Finding Love in France (Alternate Version)

Part 29: Recovery

Mila and Bucky were trying to get their stories straight when they heard Stark yelling in the hallway. "If you don't let me in there, I'll have you court marshaled!"

"Please let him in!" Mila yelled. "I'm alright, Howard!"

Stark burst through the door of her room. "Doc! What the hell happened? Was it the gas? Are you gonna make it? How the hell did Barnes get in here?"

Mila laughed. "Really, Howard, I am fine. Some sort of stomach flu, I got dehydrated and passed out. I'm so sorry to have scared you." She smiled warmly. "Thank you for taking such good care of me, I am most grateful."

"Barnes, she on the up and up?" Stark asked Bucky. He noticed they were holding hands. "Oh, I see...well, just don't catch whatever she's got, kid!" He smirked.

Bucky held onto Mila's hand tightly while she tried to pull it away. "Thankfully not contagious, see?" He held up their joined hands.

They heard Steve and Peggy in the hall. Mila wasn't sure she was ready to face them. "Thank you for being so sweet, Howard, but I am still on the mend. Can we catch up tomorrow?" She turned to Bucky. "James, will you get the nurse for me?"

"Get some rest. See you tomorrow, Doc." Stark kissed Mila's other hand and headed out.

After he left, she asked Bucky to stay. "I don't think I'm ready for this. Will you stay? Back me up if I start to screw up the story?" She was shaking.

"Let me see what I can do, okay? Maybe I can get the nurse to tell them you are sleeping and to come back tomorrow." He tried to reassure her.

Bucky left the room and closed the door behind him. She heard him ask for the nurse and tell Steve and Peggy she was asleep. When they asked what happened, he told them what she told Stark. Stomach flu, dehydration, on the mend. She heard the others leave and breathed a sigh of relief.

When he returned, she was crying quietly. "Mils, hey! What's wrong? Are you in pain? I can try and find the nurse again..." Bucky wrapped his arms around her.

"I am alright, James. Just thankful you are here...and wondering why that is?" She looked up at him.

"Like I said, Doc, I think you're pretty amazing." He kissed her nose. "It's the least I can do, I mean, you saved my best friend, and then replaced him as my favorite person..."

"James, really, you are too nice to me." She looked away. "While I have caused you nothing but trouble, you are literally sitting in the infirmary, helping me lie to your friends about something so shameful..."

"Hey. Stop that. There's nothing shameful about what happened to you, Mila." He put his fingers under her chin to tilt her face back to him. "You loved someone who didn't love you back, at least not the way you deserve...and you are going through something I can't even imagine right now." He smiled gently at her. "You are worth the trouble. And then some."