Thank you to those who've left reviews. In this chapter, Alex continues her attempt to get Bucky to trust her and offers him a place of safety. As always, all errors are my own and unintentional. Memory flashes are (mostly) in italics. Would love to hear your thoughts.

'I'm the water that'll drown you'

Chapter Three:

"It's gonna hurt…"

Bucky looks up at the doctor.

"Just do it," he instructs him. Sees how he looks at Blue Eyes who stands by his side.

Why can't he remember her name?

"Don't you want a painkiller first?" she asks him.

He just shakes his head. They don't work on him. His enhanced metabolism renders them useless.

Still remembers the grind of bone against bone even after they attempted to give him something to combat the pain the first time he broke a limb. It took them a little while to realise that they didn't work on him.

He crushed the throat of the first doctor. He was dead before he hit the floor.

The second one he threw across the room. Smashed his skull against the wall.

The third survived. Only because a rifle barrel was aimed at the centre of his forehead and the doctor figured out which med would make him as docile as lamb. Docile didn't mean immune but they made sure to stick it into a vein in the back of his hand each time.

After that he didn't react, not outwardly anyway. The meds and the soldiers with their rifles aimed at his head made sure of that but he learned to bite down on his lip anyway, bite down so hard that it would bleed. He wouldn't make a sound. Wouldn't scream though deep down he wanted to.

The machine made him scream. That pain he couldn't hide from, couldn't push down. Not with all of that voltage pouring through his brain.

He's got that far away look in his eyes. The moment he told Gabe to do it Alex saw him retreat, fade away into what memories she doesn't know, but they're not good ones. She looks at Gabe.

"Do you think you can do it?" she asks him and he rolls his eyes at her as if to ask her what kind of question is that?

"Just watch that left arm of his for me. Once the joint is back in, get some ice. If he won't have painkillers, the ice will help to ease any fresh swelling," he instructs. Alex just nods. She doesn't know if she'll be able to actually stop him if he does decide to swing. He has broad shoulders, even the metal one, the flesh and blood arm is heavily muscled. Her ass still feels a little bruised from their earlier encounter in alley.

"You ready Bucky?" Gabe asks. Bucky turns his head slightly and looks up at him. He sees Blue Eyes moving and watches as she goes to his left side. Understands that it's a preventative measure. He glances back at the guy and his nod is slight.

Alex is tense but her brother is good at what he does and he quickly pops the joint back into its socket with a clunk. She hears the revving of Bucky's cybernetic hand and sees it clenched into a tight fist once more but he doesn't raise it or swing it. She looks at her brother as he feels around the newly relocated joint. He gets Bucky to perform a few simple exercises that involve raising the limb, touching his opposite shoulder and after another quick examination he nods in satisfaction.

"All done. The joint is back in place." He looks at Bucky and offers a quick smile but as expected, he doesn't smile back but he turns his head when he hears Alex walk away.

Gabe sits back down opposite him and waits until Bucky makes eye contact with him once more.

"Will you let me check you over?" he asks in a soft voice and sees the frown of puzzlement that comes and goes.

"I'm fine," he tells him.

"Perhaps you are but I wouldn't be a good doctor if I didn't at least check your vitals, listen to your heart, your lungs. Won't take long, couple of minutes, tops." He looks off to the side and Bucky can hear footsteps again. Blue Eyes returns to his line of vision. She's holding something, wrapped in a dishtowel. Gabe stands up and moves away and she takes his place on the chair. She lifts the wrapped up dishtowel slightly.

"Ice pack for your shoulder. It'll help," she tells him and before he can refuse it, she leans in closer and gently presses it against the shoulder joint, ignoring the quiet grunt of discomfort, how his body tenses at her touch. Instead she smiles at him.

"Ice and heat are good for muscle pain and you'll be in pain for a few more days. I'm going to put that arm in a sling just to keep it stable and you'll need to wear it for a few days too."

Gabe comes back to the table and he's carrying a hold all of some description and Bucky watches him take out a stethoscope.

He submits to basic checks all the while aware of Blue Eyes holding the ice pack to his shoulder. He wants to tell her that he can do it himself.

He needs to get out of here. It's not safe. They'll find him. Drag him back.

He needs to get somewhere safe and hide.

Bucky watches as she takes the sling from the doctor with a smile.

"I don't need that. I'll be fine. This is enough" he tells her, holding onto the ice pack he still has pressed against his injured shoulder, watching her approach with it in her hand.

"If you won't accept painkillers then you have to accept this. It will help in the healing process." She takes a step closer to him, close enough that she brushes against him and he automatically flinches back. His skin tingles from the contact and he glares up at her.

"I heal quick," he growls at her. She briefly falters before she carefully removes the ice pack from his shoulder, watching as his left arm drops by his side.

"Don't be so stubborn," she gently chastises him.

"It's not needed. I heal quick. Don't…don't touch!" he hisses and goes to push her away but feels a hand clamp around the wrist of his left hand. Hears the cybernetics whirr in protest. He looks up at Gabe who is regarding him with benign blue eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Gabe warns him in a quiet voice.

Bucky wants to tell him that he couldn't stop him, none of them could but doesn't. He looks away, biting his lip.

"I don't like being touched…too much," he mutters instead.

"You don't like being told no. You're thinking of leaving and a sling would be impractical," Gabe interprets and Bucky looks up at him again. Carefully and deliberately he releases his grip on Bucky's wrist.

"Do you think I don't know who and what you are?" he continues. Bucky goes absolutely still, feels his heartbeat pick up, his breathing change.

He's right. He's here for him. Is he HYDRA? SHIELD? Someone else?

Compromised. Sanction. Extract.

Where did Blue Eyes say the exits were?

His eyes dart around the room.

"You're military, or you were once upon a time. I wouldn't be surprised if you're suffering from PTSD or something similar." Gabe sees how he frowns at that. "Used to be called shell shock during the First World War. You're tense, squirrelly almost and you fade in and out mentally. You barely flinched when I put your shoulder back in its socket. You're used to pain and you shouldn't be. The sling will help. Let my sister put it on you just for a little while." He keeps his voice low, almost conversational but Bucky hears the steel beneath it. He doesn't say a word in response. Shell shock. He remembers something about that, reading about it somewhere a long time ago. Can't remember where but it sounds familiar. He staggers to his feet, the chair he's been occupying skittering back an inch or two and he quickly turns so that he can see both the Doc and Blue Eyes.

"I don't need your help. I don't," he tells them. He reaches for his shirt and hisses at the pull of pain in his shoulder, grabs at it with his other arm.

Alex looks at her brother and subtly nods. Gabe takes a couple of slow steps back but Bucky keeps him under observation, the shirt in one hand. He flinches and takes another step back as Alex takes a step closer to him.

"Of course you're free to leave if you want to Bucky but you need to rest. You're exhausted, you were trying to sleep in the pouring rain for God's sake." He watches as she slowly lifts both hands, palms turned outwards.

"You're welcome to stay here for a day or two and recuperate. I live on the top floor of the bar and there's a room set aside. You can rest, sleep and recuperate and you'll be safe. I've helped people like you before."

Bucky sincerely doubts that she's even seen anyone like him before.

"Your shoulder needs support Bucky, even for a little while. Let me help you with that," she urges softly. "It'll help you heal quicker if you comply."

Comply. Ready to comply. Sanction. Extract…

He gives his head a little shake.

"Thought you said you were a doctor?" he answers with a frown, remembering her telling him this fact outside in the rain. He slowly sits back down on the chair.

"I used to be. Gabe is the Doc here," she answers, moving to Gabe's bag and she looks inside.

"The kid called you Doc."

Alex thinks thirty year old Connor would be tickled to be called a kid by someone she guesses is roughly the same age as him. She bites back a smile as she extracts a wide square of unbleached cotton and places it on the table.

"I don't practice medicine anymore."

"Why?"

She exhales slowly and gives a little shake of her head. "It's a long story," she replies. She then takes a deep breath and she straightens her spine and she looks at him once more. She picks up the cotton square and sees how he looks at her.

"Please," she murmurs and eventually he nods his consent.

It takes a moment or two to fashion the sling and fasten it over his shoulder, making sure the injured one is adequately supported. She sees how he looks down at it, a frown on his face. She takes a step back and he looks back at her.

"Why don't I show you the room upstairs? Then you can decide for yourself whether it's for you or not. If it isn't then you're free to walk out of here unchallenged with no more questions asked."

She sees how he looks from her to her brother. He trembles very slightly and she can see the exhaustion on his face, the dark shadows bruised beneath blue eyes, how dull those eyes are right now. She wonders when it was he last smiled.

His head is aching. He wants to be warm, to be able to sleep. He can't remember the last time he was able to just close his eyes and drift off.

'You need to sleep Buck, tomorrow's a new day'

'Nah, I'll sleep when I'm dead.'

That voice again. He keeps hearing that damned voice. Why can't he remember who it belongs to? His head is filled with static again.

"One look," he tells her before he changes his mind. Feels his heart jump in his chest all the same.

Blue Eyes gives him a soft smile and a nod. "One look," she agrees quietly.

He gets to his feet again and watches as she reaches for his jacket and picks it up, looping it over one arm.

"This way," she tells him and he watches her walk on ahead. Turns his head when he hears the Doc scoop something up. He sees him loop his utility belt over his shoulder and collect his bag.

Out in the kitchen area, he sends a wary look across at the workers who are still there, preparing food. Sees how they stare back at him. He looks away and then remembers he's not wearing a shirt and then there's his left arm. That'll attract attention all by itself.

They reach a flight of stairs that lead straight upwards. Ahead of him is a wide open space, he can see tables, chairs, hear music, conversation. Blue Eyes pauses and looks at him.

"Wait here okay?" she requests in a soft voice and it's then Bucky realises that the doctor is behind him.

Making sure he doesn't make a run for it?

Callum Green turns his head and watches Alex come into the bar. She has a look in her eye that he's come to recognise. Purpose. She sends him a distracted smile as she moves along the bar, eyes searching below it until she pauses, ducks down. Callum slowly approaches her, watching her as she sorts through the pile of t-shirts they keep down there to sell as merchandise. Finally she selects one, checks the size, looping it over one shoulder.

"You got another one?" he asks, keeping his voice low. She looks at him as she straightens up.

"You know I do, Connor will have told you. He's with Gabe, I'm gonna show him the spare room, see if he'll stay for a little bit."

"Con said he was squirrelly." She hears the unspoken question, are you sure that's the right thing to do?

"They always are at first. He's calmed down, let Gabe check him over."

"Where did you find him?"

"Beside the dumpster in the alley," Alex answers and sees how Callum's brown eyes widen for a moment, turning his head to the front window and the rain still rattling down.

"That's why I decided to help him. He's gonna need my help for a little while, can you cover for me?" she asks, watching as he sighs, rolls his eyes a bit before nodding.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," he agrees and she smiles her thanks.

A short while later and she's back and she hands the t-shirt to Bucky, taking his original undershirt from him in exchange.

"You might feel a little more comfortable wearing this," she tells him. She unfolds it for him and carefully helps him to slip it on. The shirt feels soft against his skin. He looks down at it, it's plain apart from a name above his heart. CeeGee's.

The name of the bar he guesses.

"This way," she continues and begins to climb the staircase.

At the top of the staircase is a narrow corridor with several doorways, all closed.

"Callum lives on this floor," she tells him. He frowns slightly, wondering who Callum is. She glances at him over her shoulder. "He runs the bar, he's a nice guy," she supplies.

He'll have to take her word for that.

They walk along to a second flight of stairs. As he follows, his eyes take in his surroundings, taking note of the position of the windows, of the doors, where he could head to in an emergency. He feels his heart begin its newly familiar pulsing in his chest.

Sanction. Compromised. Extract.

Be aware. Always be prepared. Always be ready.

"Nearly there," Blue Eyes tells him as they reach the second staircase.

Bucky looks up as they reach the top of the staircase. There's more space here. Like she said, right at the top of the building. He takes a slow deep breath, feeling his lungs expand. He watches her approach a plain white painted door and take something out of the back pocket of the jeans that she's wearing and she extracts a key. She glances at him over her shoulder as she unlocks the door and pushes it open.

"Follow me," she invites and goes inside.

Once more Bucky looks up as he enters her apartment. He notices the high ceiling and the sky light cut into it, the glass smeary with rain. The room is large, plain white walls, polished wooden floors. A queen sized bed is pushed up against the wall to his left and a short distance opposite is a long sofa, an armchair bracketing an empty fireplace. Directly ahead of him is a large window and he resists the urge to go to it and check how far the drop is to the ground.

"This way," Blue Eyes tells him and he looks at her.

He wishes he could remember her name.

Looks back at the Doc who is still behind him, watching him.

Gabe. His name is Gabe.

They bypass a small kitchen area, all exposed brickwork and white tiles. She pauses by another white painted door and she opens it, goes inside. He pauses for a brief second on the threshold before following her again.

A smaller room with another queen sized bed pushed beneath a window. The room is sparsely furnished, a bedside table which holds a single lamp, a wardrobe and that's pretty much it. The floor is polished wood, a plain blue rug the only adornment. He sees towels folded on the bottom of the bed, what looks like a small wash bag on top of it. The bed is neatly made, ready for its occupant. Bucky moves around in a small circle as he takes it all in, going to the window and looking out and down. It's a long way down, he moves closer to the glass and sees the dumpsters below him. He lifts his head and looks over neighbouring rain soaked roof tops. It's still raining and he realises as he listens, that the thunder seems to have stopped for now. He then turns around and looks at the pair of them, who stand still watching him.

"You said you help people. People like me?" he asks. Sees how they exchange a look.

"For the most part. People who need help anyway," Blue Eyes answers with a shrug. He looks back over his shoulder out of the window, at the drop below. He could make it if he has to, has probably dropped further.

"What kind of people?" he asks and then looks back at them.

"Just people who need help. PTSD sufferers, people who need a roof over their head for a little while, a place of safety for people down on their luck; ex-soldiers, victims of domestic abuse. All kinds." She sees how his eyes narrow, his gaze sharpens at this piece of information.

"You'll be safe for however long you feel you need to be here. It's a word of mouth kind of place, not on any agency's radar that we're aware of."

He watches as she goes to the wardrobe and opens it. He sees clothes hung up, shirts, sweaters, t-shirts and other items of clothing folded beside it.

"I'm sure there'll be something suitable in here that'll fit you. The bathroom is right next door if you want to take a shower or have a bath or just freshen up. Look around, see if it's somewhere you could be comfortable with for a day or two," she tells him, moving to stand beside the Doc. She looks at him and it's like an unspoken message is passed between them and they both move towards the door.

"We'll leave you alone for a while," she tells him and they exit.

Bucky stays beside the window and watches them leave, carefully closing the door behind them. He then turns his head back to the view outside and watches raindrops slide down the windowpane. The sky is still a heavy iron grey colour, the rain doesn't look like it's gonna stop any time soon. His pants cling uncomfortably to his thighs and he's still cold. He lifts his hand to his hair, running fingers through it, it feels heavy with moisture though it seems to have stopped dripping. He slowly approaches the bed, his eyes scanning the space. What's he looking for? Hidden cameras? Listening devices? He can't see either but it doesn't mean that there aren't any. He picks up one of the towels, swipes it over his hair a couple of times and then pulls his fingers through it to straighten it out and drops the towel back on the mattress.

Blue Eyes said that he could leave at any time. Hell, he could leave right now. He's tempted to. He should.

And go where?