Steve knocked gently on the open door to the hospital room and Bucky gave him a sleepy smile. "Good morning, Buck." Steve greeted.
"Hi, Steve." Bucky answered. He sounded better than he had yesterday, and there was a little more color in his cheeks.
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked as he took a seat next to Bucky's bed. Bucky let out a breath and shrugged before slumping against the pillows. His bed had been elevated so he wasn't really laying down, but he didn't have the strength to hold himself upright for very long yet.
"Better, I suppose. Managed to keep down some broth for breakfast." Steve couldn't help chuckling a little at the aspirated look Bucky gave him; even in the game Bucky had loved trying all kinds of foods and savored his spices so broth had to be so horribly boring. "But god I hate being stuck in bed. In the game, I could pull doors off their hinges and sprint for miles without getting tired. Now I can barely move my hand, can barely make a fist, without getting exhausted. It's frustrating." He admitted.
Steve reached out and brushed Bucky's hand sympathetically. "I know. But you'll get there, Buck. It hasn't even been a day." Steve encouraged and Bucky nodded.
"I know." He agreed softly before he offered Steve a smile. "I'll be alright, Steve."
"Good." Steve gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He wasn't sure what to say next, though he was tempted to ask about how Bucky's memory was coming along. He didn't get a chance as someone knocked on the open door.
"Excuse me, Mr. Barnes?" It was a police officer and her male partner standing in the doorframe. "Can we speak to you?" She asked.
"Yeah." Bucky agreed quietly and they entered the room. Steve moved to leave but Bucky grabbed his hand. "Stay." He requested and Steve nodded before he returned to his seat. "He can stay, right?" Bucky directed to the officers.
They shared a quick look before the greeter nodded. "Yes, that's fine. Mr. Barnes, I'm Detective Sharon Carter, and this is Officer Hodge. We wanted to ask what you remember about what happened to you."
Bucky hesitated for a few moments before he took a deep breath. "Unfortunately, not much. They… Um, Zola? I think his name is Zola. It was in the game. He did something to me, took away my memories of my real life. I can remember what happened in the war. In the game. I was a POW, and tortured, and I know now that Zola programmed that. But I suppose it wasn't actually real. The only real thing I can remember is when I woke up after I fell. I was really weak, even worse than I am now. They forced me to eat and to move. Something about keeping my body from deteriorating too much. And then they sent electric charges through my brain. It messed with my memories, made me forget." Bucky offered.
Officer Hodge was writing quickly while Detective Carter watched Bucky closely, nodding occasionally. "That's plenty to keep them behind bars while we investigate this further, but please let us know if you remember more." Officer Hodge said and Bucky nodded.
"Of course." He agreed softly. Steve squeezed his hand to comfort him and Bucky offered him a quick flash of a smile.
"Mr. Barnes?" Detective Carter spoke and Bucky looked at her again. "We also have some other news. In the hopes of discovering your identity quicker, it was decided that we would start the search focused on missing persons cases in the New York area, given your accent and where you were found. And we think we may have found a match."
Bucky's breath caught in his throat and his mouth opened and closed a few times. "I… What… Who was I?" He finally whispered.
Officer Hodge stepped up to the bed and set a folder down on the table within Bucky's reach. "We believe your name is Sebastian Stan."
Bucky slowly reached out and opened the file. His hand was shaking. Steve couldn't help look over the brunet's shoulder. And sure enough, the large picture on top of all the other papers was of Bucky. Or, of Sebastian, Steve corrected himself. Sebastian's hair was different than Bucky had ever had it, in game or in real life, and Sebastian's eyes lacked the haunted look even Bucky's eyes carried even now. He was handsome and healthy in the picture, with a warm smile on his face. Slowly Bucky set the file back down and despite the fact his hands came to rest on the bed they were shaking. Steve quickly took Bucky's closer hand in his and laced their fingers together, trying to offer any comfort he could.
"Mr. Barnes? There's something else." Detective Carter said and Bucky swallowed. He took a moment before he could meet the officer's eyes. "We brought the Stan's here with us, in the hope they could confirm your identity for us. Do you feel up to meeting them?"
Bucky's breath was shaky and he looked towards Steve. Steve's heart hurt in sympathy to the fear on Bucky's face. "It's your call, Buck, but I won't go anywhere if you don't want me to." Steve promised.
"To the end of the line?" Bucky asked softly and Steve nodded.
"To the end of the line." He promised. Bucky took another breath and Steve saw him push down his fear before he nodded.
"Okay. I'll meet them." He agreed. Detective Carter smiled and nodded before she moved over to the door. She left the room for a minute and no one spoke while they waited for her to come back. Steve shifted closer to Bucky, whose hand was still shaking in his.
"It'll be okay, Buck. No matter what happens you'll always have me." Steve promised softly.
Bucky offered him a tiny smile and a stiff nod, but then there were footsteps outside the door. Detective Carter entered first, followed by a man and a woman who did both bear a certain resemblance to Bucky's real body. To Sebastian. The woman took one look at Bucky lying on the hospital bed and promptly burst into tears as she ran over. She knocked Steve aside as she wrapped Bucky up in her arms.
"Oh, my baby. My sweet Sebastian. You're home. You've come back to us." She was blubbering through her tears. "You're safe now. Mama will take care of you."
Bucky was stiff as a board and frozen in place. Steve could see the panic in his eyes and the way his mouth moved like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Steve, having straightened up after nearly being knocked to the floor, was about to step forward when Mr. Stan moved first. Gently he led the woman back from the bed as he muttered "come on, dear, don't overwhelm him. You remember what the doctor said."
"But… He's… I…" She paused and took a moment to settled herself as she fruitlessly and delicately wiped away the tears from her cheeks. "Yes, yes, you're right." She agreed as Steve cautiously stepped up to the bed.
Bucky had gone pale, losing what little color had returned to his skin, and while his expression was Winter Soldier-esc Steve could see in his eyes how overwhelmed he was. Steve gently touched his hand and the brunet looked towards him. "You okay, Buck?" He asked softly, aware that everyone in the otherwise silent room could hear him.
Bucky nodded stiffly and Steve could see him swallowing like he wanted to say something but no words were coming out of Bucky's mouth. Steve didn't get a chance to ask as Mrs. Stan demanded, almost indignantly, "Who is 'Buck'? And who are you?"
Steve faced her with a neutral expression of his own. "My name is Steve Rogers. I'm one of the men who helped find him and I'm his friend. And he's Bucky." Steve informed her. She looked ready to object, but fell quiet when her husband's hand landed on her arm.
"It seems we owe you our thanks for helping bring our son home." Mr. Stan said.
"You don't need to thank me." Steve couldn't help glancing at Bucky as he continued. "I would have done it anyway. He's a good man, and my best friend." Bucky gave him a small smile back and even reached out to take Steve's hand. Steve sat back on the bed when Bucky tugged him weakly in that direction with their laced fingers. Steve was doing his best to ignore the looks of disbelief on the Stan's faces, and working even harder not to think about why.
"Excuse me, officer, but when will we be able to take Sebastian home?" Mrs. Stan asked.
Officer Hodge coughed. "I'm afraid we can't answer that, ma'am. I'm not his doctor." Officer Hodge finally offered as an answer and Mrs. Stan frowned, crossing her arms.
"Then I want to speak to the doctor. Immediately." She practically demanded. Steve bristled at her tone, because what gave her the right to think she could just demand to see a no doubt busy doctor at a moments notice? But Bucky's grip on his hand, while weak, was firm enough it kept him in place on the bed.
"Well, you certainly seem to be busy today, Bucky." A new voice came from the door and Steve's head snapped up. Standing there was none other than Bucky's doctor, a man called Stephen Strange.
"Hi, doc." Bucky muttered and Dr. Strange wove past everyone else to stand on the other side of his patient's bed. He started running a few tests, noting the results as he did.
"How are you feeling today?" Dr. Strange asked as he worked.
"Tired." Bucky answered and the doctor nodded.
"That's to be expected. You managed to keep down broth this morning?" Dr. Strange asked and Bucky nodded. "Okay. I'm going to have you try something a little heavier for lunch." Strange lowered the tablet he was using and glanced around the room before he asked his next question. "And how's your memory?"
Bucky hesitated for a few moments, only answering when Steve gave him hand a squeeze. "Unchanged. I remember some of being Bucky and I remember being the Winter Soldier and the one moment in between, but nothing else." He finally said.
Mrs. Stan gasped almost theatrically. "You don't remember us, Sebastian?" She sounded like it was a personal insult and her hand was covering her mouth as her eyes watered. Bucky flinched and offered the tiniest shake of his head. His hands were shaking again and Steve had never wanted to throw a woman out a window before, but he certainly did now.
Thankfully Dr. Strange beat him to the punch. With an audible click that amazingly echoed in the room Dr. Strange slid the pen back into its place in his tablet before he turned to face the Stan's. "Now you listen to me closely. This man is my patient, and one who has been through more than his share of bad things. If you frighten him or even make him nervous again I will have you escorted out of the building and revoke your visitation rights. Do I make myself clear?"
Both husband and wife swallowed, but the husband spoke first. "Yes. I apologize for my wife. She's just… well, Sebastian is our only boy and he's been missing for almost 18 months and we were so sure we had lost him forever. It's just… not easy for us, you know?" He offered gently. Steve could tell right away it was something of a plea for sympathy and he had to hold back a snort of laughter at the look Dr. Strange fixed them with. He clearly wasn't buying it either.
"Not easy for you? Right. And you think this is easy on Bucky either? He's essentially been in a coma for 18 months, except it's worse. He's had men experimenting on his brain with no regard for his well being. Men who hurt him and took away his memories. Who gave him the memories of a soldier who spent months as a POW, only for them to take those too and try to turn him into a killer. You want sympathy from me? Tough luck. My concern is making sure that Bucky lives his best life possible despite everything that's been done to him. You don't want to respect that then get out." Dr. Strange even pointed at the door, not even the slightest trace of a joke in his voice.
Steve admired the doctor all the more in that moment, while Bucky was staring at the man with wide eyes. Mrs. Stan coughed and straightened up, adjusting her jacket and getting herself collected before she met Dr. Strange's eyes. "Of course I want what's best for my son. We'll go for now, but expect to hear from us soon. Officers, I have some questions for you." She snapped before she left the room.
Her husband followed, though he cast one last glance back at Bucky. His expression was concerned until his gaze landed on Steve's and Bucky's clasped hands. Then it turned into something firm. Officer Hodge stood as Detective Carter sighed. "Sorry about that, Dr. Strange." She said and the doctor waved off the apology.
"I don't envy you. Best not keep the harpy waiting." Dr. Strange advised and Hodge gave them all a look that said 'heaven help me'. Then he followed Carter out of the room.
To both their surprise, Bucky interrupted the prevailing silence first. "Thanks, doc." Dr. Strange looked at him and Bucky offered him a quick smile. Dr. Strange returned it with a genuine one of his own.
"It's nothing less than what you deserve. I've met plenty like that; individuals who try to make tragedies all about themselves. It's never fair to the actual victim." Dr. Strange gently gave Bucky's left shoulder a squeeze, though neither man missed Bucky's instinctive flinch just before the hand landed. "I'll come by later to check on you again, but don't be afraid to let a nurse know if you need me." The doctor insisted and Bucky nodded.
"Thanks again, doc." He repeated and Dr. Strange gave both him and Steve a smile before he left the room. They fell into another pervasive silence, only interrupted by the ticking of the clock mounted on the wall. Finally Bucky sighed heavily and slumped back into the pillows, his body limp. Steve was only mostly sure Bucky was joking when he groaned "Is it too late to go back into the game?"
Steve couldn't help chuckling softly and gave Bucky's hand a squeeze. "Probably." He answered and Bucky sighed.
"Damn." He grumbled before he finally met Steve's eyes. "Thanks for being here, Stevie." He almost whispered and Steve smiled at his friend.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world." He promised, which got a flicker of a smile from Bucky before the brunet closed his eyes and nodded off almost immediately, his fingers still entwined with Steve's.
AN: My sincerest apologies to Sebastian Stan's family, I'm sure they're lovely people.