After hours of discussing his life, you felt even better about your possible cure.
"...so yeah, now I'm here. I purposefully put myself into the cryo to protect others because of what I've done. I was just waiting until there was a cure, which seems to be you." He finished and smiled, knowing that you were both more comfortable.
"Wow, yeah. I have to admit, I'm amazed you're still a functioning person, with everything they did to you." You admitted as you leaned back in your chair.
You had to think for a little bit, but finally decided how to start.
"Alright. So I have some options for a cure and I want to get started right away." You said as he nodded. "First, you won't be going back into the cryo unless absolutely necessary. Which would only be going back into Winter Soldier mode, but I'm going to try to make sure that doesn't happen." You paused, looking at your notes. "You will now start acting normally, but just in this complex, to start. I want to meet with you everyday to try some things. We'll slowly grow, but only if you are willing to and choose to. I'll be leading the cure, but you will be in control. You can come to me whenever you need to or want to and you'll choose the pace. This will be about balance."
"Thank you,"
You smiled slightly. "For what, exactly?" You laughed quietly.
"For helping me, and putting me in control. I haven't felt that in a while." He just barely smiled toward you.
Your own grew bigger, "Well you're welcome. I just hope I can help."
----
So everyday you met with Bucky, trying some techniques.
For the first few months, it was simply talking about his experiences and becoming more comfortable. He did very well with those and some felt comfortable with those memories. He no longer cringed or cried while thinking of them. They were now simply memories.
Next was regaining even older memories. For this you had to use every therapy technique you were taught to try to access memories.
But after 10 months of working with him, he was able to tell anyone his whole life story.
----
Those were the easiest parts of this situation.
Next was retraining the brain from his code words. These were seared into his brain and always caused him to become the Winter Soldier again.
Every 2 weeks you worked with one word.
You taught him to associate each one with something different:
First, he would have to not be sitting, because that was an association from before. Then, he'd have to do so,etching different with each word:
"Longing" belongs with rubbing his thigh, a good way to associate relaxing with the rubbing.
"Rusted" belongs with taking 3 deep breaths.
"Seventeen" belongs with standing in a meditative position and continuing the first two.
At this point his was doing well with the associations and nothing major had happened. But the next one took longer.
"Daybreak" belongs with holding his metal arm, trying to restrain himself.
Daybreak was a struggle, because that was really when his brain would begin to change. This word took almost a month to just be put under control, but he was strong and was able to control it.
"Furnace" belongs with entwining his hands.
"Nine" belongs with squeezing each finger, to know that he's all there and is stronger than the Winter Soldier.
