Not Without You [Chris Evans]

67

Evelyn's (Megan) POV

I fought the persistent pull of sleep - it was taking me forever to wake up all the way. I hated the way whatever they'd used for anesthesia made me feel - so heavy and groggy - like I couldn't move my limbs. I answered the nurse's questions. I knew who I was, that was easy. I didn't know why I needed to have surgery, though; I must have gotten injured somehow, but no one would tell me anything.

"Where's Bucky?" I asked the nurse who was checking my monitors and hitting buttons on the IV pump. "And Steve and Sam?"

"They're waiting just outside your room, ma'am," she said kindly. "We didn't think you wanted them all to see you naked when I check your incision point in a couple minutes."

"You're right - I don't."

"I need to get the rest of your antibiotics running first, though." She had a heavy Southern accent, like most of the other people I'd heard on the way to this room, leading me to believe I was back in the States again.

"You can call me Evie," I said, deciding I didn't really want to be called ma'am.

"All right, Evie. You have a very handsome boyfriend there," she said, smiling.

"Yes, Bucky is very handsome. He's my husband, though," I explained. "How did it go?"

"Your surgery went fine," the nurse said, finishing what she was doing. "I need you to keep your right arm relatively straight so your IV's keep running; you're still a little dehydrated. Can you tell me if you're in any pain right now?"

"Some," I said after I took a moment to listen to my body. "It's tolerable. Are my toes moving? I can't feel them."

"They gave you a spinal block for the procedure, Evie. It will be starting to wear off soon, but in the meantime you let me know if you start feeling more pain. I'm going to check your incision right now. You should close your eyes if you think it'll make you sick."

"Okay," I agreed, curious about this surgery I'd had. The nurse gently moved the covers off me and moved my gown aside. I looked down to see tape and gauze covering my lower abdomen. "Did I have a baby?" I asked when she peeled that off to uncover a long row of neatly placed staples. "I don't remember being pregnant."

My nurse shook her head, a sympathetic expression on her face. "No, Evie - you did not have a baby. You had to have this surgery so you can have a baby eventually."

"Oh," I said, raising my eyebrows as I digested that information.

This was all news to me. I listened as she told me what she was doing and why; all this medical stuff was fascinating. Eventually she finished and covered me back up, telling me she'd check in on me later. I smiled happily when I saw the guys come back into my room; even though I was tired, I still wanted to see them. They quickly put smiles on their faces but they all looked a little...upset...concerned? Maybe that was the word I was looking for.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, looking from face to face.

Bucky slowly moved to sit beside my bed on the chair there and leaned forward, his voice low and even. "You scared the shit out of us, Roşu-"

"Why are you calling me that?"

"It's your nickname."

I shook my head. "Doll is my nickname, not whatever you just said."

"What Bucky's trying to say is that one minute you were fine and the next you were going in for emergency surgery," Steve said, coming up beside Bucky.

I considered that for a moment, confused by that. "I was that sick? Is that why I don't remember anything?"

"They don't know, Evie," Steve said, leaning over to kiss my cheek, one hand cupping my face. I stared into his steel blue eyes, staggered by the depth of emotion I saw there. "We're just lucky we got you here when we did." He kissed my forehead and straightened up, standing beside Bucky with his hand on his shoulder.