James Barnes/OC
Marvel AU
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Alouette Clementine has battled severe illness for most of her life, but she never let that stop her from living it to the fullest. She was wild and carefree, never failing to shine a bright light on the darkest moments...
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"𝙊𝙠𝙖𝙮, 𝙨𝙞𝙩 down here," Banner directs Letty to a blue leather seat in a room full of them, people spread out across them with chapped lips and pale faces. Some with scarves covering their bald heads and some with hopeful twinkles in their eyes.
She sits down as instructed, getting comfortable as Banner rips open an alcohol packet and grips her forearm softly, wiping over the desired spot.
"We're going to use a needle to insert a catheter into your arm, then we're going to remove the needle and strap the catheter to your veins," he explains as he throws the wipe away and grabs a needle, connecting it to a thin wire.
"Your getting intravenous chemo-radiation therapy, which might take a toll on your body, so be ready for any uncomfortable side effects. We're going to prescribe a couple more medications for you on account of this, and you need to pair them with your current pills. Any questions?"
She shakes her head, she'd been through this many times before when she was younger so she knew the drill, but Banner was just doing his job by explaining the process.
"Can I get you anything?" He asks. She shakes her head again with a smile as he pokes the needle through her skin. She winces, the pinch only lasting a second before he pulls the needle back, keeping the catheter in place with a peice of opaque tape.
Banner gives her a reassuring nod before leaving the room. She gets comfortable on the chair, leaning her head back and preparing herself for the two hours of hell she's about to be put through.
No one besides the patient was allowed down here, meaning Nat couldn't keep her company unfortunately, and on account of her rushing to get out of bed this morning, she'd forgotten her book.
So, she was stuck by herself. She was happy they placed her in front of a window, though it was pretty high, so she could only see a sliver of the glimmering sun. A ray of golden light shone down on a pot of artificial flowers against the wall.
"What are you in for?" A voice comes from beside her. She looks over to the person it belonged to, a blonde man with drained features stares at her, dark brown eyes meticulously looking her over.
She smiles at him, "Metastatic cancer," she answers, "You?"
"Pharyngeal cancer," he answers, "Just a fancy way of saying a fucked up throat." She puffs out a laugh at his abruptness, "First timer?"
She shrugs, "First time in five years."
He nods, surprised, "Your condition must be super advanced then, if you stopped treatment."
"Yeah," she nods, "It's pretty bad, but it could be worse." Deep down she knows that's her giddy optimism taking root, but it's what she chose to believe.
"You're lucky. I stopped for six months and my throat closed in on me."
She bites her cheek, "I'm sorry."
He waves her off, "Who cares? People always say sorry. It doesn't mean shit- not when your living it. Plus, your a pretty girl, you'd look fine bald." She furrows her brows and he chuckles, "Don't worry, I'm not hitting on you. Don't get me wrong, your hot, but half-dead doesn't do it for me."
"I didn't think you were hitting on me," she assures.
"Then why do you have that look on your face?"
She smiles at him, "Because, your really negative," she answers. A loud snort erupts from the pale man, turning a few heads their way, but he continues until a coughing attack forces the laugh to relent.
"Am I supposed to be happy that I'm dying?" He asks her.
"You might live," she tells him, even though with the condition he's in- not even her optimism was allowing the lie to seep in.
He chuckles again, shaking his head, "I've got two months- if that."
She blinks at him, feeling sorrow for the hopeless look in his eyes. "Even if you do die, don't you want to go out happy?"
He shakes his head, "I've tried optimism. I've been where you are. All giddy and full of life. I was so sure this shit would work, but all it's done is fucking kill me more. Trust me- you'll get to where I am now. And when you are, you'll understand when I tell you that a short and eventful life is better than one where you kill yourself to try to live longer."
They stare at each other for a second before he sighs, "I'm Leo by the way."
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Leo had finished his cycle before her, and she felt scared as she watched him leave the room. Was what he said true? Would she end up like that?
She pushes the plaguing thoughts out of her mind when she see's her favorite strawberry blonde nurse approach her. "Hi Wanda," she smiles happily up at her.
Wanda gives her a wide smile back, "Hey Letty, Bruce told me you were back. Thought I'd come see for myself. How have you been?" She hands the blonde an orange juice as she tears the tape off the catheter.
"I've been fine," she partly lies as Wanda slips the wire out of her arm, the warm feeling of the treatment slowly dissolving, leaving her a bit light headed. "How about you?"
"Residency has been insane, but I've been okay," she helps Letty out of the chair. Wanda had to go through a twelve month residential period appointed to her by the country.
Since she was an immigrant, she entered a certain program that would allow her to obtain a green card by completion of her residency.
"Okay, here's your prescription, you can pick it up at the pharmacy," she hands her a slip of paper.
"Thanks," she takes the paper, staring down at the long names of medication and thinking back to Leo's words.
"No problem. See you next week," she says. Letty nods, leaving the room and scanning the tired looks of the other patients around her. They all looked the same- miserable, burnt out, and angry at the world.
She didn't want to end up like that- but then she thinks back to the reason she stopped in the first place and it was exactly how Leo explained it.
