The Other Barton | Natasha Romanoff

Chapter Thirteen

Dropping and rolling out of a moving vehicle, then hopping into another to go to another unknown location made me done. My body couldn't handle anything else at this point. We had to walk the rest of the way to the unknown location Maria was taking us to. My body was using a nearby wall as support. My left arm extended out lightly scraping the wall as I stumbled with every step I took. Not ready to admit I needed help.

We were at the old abandoned dam just outside the city. Isolated by heavy forest, but also at least a mile long of walking past a wall of cement to get to the door to enter. I walked behind everyone else. Maria in lead, Sam and Natasha, then Steve following. Being last wasn't my choice but refusing help and walking while dizzy wasn't going to make me an olympian.

Maria stopped in front of a gate, pulling it open as it creaked loudly. Once we all surrounded the door, it was a long hallway that waited for us. Maria must have sensed our annoyance, "It's just up ahead." Her voice echoed through the tunnel.

Sam and Natasha took the lead after Maria again. But Steve refused to go ahead of me. "Let me help you Brie, we're almost there." He tried to convince me. I looked at how far ahead Sam and Natasha were and settled on agreeing.

Steve walked over to the left of me, allowing for me to wrap my left arm around his waist for support. We both tried to walk quickly to catch up to the rest. The sounds of footsteps approaching towards us, made my guard shoot back up. Maria let out a loud sigh of relief, which then made me drop my guard down quickly.

"GSW. She's lost at least a pint." Maria yelled out towards a man before he had even reached us. "Maybe two," Sam added, turning around to give me a worried look of concern. Maria then quickly pointed to me, "Probably broken shoulder and upper arm, dehydration, and barely walking in a straight line."

The doctor nodded, not giving a look of certainty on our conditions. "Let me take them." He persisted, to Sam and Steve, but Maria returned it with a no. "They'll want to see him first."

"I'm done with surprises." I murmured out, only loud enough for Steve to hear as we followed her. "So am I." He murmured back.

As we got more into the 'building' a makeshift setup with spotlights, a bed, and clear plastic around the area. I was unsure of what I was looking at until Maria moved the plastic. All four of us stood in place, unsure if what we were seeing was real.

"About damn time."

"I want to go back to Budapest. Am I dead yet?" I acclaimed. Uncertain of the realness of the situation. "A little late now, don't you think?" Fury laughed back.

I did not laugh.

The doctor came back with two seats. One for Natasha and one for me. He placed them in front of one another. Make it easier for him since Natashas side was left and mine was right. Grabbing a large cloth he placed it on Nat's exposed shoulder. I laid my left hand on her thigh, leaning my head on the end of furys bed.

"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, and one hell of a headache." Fury listed off the list of injuries he had following his assumed death.

"Don't forget your collapsed lung." The doctor added in.

"Let's not forget that. Other than that I'm good."

"They cut you open, your heart stopped." Natasha stated, sounding better than the mere hour ago.

"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat per minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it."

"Why all the secrecy? Why not just tell us?" Steve quizzed.

"Any attempt on the Director's life had to look successful." Maria explained.

"Can't kill someone who's already dead. I should know." I murmured out, fighting not sleeping.

"Besides I wasn't sure who to trust." Fury added.

"Did the pain we went through prove our loyalty?" I retorted. "Barton, I know you're upset but watch yourself." Fury countered.

"And now you're turn." The doctor announced moving his chair over to me, and patting my leg to get my attention. Lifting my head off the comfortable blanket, I looked over to Nat whose shoulder was wrapped with gauze similar to how my hand was. I took off my shirt, now embarrassed of the over the top red bra I was sporting infront of everyone.

The three unsure faces in front of me didn't solve my nerves. "How far was the fall, again?" The doctor questioned. "Fifteen, twenty feet? Give or take? Wh-" I answered, before looking down to see why everyone shared a concerned face. From my shoulder to my mid arm was a dark purple, the long sleeved shirt was hiding.

Without so much as a warning, the doctor squeezed his hand onto my shoulder. My free hand, held a deathly grip onto the chair, while trying my hardest to not vocalize the pain I was experiencing. Once he'd finally stop squeezing my arm, and returning a concerned look to me my body hadn't stopped registering the pain.

"Your shoulder muscle might be torn, definitely a shoulder dislocation, and possible humerus fracture. Impossible to be sure without an X-Ray but it'll need surgery." He summed up my injuries. My facial expression must have shown how I under-played the injury. And whatever plans there were for taking down Hydra-infested shield were over for me.

"I can give you a strong painkiller, bandage it up and give you a sling. But surgery and weeks of rest and rehabilitation will be the only permanent option." Without waiting for a response he walked over to his bag, grabbing the items he named off.

"I'll pass on the pain-killer." I announced, louder than planned. Natasha's worried eyes immediately set on me. She of all people knew why I denied the reliever so quickly. Addiction ran heavy in my family along with countless other things. And I wasn't going to ruin staying far away from that path over an injury I caused.

"Brie, are you sure? That looks painful." Maira pondered. "She's got good reasons why." Natasha implied for me. "I can give you some advil, instead?" The doctor further suggested, which I agreed to with a nod. It wouldn't take the pain away but it'd do something.