Chapter 2

It's been several weeks now. Bucky's condition was gradually getting better: he had less and less nightmare, his body showed no signs of rejection of the new organs, wounds were healing fast, some healthy color returned to his sickly pale face. One night though, then Steve fell asleep in the chair, he woke up to gasps and whimpers of pain. He opened his eyes, the immediate recognition of the voice made him jump to attention. He hurried to Bucky's side.

"Bucky! Everything's all right! I'm here, I'm with you." Steve tried to sooth him as he held him close, but it seemed pointless.

"Mr. Rogers, he seems to have a fever. Should I wake up Mr. Stark?" J.A.R.V.I.S. spoke up.

"No... If I can handle it, don't. Just tell me where the medical kit is." Steve replied.

"I'll have one of the robots bring it."

"How serious is it?"

"Not life threatening."

"Okay, that's a relief, but what's the cause?"

"His immune system is very low, he might've caught a virus while the windows were open, combined with the nightmare he is having right now, it resulted in a fever."

Steve sighed. Then the door opened and a robot rode in with a medical kit. Steve set the medical kit on the night stand at the Bucky's bedside. He pulled the chair closer, then sat in it once more and looked through the kit. He took out a thermometer and measured Bucky's temperature. "38 degrees..." His eyes narrowed.

"It could be worse, sir."

"I know." Steve set the thermometer aside and looked through the medical kit. Another robot came in with some towels and bowl of water. Steve nodded to the robot in gratitude. He wet one towel and rinsed it out, then folded it and lay it on Bucky's forehead. He looked through the medical kit and found some medicine to lower the temperature. He poured the medicine into the spoon, then carefully fed it to Bucky. Then he took another wet towel and began to wipe Bucky's body. Once that was done, he covered Bucky more with the blanket and lay under it, holding the fragile man in his strong arms. Bucky was shaking and whimpering, but soon he calmed and resumed a somewhat calm sleep.


Next morning, Steve woke up to the hooting of cars outside the Stark Tower on the busy streets below. He yawned, then looked down to see Bucky peacefully asleep and clinging to him. He blinked, then smiled. He carefully got out of the bed, made sure Bucky was well covered by the covers, then went to the bathroom. He returned to find Sam just bringing in food for him.

"Morning." Sam greeted.

"Morning, Sam." Steve replied. He rubbed his eyes, then yawned.

"I heard from JARV last night was hectic."

"Bucky had a fever."

"He seems better now."

"Thankfully."

"Tony says he might be waking up soon."

Steve lightened up with happiness. "Really? Oh goodness, yes! Does he know when?"

"He said it should be in a week at the latest." Sam smirked at Cap's happiness.

"Oh God, thank you!" Steve couldn't contain his happiness, he broke into tears.

Sam blinked in surprise, then smirked and shook his head. "You big baby." He went to hug Steve and share his happiness.

"I'm sorry." Steve sobbed.

"It's 'kay." Sam slight poked Steve's forehead. "But you seriously need a bath and a change of clothing."

Steve blinked. "Oh yes, sorry."

"Go on, I'll watch over him."

"Thank you."

Sam nodded in response.

Steve opened the door and stopped in the door way to take a look at Bucky's peaceful form. He smirked, then turned ad walked out, closing the door after himself.

Sam looked at Bucky. He sighed. Steve and Bucky, they were a lot like Sam and Riley. Sam sighed once more. He was somewhat jealous, at least Steve's comrade was alive. Sam instead, was left with memories, some photos, and a grave. He sat down in Steve's chair at Bucky's bedside. "Don't know if you can hear me or not, but I'll say this anyway, so listen up. I'm jealous, okay? I hardly can cope with it. Steve treasures you so much he would even let you beat him up, and you would beat him to death if something hadn't clicked in you. And after all of this, you're still alive when my partner is dead. So lemme tell ya something, pal. Hurt Steve, and I'll hurt you. I'm not so soft like Steve, I WILL hurt you. So you better hurry up and get those memories back, 'cause that big baby is losing his head over you, he's crawling outta his skin for ya, so you better return the favor." He sighed. "Alright, enough said. Hurry up and wake up already."

Bucky's expression was still, calm, perhaps with some signs of attention? Yes... he definitely heard Sam.

Sam looked at him, then sighed with a shake of his head. He got up and went out on the balcony, closing the door into the room. It was suny today, and warm. He looked at the busy city before him.

Steve returned in a fresh t-shirt and sweat pants, with a towel around his neck. He saw Bucky sound asleep and smiled a bit, then he saw Sam out on the balcony. He went to the balcony, on his way he grabbed the mug of coffee on the tray brought by Sam. He stepped out on the balcony, closing the door behind himself. Taking a sip of his coffee, he looked at the city. "Did he behave?"

Sam smirked. "Oh, he has no shame."

"Oh?" Steve blinked.

"Sleeping like a baby after all he's done." Sam said.

Steve sighed with a smirk, looking down at his feet, then he looked up at the city before him once more.

"Are you planning on resuming the mission?" Sam looked at him.

"Not any time soon, Buck's my top priority right now."

"What will you do if some enemy strikes?"

"I'll go out and deal with them, but looking after Bucky's my priority."

Sam nodded in response.

"What was it like?" Steve looked at him.

"What was?" Sam looked at Steve.

"Between you and Riley?"

Sam looked down at the busy street below.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's fine, don't apologize."

Steve looked at him.

"We were a lot like you and Buck. Ready to take a bullet for each other."

"When Bucky fell from that train... I couldn't think of anything anymore. I lost all feeling and hope."

"Yeah, losing a comrade does that to ya." Sam nodded. "What returned the determination to you?" He looked at Steve.

"Bucky's fall."

"Same thing?"

"Yeah. I couldn't forgive myself for letting him go, but more than that, I couldn't forgive Hydra. Their existence, I couldn't forgive it. All that they did, all the lives they ended and ruined. So much suffering, I had to take revenge."

"So you took revenge not just for him but for all of the hurt people?"

"At that time, I thought so, and when I woke up I thought the same. But as I spent more time in this century, learning about all the changes and everything I missed, and when Hydra showed up again, I knew that wasn't the case."

"Well you did help end the war."

"I did, but it seems more like I ended a battle, not a war."

"You'll win." Sam reassured.

"What makes you so sure?"

"'Cause even though we spent so little time together, I already know you enough to be sure that you won't rest until all of evil is rid from the world."

"What makes you think so?"

"Your persistence. You already died once."

"More like I was preserved."

"Still, I can well say you'll keep rising from the grave till you are sure your work is done."

Steve smirked. "I think my work will never be done."

"Yes, there's still a long way to go, but you can do it." Sam looked at the sky scrapers.

"Can I?" Steve looked from his coffee at Sam.

"Sure ya can." Sam looked at him. "You're Captain America."

Steve smirked.

"Okay, I gotta stuff to do."

"Yeah, sorry for all the trouble."

"No trouble at all, so don't apologize."

"Good luck."

"Thanks." Sam stepped left the balcony and then Bucky's room.

Steve took another sip of his coffee, taking a last look at the city, then returned into Bucky's room.

Bucky was panting a bit, his brows furrowed in pain, sweat stepping out on his skin once more.

Steve measured his temperature, 37 degrees. Lower by a degree, but still. He wet a towel and wiped Bucky's body, then gave him some more medicine. In a few moments, Bucky calmed a bit. Steve resumed sitting at Bucky's side, watching over him.

After a while, he felt like drawing. "J.A.R.V.I.S."

"Yes, sir?"

"Mind watching over Buck for a bit?"

"Not at all."

"Thanks." Steve got up and left Bucky's room to his own temporary one. He got his notebook and pencils, then returned to Bucky's room. "Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S."

"No thank's needed, sir."

Steve sat down in his chair. He set the pencils on the corner of the night stand at Bucky's bedside. He opened his notebook and started to sketch. He was going to draw Bucky while he's peacefully asleep. It was a while since he drew his friend. He thought he lost his touch, but the picture turned out pretty good. He smiled a bit at the drawing. He then looked at Bucky. "Oh Bucky..." He softly stroked his cheek with the back of his fingers. "I won't let anything happen to you, not anymore, not on my watch! So hurry up and wake up, I miss those deep blue eyes..."

TBC