Chapter 8

Laughter is the best Medicine!

"Patient is coming to."

Sandra heard some female voice say this as she opened her eyes and was greeted by a plethora of white lights. Was this heaven?

The answer came in form of three faces obstructed with respiratory protection.

She groaned. Every part of her body either felt numb or hurt tremendously.

Angela looked at the broken woman with cool professionalism. At first she had been horrified by the condition of her patient, but routine kicked in as it always did. Her personal assistant and the Korean emergency doctor were aiding her in this operation.

"Can you understand us, miss Graf?"

There was a slight ringing in her ears, but she did.

"Where... am I?"

Her voice sounded rasping to herself and it hurt to talk. Why the hell was she still alive?

"You're at my operating table. Your whole body is broken to a degree that we can no longer save it."

Was that so? What a giant waste of time then. She could've died crying peacefully in that stadium with Sayuki in her field of view. Maybe she could've asked the big warrior to do her this last favor. She hadn't been able to think at that time.

"However, Overwatch can offer you a chance to live. We have the technology to replace your failing body parts with state of the art substitutions. In exchange, you will help us fight Talon. All we need is your consent."

Sandra listened to this blonde haired doctor talk and talk and she couldn't help but crack up. Was she serious? What sort of sick, twisted joke was this? Despite herself, Graf felt boiling rage well up inside her broken body. Machinery began to beep in a worrying way.

"Doctor, the heartrate…"

"I won't be your puppet, bitch!"

All of them seemed to be taken aback. Good.

She had to take a breath in between sentences. Her rage only increased because of her incapability to properly scream at this joke of a doctor.

"Overwatch took everything from me! FUCK OFF!"

A coughing fit took hold of her after she raised her voice as loud as her strained vocal cords would let her. Blood came with the coughs, ran down from her mouth. As it did, she made sure to spit at the insolent, blonde woman.

"Our… agents were only defending themselves. Despite that we present you with-"

"You know nothing! L-Let… let me die in peace… already…"

It was all the venom Sandra could muster. Her voice finally broke and she could only hear herself croak at best. Breathing was getting hard, way too hard. She felt the urge to close her eyes and rest. Her thoughts drifted back to the family she lost in the crossfire of some Blackwatch raid. Her husband and son. They were never given a chance. She wouldn't spit on their and Sayuki's graves by accepting this one.

She'd rather die.

"Doctor, her vital signs are giving out."

Angela stared at the barely conscious woman. The bile she had thrown at her ran deep. Her patient must've suffered great loss at the hands of Overwatch to react to someone in this manner who offered salvation.

A loss Angela had no hand in. It wasn't her fault…

She wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault more than anything, but she would look crazy in front of her colleagues.

"Doctor Ziegler?"

There had always been this uncertainty as Genji was the one to lie on her operating table. Would he have too much honor to go against his own clan, refuse her help? What would she have done then? Just let him die? Save him despite his wishes?

"Doctor…?"

Was a doctor to respect the choice of the patient, or save a life at all costs?

She hated these moments. They always remembered her of Gabriel.

"Cut the life support."

Angela averted her eyes and turned to leave.

It was all highly irritating to her.

Not that she would show it. She liked to smile, as it didn't give away any weaknesses.

Why couldn't they just trust her? She had this per-fect-ly under control! Even now Amélie was sitting still, closely next to her. Lena enjoyed gently stroking her captives leg under the table, out of sight, just to make her squirm.

"We can't just let Amélie roam freely after what happened last time. I'm just glad that Jack and Ana aren't present. They'd be calling for the chopping block."

"Last time she was fresh out of conditioning, wasn't she? Well, now she beat it! She even spared Hana, wouldn't you know. You should've seen the two cuddle together! Simply a-dorable!~"

Winston cleared his throat upon that.

'Please stop Lena..!'

It was so much easier to smile when the voice in her head that had terrified her for weeks now pleaded for mercy. It egged her on, made her think of more ways to embarrass this cute little blueberry by her side.

"Last time she was a sleeper agent. Who's to say she isn't one again?"

"I do! All of her team minus reaper got killed. This was the biggest blow to Talon ever! Plus missin' the chance to take out Hana? No way they planned that, right?"

The great ape was thinking on that. She used those pauses in their discussion to throw a wink and smirk towards Amélie, who blushed every single time without fail. Lena did all she could to not tear that flight jacket off of her right there and then.

"Well, we can't exclude the possibility that they planned it this way for the sake of credibility, even if it does sound unlikely. But what if they programmed her in case she ever got captured at all?"

"Then we can't do anything about it, can we? Doc's checkup last time didn't work."

That wasn't the greatest answer ever, but it'll have to do. If it didn't, she would do what it takes.

It was pure bliss to be able to think clearly again. She would go insane if she ever lost sight of Amélie. As her chronal accelerator tied her physical form to this world, Amélie was like the anchor for her mind, keeping her as close to sanity as she will ever be.

Nobody will take you away from me. You're mine.

'Promise me, Chérie…'

A shiver ran over her. Maybe she'd be going mad either way with this cute voice in her head, but this was much more enjoyable.

"There you are right Lena. Tricky situation, really. But I already have something in mind for-"

With a loud BANG the double winged doors to Winston's laboratory were kicked open. Lena and Amélie whirled around to see who had disturbed the peace and observed as a figure radiating with hate and anger entered the room, flanked by two Overwatch guardsmen. Winston tried to address the figure.

"Jack what are you-"

"What is this nonsense?!"

The figure was growling loud enough for the room to be filled with it. His visor masked his face, but the distinctively colored jacket made it easy to identify Soldier 76, also known as Jack Morrison. The safety on his rifle was off. All of them pointed with their guns towards Amélie.

"Step away from that lunatic right now! I will put her in an isolation cell where she belongs!"

Jack hadn't even finished his sentence when his guards hit the floor.

To the shock of everyone in the room, Tracer had used the acceleration of her blink to send both of them flying to the ground with a square hit of her fist to their faces.

Noses cracked, blood spew, teeth broke.

On the back of her last takedown, she whirled around, blinked into the air and rammed her foot into Soldier 76's face. His visor cracked in the split second that all this transpired, as her foot did too. She didn't mind. He was sent flying onto his back and lost hold of his rifle in the process.

It was being pressed to his neck a mere second later.

Tracer was standing over him with wide eyes, aiming the gun. Safety was still off. She leaned in to laugh cheerfully, then whispered to him, so only he would understand.

"I don't know how to use this thing, Jack. Was that the trigger for your grenade launcher? I always wanted to try it out, preferably on some wanker who threatens my girl."

She heard a scream above. It was Angela's voice who had been standing behind the three men. Tracer held her gaze focused on Jack, so he would truly understand, then recalled back and used a last blink to reach her comfy seat next to her dearest possession. A quick check made her smile for a job well done, as she had been just in time for her broken foot to heal. With a few quick movements of her hands, the pulse rifle was disarmed and on the table in front of them.

"It's so rude to point a gun at some unarmed girls! Stuff like that always makes me twitchy. You were sayin', Winston darling?"

15 minutes earlier in the medical wing of Overwatch HQ

"Yes Jack, I tell you, with Amélie, unrestrained..!"

The phone was pressed to her ear while she walked to the exit. Angela had to tell somebody or else she would lose her mind. Since the incident just now in the operating room, she found herself trembling, holding back tears. The feeling of failure clawed at every fabric of her being.

'Fail is all you ever do.'

The doctor categorically banished Gabriel's voice out of her head, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing two fingers to her sternum. He always found her this way when she had to make hard choices.

"What..? You're in the vicinity? Yes, I have time, just.. please let's go together? I can't do this alone Jack."

'Can't do it alone, can you? Pathetic.'

Shut up!

Angela was trying to keep her voice stable. In reality the doctor was cracking at the seams. She felt like crying and shattering her head against the nearest wall. The thoughts of doing so calmed her ever so slightly.

'Tell me Doc, what will you do with Widowmaker? Kill her like your last patient?'

SHUT UP!

The wall looked more attractive by the second.

"I'll be in front of the medical wing in a minute."

Angela put her phone into her doctor's overall and entered the waiting rooms on the way to take her leave. What surprised her were Reinhardt and Hana. Both of them were sitting there, likely waiting for her since she started the procedure, looking up with hopeful eyes. They saw Mercy drowning in sweat and the burden of choice.

She stopped to take a breath. This wasn't getting any easier.

"Miss Graf… refused the surgery. She will not recover."

Her voice was several octaves higher than it usually was. She couldn't meet their eyes. That wasn't necessary to feel both their hearts fall in grief and the weight of their own failure. It felt good to share.

"Thank you for your work Angie. Zis is all my fault. I'm sorry for making you do it…"

Reinhardt always had been a sweetheart. She could've never refused a patient either way.

"Next time just… don't make it do or die for me, okay?"

A weak smile was meant for him. He flinched. Maybe her choice of words hadn't been the best, but she couldn't dwell on that now. There was more work to be done. She took long strides out of the waiting room before Hana could start crying, which she would any second now. Angela knew she wouldn't be able to keep it in if someone else started.

Jack was already waiting for her outside the medical wing. She was surprised how quickly he had organized guards. Words were forced out of her mouth, as she suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore.

"Jack, it's so good to see you."

"You look awful Angela."

"Charming like always, mein Freund."

"I'm gonna take care of this threat. You rest easy. She won't kill anyone this time."

He began to move, motioning for his guards to do the same. Angela blinked a few times, struggling to keep up with them.

"You're not gonna… just barge in there and arrest her, are you?"

"That was the plan."

She bit her lower lip. Maybe informing Jack hadn't been the best decision right now. The image of Widowmaker scared as a young doe resurfaced. She heard Hana's plea for mercy in her mind and shivered.

"I don't think that is the best idea… we should talk together about this with the others."

Jack didn't turn around. He kept his pace and just shot her a seething glance over the shoulder.

"Are you crazy?! Talking and observing is what killed Gerard last time! I'll do what's best for Overwatch, even if you all don't want to see it!"

"But.."

Jack marched on.

Ten seconds later.

Her eyes went wide as she screamed. Curiously enough, Angela couldn't hear herself.

She had expected something like this. In her deepest fears, Widowmaker would have shown her true colors and taken them all out in a flash at the threat of 3 loaded rifles. But it hadn't been Widowmaker. The blue girl was fidgeting all over Lena, shedding tears out of sheer shock.

"L-Lena, what have you done? Fille stupide! Are you hurt? Your hands, t-they're bloody..!"

"You worry too much, luv. It's just a little bleedin' is all."

Lena was straddling the hysterical French woman, trying to calm her down, while Amélie was crying as she fixated on those bloody hands. They were whispering to each other, but not quiet enough.

"Don't… don't get yourself in trouble because of me… I'm not worth it…"

Lena gave her the sweetest of smiles, cupping her cheek with a bloody hand.

"Of course you are, Dummy! I'll be strong for you, so you don't have to."

Angela couldn't believe her eyes. Winston seemed to be struggling to keep his composure as well. She finally reached for the in-base com device in her doctors overall.

"We've... got three new patients in Winston's lab. Head trauma."

Winston had his hand in a peanut butter can. The doctors head was firmly planted on the table as she sat across from them. Amélie looked to the side and saw Lena smile as her usual self.

There was a slim, metal collar on the table. That was Winston's solution, as he had tried to explain before Jack had interrupted him.

"…it's to make sure that nothing happens to anyone around Amélie. When vital signs are beginning to drop from anyone around her, this collar will paralyze her instantly. It's my own design, in case Talon ever tried the same strategy again."

Lena had been thrilled at that. Amélie herself too. She just hoped it would fit well.

Half a minute ago some medics had taken the groaning victims of Lena's wrath to the med bay. Soldier 76 hadn't moved an inch, even though he was still scary as hell just lying around on the floor. Amélie had tried to not look his way anymore.

"Well, since Jack isn't the commander here anymore, he clearly overstepped his boundaries. Nevertheless, I am severely disappointed in the two of you. There was no need to inform him and most certainly no need to beat him up."

Angela didn't look up, Lena just rolled her eyes. Both of them answered at the same time.

"Sorry!~"

"Sorry…"

Winston grumbled at that, satisfied, while taking another scoop of peanut butter.

Amélie blinked a few times. She looked between the three of them and wondered if it was always like this. This whole scene was too surreal. She couldn't help herself, so she started to giggle.

Her tear-stained cheeks blushed heavily as they looked at her giggle away. Even the doctor lifted her head to watch her, incredulously.

The French woman tried to stop, already embarrassed, but she couldn't. Every look at the beaten doctor, the peanut butter eating gorilla and the stupidly grinning energy-ball to her side made it grow worse. She desperately held a hand in front of her mouth but just couldn't for the life of her stop.

Lena was the first to join in, bursting out into cheerful laughter. Winston's baritone laugh came in too after he scooped another finger of the stuff into his mouth. It was even too much for the doctor, finally giggling away together will the rest of them, one cheek to the table.

The four of them just laughed for a while.

Amélie felt a strange feeling develop, after so much struggle and strain on her emotions.

It felt like home.

I had so much fun writing the plot in this chapter, there was suddenly no room left for smut anymore! Sorry!~
I've made it extra long though, just to have room in the next one.
Please tell me how you liked it dearest reader <3