Captain America Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier Steve Rogers Fan Fic - The Constant

Chapter Forty-One: The Winter Soldier - Who is he?

The Winter Soldier - Who is he?

His ears are buzzing and he feels like he is waking up from a long sleep. His bones feel cold, but the room around him is warm. At first he thinks he is lying down but as he becomes more aware he feels what he thought was a table, changing and swinging upwards until he is sat in a chair and he can hear a voice counting down to one.

His heart starts to beat faster as new sounds come to him and his metal hand clasps the chair arm tightly. He feels slightly nauseous. His body tenses. He tries to remember where he is and as he listens to the voices he is trying to get his bearings getting ready to open his eyes. He is trying to work out how many people there are, where they are in the room, and if necessary getting ready to take them all down. He knows that his body isn't strong enough but he feels the strength ebbing back into it.

But then he feels someone place their hand over his right one; soft, warm, and somehow comforting.

As he opens his eyes the light burns them and he has to close them again. He is aware of someone sitting on his right, leaning towards him, a woman. He can smell her delicate perfume, feel her hand on his and hear her voice through the buzz in his ears. He feels light-headed, and knows he is not quite ready enough to stand up.

"Just take a few deep breathes. It's all right. You're just coming around from cryo-freeze. Everything will begin to seem normal in a minute or two," her voice is gentle, caring and steadies his heart and he begins to feel calmer.

There are other voices now, in Russian, calling numbers out: heart rates, body temperature. He knows somehow that those are his readings. He starts to breathe more deeply to calm his heart and he feels her move her hand so that she is holding his, the thumb stroking his palm. As if it is just the two of them alone.

She spoke to him in English.

He opens his eyes and sees her smile. It is one of relief, and although he does not know immediately who she is, he knows she cares and nothing bad will happen to him whilst she is here. This puzzles him. She does not look that strong and he is well able to look after himself.

"He's awake now," someone calls and he looks around. He is in some sort of lab, machines and dials all over the place, men walking around with clip boards, seemingly busy. Several hover the other side of him.

"How are you feeling?" the woman asks.

He looks back at her: big blue eyes, long lashes, her fringe and bangs framing her face. There is absolutely no danger in her whatsoever.

He nods, not trusting his voice yet; his mouth is too dry. She releases his hand and he sees she has a beaker of water next to her which she hands to him so he can drink.

Can she read his mind?

He is dressed in just combat trousers and boots, his chest bare, but the room is warming him up. He feels vulnerable without full clothing on, as if he is subject to their decisions.

As he listens to what is going on around him it seems to become more familiar and parts of his memories start to flood his mind. He is in an underground research facility...no, not research, something else. It is here for him. The Winter Soldier, and when he remembers that name he remembers who he is.

He is no-one.

She sees it in his eyes and stands up, she is tall for a woman, five foot ten or thereabouts. She turns to talk to one of the doctors and he knows she will have her hair braided at the back in a plait as thick as his wrist, but he doesn't remember how he knows this. The word sable comes to mind and again he doesn't know why; her hair is a mixture of flaxen and ash blonds. Another memory comes into his mind, shouldn't she have short blond hair? No he is thinking of someone else, a man, but the memory is too fleeting to catch on to and hold.