Lovers in Arms | Bucky Barnes

Part 33

Karol feels a familiar hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tight but gentle. She feels relieved because she can finally close this chapter, but her emotions are trapped inside her body. She doesn't want to let her emotions go because she knows she can stop when she does. This is not the right time or place.

"Come on, babe." Bucky whispers. "We need to take a look at your leg."

Looking down at her leg where he stabbed her, she doesn't really care. She has no feeling in her leg; maybe he hit some nerves that made it numb?

Grabbing his wrist, she lets him pull her back on her feet. When she is upright, she finally starts to feel the pain in her leg. It runs from the wound all the way down to her toes. Her legs are shaking, and she curls her toes. It's like all the adrenaline in slowly exits her body.

"Fuck.."

"Are you okay?"

"Hmm.. Yeah, I'm fine." Karol grunts.

Bucky gets handed a piece of cloth from Wanda. He tears it in two and wraps it tight over the wound on her leg. She bites the inside of her cheek to hide any sounds of pain. She leans on her good leg while Bucky wraps his arm around her waist to help her back to the jet.

As he lowers her into a seat, she hears sirens and several helicopters in the air.

"I called them." Natasha says. She kneels in front of her and rips her pants so she can treat the wound. "They probably already have him in custody." She gently cleans the wound and searches the first aid kit for a sterile needle and thread. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really... Not now..." She sighs, brushing her fingers through her hair.

"Keep your leg up, sweetheart." Natasha says when she finishes the last stitch. "When you do want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

Both smile softly.

"Thanks, Nat."

A wide range of emotions fill her thoughts. Anger for what he did to her and Bucky. Regret because she didn't get to kill him. Relief because she can close this chapter for good, and he's facing imprisonment for life. It's the second best scenario that could happen tonight.

Steve and Bucky re-enter the jet after speaking to the authorities.

"He's been taken into custody. He was already confessing to a lot of things. It seems like your mind trick worked perfectly."

Karol does a half grin and closes her eyes.

"I would like to go home."

Natasha fires up the jet, and they take off, and after a short flight back to the compound they quickly exit the jet so they can get Karol's leg checked by a professional. After a short visit to the doctor they gave her a clean bill of health. Her wound already started to heal up when she got there so the doctors sprayed some nano shit on it from a can, and they expect it to heal up in about a week.

"I need a fucking shower.."

"Yeah, you smell foul."

Karol hits Bucky with her fist in his chest. He grunts and laughs. "That's no way to talk to a lady." She jokes.

"Come here, lean on me."

Karol grabs him and walks with him to the bathroom. There she pulls off her shirt and rancid pants. It's stained with dark red blood and teared up. She thinks about how Shuri will react when she hears she destroyed her new outfit. Oh well, she should have made an extra pair for these kinds of things. She chuckles soft. Bucky already turned on the shower for her so the water is already nice and warm. All she wants to do now is wash all the dirt from her body and clear her mind from any thoughts.