Rogue (Under Rewriting)

Chapter Thirty Five

Unknown Hospital, 2016, a few days later

"How did this happen," Tony questioned Vision as they watched Rhodey get a CT-Scan.

"I became distracted," It replied.

"I didn't think that was possible," Tony scoffed.

"Neither did I." Tony turned to leave Vision who was looking in on Rhodes. Along the corridor, Tony caught site of Natasha standing in the doorway. The look on her face was a mixture of concern, sadness, and anger.

"The doctors say he shattered L4 through S1. Extreme laceration in the spinal cord. Probably looking at some form of paralysis," Tony explains to Natasha as they stand on a balcony.

"Steve's not gonna stop. If you don't either, Rhodey's gonna be the best case scenario," Natasha stated, making no mention of the blonde girl who was lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

"You let them go, Nat."

"We played this wrong," She tried explaining.

"'We'," He paused to scoff. "Boy, it must be hard to shake the whole double agent thing, huh? It sticks in the DNA."

"Are you incapable of letting go of your ego for one goddamn second?" Natasha's anger was slowly boiling up inside.

"T'Challa told Ross what you did, so...they're coming for you," Tony informed.

"I'm not the one that needs to watch their back," Natasha told him before she started to walk away.

"What about Alex," Tony asked, stopping Natasha before she could fully leave.

"Unconscious. In a coma. Doctors have no idea when or if she will wake up. Broken knee, hip, arm, and shoulder all on her left side. Fractured spinal cord." Natasha paused to collect herself. "It will be a miracle if she survives, they say. She didn't have a tin suit to protect her like Rhodey did."

Tony didn't say anything as Natasha started to walk away again. The redhead made her way through the maze of hospital hallways to the room that held the love of her life. She walked in to find Alex laying on the bed, eyes closed, face bruised. The steady rise and fall of her chest and the beeping monitor were the only indications that she was alive. Natasha quickly grabbed a pen and a small piece of paper and started writing.

With a final smile, I love you, and a kiss, Natasha removed the ring that was on her left ring finger and placed it on the note. She walked to the door, glanced back at the woman she loved, and walked out. She tried her hardest to walk away from the room without turning back. She wiped her eyes, tears threatened to pool over the edge.

She was doing this for the best chance at a life with Alex. By leaving she wouldn't get taken away from her. No one could ruin their life if Natasha walked away herself. Alex would be safe and Natasha would come back.

*****

If there was one thing that Alex wanted right now it would be to stop the annoying constant beeping and ringing that rung through her ears. She was awake, she knew that much, but she didn't seem to have the strength to open her eyes. They felt as if they had been glued shut with cement and then buried under layers of rock.

Beneath the beeping of monitors and ringing in her ear, she could hear the faint sound of feet shuffling around the room. The click of a pen, the rustling of papers. She could feel the phantom-like touch of fingers on her arm and neck. The cool press of metal on the right side of her chest, then nothing on her left. After what felt like hours, Alex had finally succeeded in trying to open her eyes.

The person was still in the room, writing something down on a clipboard. As they got ready to leave they looked up one last time. Except for this time, the blonde was staring back at them. Her eyes were begging them to help her, to take the tube out of her throat.