At Once Returned

Chapter 16

As soon as they arrived at the Compound, Natasha was taken to the medical wing. The team was left to wait in the designated waiting room while the doctors took care of her injuries. While Natasha tried to be patient with them, she was irritated by the time they finished the exams. When she wheeled into an overnight room, she grew even more annoyed.

"Natasha!" 

The entire team burst into the room mere seconds after the doctors had left.

Tony stayed back while Steve, Wanda, and Sam hurried to the side of her bed. Rhodey waited back with him.

"I'm alright," Natasha assured them, running her hand through Wanda's hair.

Wanda held onto her arm as tight as she dared and Steve held her other hand. While Sam didn't reach for her, he did linger.

"You look like a human punching bag," he told her.

Natasha pursed her lips and looked like she was about to say something, but suddenly she turned and looked sharply at Wanda.

"I'm sorry!" Wanda gasped, covering her mouth. "I couldn't help it."

"What?" Steve asked, glancing between Wanda and Natasha. "What happened?"

It was no secret that Wanda had looked into Natasha's mind, but still, Natasha insisted she was alright. Wanda didn't say a word. 

"I'm just a little bruised," she assured them, squeezing Wanda's hand.

"You sure, Red?" Tony asked, holding up the file he'd snagged from the end of her bed. He began reading through it.

"Put that away." Tony just lifted the top page to continue reading. "They don't know what they're saying."

"They're some of the best doctors in the world," Tony told her, putting the clipboard down. "You know what they're saying?"

"Tony," she warned, giving him a long look. 

He stared at her and she stared back, daring him to continue. He did.

"They say you're pretty beat up," he told her. She was glad he didn't list out her injuries, though. "I don't care if you say you're fine and refuse to tell us what happened, but clearly it wasn't nothing."

"This isn't your fault," she told him quietly.

He didn't disagree verbally, but she knew he wanted to. With a sigh, he looked up at Rhodey then back at Natasha.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said. "I'm going to go find Pep. She'll want to see you."

* * * * *

Natasha was let out of the medical wing the next day. She hadn't broken anything other than a couple ribs, but she'd had broken ribs before. In her own opinion, the bruises were a much bigger problem. Steve couldn't even help her to her feet without accidentally pressing on a particularly large bruise. Fortunately, she'd been able to bite her tongue and keep from hissing in pain. 

Tony was the only one that read her file, fortunately, and she was certain Wanda wouldn't tell anyone what she'd seen when she looked through her mind.

"Wanda has your room ready and is making cookies," Steve told her, adjusting his arm around her. "I think she's planning to spend the night with you again, too," he added. "Some of her things have been moved to your room, so you might have a permanent guest."

"I don't mind," she replied, pausing as they reached the stairs.

Without waiting for her to say anything. Steve gently picked her up. She let him, not having the energy or desire to fight him on it. Her body hurt enough without her putting it through extra work anyway.

Steve set Natasha down when they got to the top of the stairs and they slowly continued to the kitchen where Wanda was. She was frowning down at a recipe, but she looked up as soon as she heard them.

With a wide grin, Wanda beckoned Natasha over to where a fresh batch of cookies was cooling. Natasha smiled and limped over to the counter, carefully lowering herself onto a stool. Wanda handed her a cookie and waited eagerly for Natasha to try it.

"What is it?" she asked, looking at the cookie closely.

"Just try it," Wanda insisted.

Natasha did and was immediately surprised.

"Is it good?" Wanda asked eagerly.

"Best cookie I've ever had," Natasha said, shoving the rest of the cookie in her mouth.

Wanda put a couple more cookies on a plate and handed them to Natasha before going back to her recipe. Without pause, Natasha ate them all and they were gone before Steve could try and steal one.

"You'll have to wait until dinner," Wanda told him.

With a roll of his eyes, Steve took a seat on a stool beside Natasha and while Wanda finished her cooking, they sat together quietly.