Timeless (Captain America x Reader)

Chapter Fifty-One

"Jarvis, I need heat signatures in that building now!" Tony shouted, taking off towards the building as fast as he could. Thor too came to assist him. Bruce, Clint, and Natasha all came running to help as well. Y/N was right by Tony's side.

Jarvis directed Tony to an area and he removed a large piece of rubble. Tony saw a hand just barely underneath another large piece of concrete from the building that was no more. Thor helped Tony lift it off as the team rushed in to help.

Steve was barely able to open his eyes, he could tell that he was covered in dirt and dust, he looked around and saw all the Avengers scrambling about. A loud ringing in his ears prevented him from hearing what they were saying. Although he couldn't hear, Steve could definitely feel. Pain spread throughout his body like a wildfire, each minor touch by any of the team members caused him to groan in pain.

"No," Y/N said as she rushed to Steve's side, trying to stop the bleeding in his shoulder, as well as address his other injuries.

"Guys, he's not looking too good," Clint warned as he checked over Steve.

"No, he isn't," Bruce said examining Steve's injuries, "We need to get him to a hospital, anywhere but here."

Tony nodded, trying to absorb the situation and still keep a level head, "Alright, let's get him to the jet and get out of here."

Steve continued to slip in and out of consciousness. As they began their journey back to the tower Tony had called in a good friend, Dr. Helen Cho. She agreed to come in and help with Steve's condition.

Natasha stood with Y/N off to the side slightly, trying to calm her down. All Y/N was doing was thinking about Steve, and worrying about him.

Steve heard muffled words of the team speaking around him, his hearing was still off for some reason. It was hard to breathe, he felt as though the rubble still laid on his chest. He soon began coughing profusely, something that caught the attention of the surrounding team members.

"Bruce, talk to me, what's happening?" Tony asked worriedly.

Bruce shook his head, "His right lung is collapsing, he needs to relax."

Y/N stepped forward, sitting down beside Steve as he tried to speak, "Hey, you're okay," she said in an effort to calm Steve whose chest was struggling to rise and fall.

"Steve," Y/N repeated, "We're okay, but you need to calm down," she said holding his hand as he squeezed hers tightly. "You're gonna be okay," she said with a tear slipping down her cheek.

Seeing Steve like this broke Y/N's heart, she couldn't help but blame herself for what happened.

Steve nodded his head ever so slightly, Bruce was shocked to see his heart rate relax as he calmed down. Once Steve knew that Y/N and everyone else was okay, he stopped worrying, he only wished that he could speak to them.

He could see how worried Y/N was, the fear in her eyes. He wanted nothing more than to cradle her in his arms and relax her, but there was nothing that Steve could do but watch.

The quinjet landed back at the tower with a medical team already waiting for them. They immediately climbed on board and took Steve down to the medical floor of the tower.

The team stood silent for a moment, unmoving, each of them feeling as though they could have done more. Slowly, each of them left the jet and headed inside.

Tony and Y/N waited not so patiently for an update on Steve, she blamed herself, something she knew he wouldn't want her to do, but how could she not.

Hours passed, and finally, Dr. Helen Cho stepped out into the hallway, met by a very nervous group of Avengers. "He's gonna be okay," she started. A visible sense of relief washed over the team. "Steve is still in pretty rough shape, but I expect him to make a full recovery," Helen explained.

"When can I see him?" Y/N asked.

"Now, if you'd like. He is unconscious, but he should be awake soon," Cho added, leading the Y/N down the hall to Steve's room. "I'll give you some time with him."

Everyone on the team came to visit frequently, each of them hoping that maybe this time Steve would be awake, but sadly...nothing. Y/N stayed with Steve as often as she could, she just wanted Steve to wake up and be okay.

Y/N was sitting in Steve's room after another mission. They had tracked Strucker again only to be led to another base that he wasn't at. She had begun to feel defeated, first, she couldn't save Steve. And now, she couldn't even find Loki's scepter.

She noticed Steve's dirtied suit laying in the corner, covered in dirt and blood. The sight of Steve underneath that rubble haunted Y/N. If only she had stayed with Steve, maybe she would have gotten him out of the building. If only she had been faster she could have made her way back to him before the explosives detonated.

If only...