Trust | 1 |

Chapter Nineteen

A/N: this chapter contains the airport battle, so be ready (it's also quite long)

When I had all my senses back I kinda wished they went away again. The amount of pain I was feeling caused me to groan when it all came rushing into existence. There was a doctor beside me who pushed something that made the pain start to go away again. They walked away and spoke to someone. I finally had the courage to open my eyes up and try to figure out my surroundings. Then memories came flooding back.

The book. He had the damn book.

"Hey," someone greeted softly as they approached my bedside. The pillow my head was on was fluffed up and set up in a way so I didn't have to crane my neck to see who it was that joined me at my bedside. Nat sat down in a chair on my right. Her hand reached out and grabbed mine. I looked in her eyes and saw they were red.

"I watched you fall," she explained when she noticed I saw her tears. "I was absolutely terrified until I ran up and found a pulse. Your instincts kicked in at a good time, Rey." Her words went into my head but didn't entirely register. I was worrying about the fake psychiatrist and how he not only my book, but Barnes' too. A pair of fingers snapped in front of her eyes. "Hey, what are you thinking about?" she asked me.

Everything came out with that question. "He had the book. The asshole not only had my book, but he had the one for him too. I know that's what he used to get into Barnes' head and make him soldier out. He used it to get in my head and make me soldier out. That 'psychiatrist' is a liar and is out to get us. He wants to see an empire fall. He's the real villain here." Nat took everything in.

The door to this room opened up and I saw Stark walk in. He looked a bit hesitant until Nat gave him a barely noticeable nod. My memory of our fight came up in my head and now I understood why he was hesitant. "I'm sorry about what happened down there," I said to him. "I just need you to understand I had no control." More than anything I needed them all to know I wasn't in my head during that. They probably wanted to throw me in a cell.

"It's fine, I get it. I was pretty rude blinding you and all that too." Something in my expression gave away my thoughts loudly. "Don't worry, you're still free. I convinced Ross and the King back there that you didn't need to be thrown in a cell for that. You may be on thin ice with them, but you're still standing."

I visibly relaxed at the news and let out a content sigh. The pain was subsiding and I started to sit up. "So what injuries do I have? I doubt I came out clean with a fall like that," I asked. Nat cleared her throat and grabbed a clip board from a table beside her.

She looked over it and found the spot with my injuries. "A minor concussion, hairline fracture in you right arm, your wound re-opened so they had to stitch it back closed, a couple fractured spots on your spine, and a couple severely bruised ribs. I don't know how nothing broke, but hey! That's good, right?" Some how, despite the situation at hand, Nat managed to make me laugh.

"Yes, it is a good thing that I haven't broken any bones. I don't know how long it would've taken for them to heal and it seems that I'll need to be up and on my feet soon," I said.

The silence was deafening. Neither Stark or Nat spoke after I said that, which worried me. "Why are we being quiet?" I asked in a whisper. The other two shared some looks, like they were having a conversation with their eyes, and finally Stark sighed and looked at me.

"Look, you'd be a great help out there, but I don't know if it's the best idea," Stark said. My jaw dropped in disbelief. I was being sidelined? "Trust us when we say that it would be best for you to stay here and recover."

I scoffed. "Be best? I'll be healed up in no time from that crap Hydra gave me, so I'll be in good condition to fight! Or am I being sidelined because of who we're up against? Or because of the events that occurred not too long ago? Or is there something else keeping me in this bed? Please just tell me," I ranted.