I Thought You Were Different: Part 6

Becca

With Steve and Bucky successfully coaxed away from your bedside with the lure of lunch, Shuri had made her way into your room, her hands filled with tablets and instruments that looked as if they didn't find their way here for fun. She hummed quietly as she gently set each item down on the windowsill, allowing the sun to warm her since she was trapped in this sterile, cold environment until she found a way to help you. It was by choice, but it didn't mean she had to like it.

"Shuri," you nodded in greeting, "any news?"

"I've been up all night," she yawned softly, "but once I started to put things together I couldn't stop. Only now am I realizing just how tired my body and mind are."

Your own realization of what you were asking of her made you sit up straight in your bed, no mind to the stretching pain in your back from your wound. You swung your legs over the edge of the mattress and rested your bare feet to the cool floor, shivering slightly at the touch. She heard you begin to stand and turned to stop you, but she should have known better after all this time; you were next to her in seconds. "Shuri, I didn't mean for this to take a toll on you, too. Please, go to the compound and rest. I can bring this back when they discharge me in a few hours."

"Don't you even want to hear what I've found?"

"Not if it's costing you the rest you need."

"It will only take a moment," she urged excitedly, "just sit and listen." You followed her orders readily, if for nothing else but to speed up her presentation so that she could leave. "Have you ever heard of Iridium?"

"Yeah, it's really rare. It's the second densest metal on earth, believed by some to be the remnants of an asteroid. It's also a stabilizing agent. Haven't heard it used in action since the Tesseract in New York."

"Yes, and I've found a significant amount of it in Steve and Bucky's bloodstreams," she nodded, turning a tablet for you to see. "I took samples from them when I arrived, to use as comparison to yours. The three of you have very similar components, but the serum that was used on each of you has its own signature. You have no Iridium in your blood, (Y/N)."

"Okay?" you shrugged. "What does that mean? You can't replicate it from me if it's different, right?"

"I can replicate it, yes. I was going to extract the serum from your blood and test the new formula on you, but it would appear that you aren't showing any ill effects at all so it wouldn't make sense to try to monitor for changes."

"Then wouldn't it be better for them to take from me? If my blood isn't reacting to whatever is happening, let's give it to them."

"I'm not sure if the difference will be significant enough to cause a negative reaction. It could make their condition worse. The new serum would have to destroy what is in them now before it can take its place and maintain them. If the Iridium is the key to what's happening, it will still be in their blood. This won't take that away. I'm not sure if I even have a way to remove it."

You furrowed your brow and mindlessly chewed on your lower lip, your mind being the one now racing with questions and ideas that were a jumbled mess in your haze of pain medication. You knew that both Steve and Buck would take that chance, because it couldn't really get any worse, but you also knew that they wouldn't think it through, because it was them. "Well, let's try it on me anyway. I'm stronger than them right now, so I'm more likely to survive, right? If the new serum works and takes over for the old, then we take it to them. If it doesn't and I'm left with nothing, then I guess it'll be time for Steve and me to pick matching coffins."

"For Bast's sake, you are so morbid!"

"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood."

"With matching coffins?" she scoffed. "I don't think you get what lightening the mood means."