It's Forbidden

Appendicitis

Aspen had gotten up from Bucky's lap to throw up once again. As she was getting sick, Bucky held her hair back. He helped her clean up, splashing her face with cool water and rinsing her mouth out. He kisses her cheek before going out and calling Bruce back into the room. As Bruce walked in, Tony and Steve had automatically invited themselves in as well.

Bucky didn't like that Steve had invited himself into the room. He knew it would stress Aspen out, especially with the way he was acting. But he didn't want to make it worse by telling him he wasn't allowed in the room. That would've caused more trouble than it was worse. Bucky thought it was better to just leave it be and let him come in the room. Because Bucky did know, that deep down, Steve really did care about Aspen. He just showed it in all the wrong ways.

Bruce came in and went to his computer. The results of Aspen's tests had come back. He studied them for a few minutes, looking over her entire chart and everything that had come up. Everyone waited for Bruce patiently. Bucky was sitting on the bed with Aspen on his lap, holding her tight, holding her close.

Her head was laid back against his shoulder, her head tucked slightly between his neck and shoulder. Bucky's arms were wrapped around her waist, her hands holding his around her. She closed her eyes, trying to beat the feeling as she was waiting for the results. Trying to test the mind over matter theory. It wasn't working. She felt worse by the minute.

Bruce looks up to Aspen ready to tell her the test results after reading them carefully. "Aspen," He said, getting her attention after seeing her eyes were closed. "It looks like you have appendicitis," He tells her. All of her symptoms suddenly made since. She didn't know how she had appendicitis, but it was a generally easy fix so she didn't really care either.

"You're going to need surgery to remove your appendix." Bruce tells her. "Now that we know what's wrong, do you think you could give us an explanation now?" Steve asks. This made Bucky furious. He tightened his jaw and wrapped his arms tighter around Aspen protectively. He hated how Steve thought he was owed an explanation after everything.

And Aspen wasn't even better, she wasn't out of the woods, they just knew what was wrong. She was still sick, she needed surgery, and he anted and explanation he didn't even deserve before they made sure she would be okay. Bucky was livid.

"No she can't." Bucky tells Steve angrily. "She's going together her surgery. And IF she decides," Bucky says, "AFTER she's recovered, that she wants to talk to you, that's fine." Bucky tells Steve. "but until then, you're going to leave before I make you."

Tony knew it would escalate if something wasn't said or someone didn't intervene in a calmer manner. "Bruce keep me updated." Tony said, interrupting the conversation that was sure to blow up at any moment. "Let's go Rogers. And Barnes, you can't be in during the procedure." Tony says. He didn't want it to seem like he was taking sides.

He was. He was taking Aspen's side. Whatever was best for her. And protocol is nobody in the room during the procedures but Bruce. So he was following protocol as well as trying to deescalate the situation at hand. Bucky understood. He had expected it, he just needed another second with her.

He needed another second with her without Steve in the room. "Okay." He says. He wasn't going to protest. He knew better. And he knew it was better if he wasn't in the room during the procedure, it would have gave him more anxiety than having to wait in the other room for her. He knew it would make him sick to his stomach seeing her open and helpless on the table.

"I just want to talk to her again before she goes under." Bucky tells Tony. Tony understood where he was coming from, he knew Aspen would want to talk to him alone before she had to go under too. He would give them another minute alone. "Okay. But the sooner she gets the surgery, the better." Tony tells Bucky.

Tony and Steve left the room, Bruce stayed to monitor her until the surgery, but he minded his business and kept to himself as Aspen and Bucky talked. Aspen turned herself around so she could face Bucky. Still on his lap and holding him, him holding her. Neither of them wanted to let go. Not only because of the surgery, but because they hadn't seen each other in two days, and because they could never get enough of each other.

"Play nice while I'm under." Aspen tells Bucky. "Even though he's a jerk." She says. Because she knew he would try to protest. "I don't want you two to lose the friendship you had." She finally tells him what she had feared since they started dating.

It was still a worry for her but she knew Bucky would do anything for her. She still wanted him to figure this out with Steve, he needed someone other than her. Steve had been his best friend for so long, she didn't want him to lose that relationship or any of those memories over her.

"Okay but I'm not talking to him until he apologizes to you and gets his act together." Bucky tells her. Of course she knew there was going to be a protest, but she would let it ride for now and they could figure it out when she got out of her surgery.

"Okay fine." She says. "But please, don't instigate. No faces, no death stares." She tells him. "Aspen I'm going to give you an anesthetic now." Bruce tells her. Her SATS were dropping and she needed to get into surgery. He didn't want to rush them, but if they wanted to be able to have another conversation, she needed the surgery now.

"Okay." Aspen tells Bruce. Bucky gets off the bed and helps lay Aspen down, he holds her and and looks down at her as she looks up at him with big expectant loving eyes. "Go shower and take a nap Jamie. I'll be fine." She says. "Okay. Fine. And I know you will. Sweet dreams doll, okay?" Bucky tells her. "Mhm." She hums. "I'll dream of you." She says sleepily. The anesthetic already getting to her.

Bucky leans down and kisses her patiently, like he's never going to see her again, even though he knows he will. She pulls him close and kisses him back until she can't. He pulls away and holds her close until her eyelids flutter shut and she's unconscious. Bucky kisses the top of her head and lets her go.

He looks over to Bruce, not being able to help the emotion and tears that springs to his eyes. "It'll be a few hours." Bruce tells him. "I'll keep you ant Tony updated." He says. "Okay." Bucky says. Bruce sees the worry on his face and tries to soothe his worries. "She'll be fine." Bruce reassures him. Bucky nods and looks at Aspen one more time before leaving the room.