✔𝚮𝐞𝐥𝐥𝛐 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 ➳ 𝚩𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝚩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 32: 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝛐𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝛐𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠

𝐉𝛐 𝐜𝛐𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 the car. How the backseat of the Camaro felt. The leather had been cool against her cheek. She liked the smell of leather. Her breathing was the only sound. There wasn't the purr of an engine. Sound didn't exist, just breathing. The edges of her eyes were completely dark. Moments seem to skip every time she blinked. Time moved slow, snailing along as if she was back home. The Ivory House with the wonderful sunlight shining on it while the bees and butterflies buzzed around the tall grass and flowers. It had been nothing like that. It hurt.

Then time moved quick. She was in a car, racing. Her heart was ramming. She couldn't breathe. Everything was shit. She felt like utter fucking shit. Her ears were ringing, and her eyes were thrust open. She rolled over the side of her bed, vomiting nothing but water and stomach acid.

Her breath was painful. Fuck. Her eyes closed again. The sun was too bright.

"Jodie?" Peggy's worried voice came. Shit. The pain from her chest barely subsided.

"Hi," she croaked out in a small voice. Her throat was dry, and all she could taste was acid. Not the good kind of acid.

"Jesus Christ!" A set of arms landed around her body, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Fuck-" Jo swore, pain searing. Her body was incredibly sweaty. She felt gross. Unclean.

"Good to see you up, Sunshine," Bucky's voice sounded with much more relief than his words showed.

"Turn off the light," she mumbled while letting Peggy hug her.

"Huh, sunshine doesn't like sunshine," he mused. Peggy swept her hand over her hair and hugged her head tightly.

"Yeah, I'm alive. Don't have to kill me now," Jo mumbled, and Peggy let out another relieved breath. The flick of a switch sounded, and she slowly lowered her arm. The light was much more pleasant now. She was in her own room.

"How are you feeling?" Her sister asked with a soft smile and eyebrows slightly puckered.

"Like I died," she grumbled. Jo had an idea about what might have happened.

"You have Tony and his trinkets to thank for that not happening," Peggy replied and finally let go, so she could sit up against the headboard. It was dark outside. Her puke had hit a bucket someone had placed on the side of her bed. Bucky was already replacing it.

"What time is it?" Her body felt like shit. This was worse than any hangover she had ever felt. Her mind was so messed up.

"It's about 10 pm... you slept all night and day, Jo," Peggy said and comfortingly brushed her hair. "Tony said you just had to sleep it out after what he gave you."

The guilt was lacing in her bones. She hated seeing her sister like this.

"Look, Maggie, I'm sorry... I didn't-" Peggy shook her head.

"Hey, don't worry about it, alright?" Tears were rising in her eyes again. Since when had she started crying this much? "I'm just glad you're okay." Jo wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulder and hugged her. "But don't ever do that again." Her voice was trembling. Jo immediately nodded.

"I won't," she spoke with a shaky voice and pulled away to wipe away those dumb tears. Bucky walked in at the same time with a new bucket.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Peggy asked and continued brushing her hair while tears were running down her cheeks. "I can make you anything you'd like."

"A sandwich?" Jo asked, and she quickly nodded.

"I'll get to it immediately. You must be starving," she smiled and got up from the bed, rushing out of the room. Bucky was sitting on the desk chair, elbow on the armrest and watching her with a tense jaw.