Blackhawk Retirement Chapter 9 Home
Disclaimer: still don't own, please don't sue because I let my imagination out to play! Here is where you are seeing the numbering getting fixed. I apologize heartily for the multiple alerts. *hangs head*
The next time Phil was awake, Nat was watching over him.
"любимая,"* she murmured, calling to him. His eyes slowly focused on her, and he quirked a smile. The hard lines of her face softened and relaxed then. "How do you feel?" she asked him.
He attempted a deep breath, noting a lack of cannula with oxygen blowing into his nostrils. The breath hitched only a little, making him cough. His ribs didn't ache, though the chest muscles still burned a little.
"All things considered, phenomenal," Phil replied after the fit left him. Tasha gave him a small smile, and brought him a cup of water. "Clint?", he asked, sipping the water.
"Still sleeping. You know how he gets when its one of us," she didn't have to remind Phil. They all acted pretty much in the same fashion. As much like an automaton until the missing was recovered. It was a good thing they were a triad. It let them work in tandem, protecting whichever members were down.
"What happened after the helicarrier?", Phil asked. Natasha sighed, a deep, tired sound. She pulled her legs up in the chair, tucking her knees under her chin and wrapping her arms around them. The gesture told Phil that the story was intense, and the events had hurt Nat deeply. He held out his hand to her in invitation, raising an eyebrow when she hesitated. A brief wiggle of his fingers and she was in his lap, encircled by his arms. The tension had completely left her body when she got settled there between his legs. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and carded his hand through her hair, the length stopping at her shoulders.
"I always preferred it this long," he said. She smiled, and told her story.
Phil chuckled when she told him about recalibrating Clint's brain, and teased, "So I wonder if he'll stop with the pop songs?" Tasha laughed, free and loud. It was a happy sound that filled Phil's heart.
They dozed, Phil holding Tasha, relaxed in the full sized bed until Bruce came to check on the progress of the nanites.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized, freezing in the doorway to the room.
"No, Dr. Banner, its okay," Phil gestured for the scientist to move into the room. "So what's this device?", he asked, seeing the strange object in Bruce's hand.
"Ah, a scanner to check on the progress of the nanobots you were injected with when we picked you up," Bruce explained, hoisting the scanner aloft. Tasha slithered off the bed and out of the way. She reclaimed the armchair to watch the proceedings.
"Nanites?", Phil asked, curious, "Last I knew, the brains couldn't get the programming right."
"Yes, that's correct," Bruce went on, "They went ahead with the procedure on you, only to flush them 48 hours later to do things the 'old fashioned way'." Bruce smiled, "We, that is Tony and I, figured out the bugs' bugs, and repaired them only to test the system out on you."
"Well, that explains why I feel so much better now," Phil said, quite surprised.
"They want to help Clint, Phil," Tasha's voice was a near whisper beside them.
Bruce looked embarrassed, even as he watched the scanner he manipulated near Phil's chest wound. "Only if he wants it. No matter what Tony assumes. Yes, it would be beneficial to our trials, but I will not force Clint to do something he doesn't want," and the surety in Bruce's voice reassures both Agents.
"Phil, he'd said he'd wait to see how you got on," Tasha told her husband.
"Sensible decision from our Haggard," Phil declared, making Tasha snort, amused.
Bruce finished with the scanner, "I need to get the results from the base unit back in the lab, but everything appears to be doing just fine. Do I need to do anything for Clint?"
Tasha considered the offer for a moment. "I don't think so. He's just exhausted. He'll sleep for 10 hours, and need feeding and hopefully some time with Phil?", the last was a question she hoped Bruce could answer positively.
Bruce smiled, and the pair relaxed. "Nothing strenuous," he stressed the word. He understood the nature of their relationship. "But we should even be able to let you move in with them tonight if you like?" Phil's smile brightened the room, and Tasha actually hugged Bruce, flustering the doctor. Bruce flushed bright pink in his cheeks and into the tips of his ears.
Returning to a touch of seriousness, Bruce went on, "If Tasha will over see things, I can let you get out of bed to either shower or go sit on a couch in the common area?" He eyed Tasha, still standing quite close to him.
She grinned, "I can keep him under control, Dr. Banner, trust me." Phil tried not to laugh. Nat's eyes twinkled with mischief. Only Phil obeyed doctor's orders in regards to healing and staying in Medical, whereas the other two did everything they could to escape as soon as they were fully conscious and weaned off the stronger pain meds. Phil had to bribe them to keep them in place for the minimums the doctors required.
"Huh, well then, I'll leave you to it. I'll also keep Tony out of your hair for awhile," Bruce said and took his leave.
Phil looked at his flame haired enchantress. "I would really like a shower," he sighed.
"Then let's get up and do that," Nat said, pulling the blankets back to help Phil stand on wobbly legs.
(*- Russian for beloved)