emmylou | natasha romanoff

eighteen.

2014
Washington D.C.

They head to a secret SHIELD base which was located inside of a dam. Steve rushes inside, a barely conscious Natasha in his arms.

"We've got a GSW, she's lost a lost at least a pint," Maria says, and Kennedy's not surprised when Dr. Fine makes his way toward them.

"I'd say two," Kennedy says as she looks at the blood that had seeped through her jacket.

"Let me take her," Dr. Fine says.

"She'll want to see him first," Maria tells him and through all the chaos they'd been through, Kennedy had forgotten all about Fury and the fact that he was still alive and the fact that Natasha was going to be thoroughly upset with her when she found out.

They're brought to a backroom, and there in a bed lies Nick Fury, very much alive and not dead. Natasha looks over at her and then back at Fury and Kennedy avoids all eye contact with Natasha.

Fury sits up and looks at them, "About damn time."

"Let me take a look at that," Dr. Fine says and Natasha nods as she lets him take her over toward a chair and looks at the wound. Kennedy finally has the courage to look over at her, but Natasha's too focused of Fury.

"Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, and one hell of a headache," he tells them.

"Don't forget about the collapsed lung," Fine voices, not taking his eyes off of Natasha's wound.

"Let's not forget that," Fury says, "Otherwise I'm good."

Kennedy can't help but smile at Fury's words. He was tough.

"They cut you open," Natasha states, "Your heart stopped."

"That was all thanks to Kennedy. Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. It was developed by Banner for stress, but it didn't work so great for him, so I found another use for it."

"Why all the secrecy?" Steve asks, "Why not tell us?"

"The attempt on the Director's life needed to look successful," Maria tells him.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead," Fury states, "Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust."

Kennedy notices the way that Natasha drops her gaze. She knew that Fury's words had hurt. Natasha's worked so hard to be a different person than she was, to be better, someone that Fury could trust and to head that he didn't, had to hurt her.

"Done," Fine says as he places a gauze over the stitches.

"Thanks," Natasha says as she stands and walks out of the room. Kennedy follows after her and they walk until they're far away from wandering ears.

"I get it," Natasha says, "I really do. You're new. You're a doctor. He needed you for his plan."

"He picked me because of you," Kennedy states, "The only reason that I was the one to put Fury under, to even know what Fury's plan was to begin with was because of you. He trusts you Nat, but he needed it to be believable."

"I understand," Natasha says, "But that doesn't make it hurt any less."

Kennedy nods her head, she wasn't going to invalidate Natasha's feelings because, she had a right to feel betrayed by Fury and even Kennedy.

"I'm sorry," Kennedy tells her.

"Don't apologize," Natasha tells her shaking her head.

"No, I have to," Kennedy says, "You and I are honest with each other. We tell each other everything. And in the bathroom at the hospital, I promised to be completely transparent with you and I wasn't."