Summer's End - Bucky and Mel Universe 1

One Foot in the Grave

James, picked up Mel's purse, then picked her up. The cab arrived. He shouted the address to the compound at the cab driver and told him to move it. He cradled her head against his arm. She felt like a bird, too light, as he remembered. She was cold, that could be from being in the water, but this felt colder than that. Her lips weren't blue and she was breathing, her face was a mask of agony.
With his other hand he rooted through her purse until he found her phone. He placed her finger on it to unlock it and searched through the contacts until he found "Matt - ICE". It being the only Matt listed, he dialed it. It rang, finally someone picked up on the other end.
"So you come to your senses?" The voice on the other end stated.
"Hi, you don't know me,..." James began.
"How did you get this number," Matt interrupted.
"Some thing has happened. Mel said no hospitals and to call you before she passed out." James was trying to explain.
"Where are you taking her?"
"I am taking her to the Avenger's compound. While it isn't a hospital, they have medical equipment there."
"No tests can be preformed on her."
"Well, how do you expect us to help her."
"You don't."
"I can't accept that." He held Mel closer to him, possessively.
"I'm on my way."
James hung up the phone. Hold on he thought, or better yet wake up. He smoothed her hair away from her face. It was clear that she was in pain. James called the compound to let them know the situation and that they were in bound. He wasn't able to answer all their questions. He was clearly frustrated when they arrived.
When they arrived a team was waiting with a gurney. He told them that they were not to perform any tests per Matt's demand, he then also stated to do what is necessary to make her safe. Who was this Matt, he thought. Old boyfriend, or lover. Someone more normal than him, that is for sure. Why did she have to get involved? If they were not together this evening, she would never have been in danger. These things kept going through his mind in the waiting room. When a man in a suit entered wearing red glasses and a cane, James stood up holding out his hand. Might as well get this over with, "You must be Matt," James said, "I'm James."
"Matt Murdock. This is a court order to cease and desist any an all testing on my client. She is able to be rehydrated, any wounds attended to, and medication. No testing."
Already too late, They had begun with an MRI, which malfunctioned and started smoking. They then moved her to an Asgaardian cradle. The readings were very odd.
"Perhaps, we should get Dr. Strange in on this one," one of the techs said. The other doctors and nurses seemed in agreement over that and the readings they were already getting from her. Then someone ran in with the court order.
Mel was moved back onto the gurney and pushed into a room. She was moved to a bed, IVs set up and arranged. The nurses had removed her clothes and had placed her in a hospital gown. James and Matt were both lead into the room. Matt bent over her and kissed her forehead, squeezing her hand.
"It's ok, I'm here now," was whispered into her ear.
He proceeded to walk around the room and found a chair to sit in and watched.
"You've done your job, you can go now." James said.
"Mel's not just my client, she's a friend, and closest thing I have to family. I am not going any where." Matt said with coldest voice he could muster. A low growl entered James' chest. He walked out to the waiting room, picked up another chair and scooted it close to the bed. James wrapped his hand around hers.
Mel's breath was deep and slow, her eyes moving under her lids like she was dreaming. Her face changed from one expression to another, yet each was of pain. She was still so cold to the touch. Please be ok, he thought. He also was really concerned why no tests. One of the orderlies had told James about the MRI, as if on cue...
"That's why no tests," Matt stated, "She tends to break things."
"What is it you aren't telling us."
"Really if there is anything to tell, she will tell you herself if she chooses," Matt snapped back. "If she gets hurt, I will legally murder you."
"Hey, can we agree that we are both here for her and be on the same side?" James asked.
"Perhaps, I can be of assistance?" A man with greying temples said, "I am Dr. Stephen Strange. I was asked to consult and that no medical tests could be performed."
"That is correct," Matt said, "No medical tests."
"They didn't say magical or spiritual tests in that court order, did they?" Dr. Strange continued.
"Legally no, however...." Matt began.
"However, we are all here for Mel and we want to do what is in her best interest correct? I promise, no harm will come to her."
Begrudgingly, Matt conceded, he'd seen he would have to add something to addendum to the order for next time.
Dr. Strange began moving his hands over her, mandalas made of light swirled over top of her.
""Hmm, interesting." He began, "She wrecked the MRI, didn't she?"
"How did you guess?" James said.
"I might need to talk to your medical officers on their triage to help prevent accidents like that from happening further. It was a good idea for you to bring her here instead of a regular hospital. Safer for everyone. She just needs rest, however, I will want to speak with her when she wakes up. She's in a healing cycle for lack of a better term and will wake up tomorrow."
"That's good, Matt perhaps you would like to go home?" James offered.
"I'm not going any where until she tells me to," Matt was being stubborn.
"Your choice."
To stay the next several hours were a staring contest would be an understatement and inaccurate since Matt was blind. A pissing contest would be a better analogy. James rested his chin on her hand. Eventually falling asleep himself. Matt also fell asleep but who could tell. When Mel stirred, he woke up, hoping that she was waking up, but she wasn't. Worse yet, it wasn't explained what had happened to cause all this adding to his frustration.
It was late Saturday afternoon when she did wake up. She moved her hand to caress James' cheek. He was out cold, she moved her hand so her fingers rested in the tangles of his hair. Matt also woke up and walked over to her.
"Hey Sunshine, how are you feeling?" Matt was all gentleness and caring now.
She swallowed hard, he brought her a glass of water.
"Thank you, you remember that fraternity party you invited me to your sophomore year?"
"Yeah," he smirked.
"Remember the next morning?"
"That bad?"
"So much worse."
By this time James was waking as well, looked up smiled with the biggest smile he had ever given and kissed her. She shoved him off of her.
"Ew, James, I'm disgusting. Let me at least brush my teeth first."
"I thought I'd lost you..."
"Matt, could you go to my place and pick me up something to wear home, please?"
"Ah, yeah sure, be back in about an hour. Don't go any where." Matt smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead, giving James a look.
"Thank you, don't forget shoes!" She called after him.
She held her finger up to her lips and looked at James to keep him quiet. Then held up her hands, slowly putting one finger down at at time, counting from 10 to zero. She turned and mouthed, close the door.
"Ok, we should be out of earshot by now," she said.
"Earshot? Someone with sound amplification would be lucky to hear us," James said exasperated.
"Trust me, Matt would hear us, he has excellent hearing," she cupped his cheek giving a apologizing smile.
"Squinch over," James said and hopped up on the bed with her, wrapping his arm around her bringing her closer to him. He inhaled deeply. "Where did you find him?"
"We sort of found each other, we were at the orphanage at the same time. He was the one who found me on the steps. The first person I talked to after not talking for a year. I had no memory of anything before that, just darkness." A shiver moved through her body as she explained. "Then I was adopted, we tried to stay in touch, but it was tough. Eventually, he ended up at the same college I was working on my Ph.D at and we reconnected. He helped me get things in order with my parents estate once he passed the bar. I have him help me with my students' cases. I keep him on retainer. You saw from the school how certain things about my students need to be treated delicately. I pay for their cases. We've helped each other through a lot of things in life." She did not go into how Matt was really Daredevil, it wasn't the time and she felt it was Matt's secret to share.
Mel curled into him, placing her hand on his chest. She could feel conflicted feelings radiating off of him. "You have nothing to worry about, Matt is in a permanent friend zone, he is family more than anything. He would probably want more, there is not a better person I would rather have fighting on my side though. Please understand, I could never think of him romantically, I know that hurts him the most." She looked up at James, her eyes had tears in them. He kissed them away.
"You were so cold, and your hands felt, you felt like .... All the life had gone out of you." James began, "Dr. Strange wants to talk to you."
"Dr. Strange?"
"Yeah, he's a sorcerer."
"James, where are we, this isn't a normal hospital is it?" Her voice trailing off towards the end.
"Remember, where we worked out the other day? Well, it's part of the Avenger's compound."
"And what are we doing here?"
"You said no hospitals, I didn't know where else to go. Besides have medical and research facilities, training facilities, dorms, and the like are also here.... Welcome to my home."
"Umm, I don't think Matt has put two and two together yet. That would mean you are Buc..."
"I will only be your James. You will be my Melinda. No one else for each other." James was staring her in the eyes.
"Then I think it is about time, we need to have a talk with one another." She said as she began twittering with her fingers.