After an uneasy sleep, Cara was relieved when she didn't have another nightmare, but wondered whether that was any better than what she remembered she had told Natasha. Rubbing her forehead, Cara made her way to the shower, her stomach thankfully not twinging in discomfort. After she was done, and had changed into her gym clothing, she peered out of the curtain at the sun that was beginning to rise and blinked as the rays of light hurt her eyes and she quickly put the curtain back in place.
Cara glanced down at her bow and arrows, but one look at the cast dashed those hopes. She'd need to check in with Banner before going to the gym or Steve would have a fit, so the blonde made her way down the hall to the elevator, and paused before she pressed the button to take her to the lab. "JARVIS, is Banner in the lab or not?"
"Yes, Agent Barton."
"Thank you, JARVIS." Cara said and took a ride down the elevator to the lab, but what JARVIS had failed to inform her about was the fact Stark was there as well. Telling herself to breathe in and out, Cara walked over to Banner. "As ridiculous as this is, I need a doctor's note."
"I'm not that kind-"
"I know, but I still need some proof that I'm fit to continue with my exercises and there are no side-effects from the relaxant." Cara explained.
Banner nodded, looking weary and worn-out from however long he'd been in there, and even Stark was looking a little worn down. "Here." He said and handed Cara a note saying everything was fine with her. "You'll have to make an appointment with your actual doctor though. Your book only says so much."
Cara raised a brow, unsure of whether Banner had just tried to make a joke or not. "I knew I should have gotten more than one kind." She mused. "Although," she said a bit awkwardly, "you could also know more about this by coming with me," her lips pursed as she forced the remainder of her sentence out, "to my next appointment."
Banner furrowed his brow as he looked at her, and even Stark glanced up. "Are you sure you'd want me there? I'm not exactly the best person to have around in a stressful situation."
"I am well aware of what I'm asking you." Cara replied. "I want you there with me, so that even if I can't get to a hospital quickly enough to give birth, at least someone would know what they're doing until my actual doctor could be in touch. If it makes you so uncomfortable to sit in with me, I could put you on speaker phone."
Though he still looked hesitant, Cara could call it a point in her favor that he didn't outright reject the idea. "You could try, but I don't know if I'd be available for when your next appointment is."
"Then I'll try," Cara said and added a bit more pointedly, "because I am trying."
"And it's painful to even watch."
Cara gritted her teeth as she sent a slight glare Stark's way. She cooled her jets though as she thought of a way to get her own dig at him. She smirked. "You could come with, I'm sure one of these days you'll need the practice."
Even though Stark looked tired and worn down, his annoying smirk back at her was nothing but infuriatingly familiar. "No matter which way you just tried to insult me-you failed. Miserably. Nice hustle though."
Cara rolled her eyes. She got her note from Banner before she was suckered into a snark-off that she didn't have time for. She blinked when outside the training room Natasha was leaning against the wall in her work-out clothes. "Do you have some psychic ability you didn't tell me about or have you been standing there on the off chance I'd come here?"
Natasha didn't reply to either, only smirked. Cara didn't why she'd expected an answer, really. It hurt to think this might be their last work-out together for a while, but at least it would only be for a little while. Cara chose to ignore the possibilities that could go wrong, as there was enough wrongness going on.
Cara caught the water bottle Natasha tossed her with her good hand. It was still cold, so Cara chalked one point to psychic potential. "At least tell me you'll be my alibi for when Steve gets here and tries to freak out about my 'health and safety.'"
Natasha raised a brow. "You are being rather nonchalant about going back into an area where someone tried to kill you."
Cara snorted. "Like that's never happened before." She felt her lips twitch up, but her brief good mood soured when she couldn't help herself with adding, "and it's easier to deal with."
The redhead let out a sound that wasn't quite a sigh, nor a frustrated groan. "You mean not dealing with it, don't you? Pretending will only get you so far. I've seen you hit the wall before, and I'm not gonna be here to calm you back down."
Cara frowned as she glanced away. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. The nightmare was still too fresh in her mind, and she just as rapidly pushed it away. This wasn't about that. This was about spending time with her friend, and Cara wouldn't let bad memories ruin it. "I'll be fine."
Even to her own ears it sounded fake, but Natasha didn't call her on it.
