Mind Full of Roses // Peter Parker

2.16: Spearmint Toothpaste

Someone is screaming.

A high pitch, ear splitting scream that makes my pounding head feel as though there's a whole drum kit inside that's being played to the rhythm of the pulsing of my heart. It could be me but I don't think it is.

A sharp metallic smell wafts through the air. Blood. I taste the iron on my tongue, the red substance taking up half of my senses and clouding the rest with red. But it doesn't matter how much blood there is, the pounding still breaks its way through.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

I open my eyes a crack, letting them come accustomed to the bright light that is surrounding my body. I'm not dead, am I?

No. If I was dead then I'd feel at peace. There wouldn't be all this blood and all this pain. There wouldn't be a monster in my skull, trying to force its way out with sheer power.

"Spector?" A hand grips my right shoulder, avoiding my left one and I try to thank them but all that comes out is an indistinguishable murmur. "Rose?"

I open my eyes more, taking in the red blob leaning over me as it starts to take shape. My hands flies to my mask but I hiss in pain. Of course it's my dominant arm that is injured. Why couldn't it be my right one?

I blink, trying to clear the black spots swimming in my vision.

"Don't worry, your mask is till there." The voice says softly. It still makes my head hurt but not as much as before.

I groan. "Who's screaming?"

The voice laughs. It's a nice laugh, I realise, one that I can forgive for making my head feel like it's hosting a Metallica concert. "Flash. He kind of freaked when I pulled you up. I'm guessing the most blood he's seen is from a paper cut."

I wiggle my fingers and wince. They're not as bad as my shoulder but they're still not normal. "How bad is it?"

"I'm guessing you've got a concussion and your shoulder is dislocated, but apart from that you should be fine." The voice laughs awkwardly. "The blood is only on your hands but there is a lot more than I thought there would be."

"Ah." I say simply. "Where are we?"

I open my eyes fully and see that it's Peter sat over me. My head rests in his lap and he watches me from under his mask still. I try to sit up but the pounding gets worse.

"Hey, hey, stay still." Peter pushes on my shoulder and I fall back onto his lap. "We're still outside the monument. You were out for like twenty minutes and I had to try to keep the doctors away."

I smile in gratitude and feel my eyes start to flutter close.

"Spec?" Peter shakes my shoulder and I fight to open my eyes again. "Stay with me, okay? Do you want me to call someone? How about your sister?"

I nod and pass him my phone, bringing up Yelena's number.

"Hey, Ms Paxton, it's..." He hesitates and I nod in encouragement. Yelena wouldn't tell a soul. "It's Peter. We're at the Washington Monument and Rose needs some help. Can you pick us up please?"

I wait as the silent conversation plays on, praying that Yelena can come.

Peter puts down the phone and nods. She'll be here in about ten minutes. I don't know how though, it's like a two hour drive away from Queens."

Peter continues to talk and I let him, half listening to him and only replying with a nod or shake of my head when I need to.

My phone buzzes and I see it's Yelena telling us to go behind the monument where no one can see us.