Winter's End [winter soldier//Bucky Barnes AU]

Chapter Five

*Sarah's POV*

I sighed as I made my way, again, to Bucky's room. I was absolutely terrified today though.

Because today was the last day the doctors said he would wake up. If he didn't wake up today, there was a ninety percent chance he wouldn't wake up at all, meaning the doctors would tell us to take him off of life support.

So I went to his room early, determined to find a way to wake him up.

I wanted to ask Cara for help, but she had just awoken from her coma last night, and was still recovering. Luckily, she had very minimal pain and said that her powers were unaffected. She was in very good health; it was only Bucky that was still incapacitated.

I made a sharp left down the hall, coming face to face with Bucky's room door. I opened it to find that Steve had yet to arrive and took a seat in the usual chair next to the hospital bed.

I grabbed Bucky's hand and took a deep breath, determined to succeed in waking him up. Somehow, I had to reach him.

"Bucky?" I began. "I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if you have heard anything I've said, or if you even know who I am anymore. But you have to wake up. You have a life here, you have friends here, you have so much here. If you want to leave, you can. But I can't live without you, Bucky. I need you."

I paused, glancing at his face for any sign that he could hear me. But I saw no change.

"Please, Buck. Just wake up." I finished softly, squeezing his hand. I looked at him for a moment and glanced away when nothing happened. I fought back the tears, trying not to give up hope, as I prayed for him to wake up.

When I looked back up, his eyes were open.

I shot to my feet in a hurry, my heart pounding against my chest when his eyes didn't close.

"Bucky?!" I exclaimed, squeezing his hand tighter and scanning his face. His eyebrows knotted together in a deep frown, and suddenly, he shook his hand from mine and sat up. My jaw trembled and my heart fell. I knew exactly what he was about to say.

"Who are you?" He asked.

My heart broke.

I wanted to die right then and there.

"I said, who are you?!" He yelled, jumping from his hospital bed and clamping his metal hand around my throat. I gasped as he held me up off of the floor, closing my throat and halting my breathing. Spots danced in my vision and I couldn't think.

Was I about to die at the hands of my only love?

I gasped, choked and coughing, trying desperately to spit out my name, hoping that maybe it would register in his mind.

"B-ucky it's m-me..Sarah!!" I choked, searching his eyes for any hint of recognition. But his steely, hard gaze remained.

That's it. It's over.

What a fitting way to die.

My head pounded from lack of oxygen and I gagged, my lungs empty and no longer able to sustain me. My vision was almost completely gone as I stared at Bucky one last time.

I love you, Bucky... I thought.

And suddenly, with the last bit of vision I had left, I saw something change in his eyes. His grip on my neck loosened and I fell to the floor, gasping, wheezing, coughing. I laid in the fetal position and retched, unable to get enough oxygen in my lungs. I couldn't breathe.

I looked up at him to see something indescribable in his eyes. There was grief, anger, and so, so much pain in them. They shone with terror at what he had just done.

I coughed again and my lunch came up, splattering on the floor as I gasped for breath. My heart raced as I struggled for air, and clambered to get away from Bucky, who looked so incredibly guilty that it was almost hard to be scared of him.

But I would never forget what he had just done.

Suddenly in a blur Steve ran in, analyzing the situation and then pushing Bucky away from me. Bucky fell to the floor, muttering something I couldn't hear, and Steve's strong arms wrapped around my waist. I put my weak arms around his torso, tears welling up in my eyes.

I shook from fright. I was a second away from death; a single second. At the hands of the person I loved most.

Bucky's broken, pained form lay in a heap next to the door, and his sobs echoed across the room. I've never seen Bucky like that before, and even after all he had just done to me, I wanted to comfort him.

But I couldn't. I was terrified.

"Shh Sarah it's alright, calm down. You're safe. Just breathe, you'll be ok..." Steve whispered in my ear, gently standing us up and pulling me even closer to his chest. I shook, from fear and weakness, as I struggled to find a footing on the slippery floor.

I glanced up, and I made eye contact with Bucky. Tears were streaming down his face and he sat in a ball on the floor, hiding his metal arm from his own eyes and making himself as small as possible.

"Sarah, please, I'm so, s-so sorry...." He stammered, his voice cracking in the middle of sorry as his eyes traveled to my neck. It was probably covered in giant bruises.

A permanent reminder as to what he had done.

I just closed my eyes and sobbed against Steve, who gave up trying to get me to walk and just carried me out of the room.

The doctors that had seen what happened locked Bucky in the room, and he banged on the doors, screaming for me, desperate for my forgiveness.

I didn't know what to think anymore.

My world crashed down around me, my very soul falling into pieces, as Steve carried me away from the man who broke me.

--

*Bucky's POV*

I heard talking to my right. I couldn't place the voice, but whoever it was must've been the one keeping me here.

I had to open my eyes again, and finally escape. I had to get to Pierce.

I peeled them open and blinked, trying to get used to the bright white lights. I saw a young woman next to me, and she was clutching my real hand tightly, as well as yelling my name.

I frowned and sat up, pulling my hand from hers and staring at her in confusion.

Who was she?

And why did she seem so familiar?

I saw her jaw begin to shake, and she she looked on the verge of tears, but I didn't know why. I decided to ask.

"Who are you?" I questioned, my voice rough and cracky due to lack of use.

Her face fell when I asked the question, but she didn't answer. Rage began to fill me at her silence, and I leapt up, grabbing her throat tightly and pulled her off of her feet with my metal arm.

"I said, who are you?!" I yelled, shaking her in an attempt to get in answer. I had to get information so I could tell Pierce exactly who had taken me, and he could give her hell. But she wouldn't answer.

I growled and squeezed tighter, her face turning an ugly shade of purple. She clawed at my hand and choked, unable to breath. Finally, she was able to spit out a sentence.

"B-ucky it's m-me..Sarah!!" She stammered, and I froze.

Sarah.

It's the name from my dreams.

I stared confusedly at her face, and suddenly a whirlwind of memories exploded in my mind, and I dropped the girl, clutching at my head. Thoughts swirled around my sub consciousness, each of them screaming for my attention at once.

It was then that I realized exactly who Sarah was.

And collapsed in agony on the floor.

What had I done?

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