide anything and frankly told everyone that he had already scheduled a consultation and would soon undergo surgery to remove the shrapnel from his body.
Upon hearing this, Pepper's eyes widened in surprise, followed by intense joy, and her eyes reddened slightly.
She had waited for this day for far too long.
Day after day, he stared at the glowing reactor in Tony's chest, worried that the hidden danger within him might suddenly erupt, living in constant fear. Now, Tony was finally willing to face the root of his illness and undergo surgery; this joy far surpassed everything.
Pepper reached out and gently grasped Tony's cold hand, her fingertips pressing firmly, her words both tender and resolute. "I've been with you the whole time."
Lovers, benefactors, reliable companions—everyone is by my side.
Tony looked around at everyone who cared about him, his eyes welling up with tears, and the lingering fear in his heart was completely soothed by the warmth.
What has always troubled him has never been the surgery, but the loneliness of facing fear alone.
"Okay." Tony let out a long sigh of relief, finally letting go of all his worries. "We'll head to the hospital first thing tomorrow morning."
For the remainder of the day, the entire Stark Tower was enveloped in peace and tranquility.
Tony, unusually setting aside his armor development and corporate work, spent time with Pepper to help her rest and recover. Yinsen helped organize pre-operative instructions and used his medical experience to alleviate Tony's psychological stress. Natasha monitored external risks around the clock, isolating herself from all potential interference.
As dusk fell, night enveloped New York.
Everyone went back to their rooms to rest and prepare for tomorrow's consultations. Only Lynn remained in the living room, standing alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city lights.
A faint golden magical light flickered at his fingertips as he silently calculated all the extreme risks involved in the procedure: the removal of the reactor causing cardiac arrest, old shrapnel shifting and puncturing blood vessels...
He had prepared corresponding magical contingency plans for every type of risk in advance.
He respected Tony's choice of modern medicine and would never interfere with the surgical procedure without his consent, but he had to be fully prepared to cover any potential risks.
Lynn murmured softly, her gaze distant:
" Iron Man, it's time to finally remove the shackles on your chest and live for yourself for once."
The night passed peacefully; tomorrow will mark the beginning of Tony's farewell to his past nightmares.