Living Nightmare

Chapter Eleven

By the time Tony gets back from the hospital, Bucky and Steve are the only ones in the lab with you.

Bucky hasn't moved since he found you. Steve's keeping him company.

Tony enters the room.

"Hi" he nods at Steve, and glances at Bucky on the floor, then you in the cell. He sighs at the sight of you before looking back at Steve. "Romanoff told me I'd find you guys in here."

Tony walks over and takes a seat next to Steve.

"How are they?" he whispers, as if you and Bucky can't hear him. Neither of you pay attention anyway.

"Neither of them have moved or said anything. Not just to us, but to each other" Steve replies. "We're all worried, Tony."

"Mhm. So am I."

They watch you pitifully for a moment.

"So what did you find out at the hospital?" Steve asks.

You move.

You turn your head so your ear faces the window, intently listening to what they have to say.

Unfortunately, the guys don't notice as they're looking at each other, not you.

"It took a while to get any news from them... they were all trying to clean up the mess from last night."

"What happened exactly?"

Tony took a deep breath.

"Nine injured..." he paused. "... three dead."

In the cell, your jaw drops with shock. Your eyes fill with regretful tears. Tears of pain.

"Dead?" Steve questions.

"Two doctors, one patient. The nine others were all doctors too. Attacked as self defence. I saw the security footage, they were just trying to stop her. She was trying to escape. A couple of unlucky ones got the fatal hit."

"And the patient? Did they just get in the way?"

Tony looks down into his lap, considering how to explain. He makes eye contact with Steve again.

"It looked like a targeted attack. The patient was in his room, in his bed, asleep. She went into his room and... and she killed him. There was no way it was an accident."

Steve glanced at you. That's when he notices.

You're crying.

"Y/n" Steve calls out to you.

You look at him. You're taking deep, wavering breaths through your mouth. You look terrified.

"Hi" he smiles softly. "Y/n, could you please come out so we can help you through this?"

You shake your head and return to your original position, facing away from them.

"Come on y/n/n" Tony stands and approaches the glass. He places his hand against it. "We need you to come out and talk to us."

You go back to ignoring them.

"She's not going to listen."

Tony and Steve look at Bucky when he speaks.

He's still staring at nothing. He doesn't take his eyes off that one random spot on the floor.

"If there was something we could do, something I could say to make her change her mind, I would've said it by now. She won't listen."

Tony and Steve frown as they realise he's right.

They leave, eventually.

It's just you and Bucky.

It's still only the two of you when night falls.

Bucky checks the clock on the wall to see it's after one am. He hadn't fallen asleep at all yet.

"Are you awake, baby?" he asks.

There's a moment of silence.

"I don't want to go to sleep" you whisper.

About half an hour later, Bucky hears a noise come from the cell behind him. He looks back to see you standing up and walking around, pacing the floor. He twists himself round to face the cell, sitting cross-legged in front of the window.

"Are you okay?"

You shake your head.

"Can't fall asleep."

Bucky watched as you attempt to stifle a yawn. You look over at him.

"I can't-"

"I know. It's okay" Bucky half-smiles. "Don't worry doll. I'm awake as long as you are."

You stop pacing the floor. You look at Bucky. You slowly walk over to the glass separating you and sit cross-legged opposite him.

You're sat in silence for several minutes. You're looking down into your lap as Bucky watches you.

Then you look up, into his eyes.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"You should get some rest baby."

"So should you."

"... I don't want to."

"Y/n-"

"No."

"Okay."

Neither you nor Bucky fall asleep for hours.

Bucky ends up lying on the floor, but he sits up when the sun light that sneaks through the curtains hits his eyes. He looks at you. You're leaning against the far wall now, holding your knees to your chest.

"Y/n" Bucky grabs your attention. "Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?"

You shake your head.

"You haven't eaten in 24 hours doll."

You don't respond.

"Please baby, you need to eat."

Silence.

Bucky sighs and gets up from the floor.

He, himself, wouldn't mind food, but leaving you is out of the question. He stays put, sitting back down in a chair.

He's not going anywhere.