Wordcount: around 1400
Warnings: Mentions of Injuries, angst, some cursing
Pain, that was the first thing she was able to feel emerging from the black vault she was in. It pulsed through her veins and with every breath she took tiers threatened to fall.
What happened? Why is everything hurting? Did I get rolled over by a truck? But why is my throat hurting this much then? FUCK!
Slowly her brain began to register other things than the pain. First it was the soft blankets that covered her (she now realized) naked skin. The second thing, was the presence and voices of three men. And they were close-too close. Gathering her strength, she opened her eyes and jerked away at once. Not aware of her surroundings, she fell of the bed. Panic controlled her every move and she pressed her back against the wall.
The young woman couldn't identify or see anything, because she wasn't wearing her glasses, resulting in the men just being unidentifiable blurry shadows.
"Miss?" She heard a deep voice call her, but her panic wasn't allowing her to hear the worry in his voice. Unable to see who had addresser her, she let her eyes roam from one man to the other.
"Miss, calm down. How are you feeling? Are you hurt?" Another voice asked, and she wanted to snap at them, but when she opened her mouth, nothing was coming out.
Why can´t I speak? Who are you? Everything hurts! What the fuck happened?
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw one of the taller shadows move closer to her and she quickly stumbled away. The man must have seen the panic and fear on her face, because he immediately faltered in his steps.
"Miss, we are not here to hurt you. Dr Banner can take care of your bruises and check for other injuries, but you need to let us help you." His voice was warm but her hurt body told her to be careful.
She then remembered the third man, and looked around to find him, fearing he might sneak up to her. It turned to be quite hard because of her blurred vision and dark room. Finally her eyes found him and her brain went into hyperdrive, when she saw him slumped to the ground.
Did I cause that? Did I accidentally hurt him? Do they want revenge?
"Buck? Why don´t you wait in the common area and we take care of her." It was the first voice that said that, and she noticed the man in question stand up and leave the room. He was tall and of a broad built. There was no mistake she was doomed should he go after her. Something was glittering in the dim light where his left arm should be, but she couldn't pin point why.
Stupid glasses, why are they always lost when I need them.
Once she had concentrated on the man, the other taller one had stepped closer.
How do they want to take care of me?
"He won´t hurt you. But now you need to let Dr Banner to look after you."
Was he the reason why I am hurt? But why do the others help me than?
"Why don´t we start with covering you up." The smaller shadow suggested, and she noticed he had something in his hands. " Here, I will throw you this pullover towards you."
Glad to be able to cover up (and maybe get a bit warmer) she nodded, slowly and a bit uncertain. Not a second later, the clothing hit her feet.
Trying to locate the zipper (without leaving the men out of her sight) she pulled it up to her face. Opening it, she got dressed. The sheer feeling of the warm clothing and the smell that lingered in it, calmed her down and made her feel save. But she had no idea why.
"Do you normally need glasses or contact lenses?" The man she assumed was Dr Banner asked her, and he sounded like he just realized something. "You won't be able to speak I fear. Just motion your answer."
Realizing that would be the best, she nodded.
"Short- or long- sided?" one finger up for the first option.
"How bad?" Six fingers up. Yeah I now, I am kind of blind without my glasses.
"FRIDAY, is there a way to get her a pair of fitting glasses?"
"They are getting printed in your laboratory, Dr Banner. It will be sufficing until I have the perfect measurements for an ideal one." A computer-generated voice answered.
The tall man left shortly after to get the glasses, the young woman assumed.
"Do you remember anything that happened to you?" Her answer was the shake of her head.
"I don´t want to scare you. But you look like someone beat you up and choke you with a lot of force. That is why you can´t speak. And then there is the thing with the bruises on your thighs-" The last part was only a whisper, and she heard how uncomfortable he felt.
Bruises on my thighs? Why are there- No! It can´t be. If I got raped, wouldn´t there be pain in my abdomen? At least that what they always say on tv.
No matter how hard the young woman tried to remember, there was nothing but a big black vault of nothing.
"I got the glasses." The other man said, slowly walking towards the woman not wanting to scare her away. Reaching for them, she put them on and smiled when she was finally able to see probably again.
She was in a big room, with high ceilings and simple interior. Able to see the men in front of her, the young woman calmed down even more: Dr Banner had peppered hair and was in his late forties early fifties. The other one was tall, with blond hair and trained body. Both had sincere smiles on their faces and something on them, made her trust them.
But what the hell had happened to her?
When Steve had told him to leave his room, he bolted for it. He had thought he would be able to stand through it (it would have been the last thing he could have done) after causing her pain. But when her eyes had found his, and fear burnt in them, he couldn´t stand it anymore.
He wanted to punch himself with all his strength at that moment. Unable to knock himself out, he walked towards the training area and began to throw punch after punch at one of the boxing sacks.
His fleshy knuckles had broken open almost an hour ago, but jet he kept hitting. The pain he felt must be nothing compared to what the young woman must feel at that moment.
Bucky didn´t even stop, when his best friend joined him another hour later.
"Buck, calm down. Stop hurting yourself."
"Don´t tell me to calm down, Steve."
"Banner currently lets FRIDAY check on her in the medic bay. But he is sure she only suffered bruising."
"Have you seen her throat? I could have killed her with this stupid arm! The fear in her eyes, when she looked at me." The former Winter Soldier mumbled his heart clenched, and tears began to fall down his face.
"That wasn´t you, Buck. Whoever did that, wasn´t you!" Steve shouted at his friend, tired that he didn´t want to listen.
"Who else Steve? She was in my bed! She- she is covered in bruises and it is all my fault!"
"Why don´t we wait until she remembers what happened? Perhaps there is a good explanation on why she was there."
"She can´t even remember? What have I done to traumatize her so much she can´t remember?"
"Buck-"
"Just- Just leave me alone Steve, please." The man sobbed and disappeared into the joined showers. Where no one would be able to see him cry.
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