the team doctor || bucky barnes (EDITING IN PROGRESS)

10.

Edited 8/27/25

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴏɴɢ: ᴡᴏᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰ*ᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ - ᴊᴏɴ ʙᴇʟʟɪᴏɴ

"𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐢𝐧𝐠."

~

SHE WAS IN SHOCK.

Valerie blinked, genuinely surprised that Bucky had actually followed through on the order. She nodded once and fumbled through her instruments, her hands moving quickly to locate the receptors.

He sank into the chair, ignoring the neatly folded blankets she had brought, his posture stiff and unyielding.

"Will you actually stay in your chair tonight?" she asked, one eyebrow rising in question.

He raised a hand in mock salute, a dry imitation of 'scout's honor.' Valerie pursed her lips and moved closer, placing the small receptors against his forehead. She calibrated the machine with practiced precision, satisfaction blooming as his brain waves and heart rate appeared steady on the monitor.

Turning to retrieve something from her cabinet, she stretched onto her toes. She didn't notice the slight hitch in Bucky's pulse as her skirt shifted with the movement. He, on the other hand, immediately tore his eyes away, frustration tightening his jaw as his mind waged its own battle.

"I'll dim the lights a little for you," she said softly, flipping the switch and letting the room melt into gentle shadow.

He closed his eyes, letting the low hum of the lab machines wash over him. The mechanical whirring, steady and predictable, was oddly comforting, more grounding than distracting. Within minutes, he had slipped into a restless sleep.

Valerie wiped down some vials from her earlier tests with Bruce, glancing toward him. His lips were slightly parted in slumber, and she faltered, blinking rapidly to refocus. The awkwardness of having him—just six feet away, vulnerable and unaware—settled over her like a weight.

After an hour, she eased herself onto her table, folding her arms over her chest to trap warmth within her thick cardigan. Her eyes fluttered closed, fatigue claiming her.

At 4 a.m., the sharp beeping of the monitor shattered the silence. Valerie's eyes snapped open. Brain activity spiked, heart rate climbing in tandem. Her fingers hovered over the console. Let him ride it out? Or wake him?

Before she could decide, a scream tore through the lab.

"Let me go!"

He thrashed in the chair, scratching at his skin as if it were on fire. Cold sweat slicked his skin even as his heart rate raced uncontrollably. Valerie lunged toward him, shaking him gently at first, then more urgently.

"Bucky—!" she called.

Reality and nightmare collided. His eyes shot open—blank, wild—and before she could react, his hands gripped hers with terrifying strength. Muscle memory took over; he lunged, pinning her to the metal table. The impact jarred her, her body trapped beneath his powerful frame.

For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to his dead eyes, the harsh edge of his panic, and the terrifying immediacy of his strength.

"Bucky!" she yelled, her voice cutting through the lab's hum. "Wake up!"

His eyes snapped open, wild and unfocused. He gasped, chest heaving, searching the room like it was unfamiliar territory.

"You're okay," she murmured softly, stepping closer but keeping her hands visible.