Steve Rogers went back to the past to reconnect with his true love, Peggy Carter. That's what everyone in 2023 thought. The truth is he went back to right a wrong, several of them in fact. He went back to save his friend, James Buchanan "Bucky" B...
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The addition of a partition to the end of Bucky's bed ended the steady stream of people wanting to see the young sergeant, making him feel less like he was on display. After Lt. Hay went off duty, Dr. Waslewski and Major Lambert each took a shift monitoring Bucky's vitals and keeping anyone from bothering him during the night. They also checked the swelling in his hand and feet caused by the frostbite he suffered. It subsided overnight as the better environment in the hospital allowed the serum to successfully restore the healthy look and feel of his skin on his extremities. By the morning both doctors were of the opinion that he could tolerate the flight back to England. The major went looking for a source of ice, wanting to cool Bucky down to numb his nerves as a form of pain relief. What he was able to find wasn't enough to last longer than an hour, so Bucky agreed to do without, claiming that the pain wasn't as bad as it was when he arrived. Just before he was to be removed from the hospital the general stopped to see him, dismissing everyone so that the conversation was between just him and the sergeant.
"Sir," said Bucky. "I'm sorry I can't salute."
"Don't be, son," said Phillips. "I am in awe of you, Sergeant Barnes. You have gone through something so horrific that I can't even begin to fathom it. You will go back to England and once you have healed enough to walk, you'll go back home."
"Sir, no, I want to fight," protested the young man. "HYDRA has to be stopped."
"On that we agree," said the general, "but a one-armed man, even one who killed a wolf while he was as incapacitated as you were, is still a liability." He put his hand up, seeing Bucky was prepared to argue. "I'm not saying you can't come back. I have talked to Dr. Erskine, and he wishes to get you back to the lab in New York. It is a better setup than the lab in England and there is no chance of being bombed by the Germans, at least by air. They're sending out those V2 rockets now, and our base is a target. The doctor is of the opinion that if you get more injections of his serum that your body will regenerate the lost arm. If it does, you will be coming back. If it doesn't, then I want you to be fitted for a new artificial arm that Howard Stark is working on. He claims it will revolutionize the field of prosthetics." He shrugged. "I don't know if he's just talking out of his hat, but the man is a genius, and he knows we need you. Don't forget that ... we do need you."
"Yes, sir," replied Bucky. "I'll try to get back as soon as I can, with a new arm either way."
"Good. Now there is one more thing I have to do." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a long flat box. "It doesn't bring your arm back, or even come close to acknowledging the personal price you have paid with your injuries, but it's a start. It is my honour to present you with a Purple Heart, in recognition of the injuries you received while in the performance of your duty." He took it out of the case and fastened it to Bucky's hospital gown. Then he stood up and saluted the sergeant. "You do what you have to, Sergeant Barnes, and get back to the fight. Until then, you take care of yourself."
