Role reversal- Chap 8

Bryce lay flat on his stomach, fixing a broken fuel line. He usually ran through mental fight simulations while he fixed things, but he couldn't keep his mind on anything. He replayed his encounters with Noelle over and over again, trying to organize his feelings into categories that made sense. Planes came and went, rocking the ship in the night air. He loved being on deck while they flew, it made him feel free.

A jet came up quickly: hovering over the deck before touching down. Bryce happened to glance at it, noticing that it was the newest model of SHIELD jets. He was glad he did. Agent Coulson, the man who had recruited him, ran out of the back of the plane. The doors to the ship opened and a group of deck crew in suits came rushing to meet him, wheeling a hospital gurney between them. Bryce stood to see if they needed help and caught a glimpse of curly hair being loaded onto the stretcher. Noelle.

He dropped his tool onto the deck and ran after the group as they wheeled Noelle inside. He caught up and walked beside Coulson, matching his stride to the fast pace of the other man. "Agent Coulson, what happened?" His voice came out more strained than he had intended it to.

The agent barely looked up from his phone. "She healed a man's eye in Germany. It was so much effort that she passed out." Bryce stared at her face. She looked as if she was sleeping, though not peacefully. She had that same scrunch between her eyes. He wished that there was something he could do.

The group pushed itself through hospital doors that he had walked out of just hours before. The nurses took over, wheeling her into a room. They set to work in a well-trained dance around the patient. Bryce and Coulson stood nearby as outsiders. Coulson's phone rang and he stepped away to answer it.

Bryce noticed a chair in the room that seemed out of the way and edged his way to it. He plopped down and watched each move the nurses made, ensuring that Noelle was getting the best treatment. He sat like that for hours, twitching his leg in anticipation. He fell asleep without realizing he was tired, dreaming of Noelle's recovery.

"Hi, Noelle!" A loud welcoming penetrated his dreams. He woke with a small start. His eyes focused on the back of one of the nurses as she greeted Noelle. She's awake! Bryce sat up straight and felt the tension leave his body, though he kept himself stone face. He was embarrassed that she had found him asleep at the foot of her bed. How pathetic am I?

More nurses entered as the first continued, "How are you feeling?" The other two nurses began scanning the patient's body with machines.

Noelle's voice came out in a pitiful whisper, "Who let the Hulk get ahold of me?" She smiled and Bryce couldn't help but return it. At least she's already making jokes. Noelle winced in pain and Bryce sat forward as if to comfort her. The look passed and she looked back to her nurse. "Really though, what happened?"

The woman sat in the chair beside her bed. "Agent Coulson told us that you healed a man's eye, but when you were done you blacked out. They brought you here, but that was about 4 hours ago." Noelle nodded. She began to pull the covers back from her. Lauren put a hand out to stop her. "Woah there, what do you think you're doing?" Bryce thought the same thing.

Noelle pushed her hand away. "I have to check on the others. They may have gotten hurt in the fight." Bryce couldn't help himself anymore. It was clear that she wasn't ready to get up, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted her dying on him. He got up and put his hand gently on her shoulder.

"Ms. Norris." She looked up and he made his gaze intimidating. "The others are safe. You need to rest." She glared at him. He ignored it.

She crossed her arms and had a slight pout. She probably could get away with anything with that look. "Fine, but I want to see them. I promise I'm fine I'll just need some time to get my energy back." He looked at her skeptically. She seemed sure, but she used his own granite face to mask her pain. He knew the trick too well to fall for it.

"Let me at least get you a wheelchair and take you." They each stared at each other, but neither budged. Finally, she shrugged her shoulders.

"Deal. Just let me go see them." The nurses started to unplug her. Bryce turned and went to find her a wheelchair. From behind him he heard her yell, "And please get me some damn clothes!"

He found the wheelchair and asked the front desk nurse about clothes. She handed him a bag of clothes. "These are what she was wearing when she got here. We washed them for her."

Bryce grabbed them and tucked them under his arm. When he entered the room again, he found her trying to get up without him. He rushed forward and helped her into the chair. She nodded at him and tried to subtly catch her breath, but his trained eye noticed it. She looked at the bag under his arm and he handed it to her. "These were what you were wearing when you came in. We got you a fresh set. Your.. underthings were cleaned and put in here, too." Noelle groaned when she saw the blue and white uniform. Snatching it from his hand, she made her way to the bathroom.

He could hear her grunting with effort inside and wished he could help. He blushed when he realized what that would entail. He regained his composure as she came back out again. She tried to look angry at him, but her mouth turned up just enough that he knew he would be forgiven. She plopped into the wheelchair."All right Mr. Sourpuss, I'm ready to go." He gave a small smile and wheeled her to the elevator. She waved at the nurses they passed. Bryce hit the button for the elevator and pushed her inside.

Once the doors closed, Bryce tried to think of something to say. But the smell of her shampoo kept distracting him. "So… Why were you waiting on me to wake up?" Shit shit shit.

He returned to his "lieutenant mode". "I'm sorry if that bothered you, ma'am." His tone gave away that he did not at all care if it bothered her, and he was fine with that. "I went to thank you for healing me and was told you had been hospitalized." He paused. "I.. Assumed that you would need my assistance when you woke up." He knew it didn't sound super believable, but it was close enough to the truth.

"Well.. Thank you, Lieutenant." He nodded before realizing she couldn't see him.

"Yes, ma'am."

He watched her shoulders tighten. "Please don't call me that. Makes me feel old, you're not even much older than me." He glanced down at the wheel chair just as she did. "Actually, you pushing me in this makes me feel old. So let's cut one of those at least. Call me Noelle."

He was glad that her back was to him as he blushed. Really tired of this new blushing habit. "I.. If you insist. My name is Bryce. You can call me whatever you want."

Noelle gave a small smile. "I was pretty fond of Mr. Sourpuss. But I guess Bryce works, too." He smiled.

The elevator doors dinged and he pushed her out. They went down a familiar hallway and through the big glass doors. Bryce saw Agent Romanoff, along with other familiar faces. The crew had been briefed that they would be welcoming Captain Steve Rogers and Dr. Bruce Banner. It was strange to be in the same room as the two legends. A third man Bryce recognized from private Shield video he had watched. Thor?

"Oh my gosh, what happened to you?" Agent Romanoff got up from the round table where she, Rogers, and Banner were sitting.

"Oh… Just had to do some work", Noelle answered her friend. Bryce wondered why she didn't tell them about healing the man's eye. Modesty? Yet another piece to this unexpected puzzle. "How about you?" Bryce noticed that she closed her eyes as she said it. He wondered again what exactly her powers were. "What happened with Loki? Also.. Not to be rude, but isn't that his brother?"

They all glanced at each other. Thor smiled, "He's adopted." Noelle chuckled. Ha. Ha. Bryce didn't particularly love adoption jokes.

Noelle hesitated, which surprised Bryce, and then started again. "I know I'm not really on the team, but after seeing what he did, I really think I need to know what I'm dealing with. What if you call me in to heal and he's still there? Or what if.."

Natasha interrupted her. "Don't worry, we'll fill you in. Come join us." The agent glanced up at Bryce. "Thank you, Lieutenant. I can get her from here." He stepped back and gave a small salute, trying not to show his reluctance.

"Yes, ma'am." As he turned to go, he gave one last look of concern to Noelle.

She flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Bryce." He nodded and left. It took all his might not to stay with her, but he knew it wasn't his job. His thoughts stayed with her as he walked down the hall. In fact, they stayed with him until he saw her again hours later.