Discovery Requires Experim- [GUNSHOT]

Chapter 8

He lay on a meadow filled with flowers, watching the glimmering comet gliding across the night sky. Tony’s with him; head on his chest and left arm wrapped around it, taking in his warmth.

Steve brushed his husband’s dark hair softly, breathing in Tony’s natural scent that smelled like home. And his home was indeed the man hugging him. They were admiring the beauty of their surroundings. For him, this was a moment he would cherish for the rest of his life.

“Honey,” Tony broke their peaceful silence. “Make a wish before the shooting star disappears.”

He smiled at the genius and closed his eyes. Steve wished he would be by Tony’s side until the end of time and make him the happiest person on Earth.

As he opened his eyes, he noticed two things happening all of a sudden: Tony was missing by his side and the shooting star was charging towards him. Did the heavens denied his wishes, or was he unworthy to make such a wish? His thoughts didn’t matter because the fiery meteor became bigger and bigger by the second. If this was his ending, Steve could accept it – he had savoured his precious days with the person he loved the most, even if it meant his lover would leave him before he could say the three holy words.

In a blink of an eye, the shooting star vanished while his vision crippled like waves and he was not lying on the shaggy grassland anymore. His back felt cold as if he was on a glassy surface. He saw illuminated lights above him and a few doctors were surrounding him. He was back in the operating room.

No, no. He straight away remembered Whitehall and his crazy plans involving him. Steve remembered being sedated a few times since he got here; he lost count. His mind became fuzzy at the moment – probably the reason he dreamt a beautiful dream.

The same metal straps were restraining his hands and legs from before. His spark for escaping the HYDRA base was gone as lethargy took over him after he woke up from the dream. Steve could only hope Tony would come and rescue him in time before it’s too late. He wondered if the Tony in his dream was real; someone that he loves turns out to leave him in the end. Would his husband leave him if he found out Steve was weak and couldn’t escape a bunch of HYDRA goons?

He dismissed that thought away. Tony would never give up on him. Both of them vowed to never abandon each other for the rest of their lives at the altar. He loves his man and Tony loves him too. The echo of their wedding reassured him of their solid relationship.

“I see you have awakened, Captain.”

Whitehall appeared on the far side of the table wearing a full set of blue-coloured scrubs, grinning like the devil himself. “Had a good dream just now?” He laughed and held a pair of surgical scissors in his grip. Steve wanted to hurl so badly because they were treating him like a lab rat.

“For your information, I will begin the procedure right after this and I will start with the organ that hurts you the least: your kidneys,” he approached towards his upper body, pointing his finger at his renal area. “The doctors will sedate you again to keep your body from moving and no, I won’t inject painkillers in your body. Consider this a retribution for going against HYDRA, but your body will serve us well, Captain Rogers.”

“Over my dead body,” he growled at the scientist.

Whitehall chuckled again. “Oh, you will be dead in a couple of hours. The cutting-you-open process is the one that’s going to take us some time. The organ extraction would be straightforward.”

He watched Whitehall signalled one of his doctors to come forward. Another sedative, he thought. This might be his last sedation before he couldn’t stand the twinging stabs and pain from the procedure.

Steve didn’t realize a sharp edge of the needle was planted on his neck until he felt dopey and stupefied. This might be his last conscious moment before an everlasting sleep might come knocking on him and they would perform the surgery. No amount of brute could help him escape his metal restraints. The light of the end of his tunnel got a bit teensy-weensy every minute. He wondered if heaven was waiting for him, possibly his Ma. Most likely she anticipated his son’s arrival, to be united after almost a century of seeing each other.

Tony should be here with him, holding each other’s hands and walked beyond the tunnel. He always wanted to show off his little genius to his mother; they would get along perfectly, he thought.

Maybe he should wait for his husband before strolling further, even if it takes a thousand years. Tony gave him love and a home, and he was not gonna let him go and leave.

Steve went under with a smile on his face, seemingly forgotten he was ever kidnapped by HYDRA.