Unexpected

A Visitor

To be completely honest, when I came to again, I was mad! I couldn't believe that nurse gave me a freaking sedative! However as I woke up, I still felt drowsy and discombobulated, whatever she had given me numbing my emotions so that my righteous anger was more of a decided dislike as the same nurse came in to check on me.

"How long have I been asleep this time?" I asked pointedly, my voice slurring sleepily as I tried to take a proverbial stab at her.

"Not too long, about three hours." She said, taking my stab with grace. "How're you feeling?"

"I have a catheter don't I?"

She seemed amused and maybe a bit perplexed at my sudden question, but she nodded. I sighed. I had been wondering why I hadn't had to relieve myself yet. There was my answer.

"Are you up to eating?"

I didn't feel particularly hungry, but I nodded again, reaching for my water.

"Today we have parmesan chicken pasta with salad, pork chops with a baked potato and Brussels sprouts, or vegetable soup with a roll, unless you're not feeling up to a full meal, then I could get you some Jell-O or crackers or something else."

"Pasta sounds fine." I said trying to find the button to make the bed raise me up a bit higher, I was getting uncomfortable in this position.

"Okay then." She said, noticing my dilemma and pointed out a little remote attached to the bed that was sitting on the moveable side table, "Are you up to some company? You have a visitor."

This peaked my interest and forced me to look straight at her. I'd been trying to play the 'I-don't-care,-I'm-mad-at-you game' but now I had to put that aside. A visitor. "Who is it?"

"It's a young woman, says she knows you."

"Latino? Big eyes? Has double piercings in her ears?" I asked, thinking that maybe it was Renee, my roommate.

She shook her head, "Red hair, short-"

"Red hair?" I asked, knowing who my visitor must be immediately, "I'd like to see her."

"Remember that you need to stay calm. If this lady's visit riles you up I'll have to ask her to leave."

I nodded quickly, complying to her wish immediately and trying to look as calm as possible though I knew both could hear that my heart rate had jumped up a bit as soon as she had mentioned that my visitor was red headed.

"Okay then, Miss Copper, I'll send her in and bring you your food when it's ready."

She headed back towards the door and just before she closed it I said, "Penny."

"Hmm?"

"You can call me Penny."

She smiled, "Janine." Then she let my door close.

I sighed as soon as she left and tried to compose myself, but my mind started firing off questions. Why was Natasha Romanoff here? Why did she want to see me? Pressing the button, I slowly had the bed raise me into a more upright position, however each centimeter more erect caused my side to feel like it was ripping back open again, so I only managed to sit up a few inches before there was a knock on my door and in stepped Black Widow.

She wasn't dressed in her skin tight cat suit with its interesting cuffs and belt anymore. Now she looked just like any other person in dark jeans, a green t-shirt, and a leather jacket. The scrapes and broken lip she had had on her face when we closed the portal were almost completely healed now. She smiled at me, her face kind, but her eyes didn't quite reflex the same amount of warmth the rest of her face did. "Hey."