Yeah steel is real, but a fork that bent and you don't know how, now that doesn't speak highly of the fork to begin with.

Buy/beg/borrow one to replace it with. If you're really poor, throw yourself on the mercy of someone who knows their stuff and get them to bend it and check it for cracks etc. But someone probably has a cheap, generic fork that will fit with little money down.

Its just not worth taking the risk IMHO. Plus new forks are fun.