Wingman

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Happy Steve Bingo #10 Supersoldier Healing

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"On your left," I mumbled as I let my eyes drift back shut. I could only be thankful Sam appeared to be all right. I'd dragged him into this mess, I would have hated myself had he been hurt or worse in our efforts to stop Hydra.

I wanted to ask him how bad the fallout had been, but instead the need to fall back into unconsciousness and heal dragged me back into darkness.

However long later I jerked into awareness to find a stranger with dark hair hovering over me. I reacted by getting my hands up, one securing the potential danger the other curling into a fist prepared to land a potentially deadly strike.

"Whoa there, Cap."

I recognized that voice and my eyes shifted to see Sam, his hands attempting to hold mine back.

"It's just the doc. You're safe," he continued in a soothing tone. "You can let him go."

I sucked in a deep breath and opened the hand I had about the doctor's throat. "Sorry," I muttered, the fog I'd been swimming in blown away with the rush of adrenaline.

The doctor's hand went to his neck, rubbing the area as if to make certain I hadn't done any serious damage. "I should have known better, Captain Rogers. I'll be fine."

The need to hit something, to defend myself still pounded through me. Aided by the remnants of the dream I'd been experiencing prior to my sudden awakening. "Sam?"

"Right here, Cap." He appeared in my line of sight, looking only a little worse for wear. Some bruises I could see, but otherwise unharmed. "Nightmare?"

A guess on his part, but a good one. "Not exactly." Not a lie, really. I'd been reliving that final fight between me and Bucky, a fight I chose to lose at the end. Little wonder I'd woken up wired and so violently reactive.

Sam's eyes narrowed and I could tell we'd be having a more in-depth conversation once the doc had left us alone. "How's he doing, doc?"

"Amazing, actually, considering."

"Considering?"

"Shot twice, one of which could easily have been fatal. Stabbed and cut with an extremely sharp knife several times. Various bumps, bruises, and contusions including what appears to be a mild concussion, not to mention nearly drowning."

I shrugged, regretted it since it caused bright points of pain in several locations. "Healing factor," I reminded discovering that it hurt to talk thanks to an odd tightness on the left side of my mouth. I reached up to discover stitches and remembered the wild slash from Bucky that had done the damage.

"They're healing fine, we'll be removing them shortly."

"And when can I get out of here?"

"Jeez, Cap, take a break. You deserve it." Sam shook his head, but there was the hint of a grin at the corner of his lips.

"Did you catch him?" I had to know. Had to know if Bucky had gotten away.

He glanced over at the doc, clearly not wanting to speak in front of him. And Sam had a point. Our plan had been to out Hydra, but that didn't mean that every supported had been instantly revealed. Half the hospital staff could be part of Hydra and we would have no way of knowing. "Not yet."

I took the hint and said nothing else until the doc finished his examination. Including peeling back the gauze to look at the bullet wound through my abdomen. Even I was impressed by how much it had healed in the time I'd been here, which couldn't have been more than a couple of days at most.

"So, will he live?"

The doc smiled. "Yes. I'll have the nurse come in and remove those stitches, but I want you here overnight just in case."

I wanted to argue, but I didn't exactly have any place to go. My apartment presumably a crime scene and a damaged enough that it likely shouldn't be lived in during repairs. The Triskelion most likely off limits so I couldn't crash there either. "Okay."

The doc's eyebrows went up almost as high as Sam's. Both had clearly expected me to argue, but while I had concerns and questions I had enough sense to realize I wouldn't be able to get much done in my current condition so I took the advice I'd been given and accepted the break I needed.

Once the doc left Sam came closer. "You sure you're okay, man?"

I didn't really have an answer. I was alive, but I had no idea how that miracle had occurred. Last thing I remembered was hitting the water, after that nothing but darkness until waking up in this bed with Sam by my side. "I don't know," I finally answered. "Why didn't I drown?"

"Can you?" He pulled up a chair and settled into it. "Seventy years in ice, what's a little water in your lungs, right?"

I snorted, regretted it as various injuries showed their displeasure. "I might be able to hold my breath longer than most, but I still need to breathe eventually. Who pulled me out?"

"We don't know," Sam told me in a soft voice, eyes flicking over to the doorway as if to make certain we weren't overheard. "We didn't find you for a couple hours 'cause you were across the river."

"Nat and Fury okay?"

"Fine. Both are far more worried about you. Pierce is dead and Hydra members are being rounded up by every alphabet agency on the planet. You got the worst of it."

I waved at his face. "Looks like you took some hits."

"Yeah well, If Rumlow had talked less he might have gotten out of the building before the helicarrier hit it."

Christ, Rumlow too. Given he'd intended to kill all of us I found myself not as upset as I might have been. "Hill?"

"Fine. Organizing the shit out of everything. Anyone left from Hydra better run. I know I would."

I grinned. Hill was exceptionally good at her job. "And you. What are you doing next?"

"Me? Oh, I plan on sitting right here until they release you. You might get it into your head to go chasing down Hydra agents instead of taking the time to heal up. Though based on what I've seen you'll be back in fighting trim in less than a week. I gotta say I might have a serious case of Supersoldier envy right about now."

I laughed, unabashedly thankful he'd stuck by my side through all of this. "Thank you, Sam, but you don't have to stay. I'm sure you have stuff to do. People to help down at the VA."

"Seems like I have my hands full with a vet right here." He leaned forward to set a hand on my forearm. "Steve, I ain't going nowhere, so you might as well get used to me being your wingman."

I wanted to argue the point, but a nurse appeared in the doorway rolling a mayo tray covered in medieval torture items.

"Sutures?"

She nodded. "I'll be quick, I promise."

Sam grinned. "Take your time. Maybe he'll forget I just won the argument."

I smiled only to be admonished by the nurse. "Not until I have the stitches out, please."

"Yes, ma'am," I said while Sam laughed. All things considered, I had to admit to feeling pretty damn good.

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finis