She was aware of the pain everywhere. It wasn't the pain she was used to, it was too sharp and sudden to be her morning pain. The pain was focussed on the bullet wound on her shoulder and the base of her spine. It was less like a knife and more like a thousand pinpricks at once. The pain almost made her black out again.

Clenching her hands made it worse but it was easier to focus on pulling herself from the blackness that was intent on claiming her. The first thing she was aware of other than pain was a blinding light directly above her. Her whole body tensed as she put 2 and 2 together and reached for the tubing and needles in her arm. She pulled them out and the machine flat lined, her eyes snapping back and forth as she sat up and swung her legs to the side. Her legs felt heavy and light at the same time, she realised why when she put her weight on them.

Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. She looked down at them blankly as she pinched them, trying to feel them. She willed them to move.

"Come on." her voice was hoarse as she placed her hands on the floor and pushed up. She cried as it dawned on her, the fall had cost her her legs. "Please, you're my legs. Work dammit!" Nothing happened other than her body aching from the fall to the floor. "Please. I need to get out of here." A doctor entered the room and looked at the bed then at her.

"You had us worried there-" Her green eyes cut him off as he walked over to her.

"Get out" she was the calm type of angry. He pulled her up and she pulled her arm free of him and hit him in the face with her elbow. "I said get out!" he grabbed her again and got a hit in the gut for it.

"I suggest you let her go, she may not have her legs but she can certainly hurt you without them." She froze as the familiar voice neared her and the owner picked her up and placed her back on the bed.

"Loki?" The doctor took his leave, almost walking into Nick on the way out. Loki looked her up and down and it was only then that she realised how much of her body was bandaged.

"You look like you've been through hell." She looked down at her legs as she heard Nick curse.

"Well I was thrown from a window, and stabbed." Kimberly looked up at him and noticed just how ill he looked.

"I know, I caught you." Her eyes widened as he smiled lopsidedly.

"Tony will be here soon." Nick called from the other side of the room. Kim glanced at him but she was in a world of her own. Loki had caught her. She glared up at him and straightened her back.

"If this is some warped attempt to get redemption-"

"It's not, that I can promise you, Kimberly. I just didn't want you to die like that. Besides, someone else would have tried, I was just closer." She sighed and leant forwards as he moved closer to catch her. She was cool to touch. His hands rested on her back and she flinched in pain.

"Ow." He moved his hand as she started to laugh as she realised how much it actually hurt to be wounded. "How long was I out? How is everyone?" Kim looked up at Loki as she straightened up, wincing and hissing from pain.

"We're fine, better that you. Afternoon sleeping beauty." The door opened and Stark smiled at her, though he stepped aside and let in Taylor who had a heavily bandaged arm.

"Tay, you're hurt." Her daughter laughed and sat down next to her on the bed, ruffling her mothers hair as Tony reached into a bag he had brought with him. The bed shifted slightly and Kim turned to see Loki sitting down.

"I'm fine."

"How did you know I was going to ask that? Also, no you're not." Taylor got up off the bed and held the door open for Nat as she moved in on crutches. Kim heard Steve thank her as he held open the other door.

"I could see you thinking it. Besides it is nothing. The blood you gave me didn't tackle all of it, but Stark gave me the antidote when I woke up a couple of days ago, its still kicking in." At this she reached over and pulled his hospital gown down over his shoulder and looked at the still dark veins.

"How long was I out then?" Her body went still when she saw what was in Stark's hand. Slowly she reached her hands for the crooks of her elbows as memory over took rational thought. The ceiling became rock and she brought her hands up to her ears to cover the sound of the machinery that was taking her blood. She squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the light and the men looming over her-

"Kim, hey Kim, can you hear me?" Steve placed his right hand on her hand, drawing her attention. She nodded and slowly opened her eyes. "Shall we play a game?" again she nodded. "What is your name?" She squeezed her eyes shut and thought for a second.

"Kimberly Anna Maria Foster."

"What is your daughter's name?" Her daughter watched intently as Steve talked her out of her nightmare.

"Taylor Foster, she has no middle name."

"How old are you?" everyone was watching now, though they weren't surprised that Steve knew how to deal with PTSD.

"2026"

"How old is your- is Taylor?"

"22. Her birthday was 2 months ago." Her breathing had started to slow.

"What year is it?"

"20- 2015" Steve looked up at Tony who nodded.

"Who is in the room with you?" This was going to be the hardest question.

"The scien- no." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "You, Stark, Cupcake," Fury sighed. "Nat, Loki, and Taylor." She took a shaky breath and sat up straighter. "Thank you." Steve stood up and smiled.

"No problem. So that you know, the syringe has the antidote in. We've already given you one but this one should help with your legs." She nodded and went to roll up her sleeve, only to realise that she was wearing a flimsy hospital gown. Stark stepped forwards and prepped her arm.

"You gave us quite a scare, you were out for almost a week."

"A week?" she whistled in awe as he put the needle in. She winced at the sudden pain.

"Sorry, hard to find a spot that's not scar tissue. There you go. You should be able to jump back to before the fall but not before then." She smiled as her cells heated up and she jumped back to before she hit the ground.

"How bad did you all get it? How long were you in here?"

"Fractured wrist, less then 5 hours." Steve smiled and lifted his left wrist.

"I think you can see mine, I was here over night. Only because it was already dark when we got here." Natasha grinned as she lifted her leg from the footstool she had acquired.

"Couple of bruised ribs, I didn't even come here. Jarvis dealt with them." Kimberly rolled her eyes.

"Bullet to the shoulder and a few fractured ribs, but you sorted most of them. I've been here a couple of nights, I was only discharged this morning."

"I fractured my wrist as well, and broke my finger. I was here for as long as Steve." Taylor smiled as her mother got up and hugged her.

"I told you it was stupid to go with them." She was still unsteady on her legs and feeling a bit queasy but she was glad for the shot of antidote Stark had given her.

"I'm fine mom. Hey, as a reward for winning, why don't we go clubbing? Get Steve back in the game?"

"If we're setting Steve up I'm in." Natasha called, a evil smile gracing her features.

"Nope."

"Oh I think it sounds like a great plan."