Soldier Boy

28

*Inessa*

I could sense the bright lights without opening my eyes, and the quiet beeping on the left of me. I don't know how long I was out, but the stiffness in my back told me I was laying down for a long while. I shift my legs, wanting to roll me over on my side, and I hear someone step closer to me.

"Take it easy kiddo." Tony. I let out a hiss, a sharp pain shooting through my hip. "Easy now." Tony's hands fall on my shoulders, holding me safely.

"Side." I grumble.

"Okay, slowly though." His hands slowly turn my shoulders, letting my hip roll with them. I felt the pain, but I felt relief come off my back.

"What's going on?" I still haven't opened my eyes, still very tired for some reason.

"We got back to the jet, you lost enough blood to make you drop, which you did." I hear a chair scoot across the floor, landing near my bed. Was I in my bed?

"Where are we?" I ask.

"Dr. Cho told me to bring you here." He answers. Where's here?

"That doesn't help me." I sigh.

"Hospital, sorta. It's all funky really." I finally find the urge to open my eyes, blinking them slightly. "I do have a few questions, if your awake enough to answer." Classic Tony. He needs answers pretty quickly, especially if he can't figure them out himself

"What?" I grumble.

"What's the last thing you remember?" I squint my eyes, remembering what happened. That last thing I remember was feeling Darya's hand grow colder, and eventually I started getting upset again. But I felt calm right now, even thinking about Darya.

"Am I drugged?" I turn to look over at Tony, seeing him sitting in a chair, watching me.

"Heavily." He leans forward, elbows pressing into the mattress, creating dents. "What do you remember?" You mean what I want to forget? I decide now is a good time to express my wishes on what to do for Darya. She was a good friend, and she deserves a proper burial. I'm so drugged. I don't know how I can think about her and not feel everything all at once, she just died. Really drugged.

"I want her buried."

"That's not what I asked." He keeps his eyes on my face, his holding no expression.

"I know. But I want here buried where I was." I shift again, feeling pain again.

"We can't just put her in the ground, without any proper-"

"Anthony." I stare my eyes at his, making him pause to listen. "She was captured, used as a weapon. She deserves rest, and in a place where she won't be bothered." His head drops down nodding. "Please."

"Okay. Okay." He stands, pushing his chair back where it was. "I'll go make arrangements."

"Thanks." I mumble, holding my heavy arm out. Tony pauses, looking down at my hand, hesitant to take it. I sigh pulling my arm back, tucking it under my head.

"I'll check on you later." He gives a quick smile before leaving.

-

"Get up." Father's voice was tired, exhausted from watching all of them fight each other like pathetic children. The two girls crawl their way standing, one bloody, one even bloodier. "Дочь греха." Hearing my name I step forward, next to Father. "Дочь войны." Darya steps on the other side of him, facing forward. "Show them." Fucks sakes. Darya was strong, if not stronger than me, and I haven't eaten this week due to punishment.

She steps to the mat, turning to look at me.

"Дочь греха. Don't leave me waiting." Father doesn't turn to look at me, but I heard the warning loud enough. Here we go.

-

Knock knock. I lift my head a little upon hearing the noise, seeing James's head poke through the door.

"Oh, you're up." He straightens stepping fully into the room. "How do you feel?" His eyes look slightly sunken, and his chin and cheeks have started forming a beard. A beard?

"When did you start growing-" I point to my own face, shocked. "All this?" He rolls his eyes, stepping further into the room, looking around for a place to sit. "Chair." I look over to the chair Tony was sitting in, his eyes following mine. He's slower, either taking his time or tired. Makes two of us. "So, beard?" I giggle.

"Yes." He scoots the chair next to the bed, sighing as he sits. "It's been a stressful couple of days." Days?!

"What do you mean by couple?" I quickly ask, feeling my eyes go wide. I thought it was still the same day, maybe even the next day after our mission, not a couple.

"It's been a couple of days." He answers.

"What the fuck." I groan tucking my face into my pillows.

"How's your hip?" He asks, leaning back in the chair.

"Fine, I guess? I don't remember too much." I look back up at him, seeing his eyes on my hip.

-

*James*

I should have dragged her ass back to the jet. She wouldn't be sitting in this white, bleach smelling, oddly clean hospital. She would be home, doing whatever she does, like throwing knives into the wall, not hooked up to wires. And her friend would probably still be alive. I fucked everything up.

"James." She calls my name softly, zooming me out of my thoughts.

"Right. Well, that's good." I nod to her.

"What's wrong?" Her cheek presses against her pillow, puffing her lips slightly.

"Nothing." Liar. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay." She looks away, hiding her face in her pillow, letting out a fairly loud groan before lifting her head away.

"I told Tony I wanted her buried." I nod, letting her continue. "Ya know," She props her head on her hand, letting out a breath. "I never thought I would ever feel this way, from losing someone."

"How so?" I ask.

"I don't know. I knew from an early age that I would lose people. When my parents died, I thought that would be the worse thing to ever happen to me. Losing the two people I loved, looked up to." Her head tilts away, bottom lip wobbly. "Then I lost a friend, and now another. I'm so drugged up, I can't even cry right now. And I want to cry, and scream. And I know it's over dramatic-"

"It's not." Her eyes flick to mine, searching for anything other than honesty. "I don't think it's dramatic."

"Then weak." She answers. Your not weak, Inessa.

"No." I lean my arms on the bed, never looking away from her. "It's not weak either." Her eyes soften.

"I.." She lets out a shaky breath. "I tried. I really did try to not let it get to me." Her eyes gloss over, the first time I see her show emotion since we had to sedate her on the jet. "I just felt so much pain." I nod, letting her work her way through her feelings. I normally don't care enough to sit and listen to someone talk or cry, but she was an exception. The exception. "I felt so.. angry... I know she wasn't on everyone's good side, and she became something we have to protect the world from but,"

"She was your friend." I finish her sentence.

"She was." She let's out a little sad smile, making my chest clamp up. I knew she wasn't someone who trusted easily, but when she did, she trusted completely. She was the ride or die type, being a good thing and bad. She would die willingly for those she cared for, but it ripped her apart if she lost them. Another small thing I admire. "When do I get to go home?" She didn't want to go home, but she wanted to get things back to normal, and I couldn't blame her.

"I'll go get Cho." I offer a small smile, to which she returns. I stand, turning to leave before she stops me.

"James." I look over my shoulder, holding the door knob. Her smile turns into a small smirk, eyes glinting in humor. "I dig the scruff." She giggles. There's my girl.