The Broken Soliders

Part thirty

Sam was at my side then. "What happened?"

"He was stabbed in the back," I said through my tears.

Sam checked for a pulse. "He's still alive. We need to get him some help."

"I called for an ambulance!" someone in the crowd yelled.

"Okay, I'll need to carry him a little ways," I said, sniffling. "The roads are a disaster."

"I'll help you," Sam said.

"No, go," I told him. "End this."

He nodded, and took off flying, Walker running after him.    

I still hadn't fully registered the new suit.

I lifted Bucky up bridal style, and started running as best I could in the awkward position. People were yelling and cars were honking and I tried to tune it all out and focus on hearing an ambulance's sirens.

Finally, I heard it. I ran in that direction until I finally came up to it, right in front. They stopped when they saw me and immediately pulled out a stretcher for me to set Bucky on. They wheeled him into the ambulance, and let me in, too.

"We almost didn't believe it when we got a call saying a Winter Soldier needed an ambulance," one of the paramedics told me.

"Is he gonna be okay?" I asked her.

"It's hard to say right now."

I clutched Bucky's hand as the paramedics undid my jacket from around his waist and replaced it with some bandages.

When we finally reached the hospital, he was wheeled away behind some doors, and I was told to sit in the lobby and wait. I've never really been good at waiting, so not knowing what else to do, I ran out of the hospital in hopes that I could find Sam and help him.

When my phone rang, I wasn't particularly pleased to see who it was.

"What do you want?" I asked Walker when I answered.

"Just to let you know that I caught most of the Flag Smashers, and they're with the police now. And also, Sam's underground fighting Dovich."

"Who's Dovich?"

"The leader of the group. Only, he was only the leader since you killed their first leader, Karli."

"Where's Sam?" I asked, trying not to let the guilt bubble over.

"Well, I don't know exactly where he is, but—"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I yelled, hanging up.

Then I heard shouting to the left of the hospital, and when I looked over, a bunch of police cars were crowded there. I figured I could at least help over there, but when I reached them, I saw Sam putting Dovich on a stretcher.

The Press was surrounding him, so I had to push my way through to him. "What happened?" I asked.

"Sharon shot him," he whispered. "He's dead."

My stomach churned.

"How's Bucky?" he asked.

I shrugged, fighting tears again.

Sam sighed, then looked ahead and saw some government officials. "You go back to the hospital. I'll meet you there once I'm done with this."

I nodded and pushed back through the crowd, going back to the hospital and forcing myself to sit in one of the lobby chairs. That worked for five minutes, before I got up and started pacing. Then I went up to the front desk.

The woman there looked shocked to see me. "How can I help you, Ms Y/l/n?"

"Is James Buchanan Barnes alright?" I asked.

"He's still in surgery," the woman said sadly. "He lost a lot of blood."

I sighed. "Okay. Thanks."

I continued pacing for half an hour before Sam came in.

"How's he doing?" he asked.

"He's still in surgery."

"Come on," Sam said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Let's sit down."

I let him lead me to the chairs, and sat down next to him.

"So what does this crazy concern for Bucky mean, exactly?" Sam asked. "Did he grow on you while you were away, or... have you remembered something?"

"I remembered everything," I said, my voice cracking as I tried keeping it together.

"Everything?"

I nodded.

"Well that's shitty timing," he huffed, and I nodded before finally fully looking at him.

"Are you... Captain America?" I asked.

He smiled. "I guess so."

I looked at his back and saw his wings folded up, with Cap's shield in between them. "What happened to Walker?"

"After Dovich killed Lemar, he went crazy and brutally murdered one of the Flag Smashers in public. The people stopped seeing him as a symbol of hope, so the government fired him."

"And he took the serum?"

"Yup. Stoll a vial from the Flag Smashers before Zemo could break it."

"So you guys actually broke Zemo out?"

"Yeah. And he did help a bit... before Wakanda took him back to prison."

I nodded.

There was a pause. "So... how did you get your memories back?"

I sighed. "I don't really know. The man that took me tortured me with electricity, trying to weaken me so he could mind-control me again. I guess it travelled to my brain and unlocked the memories Zemo closed off."

"Damn. Well, no matter what happens to Buck, I think it's good that you'll remember everything."

I dropped my head into my hands, but nodded. He was right, because even if it was only for a few moments, and even if Bucky didn't even know it, at least I got to look at the man I loved one more time.