A/N: Again, I am (not) sorry if this is yet another painful chapter. I do think some of you are going to break now. As if I haven't low key already done that.

May I also add that it's very funny how only one person commented on the names of the staff, and that was on and not here. I mean it's not interesting for you lot, but I found it funny.

Anyways back to heartbreaks, because yes that is what I'm gonna do to ya'll

Red

It was very hard pretending they all were calm after the news they got. They all tried, of course, to not make it a bigger deal than necessary, as a way to try and help to keep Natasha's stress level down. Still, this seemed to turn into a problem quite fast.

Natasha was, already, when Laura and Wanda entered the room, tense. It was, of course, to be excepted, but it was still hard for Wanda to watch Natasha give Laura a hopeless, pained, look when they entered.

"Well?!" Natasha said with a low hiss as Laura sat down beside her. Laura chose to ignore the tone, only letting her hand glide over Natasha's head and hair and Natasha almost immediately leaned into the touch, closing her eyes, abandoning the annoyed and rude tone.

"She wants to remove the tumour, but I do not know what kind of operation that might be," Laura said very softly.

Natasha seemed to tense up even more by this. And again, Wanda watched Natasha look around in the room as if something was wrong, out of place.

"Nat, you need to calm down. Chloe thinks it's very important for you to keep your stress level down, even if that isn't the easiest." Laura continued as she very softly continued to brush Natasha's hair with her fingers. She didn't say anything, but Wanda had a feeling that Natasha was probably cursing under her breath right now.

One thing was working in a team out in the field. But even then, Natasha had no problem doing anything out of the line or order as long as she was the one doing it and not anyone else. They all knew she hated getting orders like staying still or calming down. She was her own boss. That was just how it worked.

They all sat there in silence for a while. None of them had any need to try to drag out a conversation none of them wanted to have. They were all thinking about the same thing anyway. And they all hated it just as much.

Wanda watched as Laura and Clint exchanged a few looks just as Natasha seemed to fall asleep on Laura's shoulder. It was the same look she had seen them exchange a few times before. Like she was watching a telepathic conversation happening

"Is it okay for you to be alone with Clint and Wanda for today?" Laura asked with a very soft whisper, surprising both Wanda and Natasha.

Natasha turned to Laura with what seemed like an almost hurt look in her eyes.

"Lila was… it wasn't easy this morning. They want me back home, or with Annie, I guess." Laura said, clearly trying to keep her voice in the most normal tone possible.

Wanda knew Laura didn't want to do this. It was very obvious by the way she was looking between them all. And of course, not counting the fact that she also had been the one most worried about Natasha in the first place. The woman hadn't slept for days, for god's sake!

"I… I guess so." Natasha said back. It didn't come as a shock that Natasha said it was okay, even if she seemed hesitant. Natasha would never ask somebody to do something just for her, especially if it meant keeping something away from the kids.

"It will only be for today, okay. Nothing will happen today that you cannot handle on your own anyways. Chloe will not do anything big, and I'm sure Wanda and Clint will keep you company most of the day. You will be fine."

Wanda listened to Laura talk to Natasha as if she was babying her. Why wouldn't Natasha be able to handle it, of course, she could? Surely this wasn't a big deal? She couldn't imagine anyone else getting away with babying Natasha fucking Romanoff.

"I will be back tomorrow, I promise. And of course, if it is something urgent, I will come back. It's just so I can explain more to Lila and Cooper. They are very worried as well." Natasha only nodded. She didn't look at Laura for the next 15 minutes as Laura tried to talk to her, but Wanda could feel the pain and fear in Natasha as Laura left the room.

After Laura had left the atmosphere turned very tense. Natasha didn't seem to handle it at all, to Wanda's surprise and heartbreak. She kept throwing glances at the door over and over, even if Clint and Wanda tried to keep her mind off it.

It didn't matter what they said or did, Natasha barely paid attention to them and Wanda could practically feel the fast heartbeat in the redhead's chest. It was like she could feel the fast beat under her fingers and hear the soft pounding in her ears.

They were left completely alone in the room for most of the day. Nobody came to check up on them. Natasha hadn't even gotten anything to eat.

By 12pm Clint announced he was going to go and order some food from a restaurant nearby to get some real food into their system. Of course, that meant Natasha and Wanda were yet again left alone in the room.

They sat there quietly. None of them said anything, and for a while, they just sat there staring into the air.

Wanda wasn't going to complain, not as long as Natasha was as safe as she could be, in a hospital getting treatment. But it felt weird sitting here with her in silence. Yesterday Natasha had been sleeping the entire day. The first half Wanda had been with Clint and Laura's company as well. And again, Natasha had been sleeping so it hadn't been this weird middle ground where they both knew each other were there but said nothing.

Natasha was currently sitting upright in the bed massaging the right side of her head furiously, clearly being very bothered by her headache that was still going.

It was worrying watching her sitting like this, especially when Wanda hadn't seen or heard from anyone in the hospital in hours. Why none of them had checked up on them, Wanda didn't know. And she couldn't expect Chloe, who seemed to be busier than everyone else, to spend the day with them.

Chloe seemed to really care about both Natasha and Laura. Laura was obviously a friend, but time and time again she had mentioned wanting to do everything in her power for Natasha. Of course, that was her job, as a doctor. But it was more behind her words, Wanda could feel it.

Chloe had been ordering everyone around the entirety of both days. The other doctor and nurse had gotten such strict orders from her, even if they apparently were on first name terms.

It was no hiding hadn't the staff seemed rather confused about most of what they got asked. When they had gotten the order to never involve anyone and to be careful when entering and who was entering, it definitely didn't seem like their ordinary routine by their reactions. But at the same time, Chloe had seemed so confident this was the way to go, that this was the way to help Natasha. Wanda just didn't understand why.

Nobody had decided to vocally question Chloe though. Chloe had to be very respected then. If she could both use everyone's first name, give them all orders to follow, and break the hospital's routines, all without getting anything but a confused look back. This had to be a woman with a lot of power and respect.

After what seemed like half a year of watching Natasha try to massage the pain away from her head, Wanda was starting to consider maybe leaving the room. Maybe she could go and see if anyone was in an office or something close by. Or in the hall with some other patient maybe. Just to get something to ease the pressure of Natasha's head.

It was one thing Chloe wanting to keep the team she was working with Natasha small, but if none of those two other people could check up on her regularly to help Natasha when clearly she was in pain, then Wanda had to be allowed to go find somebody herself, right?

Wanda turned her head when Natasha took a deep breath. She had closed her eyes and stopped moving the hand on her temple for the first time in at least 30 minutes. Instead, her hand was resting on the side of her head while Natasha continued to keep her eyes closed.

"Natasha?" Wanda asked with a worried tone, leaning closer to the bed. Natasha didn't answer. Instead, she took another deep breath and Wanda could see the eyelid twitch.

"Fine" she muttered, still not opening her eyes looking at her.

"Are you sure? If your head is bothering you, I can go get someone or something?" Wanda tried. She didn't like how Natasha was pushing her away. And especially if she was in pain.

"Wanda I'm fine," Natasha said, but her voice cracked ever so slightly, and she could see the grip around Natasha's head suddenly tightened.

Not wanting Natasha to hurt herself, Wanda reached out after her arm, but the second she touched her arm a shock shot down her spine and a loud voice rang through her ears.

"Take her to the wing. Find out what is wrong. Do whatever you need. I do not want a weak, stupid, hurt, girl back."

Wanda retracted her hand fast, confused about what had just happened.

"Nat, did you just? ..." She trailed. It hadn't been Natasha's voice she had heard. And it wasn't Chloe's either. What had she just heard?

"Wanda, what are you talking about?" Natasha finally opened her eyes. Two tired eyes looked at her, moving up and down her body, clearly trying to figure out what was going on with her.

"I just." She stopped. If that had been Natasha's thoughts, or worse, memory, she couldn't tell her. She had promised she would never use her powers on her ever again. But she hadn't been doing it on purpose. She hadn't meant to.

But what had it meant? Who was it?

"It was nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Wanda muttered back. "You just seem a bit stressed. Tense, when you're here. If any of the staff are bothering you, or something, just tell me." Wanda added, trying to give a reason for her behaviour while also trying to reassure.

If what she had heard was something coming from Natasha's head… if something… or… somebody…. had hurt her.

What if somebody had hurt her while she had been here?! Before Laura and her arrived yesterday and Clint was waiting in the waiting room!

She watched as Natasha's eyes suddenly darkened. Her expression got cold as she looked straight into her eyes. And for a small second, Wanda saw a scarlet light up in Natasha's eyes.

"What?" Natasha said cold back.

Fuck.

"I just. You. I mean. You just seemed stressed when Laura wanted to leave, and I just wondered if any -"

"Nobody is forcing you to stay!" Natasha snapped back, breaking Wanda's sentence.

Wanda's mouth dropped. The harsh tone and the angry look in Natasha's eyes shot a bullet straight into her chest and Wanda just stared at her, horrified by the rude tone Natasha had just used.

The tone she had just used at her.

"You don't need to worry, and you don't need to stay. So, stop asking. I am fine!" Natasha's eyes were now furious as she spoke while staring her down.

"What? I didn't mean it like that! I just meant I didn't want you to hurt, and if you need anything I -"

"I don't need you!" Natasha's voice was high now, and for a moment Wanda forgot Natasha was even bedbound by the sudden fire in her eyes.

"I am only here to help!" Wanda yelled back. Hurt by how Natasha could even question her motive at all. She had done everything to help her, how could she even say something like that? She had been by her side the entire time. Flown across the country to stay with her. And not once had Wanda even considered leaving her behind. Not once.

"Well, I didn't ask!" Natasha shouted back, now completely abandoning her hurting head leaning forward in the bed staring straight at her.

"Yeah? Well, you should have said so when you decided to drag me into your love life! Or when you cried in my arms! Or when you slept on me the entirety of last night!" Wanda fired back, not caring about her rude tone or her high voice as she screamed back.

"I think Maria made a mistake sending you here with me," Natasha said, finally lowering her voice, exchanging the screaming with a dead, ice-cold, look straight into her eyes.

Wanda stopped. Natasha was staring straight at her, not seeming like she regretted her words at all. She really didn't want to have her here at all, did she? Wanda had never meant anything to at her at all. She had just been an extra, forgettable, useless, disposable piece in the million-piece puzzle in her life.

Natasha never cared.

She had been foolish to believe something else. To believe Natasha maybe did think she was more than a partner. A friend. To think that she even cared.

The hours she had spent worrying about her had been for nothing. Natasha could look straight at her and tell her she didn't want her there. After countless nights together, curled up in each other's arms. It meant nothing. It was nothing.

Wanda turned around as she felt the tears pushing behind her eyes. Heartbroken Natasha could even say something so heartless to her.

But maybe the rumours she had read in all the magazines were right. Rumours about the heartless Black Widow. The killer who never did care about her preys. Twisting and manipulative. Playing everyone for her own pleasure.

Maybe she really was that heartless.

"Fine, I don't want to stay here anymore," Wanda said, voice cracking as she pushed her chair away from the bed standing up. She didn't look at her. She didn't want to look at Natasha when the tears were streaming down her face. All she wanted was to get away. To get away from her before she could hurt her anymore

She stopped just by the door. With tears still streaming down her face she grabbed the door handle before for a single second turned around and said.

"And just for the record. I don't think you're weak, or stupid." Before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her.