Tony parked the Mercedes in the fire lane in front of the hospital and rushed inside, heart pounding along to his dress shoes slapping against the pavement. He approached the front desk, not even having to take off his sunglasses to have the receptionist recognize him.

"Mr. Tony Stark?" The plump woman asked in a thick Spanish accent. Tony gave a curt nod. "Third door on your left. Good luck," she said, giving an almost sympathetic look and pointing down the hallway.

Tony pursed his lips together. Good luck? What was that supposed to mean?

Tony gathered himself, bracing himself for the worst. He knew Peter wasn't physically hurt...so why was Peter here?

Following the receptionist's directions, he too soon found himself approaching two figures sitting against the wall in the cancer ward.

The woman spotted him first. She hastily stood, extending her hand to the billionaire.

"Mr. Stark," she said politely, and Tony recognized her as the woman he had spoken with over the phone. He grasped her hand, taking in her appearance.

She was definitely a nurse, that much was clear. She was wearing scrubs with koala bear print on them, bright, lime green crocs, and had a star pin tucked into her ponytail. Everything about her screamed, 'I love children.'

"I'm Crista, we spoke over the phone," the nurse said, green eyes flickering between Tony and the boy on the floor, Peter. "Uhm..can we take this into another room?"

Tony glanced around Crista at Peter, feeling his heart plummet to his feet at the sight of the broken boy. He was slumped against the wall in exhaustion, his eyes bruised and puffy. His pale face was stained with tear streaks and dried vomit. He looked...absolutely destroyed, and it broke the billionaires heart.

Tony turned back to the nurse. "Yes, of course," he whispered and followed her into the hospital room beside them, leaving Peter alone in the hallway with his grief.

***

  Crista quietly shut the door behind them and leaned against it, sighing heavily. She also looked exhausted, Tony noticed.

"Peter came in this morning, early, with his aunt in an ambulance," Crista started, and that was enough for Tony to put the pieces together. He was a genius, after all. He hadn't even thought about May when he'd gotten the call.

"She came in with many symptoms such as fatigue, vomiting, pain, etcetera. All were symptoms of her stage four ovarian cancer. She was dying."

Stage four ovarian cancer.
  She was dying.
 
Tony felt nauseous. This couldn't be happening, not to him, not to Peter.

"..there was nothing else we could do for her. She was pronounced dead at 13:45am. Peter asked me to call you a few minutes later," Crista finished, sadness lacing her voice. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

Tony waved his hand in a offhand gesture before asking, "Can i see Peter?"

Crista nodded. "Of course," she said and led him back in the hall.

***

 
"The hospital doesn't strike me as the new teen-hangout-place, kid."

Peter looked up, doe eyes overflowing with tears. "Hi, Mr. Stark," he choked out, trying to muster a smile.

Tony offered one back. "Hey, kid. Sorry i couldn't be here sooner. The hospital has a strict no loitering policy so I'm afraid you're a wanted criminal now," He tried to joke.

Peter looked away, wiping his eyes and biting a trembling lip. "Along with an orphan, you mean?"

Tony was taken aback. God, kid. Doesn't it seem a bit early for orphan jokes?
 
"Did you know?"

Tony looked up. "Did i know what, Pete?"

Peter raked his hands through his hair, breaths coming in quick bursts. "Did you know?"

"Pete, i swear i didn't. She didn't tell me."

Peter met Tony's eyes, his whole being overflowing with agony. "You promise?"

Tony wrapped an arm around the sobbing teen, pressing his fingers into his sweaty curls. "I promise, kid."

Peter leaned into Tony, hiding his face in his shoulder and clutching onto the billionaire's suit. "Why didn't she tell me? Mr. Stark, why did she leave without telling me? What was-" he was cut off when a chest-racking sob ripped through his throat. Peter didn't say anymore, just sobbed into Tony's chest as Tony held him close.

Why did she leave without telling me?