Just Let Me Die

Chapter 10

"What was that about?" Kelsey asked, confusion clouding her voice. "I don't know, but how about we get you to where you'll be staying ok?" Bucky asked kindly and Kelsey responding with a nod. They helped her up slowly, they had to grab her shoulders so she wouldn't fall over.
"You ok?" Roger's watched her with concern, nodding she kept going. She looked down at her clothes and body for the first time. Her eyes started to fill with tears. She was still in the clothes from HYDRA and she could see burn marks down her legs.

Bucky noticed her disappointment in her appearance "hey, are you ok?" She didn't reply, too busy holding back tears "what happened out there?" Her voice was shaking and so was she "we'll tell you once we get to the tent ok? Just take it easy right now." They helped her out the tent flap and started leading her towards her new tent, getting stares the entire time. She felt sick, her body ached still and she didn't know what was going on. Then the soldiers started booing her. She was going to throw up, she could tell. Kelsey limped as fast as she could over to a nearby trash can and upchucked any food she had left inside of her.

Her throat burned from the stomach acid as people cheered for her pain. Her eyes were watering from the tension and she felt Bucky holding her hair back while Roger's yelled at the soldiers to go back to their tents. She threw up once more before proceeding to the women's tent. Kelsey ignored the stares the best she could but she could feel the daggers staring into her that paired with the pain.

They made it to the women's tent with the lingering of booing left behind them. Steve helped Kelsey sit down on the edge of an unoccupied bed. "How you feeling?" Steve voice was layered with concern. All Kelsey could do was shrug, if she told the truth it would be that she was numb. Her body, her mind, everything. She killed a man and her legs carried the punishment. "None of this is your fault" Bucky put his hand on her shoulder but pulled away when she flinched, she let out a small "sorry" and then ignored that it had happened. "You should rest, we'll come get you for dinner ok?" She nodded in response to Bucky.

Why did they care so much? Was this a ploy? She laid down in her new bed that was slightly uncomfortable but better than hydra in more ways than one. Her eyes drooped as soon as her head hit the pillow and she slept for hours uninterrupted.

Needles were piercing Kelsey's skin every which way. Her arms pained to move every inch from the injection. All she could do in this moment was cry and maybe she would wake up from this terrible nightmare. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Nothing. She was awake and tired and weak, she wasn't sure if she'd survive the next experiment.

Her eyes open to Miss Zola who stood over top of her "today will be fun" her accent pierced Kelsey's ears. She saw more needles and then they began to hook wires up to her head. A man, Arnim, walks over his round glasses falling to the top of his nose as he looks down at Kelsey. "She's ready" a loud whirring and then nothing.

She was whooshed out of there before anything else happened. A new scene plays out before her, she's watching her body be kicked and dragged down hallways and in a cell. The scene played out in front of her. A scalpel cutting through the air, heading towards her.

She was brought out of there again and this time she was lying on the table, gag in her mouth and leather straps holding her down. Three doctors approached her, each holding needles. Kelsey was crying and shaking and begging.

Another flash. She was being dunked in water. She could barely breathe. She felt arms holding her into place. And then they were shaking her. "KELSEY" someone was yelling at her.

"Kelsey!!" She bolted upright, breathing heavy and disoriented. Steve and Bucky were standing over her but there was another woman there. She had dark brown hair that was curled and she was wearing an army uniform. Everyone's faces were plastered with worry. "Hey, deep breathes, deep breathes. It's okay." Bucky was stroking her arm with her hand, comforting her. Her breathing was slowing slightly, just enough so she could talk. "It was so real. I didn't know what- I." Her words didn't make sense, she was just trying to talk. "Kelsey, do you think it's time to tell us what happened?" Steve asked her gently. She nodded. "Peggy could you go grab Colonel Phillips." She nodded and left

They all sat quietly waiting for the Colonel to arrive back. Nobody knew what to say to Kelsey right now. She was thrashing around in bed and screaming, she could be heard on the other side of the camp. Finally, the colonel entered. "So you're finally ready to tell us who you are and what happened?" She nodded, some tears still streaming down her face.

"Start from the beginning. How'd you end up there?" He asked.

"When I found out my dad had died... I left the house. There was nothing for me there anymore and it all just reminded me of my parents. So I left and I ended up on the streets for a night. The next morning I went into a diner trying to find something I could eat. But i had no money. So this lady at the diner offered me a place to go, she said it had food, a place to sleep, warmth. I figured what's the worst that could happen? So I went with her and she bought me coffee which I guess she had... drugged." Her words came out fast until the end.

"What was this woman's name?" The Colonel asked, his voice deep with intrigue.

"She said it was Miss Zola, but that could've been fake. I don't know." The memories of her first encounter with Miss Zola flash through her mind so she shakes them away.

"Like Arnim Zola." The colonel murmurs.

"There was an Arnim when I got there. I didn't know his last name though." Her voice shook with worry.

"They were most likely related or married." The colonel jots this all down on a clipboard. "Continue."

"So.. um... I was woken up from water splashing on me. I was chained to a wall. I remember there was blood on it. They took me to a room and shoved me in a chair and then..." her voice cracked. The memory pushing in on her. How the hell was she supposed to say it. She just stared at her hands trying to find the words. She took a deep breathe in, the scene replaying in her mind "and then, they brought out my dad. They said he was a successful experiment but it wouldn't work because of his genes, but I.. I was lucky and didn't have the gene that was interfering." She had to stop talking to compose herself.

"And um... then.. they shot him. They said that's how they were going to break me. That it was my fault he died, because I was too mouthy..." her voice trembled.

The whole room fell silent before Kelsey continued on "the next thing I remember is being dragged to the lab. They gave me needles for hours. Tortured me. I don't- I don't really know what happened after, it all kind of blurs." She wiped away the tears that had managed to escape.

"Kelse- I." Bucky took a breath in "I am so so sorry" he shook his head "we knew you went through shit but that..." he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. "It's fine, really. I appreciate your sympathy." She brushed it off like dust on her coat. The colonel stood up and began to exit "I'll leave you alone for now. Try and get some rest. Thanks for the info." Kelsey nodded in return.

"Kelsey, is there anything we can do for you?" Steve asked, his voice shaky with sympathy. "No, it's fine." She shrugged it off.

"Um, by the way. Tomorrow, we're heading back to New York." Bucky said to break the awkward silence. "Oh um.. ok. Will I see you after?" She asked, she couldn't believe they would leave her so soon.

"Your coming with us" Bucky replied

A/N:

How do s everyone like it so far? Also do you guys think the chapters should be longer? I hope you're all doing well!❤️❤️