EVERMORE ─ marvel

XV. The Broken, The Beaten, & The Damned

Two days later...

Chapter Fifteen
Analiese

"When will I be able to go home?" Stevie asks, his voice desperate.

After the battle ended we moved some of the patients back to Wakanda, the ones who needed Wakandan medicine and enhancements to be healed. Many patients are still being transferred here, the hospital is getting fuller by the hour. Stevie, Alex, and Jade were amongst those moved. Stevie is in the best shape of the three, his leg healing properly now that we're back here with vibranium tools. Shuri is nearly done crafting his replacement leg, she said she'll need a day or two to make the final adjustments. We both had a brainstorming session about the replacement leg and his shifting and came up with a solution: the leg will be crafted to snap on and off for when he needs to shift. Once it's off, he'll attach the leg to his back with a latch, and it will be imbued with Pym particles so it will shrink and grow along with him, just like the gun attached to his suit.

Stevie will still have to learn how to operate as an animal with one leg, but as I told him, not every animal will be difficult. Any aquatic animal or bird will not be impacted by his lack of a leg. This didn't make him feel any better.

"After Shuri gets done with your replacement leg and we test it on you, and it works, then you can go home."

Stevie groans, sinking down in his hospital bed. Liam, who has not left his bed side for two days, gives him a sympathetic, drowsy, smile. Bucky does too, who has been here just as long.

I reach out and place my hand on Stevie's shoulder. "It will be alright, Stevie. It will be a hard transition, but you have your family to help you through it."

He smiles up at me, but it's half-hearted. I glance at the clock on the walls and realize it's way past time for me to check on how Alex is doing. I squeeze Stevie's shoulder and head towards the door. Just as I cross the doorway and make it into the hallway, Bucky calls my name, appearing behind me a moment later.

I turn and wait for him to speak, and after a bit of hesitation, he does: "I wanted to thank you for what you did for my son and for my brother in law. You saved their lives," He looks really uncomfortable right now, but he's being sincere. "I'll never forget what you did for them. Thank you, Analiese, truly."

I'm a bit stunned right now, and a little uncomfortable myself. I'm not used to anything but snarky comments and hateful glares from him. And I'm used to returning them. But there's nothing snarky or hateful for me to say right now. And as weird as I feel about doing it, I extend my hand out towards him. He glances from my face to my hand a couple times before wrapping his metal hand around mine, squeezing it gently.

"There's no need to thank me. I'm just glad they're both okay. That you're all okay."

Bucky opens his mouth to say something else but closes it quickly. He then reconsiders and opens it again, looking even more awkward as he says: "My wife always believes in the best in people. And every time she sees that good, and I doubt that it's there, I'm proven wrong. She was right about you, I see that now. Actually, I've seen it for a while. I've hated you for so long because of what you did to Soroya all those years ago, but you've clearly changed. I...I forgive you for what happened back then. I promise not to hold it against you anymore."

Holy shit. This is not what I expected him to say, not now, not ever. I gawk at him for a moment or two before I speak, still a bit stunned: "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I tortured her, nearly killed her. You have every right to hold that against me."