Natasha woke up in a fright and raised her fists next to her head in a defensive position. She frowned when she didn't feel the cold stab of metal walls around her. Instead she felt something soft and warm around her legs. She let her hands slip on the smooth fabric so nice to the touch. She smiled as she realized she was touching sheets. It had been so long she had slept in an actual bed she had forgotten what it felt like. She had the impression she would melt right through it and touch the floor. Of course, as a spy, she had had her fair share of uncomfortable places where she had slept. But never ninety nights in a row.
She also felt a pinch in her left arm and when she touched that area with her right hand, she found that tubes where coming out of her arm. An IV, she guessed. That would explain why she felt a little better than the last time she was conscious and why she was finally clear headed. She plugged the needle out before turning her attention to the rest of the room.
The room was plunged in complete darkness and she was grateful for that. She remembered what happened, how her friends had come to her rescue. She had passed out in Steve's arms but she trusted them. Tony probably ran a full check on her and they put her to bed the second they arrived at the tower. Or was it the facility? Natasha couldn't tell but she knew she wasn't in medical. She knew that because she couldn't smell the familiar antiseptic and too clean stench of anything that reminded her of hospitals.
In the dark she could easily make out the shapes of the room. Basic furniture layout just as she liked it. So it was one of her rooms. The night stand on the right had a book on it. She couldn't make out the title in the darkness but when she pressed her hand against the cover she smiled when she felt the carved letters. Crime and Prejudice, one of her favorite. And also the one she had left at the facility before she had fled after her conversation with Tony. She remembered her hastiness that time, grabbing only the necessary in a duffel bag, heading out and into one of her safe houses.
She still had no idea of how many weeks had passed since they abducted her. She was in Europe, in Spain to be exact. But after that one night in Barcelona when those bastards had jumped her and drugged her, she had lost track of the time almost immediately. She could actually still feel the side effects of the drug but it was wearing off. She squinted her eyes in the darkness to inspect her room at the Avengers HQ. A chair had been pulled next to her bed but no one was sitting in it.
Friday's voice made her jump. "Good morning Miss Romanoff."
"Jeez Friday! You scared the shit out of me!"
"I'm sorry," the AI said but Natasha interrupted it.
"Wait a second. If I'm at the facility, how come you're here too?"
"Mister Stark has decided to stay at the Avengers facility during your recovery but also as an excuse for, I quote 'team bonding and difference solving'. I believe Mister Stark is trying to put the team back together. He has uploaded my program in the main frame for the time being."
Natasha smirked. "Of course he has." She shifted in the bed, glad to be able to feel her muscles enough to move. She didn't know if she could stand though but wasn't going to sit around to find out. She brushed away the covers and realized she was wearing one of her old tank tops and a pair of sweatpants. She swung her legs on the edge of the bed. "Who was in my room last?" She knew her fellow Avengers had probably been taking turns watching her.
"Agent Barton has left a few minutes ago to grab a coffee. Do you want me to notify him that you are awake?"
"Hold that thought." She pressed her hands against the edge of the bed, wincing slightly at the effort. "I want to surprise them. Where is everybody?"
"In the common room eating breakfast. If you wish to join them, I advise you use the items Mister Stark has prepared for you."
Natasha signed. "What has Tony done this time?"
"There is a wheelchair waiting next to your bed…"
"Never."
"Very well. Mister Stark has also prepared a pair of glasses that would shield your eyes progressively, adapting to your eyes' capacity to take in light. They are now set for 5% of light tolerance. They are on your nightstand behind the book if you wish."
"Will they adapt on their own?"
"It is still a prototype and it might need some adjustments but Mister Stark believes it should be able to adapt to your light tolerance."
"Thank you Friday," Natasha said as she lifted herself from the bed and fell back in it after two seconds. She tried her best to get up but her legs just didn't seem able to hold her. She had slept well that night all things considered and now that the drug was mostly out of her system, she could think clearly again. It felt as if she had been underwater for months, seeing and hearing everything but not being able to react accordingly, her mind slowed and foggy.
She ended up putting the sunglasses on (well she guessed they were sunglasses, she couldn't see what else they would be since they were supposed to shield her from the light) and also slid in the wheelchair. She got the hang of it with a few pulls and rolls and managed to leave her quarters without hitting any piece of furniture. She had to give it to Stark, she was relieved to see again.
It was difficult at first to believe she could see again. She had spent so many weeks in the dark, with only small sound inputs as to what was going on in the outside world. And even as she sat in that wheelchair, finally back among civilized people, she had no idea what had happened. So many questions filled her mind and not enough answers. She counted on her friends to tell her what had happened.
Painfully and slowly she made her way to the elevator and before she had time to ask Friday to open it, Barton came out of it. He was so surprised to see her he almost spilled his coffee. After two very long minutes during which he refused to let her go out of his bear hug, he quickly drank his coffee and took her in the elevator when she allowed him to push her. Truthfully, she was tired and couldn't really feel her arms. She was still very weak but better.
They eventually reached the top floor where the main living room was and where Tony usually held his parties.
"The princess finally woke up!" Tony said when Clint pushed Natasha in. Despite the humor in the billionaire's voice, Nat could sense he was relieved to see her up. Everyone came to hug her and asked her if she was alright. She didn't answer the latter because she wasn't and she didn't like to lie to her friends, to her family. She knew they could see her weak state and that their questions, although sincere, had also half been out of politeness. She asked Clint to pull her wheelchair at the table where everyone was eating. Wanda immediately served her a plate full of pancakes and Natasha smiled half-heartily.
"I won't be able to eat that much, Wanda… but thank you."
She only ate one third of the plate and drank half a glass of orange juice. She could see the worry on her friends' faces through her sunglasses but she couldn't physically bring herself to eat more. Even what she had eaten was twice as much as she ate daily during her imprisonment and would certainly send her to the bathroom shortly after because her stomach wasn't used to such quantities anymore.
She was tempted to force herself to smile but she thought against it. It wasn't like her to pretend outside of a mission. Among her friends, among her family, she promised herself she would stay true and never wear a disguise. So she didn't smile but agreed to answer the many questions they had if they answered hers in return.
She told them about her three months in the container. She told them how they administrated the drug, how she forced herself to fight it. She told them how she kept track of time with the four periods. When Clint asked if they tried to rape her, she told them that they tried once, but ended up with black eyes and broken arms so they never tried again. She had also heard once when they brought her the daily glass of water and bread, that the boss didn't want her to be "soiled".
Everyone listened carefully; some people stared at her in pity, others in disbelief, and others avoided her gaze. She was brief and chose her words wisely, saying it all in a few sentences. She didn't tell them how hot it was during the afternoon, or how she could barely sleep. She didn't tell them how much her body ached everyday because of the positions she was laying in and the hard surface on which she was sleeping. She didn't tell them that it had hurt so bad she had gotten used to the pain. She didn't tell them how afraid she had been. She didn't tell them how afraid she still was and how those ninety horrible days and nights had opened the flood of her darkest and bloodiest memories. She now remembered things she had buried in her mind, things that the brainwashing had erased.
Instead, she made sure to tell them how she much she loved them, how much she cared about them. They told her the same and explained what had happened during her absence. They told her everything about the new accords and that she would later have to read and sign them, that Ross would probably want to talk to her and even meet her in person. Although Tony said that the Secretary of State would have to wait until she would be feeling better and only if she'd want to talk to him. Now that they got her back, they were going to defend her teeth and nails.
Natasha then asked Wanda to help her shower but things didn't go as planned in the bathroom. As feared, Natasha did throw up in the shower, right before going in. So she ended up taking a bath and Wanda washed her because Natasha couldn't move as much as she wanted yet. After one hour in the bathroom, she was so tired she couldn't cloth herself and Wanda basically used her powers to do that for her. After promising not to tell the others about the vomiting, Wanda brought her back to her room and Clint laid her in bed, her sunglasses on the bedside table and the wheelchair next to the bed. And that's how Natasha's first day back ended.
