"Bucky –" it was odd and it was amazing to be able to say his name to his face again. To have him right there, right in front of me. To be able to have a conversation with him. Even if that conversation was an argument. "I think I should talk to Tony alone first. See what he has to say."
"You don't trust him?"
"I trust him. I just think –"
"You don't trust me?"
"I trust you, Buck. Of course I do. I just – "
"You just what?"
"You're still recovering. You don't want to push it."
"Push it? You wanna talk about pushing it? How many brawls did you wade into with knuckles already busted and lips already split? All I'm doing is talking to him. Tell me how that's pushing it?"
"Because this is a lot more than a back alley brawl."
"Nobody's going to be taking any swings at me."
"Maybe not physical swings."
He sighed. "I got no problem with anything Stark wants to say to me." He sounded suddenly tired. I guess I should've stopped arguing with him, but I guess I was hoping that he'd stop arguing with me and just let me talk with Tony first.
"Bucky –"
"He says he's here to help. If he's got any idea how to get this trigger outta me, I need to talk to him."
He turned away from me, to his hospital bed and the bathrobe tossed across it. He picked it up but didn't do anything with it. I asked him, "Need a hand?" and he rounded a look on me like Sr. Mary Claude in fourth grade when I accidentally said 'jeepers creepers' in front of her.
"A hand? Is that supposed to be funny?"
"What? No – ugh – no. I only meant –"
"I know what you meant. But I can take care of myself," he said and it was too much. Seventy years too much.
"Bucky – please. Let me help you. All right? Let me just help you."
He looked at me and then at the bathrobe and then he gave in, "All right, thanks."
I held the robe for him so he could slide his right arm in then I pulled it over his left shoulder. "I'd rather I talked to Tony, first," I told him again. I didn't get the argument I expected.
"I'd rather you did, too," Bucky said, with a brief smile that looked painful. "That's why I have to."
.
To be Continued
