Winter (A Bucky Barnes recovery story)

24. Restrained

Nat went out into the lobby to see Clint waiting for her with Steve sitting next to him.

"You ready to go home?" Clint asks, and Steve pushes himself out of the chair.

"Yeah." She replies giving one glance back down the hall. Clint drives them to Steve's place then drops them off and goes home.

Steve gets settled on the couch with his leg propped up and Natasha sits in the chair across from him.

"Do you really think Pierce is alive?" She asks quietly. Steve nods.

"I trust Bucky. And he really seemed shaken." Steve replies, turning his head to look at her. Neither of them had slept well for the last few days and it was beginning to show.

"But what if it was a hallucination? I mean I watched Fury shoot him, er well heard it." She says frowning.

"Yeah, but Fury lived." He sighs things were so confusing.

"I guess... I don't know. I feel bad leaving him at the hospital." She sighs, and lays down.

"He'll be fine, and we can visit him first thing tomorrow." Steve replies, laying his head back down on the couches arm rest.

"I guess." Nat replies, before closing her eyes and drifting off. Steve does the same.

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When they woke they got dressed then took a cab to the hospital. The nurse led them to Bucky's room and then let them in. Nat noticed a hand shaped bruise on the nurses wrist.

Bucky was strapped down to the bed, his right arm had two restraints; one on his wrist then one on his upper arm. His left arm had five restraints, running all the way up his arm. There was a strap around his chest then his waist. There was restraints on both thighs and around both ankles. he looked up at them slowly as they entered.

"What happened?" Nat asks the nurse, while Steve goes in and sits by the bed.

"He wasn't cooperating, and he became violent." She gestures to the bruise on her arm. "I got the lesser of the damage, he broke one of the security members rib. So they sedated and restrained him."

Natasha nods then enters the room muttering an apology to the nurse.

"Hey Bucky." Steve says gently.

"Steve." Bucky mumbles, looking at him with a half smile that didn't quite reach the rest of his face.

"Yeah. How're you feeling?" he asks, leaning forward. Bucky shrugs in response but it isn't really a shrug because of the restraints.

Nat looks down at Bucky's arm, there was an IV taped onto his arm and there was red marks where the restraints had dug in to his skin.

"What happened last night James?" Nat asks, slowly looking at him and judging his reaction. He stares blankly at her for a few minutes before looking down and not meeting her gaze. "James." She says and frowns slightly.

"I didn't like her." He mumbles, his voice and manner like a little kid that got in trouble.

"Do you realize you hurt her?" Nat responds, giving him a scolding glare.

"I didn't mean to!" He mewls defensively.

"And you broke a security guards rib." She continues, realizing to late she'd gone to far. Bucky stares at her his eyes wide.

"Bucky. It's okay. No, it's okay you didn't mean to." Steve tries to calm him down.

"I didn't mean to." He whimpers, trying to hide but unable to because of the restraints.

"James, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have said that. I... I'm sorry." She stands up and walks out the door leaving Steve and Bucky alone.

"Steve you have to believe me. I... I didn't want to hurt anyone... I... I was scared... I... I'm sorry..." Bucky stutters, fighting back tears.

He really didn't mean to, he was just... frightened, and Steve knew that. He knew Bucky didn't like hospitals and doctors made him nervous and that he wasn't always the best person to leave alone with strangers, and Steve wanted to take the blame. He should've know better.

"No Bucky shh it's okay. It doesn't matter. You didn't mean to, you were scared. I get it. Just calm down. It's alright." Steve whispers, giving Bucky's hand a squeeze.

"I didn't mean to." He repeats, a tear sliding down his cheek slowly. Bucky never cried in front of him, he'd always been strong for Steve. Steve looks down at the floor to allow Bucky some privacy.

"Nah, hey Buck. It's okay, we all make mistakes. It'll be okay." He looks back up at Bucky and squeezes his hand again.

Bucky nods slowly, his head was still a bit fuzzy, as it had been ever since he woke up.

Natasha walks back in and gently closes the door behind her. "I'm sorry James." She whispers, sitting down next to Steve.

Bucky watches her quietly, then closes his eyes. "I'm sorry." He repeats to her softly.

"You'll be out tonight after they give the okay." She tells him softly. He opens his eyes and looks at her, then nods slowly, his hair falling in his face.

"Um excuse me?" The nurse says from where she stands by the door.

Nat and Steve turn to face her. "Yeah." Steve says, trying to make her comfortable by smiling.

"I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave." She says.

"Okay." Nat says. She stands and brushes Bucky's hair from his face and then gently says goodbye. She walks out the door and waits outside for Steve.

"We'll be waiting for you." Steve says before giving Bucky's hand another squeeze and then pushing himself up out of the chair. He limps out the door, together Nat and him walk to the waiting room.

"I'm sorry." Bucky says quietly to the nurse once they were alone.

"It's fine." She replies, approaching him. She checks his fingers and then the other areas he had frost bite. Gently she turns his head to the side then turns it back.

"I really wish I hadn't hurt you. I really am sorry." He apologizes, looking at the bruise he caused.

"It's fine. Really it is." She says, smiling at him warmly.

"How can you forgive me?" He asks, she was being so kind to him even though he hurt her.

"You're able to apologize and you did, and you really seem sincere." She undoes the restraints on his left arm then across his chest. She undoes the restraints on his left arm, slowly dragging her fingers across his arm in awe. "I don't mean to pry, but how'd you lose your arm?"

"Um... well, I uh." He hesitates. "I fell off a train."

"Oh. I'm sorry." She says, pulling off the last restraint on his arm. He sits up and together they undo the restraints on his legs. He stands and walks towards the door.

"Goodbye." He says before he leaves, he's greeted outside the door by two security men.

"Goodbye." She replies.

Bucky shuffles slowly, a guard on either side of him, until he finds Nat and Steve. The guards wait at the end of the hallway as Bucky walks over to stand next to Steve.

Steve stands up and then together the three of them get a cab back to Steve's place.