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June 19, 2014
"Come on Indigo, I know you can do it" she hears Clint yell behind her.
The first few weeks of physical therapy felt like navigating a labyrinth. With Dr. Cho's blessing and Clint's unwavering support, Indigo embarked on a journey of rehabilitation, determined to reclaim control over her body.
They started slow, as Dr. Cho had advised, with simple exercises designed to rebuild the foundation of my strength. Lifting herself up felt like a Herculean task at first, the muscles in her limbs protesting with every movement. But with Clint's steady guidance, Indigo persevered, pushing past the barriers of pain and doubt.
Using bars to stand up became a ritual of determination, each moment a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. She clung to the metal bars like a lifeline, willing her body to obey the commands of her mind.
Today was the first day Indigo was going to try to walk. She had raised herself from her chair and hung onto the bars like her life depended on it. Indigo took a shaky step, testing herself by putting weight on her foot. Then slowly, ever so slowly, she took another step, then another.
"Oh my god, oh my god, Clint! I'm doing it!" Indigo screamed with joy.
Indigo looked up to see Clint beaming with pride. She hadn't realized others had joined them though. Nat stood next to him with tears in her eyes, Tony was holing up his phone videoing her while screaming, and Bruce and Dr. Cho stood together clapping. She noticed a shadow by the door seeing Steve with a small smile on his face.
"I had to text the group to come and see your first steps," Clint says walking over to her.
Indigo started to tear up still holding herself up using the bars. "I apologize for how I've acted over the past couple of months. I shouldn't have pushed you all away. I was mean and a jerk and I don't know what I would do without you all." she apologizes looking down at the floor.
Clint brings her the chair noticing how tired she's getting and helps her sit back down.
"You did good Indigo" Clint says before walking out.
Dr. Cho gives her a smile and Bruce gives her a thumbs up before they walk out together.
Tony walks over and says "I don't want to hear it Willow, but Pepper and I have already started planning a party for you, think of it like a welcome back kinda party... I'm proud of you kid."
"Thank you Tony" Indigo says with a laugh. He pats her back before heading out the door.
Nat walks over, still crying, "Oh Indie, I knew you could do it."
Indigo pulls her into a hug and whisper into her ear, "Nat, I am so sorry for pushing you away. I shouldn't have. Thank you for always being there for me."
"Its ok Indie. You were going through something, I get it. I'll always be here of you" She says with a smile as she stands up. Holding out her pinky finger, she says, "Sisters?" Indigo grabs onto it with hers and says, "Sisters."
Nat turns to walk out giving Steve a nod on the way out.
Indigo sits in her chair noticing it's just Steve and her left in the room.
"Indigo, I am truly sorry for not being there for you." Steve says as he pulls a chair up next to her.
"Please stop apologizing Steve, I should be the one apologizing to you. I've been rude and unforgiving." Indigo says trying not to cry. "You were going through your own stuff, finding out Buck is alive then losing him all over again is hard and I am sorry."
She grabs his hand in hers seeing him starting to tear up, "Steve, I shouldn't have shut you out. I am sorry."
Indigo pull him closer to her and hug him tight. She feels his arms wrap around her waist and him bury his head into her shoulder. They sit there for a moment until he pulls back, using his hand to wipe his eyes.
"Okay," he says, his voice thick with emotion, "enough crying. Let's go get some dinner." As he grabs the back of her chair and wheeling her out of the physical therapy room.
As they make their way towards the elevator, her gaze lingers on Steve, a flicker of curiosity igniting within her. The question that has been weighing on her mind for weeks now threatens to spill forth, the uncertainty gnawing at her insides.
"Has, um, Bucky tried to reach out to you? You know, since he saved us," Indigo ventures, her voice hesitant yet filled with a sense of urgency.
Steve's brow furrows in response to her inquiry, his expression betraying a mixture of surprise and apprehension. "The last time I saw or heard from Buck, he was pummeling my face in. Why do you ask?" he replies, his tone tinged with a hint of skepticism.
Indigo hesitates for a moment, unsure of how to broach the subject delicately. "I was just... curious," she offers lamely, her words falling short of the truth that lingers unspoken between them.
But as the elevator doors slide shut behind them, enveloping them in a cocoon of silence, Indigo can't shake the feeling that there's more to Bucky's absence than meets the eye. And as they descend into the depths of the facility, she feels Steve's gaze on her.
"Why do you think he saved us?" Steve's voice breaks through the silence, his tone tinged with a hint of curiosity that mirrors the questions swirling within her own mind.
Indigo pauses, the weight of his inquiry settling upon her like a heavy cloak. The events of that day replay in her mind, each moment etched with a clarity that belies the chaos and confusion of the battlefield.
"I think he remembered you," Indigo offers tentatively, the words tinged with uncertainty. "There was something in his eyes, a flicker of recognition, like he was fighting against the darkness that consumed him."
Steve's expression shifts, his brow furrowing as he mulls over her words. "Yeah... that was probably it," he concedes, his voice tinged with a sense of resignation. "But, the way he looked at you, you know, on the bridge then again on the Helicarrier... It was like he had..."
His words trail off, the weight of unspoken implications hanging heavy in the air. Indigo nodded, understanding dawning upon her like a beacon amidst the darkness. "It was like he had found a piece of his broken soul," she finishes for him, her voice barely above a whisper. Indigo knew that, because that's exactly how she felt when she saw Bucky.
Steve nods in agreement, his gaze distant as he recalls the haunting memories of their encounter with Bucky. "Exactly" he muses, his words echoing the thoughts that linger unspoken between them.
The elevator hums softly as it descends, the rhythmic sound a backdrop to their conversation. In the quiet of the confined space, Indigo can't help but wonder about the mysteries that surround Bucky, about the tangled web of memories and emotions that bind them together.
As the doors slide open, revealing the bustling activity of the facility beyond, Steve quickly wheeled her out, making their way towards the dining room with the others.
