oh captain! my captain! | barnes

surgery

9:47 pm

The girl had been taken to the laboratory and it had been set up for surgery. The room and conjoining room were emptied as she disrobed and covered herself with a sterile sheet and laid on the bed.

"You're good." She called sadly and Vision and Bruce entered the room.

"They didn't want to watch the procedure so they'll be outside when you wake up. Bucky wanted me to tell you that his side is healing well and he'll be the first one through the door." Bruce said kindly and washed his hands. She couldn't help but think what would happen if she didn't wake up. He looked at the girl as she shook in the bed.

"We know what we're doing Audrey." Vision said quietly, trying to ease her worries. He felt sorry for her, she had been through so much.

"I know, it's not that. There's just a lot happening, all at once." She lied, she was just scared of never waking up again. Never figuring it out...

But it had to be done. She took a deep breath, he put her under and began. They cut open the skin near the hair line and found the transmitter within minutes. They began to work on the removal and found it much more difficult than it looked, if that was possible.

The team waited impatiently outside. Bucky began pacing nervously. Steve kept looking at the clock and Tony had put the Iron Man hand on and was playing with the controls. Natasha and Clint discussed something about weapons. Steve looked up at Bucky but he was far too gone in his thoughts to realize.

2:56 am

October 5, 1942

Bucky pulled away from her neck, he'd left a red spot on it and looked at her. He had a goofy smirk on his face.

"Oops." He chuckled.

"Sh, you're going to wake up your roommate." Audrey hushed him, trying not to laugh.

"If he hasn't woken up yet, he probably won't ever." He said, still grinning. He kissed her and she pulled away, smiling.

"Two months and you're already sick of me?" He pouted. She put her hands on his bare chest and pushed him off from on top of her. He flopped next to her on the small bed. She stood with the sheets and wrapped them around her shoulders, covering her lean body. He pulled boxers on and walked up next to her. She looked out of the window at the moonlit camp. He wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her against him, feeling the warmth through the sheet. He loved her smell, vanilla-covered almonds. He kissed her shoulder.

"Hey Bucky?" She asked, breaking the silence with her silky voice.

"Yeah doll?" He kissed her jawline, she looked at him in the moonlight.

"What's it like in Brooklyn?" She asked, being that she was from Chicago.

"Busy." He chuckled. "It's nice. Everyone in my part of town knows everyone else. There's a friend of mine I always visit when I'm home. Poor guy's always getting his ass handed to him. But I admire him, he never backs down." He stood next to her, with his arm around her waist.

"He sounds interesting."

"That he is." He paused."C'mon you should be heading home now."

"Hey Buck?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to go home. I mean," She bit the inside of her cheek, "I don't want to leave." He smiled, warmth reached every part of his body.

"I don't want you to leave either, but you know the rule. You're not even supposed to step foot in a guy's room." He said sadly. She nodded, understanding that he couldn't control it.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She whispered. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips once more before she left.

10:25 am

The Tower

The door opened and everyone looked up at Bruce and Vision.

"The operation was successful." Vision stated.

"Is she awake?" Bucky asked.

"No where near. Give her a few hours." Bruce stated.

Bucky nodded and thanked them.

The team resided to their quarters to shower, change, and get ready for the day at the tower. Bucky showered, shaved, and pulled his hair into a bun. He then changed into a new set of clothes and went into the kitchen. He stole Steve's newspaper off the table and stuffed it in the back pocket of his dark jeans.

He waited in the waiting room. He'd promised he'd be first in the room and he wasn't going to break his promise. He read the paper in silence. There was a small report on a group of five men found outside of the Avenger's Tower, unconscious and injured. They had matching octopus tattoos on their shoulders and matching uniforms. He smiled to himself, happy with their removal.

He looked up at the sleeping soldier in the room in front of him and smiled. She looked so peaceful even with a surgical sheet over her, and stitches in her head.

He thought back to the memory that he recalled little over an hour ago. She looked so beautiful that night. He remembered how she looked when she looked up at him, she was so fragile and delicate then. Now she was a new kind of delicate, one she wouldn't openly admit.

It was scary how similar the two people were...