I live for you.

Chapter 11- The things in this world you have to take.

My eyes startled open and I flopped on the hard surface beneath me like a fish. I gasped for air and my lungs received it. I sat up quickly while reaching for my weapons. Hands come out of no where and pushed me back down onto the cold flat surface beneath me. 

I blinked and noticed my surroundings. I was in a grey, plain room. Supporting my weight was a cold, unforgiving metal table. There were people around me and in the corner I saw my golden mask on a little metal wheelie table with sharp instruments on it. Surgical instruments covered with blood. 

I looked down at my body. Where my injuries had been and discovered that they had been sloppily stitched together. There was a slightly green twinge to my skin. I was still somewhat wet. I calmed myself and picked a piece of seaweed out of my hair that was hanging over my forehead.  I looked around at the people hovering over me with medical masks. 

The one closest to me had a bullet stuck in a pair of tweezers he was holding in the air. He dropped it on a medal tray and ripped off his medical mask. His grey tinted eyes twinkled at me. He leaned over and offered me a hand. I glanced at it and took it. He pulled me up and helped me swing my legs off the table. 

"You'll forgive us I hope." he said simply, in a gentle calming voice with an british accent behind it. He placed his other hand over the top of mine. "We were doing an autopsy. We were quite certain you were dead. What a tragedy that would have been."

"Where did you find me?" I asked, though my voice was hoarse. I raised my hand to my throat. 

"You have been asleep for quite a long time," he sat down next to me on the table. "You live up to the legend, Evangeline. We have learned, as much about you as we can. Even more from your body. You are quite remarkable."

"Did you rescue anyone else besides me?" I asked urgently 

He looked around the room at the still medically masked people. They shook their heads, he turned back to me. 

"Should we have?" he asked with soft concern.

"Yes," I looked at the floor beneath me "You didnt see anyone else?"

"No one." he stated 

"Well, then, have you seen anything on the news about Tony Stark?" I asked frantically. 

Recognition dawned on his face. He turned to the others and they all nodded and cast their eyes away from me. A lump formed in my throat. He held my hand tighter in his warm ones. He leaned in to me. His long crooked nose set on his pale skin and sharply angled jaw, his features set in sympathy.

"Tony Stark's body was never found. S.H.I.E.L.D had a tracking device on him that they found at the bottom of the ocean. I'm afraid Tony Stark was presumed dead." he said softly.

I looked away and tears fought their way to my eyes. I blinked trying to hold them back. I took a shaky breath and slid off the table onto my feet. I turned and leaned against the grey brick wall. Grasping at it like it might provide me some salvation. 

The man who had been holding my hand crossed the room and hugged me tightly in his arms. I hesitated and hugged back. This man had fished me out of the ocean. Had offered me kindness to some degree. I had nothing else to lose. Why keep my guard up?

I dug my face into his shoulder. He rubbed my back soothingly and the tears that I had been trying to keep back fell silently down my cheeks. He made soothing sounds and lead me out of the surgical room. The other doctors followed behind us. They began taking off their surgical gear. 

There was black man with a mustache and a cheesy smile that he was showing me. Hanging her long white coat on a hook was a red head. She smiled at me. She had large blue eyes and a tiny nose with a big smile as well. A man lumbered out of the room behind her. He took off his surgical mask to reveal a heavily scarred face. His was more of a patch work quilt than my own. Like mine, his face had once been pretty. Behind the sloppy stitching there was a strong jaw and deep brown eyes that had a certain light to them. He smiled crookedly at me. Making his face contort. I smiled back.