Artemis: The Final Battle ➳ Steve Rogers [2]

B O N U S C H A P T E R (1)

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S T E V E

I sit by Camille's bed, holding her hand in mine with the steady beeping of the machines that surrounded her lulling me to sleep, making it a struggle for me to stay awake.

The end of the week marks the seventh month of being stuck in this leaving hell. Still, Tony refuses to give up. He'd sworn that he'd seen her fingers flexing or her eyelids twitching on multiple occasions.

For weeks now I've kept looking out for signs of movement...nothing. Stephen had come in to confirm that she no longer had any brain activity. In other words; brain dead.

Bringing her hand to my lips, I press a kiss to her knuckles. Her chest rises and falls in time with the small puffs of oxygen administered by the ventilator and through the tube they had to insert.

Leaning forward, I rest my forehead on hers and squeeze my eyes shut.

"I know I should, but I'm not ready to let you go yet," I whisper against her cool skin. "If I could somehow take your place, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

A strong hand claps me on my shoulder, making me start. I was so caught up in Camille that I didn't even notice Bucky enter the room.

"Come on, man. You need rest."

I glanced at the clock by Camille's bedside, the harsh red numbers telling me that it was just past four in the morning.

Deciding that Bucky was right, I rise from my seat, leaning forward to give the love of my life a kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back later, okay?" I mutter against her warm skin. Warm was good. Warm meant that she was still alive.

I look at the clock one more time which flashes 4:05 and mentally make a note to be back here four hours from now. That should be enough time to sleep, right?

"Did you see that?" Bucky asks and my eyes immediately snap back to Camille.

"See what?"

"Her fingers," Bucky answers, "They just twitched."

I'm tempted to ask Bucky if he was sure, but didn't. Of course, he was sure. He would never have said anything unless he was. However, I've also been warned that sudden movements were still possible in patients who were brain-dead and were mostly due to reflexes.

Then, I see it; her eyelids flutter slightly and then, perhaps the most hopeful thing of all, she groans.

I reach up to cup her cheek urgently, "Call Stephen. Or Bruce. Anyone who knows what they're doing, just call them." I tell Bucky who rushes off.

"Camille?" I smooth back her hair, "Baby, if you can hear me. Please, come back to me."

Hope blooms in my chest as her lips part and she sucks in a deep breath. As quickly as hope had made its appearance, it plummets, bringing my heart along with it as she starts to convulse.

I yell for my best friend, hoping he'd already made his way back with a doctor in tow.

"It's going to be okay," I whisper to her, "We're going to be just fine."

I'm soon shoved out of the way by Stephen and Bruce as they start to examine her, pulling vials of medicine and syringes.

"What's wrong with her?" I panic.

So much is happening at once that I'm barely able to focus.

"What's happening to my wife?" I demand, and Stephen shoots Bucky a look.

My friend wraps an arm around my shoulder, "Come on, Steve. I know it's hard but you need to let them work."

I want to fight him, to demand he lets me stay. But as he's dragging me out the door, the sharp sound of the heart monitor flatlining hits my ears and we all freeze.

No. My heart feels as if it's being ripped out of my chest. It hurt so much I couldn't find words that are strong enough to describe what I'm feeling. No. No. No. No.

My legs give out from under me and I fall to my knees, watching as Stephen and Bruce stands by her bed, doing nothing to save her.

"What are you doing?" I manage to choke out, "Do something! Why aren't any of you doing anything."

Stephen's sympathetic gaze lands on me, "I'm sorry, Steve. Natasha's right. It's time."

"No! No. I'm not ready, yet." I sobbed, my eyes so blurry with tears that I can barely make out Stephen's features at this point. "Please, I just need more time. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to let her go."

Bruce lowers himself next to me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, "I don't think any of us will ever be ready for this. But, Steve-"

The sound of someone choking, accompanied by the rapid beeping of the heart monitor that represents Camille's heartbeats and I shoot up, stumbling to her bedside as Stephen hurries to remove the breathing tube.

I see that her eyes are open when I reach her side, taking her hand in mine as I reach up to cradle her face in my hands.

"Hey, you," I croaked, my voice hoarse from crying. No words could describe the relief I was feeling at this moment, having her beautiful green eyes stare up at me again when I wasn't even sure if I would be able to a couple of minutes ago.

Camille never replies me. Though, her brows furrow at my voice as she stares at me blankly for what feels like another long minute before her eyelids seem to grow heavier by the second.

"No, no. Camille, open your eyes." I urged desperately when her eyes fell shut once again, "Camille!"

"Steve," Stephen places a calming hand on my shoulder, "She's breathing on her own. That's a good sign."

When it's clear I'm barely listening to him, my gaze is stuck on Camille, willing her to open her eyes again.

"We'll be here to observe her overnight," Stephen says, assumably to Bucky. "He needs rest. He looks like he's about to pass out from exhaustion any second."

I hear a set of footsteps shuffling towards me and then another heavy hand on my shoulder.

"Steve..." Bucky's voice reaches my ears, "Come on, man. They're probably going to need to run some tests. Why don't we give them some space to do that, huh?"

"No," My voice sounds distant as I speak, "I'm staying."

As I held onto Camille's hand as if it was a lifeline, I doubt there was anyone on this planet who would be able to tear me away from her.