After nearly 20 torturous minutes, the chopper finally touched down on the helipad on the roof of Mother Mary Hospital. Bucky had spent the entire journey with two fingers pressed to the side of Steve's neck. Even with serum-enhanced strength, his vitals were dropping at an alarming rate. A gurney surrounded by a swarm of windswept paramedics was being wheeled round the back of their craft. Bucky found Steve being taken out of his hands. He had to hand it to the medics. If they were remotely phased by the fact that Captain America was their patient, they did a heroic job of not showing it. On a calm and collected count of three, Steve was lifted from the floor of the helicopter onto the gurney. Brianna, who had been staring into space for the last quarter of an hour, was lead gently from the helicopter by Nat, to be checked over downstairs. Bucky's mind was still reeling from the girl's part in Steve's current condition. 'Don't think about that. Concentrate Soldier! They're asking you what happened!'.

Bucky gave them the gist, keeping the gunwoman anonymous. He kept one hand on the gurney as the elevator carried them infuriatingly slowly down to the ER. As soon as the doors opened, they took off, the overhead lights burring into one blinding strip. Bucky could vaguely hear the instructions being shouted by the medics. It didn't sound good.

They were wheeled into a room adjoining an OT while the medical staff swiftly scrubbed up. Steve stirred. "Bucky, you there?" he mumbled.

"Where else'm I gonna be? Now shush and let the doctors take care of ya, okay?"

"The end of the line..."

"Yeah, pal. I'm with ya."

"Think this might be..." Steve winced "Buck, you be okay."

Bucky's blood froze as he registered what Steve was trying to say. He was bidding him goodbye. 'Don't you dare!' Steve had lost consciousness again and was suddenly whisked away from Bucky who had to fight the impulse to sprint after him. A nurse approached him primly "Sir, you're going to have to wait here."

Bucky nodded, approaching the glass wall that afforded him a view of Steve's treatment. The medics were clearly highly competent, cutting through clothing, attaching IV lines and vitals monitors and administering sedative in seconds. As Bucky watched the syringe deliver the drugs to his friend's system he began to feel calmer.

Then without warning, a muffled alarm sounded. With enhanced hearing, Bucky caught the word 'v-fib'. Defibrillator strips were spread on Steve's chest.

"Clear!" A woman called, pressing the machine on to the pads. Steve's back arched and stiffened. Bucky slammed both fists against the glass, staring at the vitals monitor. No response.

"Clear" was called ten more times. Ten more horrible spasms before Steve's strong heart finally gave out. The medics abandoned the defibrillator and started compressions while adrenaline was prepared. 'Come on, come on' Bucky thought. The drugs did nothing. The medical staff exchanged harsh words and glances and Bucky realised with horror that they were stopping. The doctor in charge glanced at his watch and the time was recorded. They had given up. The nurse that had spoken earlier glanced at him through the window sorrowfully and made to leave the room to come to him.

"What are you doing?" Bucky yelled at her "you're just gonna give up?! Don't you know who that is?!"

"I'm very sorry Sergeant. He's too far gone."

"No. He would never give up on you! Go back in there and tell them..."

"I'm sorry" the woman said with feeling "Captain Rogers is gone. I have to tell you to wait outside. We will come and get you all to say your goodbyes."

And with that, Bucky found himself ushered out of the room. He felt himself almost floating down the corridor. This wasn't real. Steve wasn't...he was having a nightmare. His heart rate was climbing through the roof. Steve was...he was...

"Arrrrghhhhh!" Bucky cried out, putting his metal fist through a vending machine next to him. The floor was suddenly covered in glass and candy bars. People sent him nervous glances. He turned to the neighbouring machine with destructive intent. With superhuman effort Bucky forced himself to stop.

"Hey! What the hell's going on?" Tony Stark had arrived and was walking down the corridor, presumably to stop him breaking every pane of glass in sight.

"He's gone." Bucky was surprised by the flatness of his own tone.

"What do you mean?" Tony looked like he knew damn well what he meant but Bucky understood. Denial is the first stage of grief.

"Steve's dead."

-/-

When Brianna came to she found herself surrounded by her fellow Avengers. "How did those vultures get hold of the story so quick?" Clint was demanding from a plastic chair, ashen face turned towards the television screen. Brianna followed his gaze. The sound was muted but the headline emblazoned on the bottom of the screen, accompanied by an ariel image of the hospital and a photo of Captain America made the point quite adequately.

"Death of an icon! Captain America shot down!"

"No..." Brianna asked "it's not true is it?"

Every face in the room turned to her. Natasha, nodded wordlessly.

Brianna curled into a ball, sobbing. She distantly felt Clint's arm around her shoulders but most of her mind was occupied with one thought; 'I killed Captain America. I killed Steve.'

Bucky and Tony entered the room and Brianna looked at them with horror "Bucky". She could think of nothing else to say but his name. Tony rounded on her.

"What the ever-loving hell happened out there?!" Tony demanded of her. She tried to speak but no words would come.

"Back off, Tony, she's in shock!" Natasha told him angrily.

"Yeah, she's not the only one! The whole goddamn world is in shock! I'd just like an explanation of why one of us decided to shoot Steven Rogers dead!"

"Keep your voice down!" Bucky snapped "say that in front of the medics and she gets arrested!"

"Maybe she should be!" The words were like a punch to Brianna's gut.

"She wasn't in control! There's...something else at play here. That thing they dug out of her leg..."

"Sent it off for analysis. See if the old voodoo defence checks out."

Brianna shrank back against the headboard of the bed, looking at Tony with a heartbreaking mixture of terror and guilt. Bucky pushed his weight against Tony, driving him into the wall "She is NOT the one we should be goin' after Tony so back the hell off."

"You're telling me to back off? I'm the one being pinned down by over 200 pounds of Winter Soldier."

"You really wanna test me, Stark?"

"Please, stop! Just stop it!" yelled Brianna before dissolving into tears again. Bucky released his hold on Tony, sparing him one last glare before sitting next to Brianna.

"Brianna, look at me."

"I can't" she whispered. She dreaded what she might find in that face.

"Mayday, Listen! We need you to give us an explanation. We need to find the people that messed with your head. Tell us all you know." Bucky's voice hardened slightly.

Brianna took a deep breath, and followed the order.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...