Finding Love in France (Alternate Version)

Part 44: Puzzle

After waiting the rest of the night in the infirmary to make sure Bucky was okay and begging the staff not to report her injuries, Mila got to work. She was setting up some tests in the lab and pouring over his medical records. She had asked Peggy for any mission reports from when he was rescued and for Steve to try and remember any details of the camp, no matter how small.

"Jesus Christ, Doc, what the hell happened to you?!" Stark dropped his briefcase and ran over to her lab bench. "Please tell me you're okay?!"

"I will be, Howard, once I figure out what Hydra did to James..." she was so busy, she forgot to ask Peggy to borrow a scarf to cover her neck. "It looks worse than it feels...he's the one in the infirmary."

"He did this to you?! He's dead!" Stark yelled, and started heading for the door.

"Howard! Wait!" She ran after him. "It wasn't him! He had a night terror, he was triggered by something!" She caught up to Stark. "I had to break his damn arm to get him out of it..."

"You broke his arm?" Stark stared at her in disbelief.

"In two places, I'm afraid..." she hung her head. "...it was like he was in a trance. Yelling, screaming, kicking him, pinning him to the floor...it was useless until I really hurt him..."

"That sounds like a bit more than a night terror to me, Doc." Stark shook his head. "What do you think we're dealing with here?"

"I don't know, but I need to find out...not just for him, but for whoever else they did this to." She looked up at Stark. "Will you help me?"

"Will you break my arm if I say no?" He smirked. "Come on, Doc, let's go put this puzzle together."

By looking at his blood samples, comparing them to her own, and Steve's, she discovered that Bucky had been given small doses of prototype serum. His blood showed what looked like a corrupted version of the protein that increased strength, closer to hers than to Steve's polished version. She also found traces of heavy metals, one of which she had never seen before in a human body...vibranium.

Howard and Peggy were able to put together a list of potential torture methods and behavior modification techniques Hydra was known to use, such as cold water immersion and subliminal messages.

Steve was able to remember some details of the camp that were not in the reports, such as a strong bleach smell and that there was classical music playing in the background. He also remembered that Bucky had been restrained by the waist and arms, but not the legs.

Mila then recalled how the sheets at the hotel smelled heavily of bleach, there was someone playing music down the hall, they spent a long time in the shower until it ran cold, and they had gotten tangled in the bedding so badly she needed to pull the top sheet off the bed to free herself before using the bathroom. Add in her accent, which she always knew was a potential trigger, and she was relieved he was unarmed that night...