Chapter Text
“He looked right at me; and he didn’t even know me.” Steve was talking to Sam, but he was staring off into middle distance. Bucky hadn’t recognized Sam either, though they worked together through almost two tours. “He must have survived somehow, I didn’t look hard enough. The vaporization-“
“That’s not your fault, Steve.” Natasha walked gracefully to Steve and Sam’s table in the SHIELD cafeteria. “They were able to finally figure out how to get the drug from their systems. It was developed to never get metabolized, and it was even wired for their captors to turn it’s effects on and off. We were able to keep a lot and it’s going straight to the labs.” She sat herself down. “They all fell asleep after and they are expected to experience withdrawal symptoms, and the doctor would not like them to get released until after they wake up. Two POWs have been identified and claimed by family; they are on their way here now. Steve, Bucky can be transferred to your custody at any time. But there isn’t much to do until he wakes up, just watch his vitals.”
Steve nodded, deciding without a second thought just to spend the night here, in Bucky’s room if he could. This all sounded manageable. Bucky was alive, he was okay. But these facts didn’t stop Steve from feeling like a train had ran him over. The anxiety festered in the pit of his stomach; what if the withdrawal kills him? What if the trauma is to much for him to bear?
“Is there anything we can do about his missing arm?” Steve voiced. He couldn’t keep Tony from his thoughts, though he wasn’t aware the Stark could do bio-machinery; other than the giant magnet in his chest.
“There is evidence of a prosthetic having been used. There is still a recon team at the liberation site. The people working there destroyed a lot prior to their arrest. They are in French custody and SHIELD can’t interrogate them at least for another week. Paperwork. And the French don’t like us very much. We don’t—“
“PAGING BW-13, H WING” The speakers in the building boomed.
“That’s me.” Natasha got up. “I suggest waiting here. I’ll get you when Bucky’s room can take visitors.”
“Sharon is here?” Sam asked, not missing the two people mentioned in the paging.
Natasha just nodded and she was gone.
-
“You can go, Sam, you don’t have to wait around with me.” Steve said, his chin in his hand while they waited for Natasha to return.
“I’m on call anyway, and you look like you need a friend right now, man.” Sam was sitting back in his chair, just watching the cafeteria. “I heard Sharon broke up with you too, rough day.”
“Yeah, I guess she did . . .” Steve trailed off, having pushed that from his mind.
“Think you’ll be on good terms?” Sam was trying to distract Steve from worrying about Bucky, but this wasn’t a much better topic.
“I think so, we still get along very well, we just, weren’t compatible in . . . Bed.” Steve felt blush creeping it’s way up his chest to his neck.
Sam’s eye brows went up. “Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
-
It was the we hours of the morning when Natasha made her way to Steve and Sam, a sleeping heap on their table, she debated leaving them but decided they would want to be woken up. She shook them gently.
“Sharon, five more minutes . . .” Steve mumbled, before snapping his eyes open and sitting up. “Natasha!”
Sam sat up, the sleep fading fast from his eyes. “Whats the news?”
Natasha motioned with her head. “Grab a coffee and meet me in H wing, it’s going to be a long day.”
-
Sharon was in the H wing waiting room when they got there. She was sitting with her elbows on her knees, looking down at the floor. Sam turned to Steve, asking a question with his eyes. Steve responded with a one shoulder shrug, it is what it is. Sam headed toward her cautiously, Steve nodded. Natasha watched this exchange, and took a seat on the opposite side of the room. Steve sat in a seat facing her. They were the only four here. They sipped from steaming cups.
“There were two POWs who were missing arms, one left one right, and traces of mechanics were found where the limps cut off. They used to have prosthetics, but they were ripped off. The recon team found the destroyed remnants, they are sending them here for analysis. The doctors suggested the healthiest route is to remove more of the arm, to remove the metal lodged into it.” Natasha stopped, giving Steve a moment.
Steve was holding his upper left arm in his right hand. He was overwhelmed, he was sitting perfectly still as Natasha talked, but anxiety was rising up in him, he felt prickly over his chest and shoulders. Bucky was dead yesterday, and today Steve had to made decisions about his future. He could hear Sam and Sharon talking quietly.
Natasha powered on. “The burn marks on their skulls suggested mental tinkering. They have been assigned psychiatrists in the hospital per protocol.”
Steve nodded. “I’ll take Bucky when he wakes up. I want to get a second opinion on his arm. I want to ask Tony about a manufactured limb and his opinion on the mechanics that are there. We can keep him with the psychiatrist here for now, but I’m going to ask Sam about it too. Bring the paper work to Bucky’s room. I’ll be there.” Steve stood up to go, mentally praising his ability to think fast on his feat. Glancing at his other two friends, Sam had put his arm around Sharon, comforting her on something. Steve felted mixed about that. But ultimately, he knew it was for the better and there wasn’t much that could make him mad at Sam.
“Wait,” Natasha stood as well. “Hallway.” She demanded. Steve followed her out and she waited for the room door to close. “Sharon’s sister was one of the POWs. She died,” Natasha explained. “from the withdrawal.”
Steve felt his blood go icy. He looked back at her, feeling bad at what he was just thinking. He felt torn now, between Sharon needing his support as a friend, and going to Bucky.
“She’s fine with Sam.” Natasha cut through his internal monologue. “I heard what happen with you two anyway. You can talk later. Go see Bucky.” She soothed Steve, as she was always good at. Steve gave her a relieved look in thanks, before shooting down the hall.
But damn, new spreads fast.