You and Me ch 3
The Avenger Tower beckoned like home to Natasha and Sam with its blinking roof lights of red and white as they hovered carefully above the landing pad. The quinjet was too heavy to land fully on the roof so Bucky was strapped down to a gurney with all his life support machinery like some precious airdrop cargo.
Slowly, he was lowered to the roof like a broken machine for repair, delicately set on the dazzling white landing circle painted on the asphalt. The cold air of winter bit into the medical personnel's hands and faces like tiny teeth. The fierce wind and the backwash of the jet whipped at them relentlessly.
Next, in the artificial halogen floodlights, Widow escorted Cap down via hydraulic lift. It was difficult, but Natasha convinced Rogers to sit in a wheel chair and let the nurses wheel him away. She waved thumbs up at the remaining crew to let Sam to take the quinjet away for proper landing.
Inside, the warmth was like a wave breaking over them as Bucky was moved to the infirmary, as was Cap. The sun was considering making an appearance in the east. It was clear on everyone's faces the night had been a long and hard one. Widow left Rogers to the attendance of the medical staff, letting him change and checking him over one more time. "I want to be near him." she heard him say from beyond the door as she turned to leave.
"Captain, Seargent Barnes requires hourly attention. You won't be able to sleep with the noise." The lead nurse replied her voice muffled by the closed door.
"I don't care. I need to be there." Rogers' tone cut through the wood door like a hot knife through butter.
Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Natasha stepped back into the room. The nurse spun quickly with a nervous expression, Steve with a murderous one. Rogers stood before her with only his uniform pants on, tape over his broken ribs, bruises littering his body like Dalmatian spots and hellfire in his eyes. "Agent Romanov, can you talk some sense into him?" the nurse almost begged.
Looking kindly at the woman, Natasha replied, "I'll try." With a quick nod, the nurse moved off through the door and closed it behind her.
"Steve-" she began, the exhaustion setting in.
"Don't start that. He needs me." Steve cut in, steel in his voice.
"And what good to James are you half alive yourself? That super serum isn't a cure-all." Widow shot back, just as angry with the bullheaded man before her.
"It's gotten me this far. You can't stop me." Rogers replied taking a half step forward.
He was so riled up she could feel his body head pouring off him like liquid. The grime and sweat of battle clung to him like a cologne making Widow wrinkle her nose slightly, Narrowing her eyes she replied, "Oh yes, I can." With a spin and leap away, she pricked him with a tranquilizer dart in the chest.
Rogers' eyes flew wide open in surprise but his reflexes were dulled with his fatigue. The drug slipped in to his veins and straight to his head. Eyes rolling back in his skull, Natasha gracefully caught most of his bulk on the way down. "There you go, big guy. Easy does it." She whispered to him with a smirk, as he lay prone on the tile floor.
The nurse returned when the silence became too long and she exclaimed, "What did you do to him?"
Romanov, expecting a 'thank you', tsked slightly, "Just a girls little helper. He'll be out for at least six hours. Even with his fancy metabolism." The nurse looked down at the super soldier, "I think you'll need some orderlies to move him." Natasha added and then left the room.