He brought me back to life; A Captain America romance; Book one.

Chapter 21; Please help him

I expected pain but it never came. The gun went off, I heard it. But I'm not dead?

I can hear a commotion and what sounds loads of people. I slowly open my eyes to see Nat, Sam and Bucky searching, furiously for someone. It takes me a second to realise what's happened. "Ellie, Ellie! Malik? Where is Malik? He has the hard drive and he's gone!" Nat screams. I'm completely dazed. I don't care where Malik is.

Where is Steve?

I look around the rubble, desperately trying to find him when I finally spot some blue fabric hidden under an enormous pile of debris. I scramble over to him and collapse to the ground when I realise; he's unconscious and there's a gunshot wound at his chest.

He took the bullet for me

I move the debris off him and rip the metal rope away from his wrists shaking him, violently. "Steve! Steve! wake up, please wake up!" I'm screaming, painful sobs straining my throat. "Nat, Bucky! Somebody help! He's not breathing!"

Rhodes is beside me then, in his War Machine suit. He places his hand on my shoulder and looks in horror at the shell of the man lying by my knees. He powers his thrusters, lightly, and scoops Steve up into his arms, quickly darting for the edge of the building. He leaps off the side and flies to the field where the jet is.

Nat's arms are around me, carefully scraping me up from the ground. "Jesus, Ellie. Your stomach," she whispers, quietly. The shock of seeing the state Steve and I are in, evident on her face.

"I'm fine, help Steve!" I yell. Sam picks Nat up and flies over to the jet before coming back for me. When he lands in the field, I tumble onto the ramp, the pain from my injuries making my woozy. Bucky grabs me by the waist and guides me into the jet where I see Bruce, Tony and the rest of the team all huddled around Steve. They look terrified. Clint revs the engine and we're in the air in seconds.

I run over to them and Tony wraps me in a bone crushing hug. I wince and yelp from the pain in my side.

"God, Ellie, you're hit!" Tony yells, putting gauze on my wound.

"I'm fine, help him Tony, please." I sob but Tony lies me on a table on gets to work cleaning and bandaging me up. After a few minutes of agony, Tony confirms that it isn't as bad as it looks and assures me the stiches he gave me should hold until we get the a hospital where I'd need to be checked out.

I don't care. I can't think of anything else but Steve. I'm still lying on the table and turn my head. Bruce is working on him at the back of the jet. He's lying on what looks like, a make-shift operating table, hooked up to various monitors. Please be Okay

Everyone is silent. Scared.

I swallow, hard and slowly get off the table and make my way over to him, petrified of what Bruce is going to say. I can't speak and Bruce just stares at me with a pained and apologetic look on his face.

"It's bad Ellie," he says, quietly, taking off his glasses and plonking himself onto a stool beside Steve's legs.

"The bullet hit him just below his heart. Usually, Steve can recover quickly from an injury like this after I've removed the shrapnel but, this? This weapon Malik used is different. The bullet was infused with a substance that is making it impossible for Steve to heal like he usually can. If we don't get him to a hospital soon he's not going to make it."

I look at Bruce, his face alive with fear.

"Tony, where is the nearest hospital?" I whip around and shout.

"It's not that simple, kid. We need to know we're in a safe zone. Nearest one without probable bogies is Two hours, maximum" Tony replied, quietly.