Flight [Sam Wilson]

Chapter 2

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The road to recovery is shorter with someone by your side 

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Sam Wilson was at one of Tony Stark's infamous parties talking with Steve and Natasha. They were trying to find the Winters as they have been dubbed by HYDRA and to someone that was listening. 

"I haven't been able to find anything on them yet," Sam said. He felt really bad when he saw Natasha's face when he said that, it fell deep into the floor. He felt his phone ring in his pocket and excused himself from the two to answer it. 

"Hello?" Sam said into the phone. He placed his drink on the table next to him. 

"Is this Sam Wilson?" The man on the other side said. Sam grew worried at the tone of the voice, he placed his hand on the bracelet he carries with him, it was given to him by Kayla when they were younger.  

"Yes, it is." 

"This is Kayla Landers' partner. I wanted to tell you that she was injured really badly during a mission today and will be transported to the New York Facility. She will be there in the morning." The person hung up. Sam let his phone down from his ear and placed it next to his drink. 

He let out a shaky breath before almost collapsing onto the floor. He made it to the seat by the table and sat down. He placed his head in his hands and felt tears fall out of his eyes. 

"Sam?" Steve asked. Sam lifted his head out of his hands and turned around to see Tony, Steve, and Natasha looking at him. He picked up his drink and swirled it around in the bottle. 

"You remember all the photos of Riley and a woman lying around my house?" He said. Steve nodded and motioned for him to carry on. 

"Well, the woman is Kayla Landers. She is Riley's sister and my best friend. Anyway, I just got a call and they said that she was injured badly and might not survive." Sam said. Tony took the drink out of Sam's hands and gave him a pat on the back. 

"Sheesh, Sam. I am so sorry." Nat said. She turned to Tony and whispered to him. Tony nodded and gave Sam one last smile before leaving them. 

"She'll be fine Sam. Just go home, when did they say she'll arrive?" Steve asked. 

"Tomorrow." Sam stood up and put his phone in his pocket and walked out of the room and down the elevator to the road. He sat quietly in the Uber to his house. He walked into the house and stared at the first picture of her he saw, it was a picture of all three of them in their uniforms waiting to go on their first mission. 

"Why did I leave you?" Sam asked the photo, he set the photo down and collapsed on the sofa and cried himself to sleep. 

The next morning Sam woke up with a sore neck and someone banging on his door. He grumpily stood up and swung the door open. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers stood in front of him. He moved out of the way and let them in. 

"She's in the Facility by Brooklyn. She is currently in surgery. Sam, it's bad." Tony said. He placed a hand on Sam's shoulder. "We can go wait at the facility." 

Sam nodded and walked up to change. He couldn't believe that both of his childhood friends are leaving him. He sighed and picked up his jacket and walked out of the room. Steve and Tony were talking quietly and looking at the picture of Kayla. 

"Let's go." Tony said. Sam followed Steve and Tony out of the house and into the car. They drove in silence, with Tony occasionally asking about Kayla. When they reached the Facility, Sam went in first. 

"I'm looking for Kayla Landers, I'm her only family." Sam said to the receptionist. The woman looked up at him and nodded to the doorway where a doctor was waiting. Sam gave her a small smile and walked to the doctor. 

"She is stable, but her burns are severe." The doctor turned away and they walked to her room. Sam's heart stopped when he saw Kayla's broken and burnt body lying on the sheets unconscious. 

"Can I go in?" Sam asked the doctor, he nodded and Sam walked in. Sam sat down on the seat next to her bed and grabbed her hand. He held it tight in his own. 

"I'm so sorry I left you, I shouldn't have. This is all my fault." Sam said, he felt a flicker of a movement but he realized that he just imagined it. 

Over the next ten days, Sam kept coming. He didn't really leave. On the eleventh day of her in the hospital, Steve had had enough and had Tony help him to take Sam to his house to get showered and fed. Tony stayed with Kayla in case she woke up. 

"Sam?" Kayla whispered. Tony put the magazine down and smiled at the woman in the bed. He took out his phone and texted Steve. 

"It's Tony Stark. Your friend is coming." Tony said. Kayla nodded and Tony called the doctor. The doctor checked over her and told her she was free to leave the next day. Tony met Sam and Steve in the hallway and led them to the doctor's room. The doctor, Steve, and Tony left Sam and Kayla alone. 

"Kayla. I was so worried." Sam whispered, he walked forward to hug her. As he reached her, she shuddered away from him and frowned at him. 

"Sam, what are you doing?" Kayla asked. Sam frowned, Kayla usually loved hugs and giving them out. 

"Hugging you?" 

"You don't get to do that. You left me, you left me alone. You left me to deal with Riley's empty place by myself. So no you don't get to hug me. You can't leave someone and expect them to welcome you back with open arms." Kayla said. Only now did Sam realize how badly he hurt her by leaving. 

"I know Kayla, I know. I shouldn't have if I could I would take it back and be right there with you." Sam pleaded. Kayla frowned and folded her arms over her chest. 

"But that's not enough. Please leave." Kayla said. Sam felt his heart break even more. Kayla just asked him to leave, she didn't trust him anymore. 

"Kayla..." 

"Sam Wilson, please leave before I make a scene," Kayla said. Sam nodded and walked out of the room, out of the hospital, out of her life. Kayla watched him leave and she turned over onto her side and cried. 

Edited 10/12/2019