Frostbite

Burnt Out

{Steve's POV}

Strange, Wong and Wanda let the shield trapping us fade away as the blizzard around us subsided. I raced across the distance between Melanie and myself, praying to whatever god that would listen.

My cap dropped to the ground when I unclipped the strap and pulled it off as I approached her. I knelt next to her, feeling for a pulse, listening for her breathing. She had to be fine. She just had to.

"Melanie," I rasped, pulling her limp body to my chest, "Mel, baby, wake up. Please."

She didn't move- didn't respond. I choked on a sob, clutching her tightly. I couldn't lose her. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. I'd have given anything to take her place.

Tony stumbled next to me, his eyes scanning his sister wildly. His expression mirrored my own. He held out an armored hand, scanning her for her vitals. They were severely low. The others cautiously approached.

My eyes darted to Strange, and I sharply blurted, "What the hell is happening? What was that?" He met my gaze sadly before answering.

"Absolute zero. Nothing can exist in it; it's impossible."

"But she did-" Tony argued, "So why isn't she okay now?" He was right. We had watched her out here, barely fazed by the severe temperature.

"She did," he agreed, patiently explaining, "But in order to do so she had to use all her power. And then she pulled too much dimensional energy. The consequence for that is normally... death."

Oh god. Sam and Bucky flanked my sides, offering to help. Wondering if we even could help. She was right. I had made a promise I couldn't keep. Bruce moved forward speaking to Tony quietly.

"We should get her to a medical facility. Start her on fluids immediately and go from there. She's there, just barely hanging on."

Tony glared at Stephen and waved to him, "Hey, wizard. Think you could open one of those handy portals to my place?"

I glanced at him in surprise, and he caught the look.

"I have medical supplies there," he shrugged, "It'll be easier there and the compound is kinda- destroyed."

Strange nodded, waving his arms the same way Melanie did, an opening forming in front of us. Bucky and Sam helped me up as I continued to cling to her as if she would simply disappear before my eyes, too.

Bruce and Tony quickly began setting up the equipment they needed in one of the spare rooms. Pepper greeted Happy as we began to pile into the house and immediately steered Morgan away. She didn't need to see her aunt like this, bloody and unconscious. Happy followed closely behind her, demanding to know what the hell had happened.

I carefully laid Melanie on the bed, brushing her hair away from her face. Bruce instantly worked on getting an IV line hooked up to her and Tony did as he instructed- anything to help. He turned to Rhodey who hovered in the doorway.

"Think you can try and get Dr. Helen Cho out here? She's familiar with Mel's... medical history. She might be able to help."

He nodded, grateful for something to do. There was nothing I could do to help at the moment. That was the worst feeling, being utterly helpless.