Chapter Text
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Steve woke up to see a hospital room. He was hooked up to no less than three machines and it felt like he hadn’t drank anything in days. He was familiar with hospital rooms, he really wasn’t a healthy kid after all, but this room was nicer. His mom always took him to the small one that had old equipment and broken beds.
This one was all brand new and decorated even. With his favorite flowers even. He sat up slowly with the help of the bed and tried to focus on his chart to see the nurse’s name, but he didn’t have his contacts in- which must have been awful for whoever took them out- and he couldn’t quite make out the name. He pushed the button to call her and she was there right away a little out of breath.
“Mr. Rogers, you’re awake.” She went to look at the machines and frowned a little, but looked back at him to smile. “I’m so glad you’re finally awake.”
“What happened? How long was I asleep?” She wouldn’t have said that if it hadn’t been a while right? She looked at him again before sighing a little and answering.
May 6
Seven weeks.
He had been gone for seven days only to be unconscious for seven weeks after that. Bucky must be pissed. Oh god, Bucky. He was breathing heavy again. He was going to see him today, though he had woken up the day before. The doctor, Dr. Palmer, said it wasn’t good for them to see each other right away. It was a good idea.
Yesterday was spent with him drinking water until he got sick, eating some jello before throwing that up, getting a shot to keep the blood flow, and gettings a few things he really didn’t want to mention removed. He did not want Bucky to see that.
“Sir, you can’t go in before signing in!” The girl at the counter spoke before his door was thrown open. Steve was currently talking to the doctor about his eating habits when Bucky walked in followed by Natasha and Clint. Steve was sure he heard Lorna and Wanda talking to the nurse though.
“Oh, Mr. Strucker, I didn’t realize you were told he was awake this morning.” Dr. Palmer looked at him. “I guess I'll go get Dr. Strange to explain everything to you.” She walked out as the twins and Lorna walked in.
“Hey guys.” Steve’s voice was still hoarse. He wasn’t used to talking anymore. Bucky went right to his side and Steve finally got a good look at him. His hair was messy and his beard had grown a good amount. He was all greasy and it looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks, which maybe he hadn’t.
“Steve, I was so worried.” Bucky acted like he was about to cry and honestly Steve was already tearing up.
“Come sit with me?” They had taken him off some of the machines now, so only his arm was connected to an iv. It meant he easily moved to get into Bucky’s lap after he took his jacket off. He didn’t get a chance to get comfortable though before both doctors came in.
“Too many people, some of you come back later. Two people max.” The male doctor glared at the group beside the bed and the siblings quickly left. “One of you has to go.”
“Actually, Natasha is my guard and Clint is Steve’s so they both need to hear the test results.” Bucky kissed Steve’s temple then. “Which he wouldn’t tell me until you were awake.” He whispered it, but Steve was sure the others heard.
“Fine. Well, as you know Dr. Palmer has been running most every test we can on Steve the last few weeks. Most of them do take a few weeks to get back to us, so we thought it best to wait until all of them were finished to tell you the results as they can intersect with another and it’s less stress on you.” He smiled at Bucky and Steve felt his grip tighten a bit.
“And you have all the results now?”
“As of two hours ago. Now, this is going to be a shock.” He looked at Steve then, who nodded and ignored the racing heart rate he got suddenly.
“Well, you received very serious damage. We couldn’t get information on the chemical that was being pumped in you, but it messed your body pretty badly.”
“It was supposed to change me into an alpha.” Steve’s voice was hollow then and he felt Bucky wrap around him. Dr. Strange looked at the papers and frowned. Dr. Palmer was looking over his shoulder and didn’t seem to see what he did.
“That makes sense. As far as I can tell you’re biology is both alpha and omega. It shouldn’t be possible honestly, we've only seen this once before. We have no idea what to expect with that, but we did test you on all omega functions and you are still able to function like an omega.”
“The other thing is your hearing. We installed a hearing aid, which I’m sure you saw. The gunshots near your ear seemed to have caused severe damage and you won’t be able to hear out of that ear without it turned on.”
“Hey, I could make that deaf club now.” Clint nudged Natasha then and Dr. Strange glared at him until his smile stopped.
“As I was saying, your arm and leg are the most severe wounds. Your leg will be fine after a few months, but your arm is another story. They managed to tear some muscles pretty severely. With your mate’s permission we did do the surgery needed, but you may not be able to move it like before and you are missing a good chunk of shoulder muscle to replace the missing muscle where the regulator was and were some of it was eaten by a bacteria caused by the needle marks.”
“It’s my right arm though.” He frowned and looked at the wrapped up arm before Bucky pulled his attention away towards him.
“Yes, this happens sometimes. You will just have to go to rehab and I’m sure it’ll be fine eventually.” He kept reading the papers and Dr. Palmer slapped his arm lightly.
“What he means to say it, we’re sure you can work through this. Dr. Strange here did just that.” She smiled. “He had to change up his career a bit, but his still helping people even after his hands were messed up.
Dr. Strange looked at her with some emotion Steve couldn’t figure out, but he didn’t like it at all. He collected himself though and looked at the papers again.
“Your hormones are changing rapidly. There is no way to tell if or when you will have your heats anymore. Or drops now, which might be more likely now.”
Drops were pretty rare actually. They were when the hormones in an omega stopped producing for a short while and the omega basically went into depression, though weirder. Steve had only done it once, when his mother first got sick and he was too stressed out. He had stayed in his room for three weeks only eating when his dad forced him to. It wasn’t fun.
“We have contacted the best therapist and she and her office will be handling Steve and the other’s recoveries. Other than that, once we can get solid food in you, you can go home.” He looked at Dr. Palmer then who nodded.
“It should only take a week. I’ll let the nurses know that you will have someone in with you at all times, which I’m assuming is true?”
“Yes.” Bucky spoke up and rubbed his back. “Can I have some time alone with him now though?”
“Of course.” Dr. Palmer pushed Strange out as Nat and Clint quickly walked out. Probably to go tell the others what was happening. The door closed and Bucky started moving Steve to face him, which consisted of him moving the iv bag to the other pole as Steve held the hose carefully.
“When’s the last time you slept?” Steve was sitting on his lap now and Bucky laughed a little at him. “I’m serious, you look awful.” For some reason, that made him laughed even more and pull him closer.
“I love you.” He kissed him softly and moved to kiss right on his glad behind his ear and Steve melted a little.
“I love you too, now tell me.” He wasn’t going to give up though.
“Mmm, four days probably.” Bucky nuzzled his neck and took a deep breath relaxing a bit.
“Buck, that’s not okay!”
“Steve, I was so worried about you. They wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“Let me guess, you haven’t eaten yet either?” Steve didn’t care about his throat now and pushed away from him. Bucky looked away and sighed.
“Maybe ate half a sandwich yesterday.” His voice was softer than Steve ever heard it and he instantly softened up.
“Baby, please get Nat to bring you something to eat. I’ll sit here and I don’t know eat jello or something. Then we can cuddle until we both fall asleep.” He smiled and cuddled up against him.
They barely even ate half their food before they were passed out cuddled together. And that’s how the next week went. Eating, Steve eating more and more, sleeping, and just talking. Bucky told him how they still couldn’t find Rumlow, Rolins, or Redskull, but they weren’t anywhere in the city anymore.
Bucky had stepped back from the business for a bit, Von Strucker actually offering it first, and he was going crazy with boredom. He had worked on his book, which he let Steve read as they laid in the bed. Bucky helped him move around more and within a week Steve was sent home with a leg brace and a physical therapist- one in the gang and loyal. Of course, about five new medications too: one for pain, antibiotics, new bioregulator (an implant now impossible), blood pressure, and a hormone supplement.
“Ugh, I don’t wanna take those.” Steve was looking at the list and honestly, he hated pills.
“Well, you could get sick th- ow!” Clint glared at Natasha, who had elbowed him pretty hard. Bucky rolled his eyes as he held Steve close, barely letting him go since he walked into the room a week ago.
“You have to take them or you could get sick. I’m sure they won’t be that bad.” Natasha smiled. “I think I’ve taken those once actually.” She pointed to the hormone ones and Steve fought the urge to ask about details. It just wasn’t polite.
“Come on Stevie, it won’t be that bad.” Bucky kissed his cheek and held him from behind and Steve couldn’t help but relax in his grip. He looked at him and smiled. “So, you're gonna take them once Clint and Tash bring them?”
“Yes, Daddy.” Steve couldn’t help but smile as he teased Bucky. He grumbled something about him being a brat, but it didn’t hide the small blush on his cheeks. Natasha smiled and pulled Clint away from to the elevator.
Bucky moved to sit next to Stevie and nuzzled him softly breathing in his scent. He had started doing that any chance he got since Steve was back. He didn’t mind it one bit either and crawled into his lap to curl up the best he could with his broken body.
“How about when you’re healed we go to Tony’s lake house for a week? Just us and maybe Natasha and Clint.” He rubbed his back as Steve nodded softly. He was currently messing with a loose strand on Bucky’s shirt.
“Could we bring Peter too?” He smiled and Bucky chuckled as he nodded. Steve always asked to bring Peter if they went to a group thing. Peter and Peggy are his best friends after. Peggy was his best friend.
“Steve? You okay baby?” Bucky was holding him around his waist and Steve nodded. Had he spaced out? “What’s wrong?”
“Where did they bury Peggy?” He hadn’t talked about her since he woke up. Bucky frowned and looked away. He seemed to be contemplating what to say and Steve waited for a few minutes.
“You want to know about the girls?” He looked sad now and Steve nodded moving to straddle him now and leaned on his chest.
“Bucky, please. I need to know they’re okay.” HIs expression dropped more and Steve’s heart picked up a little. Were they not okay?
“Sharon started working with the police force, she’s been an officer for two months now. Darcy refused to take my help after everything and she moved to Tony’s California base. She left you a note, but I didn’t want you to read it. She said a few girls signed it.” He sighed and looked at Steve.
“They hate me don’t they?” His voice was smaller than he wanted it to be and Bucky ran his hand down his cheek, the metal sending chills down Steve’s spine.
“Baby, they don’t hate you. They just need someone to blame. It’s not you, I promise, and they’ll see that too.” Yeah right. Steve knew the girls, once they made up their mind there was no changing it.
“Jane doesn’t blame you at all. Neither does Lorna or Clarice. They actually want to see you soon, if you’re up to it.”
“Maybe we could make that lake trip a group get away?” Steve saw Bucky’s smile return just a little and felt happy with himself.
“That sounds good baby, we’ll do that.” He held him tight then and kissed him.
“We’re back!” Clint called out to as he entered the door and Bucky shushed him right away to motioned to Steve sleeping on his chest. He put his hands up in defense and placed the bag onto the table.
“We’re going to go. One of the kids has some kind of school thing.” Natasha smiled and pulled Clint away and back into the elevator. Steve stretched a bit and looked at Bucky.
“Are they gone?” He sounded tired and Bucky nodded. “I gotta take the medicine now don’t I?”
“Mmm, you can’t wait a little bit I guess.” He kissed him then and pulled him close. “Did I mention that I love you today by the way?” He held Steve’s thighs and pulled him close, Steve wrapping his arms around him.
“Oh, only about every hour or so.” He kissed him again pulling his shirt trying to get Bucky as close as he could.
He loved this.