The Curse of Dr. Zola

Chapter 32

Bucky opened his eyes. The overhead lights were too bright and he closed them again. His head hurt and pounded. A sharp pain came from his left arm and pierced his brain. He moaned softly. He heard a shuffling noise off to the side, and opened his eyes again, squinting against the bright light.

"Hello Sgt. Barnes."

Bucky's heart froze in his chest. Where had he heard those words before? Oh God! Oh God! Where am I?

"We've been looking for you for a very long time."

Bucky forced his eyes to focus. No, it wasn't Dr. Zola.

It was worse.

"You've been injured, an unfortunate occurrence, but the doctors will fix you up. Welcome back to HYDRA."

Doctors began moving towards him. Bucky tried to move but was unable. It was now that he began to take in his situation. Magnetic cuffs held down his right arm and legs to a metal table. He pulled at them helplessly. He was horrified to discover his lower left arm was gone!

"Oh, we've made some improvements in the restraints, thanks to testing by our friend here."

Bucky could just make out the figure standing beside Alexander Pierce. A young man with eyes as cold as stone; his face hardened by war, aged beyond his years, warped by HYDRA.

"We've stopped the bleeding, but I'm afraid you've lost some tissue; it'll have to be removed." The closest doctor informed him.

Bucky's heart nearly stopped when he heard a saw buzzing. The doctor picked it up. "This will hurt, but order only comes from pain."

Bucky screamed as the saw bit into his arm and the dead stump was cut off. He blacked out quickly, overcome by the level of pain inflicted on him without any anesthesia.

Sam looked at the same magazine for the 100th time. He was in a shared hospital room with Steve. He looked over to see Steve finally waking up.

After Bucky was abducted by HYDRA, Steve tumbled into the Potomac when the Heli carrier finally collapsed out of the sky.

Sam had had a parachute, so he was able to get to the ground safely and get them medical help.

Steve looked over and then the memories started floating back into his brain. He sat up when his brain reminded him about Bucky. He flung back the covers, and started getting up.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Sam cried.

"After Bucky. I will not lose him again!"

"Look man, we gotta make a plan."

"Oh God, I've got to tell Mary!"

"Who's Mary?"

"Bucky's fiancée'."

"He's…he's got a fiancée?"

"Yes, and I have to be the one to tell her."

Steve stopped about 15 from Mary's house to call her and let her know he was on his way. His voice sounded strained, and he wouldn't tell her anything.

Mary saw the dust getting kicked up in the driveway and ran towards them. Steve stopped the car and got out, his arms wide. She ran to him and gave him a hug. Then she looked into the car. "Where's Bucky?"

"Um, Mary, this is Sam."

"Hi Sam. Where's Bucky?"

"Um, well,…"

"WHERE'S BUCKY?"

"They took him."

"They took him? Who are they?"

"HYDRA was waiting…." He never finished. Mary collapsed onto the ground. "No, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOO!"

He wound up carrying her inside.

It took some time before Steve was able to calm her down enough to talk to her. Sam put his bag in the second bedroom.

"We…we gotta go after him, Steve." She said weakly.

"I know, we will. Sam and I came here to work on a plan."

"Good. I want him back Steve, I want him back so bad."

"I know, so do I, that's why Sam and I are going after HYDRA."

"What? Not without me you're not!"

"Mary, there's something I have to tell you."

"What? There's more?"

"I met the man who became known as The Curse. I think he took Bucky's place when your grandmother rescued Bucky, and he told me that HYDRA was sent to kill your mother when you were a child."

Her eyes went wide even as he continued. "They want you Mary, they want your grandmother's necklace."

Fresh tears came spilling out in silence. She grabbed Steve and the sobs started again in earnest. Steve let her hold him for as long as she wanted.

Finally, she calmed down and let go. But the woman who let go wasn't the one who had just held him. Her eyes showed a determination he'd never seen there before. "When do we start?"

Pain!

Lots of pain shot thru Bucky's body.

As he woke, the shock left his system, and when the adrenalin lessened, the pain level shot up.

Bucky looked around. It was night; at least he thought it was. The lights were much dimmer and he saw that he was not in the same room. He realized now that the room he woke up in before was an operating room. Now, he was in a recovery room.

He went to move, but again, was unable. The metal restraints held him fast. He looked over at his left side. His arm was wrapped with gauze from fingertip to shoulder. He discovered that he was naked again as well. His head clunked as he put it back down. What do these people have against clothes?

Wait! Was I only dreaming about my arm? What the hell is going on? He tried flexing his fingers, but he couldn't be sure they worked. He rotated his arm to try and feel something with his fingertips, but he didn't feel anything. He tried the same thing with the right arm and felt the metal cuff against his fingertips. Was the gauze interfering somehow?

He swallowed what little moisture was in his mouth. It tasted funny; metallic, and then he realized that he tasted blood.

He looked around, looking for anything he could use, but unless he could get loose it was a moot point. He looked towards the curtained doorway for any movement beyond it, but he couldn't see much. There wasn't in the way of much sound either, unless you counted the hum of the ventilation system.

He strained against the metal cuffs, but again, they held fast.

It took a while, but eventually someone came to check on him. He thought about pretending to be asleep, but since he couldn't grab anyone, it felt like a wasted effort.

But the doctor wasn't alone, Pierce was there too. He watched as the doctor checked on Bucky. Bucky wasn't going to be a good patient and kept resisting the doctor.

"We can do this with you awake, or asleep, it's your choice."

"Then you'll have to do it the hard way, because I'm not going to cooperate."

"I see." The doctor looked at Pierce questioningly.

"You can play your little games for now, but once I get the green light from the doctors, I will have total obedience from you."

"Never."

"Say that again, once we have your little girlfriend."

Bucky tried to get off the gurney. He pulled with all his strength and raged at Pierce. He screamed with all his frustration. "YOU LEAVE MARY ALONE!"

"Scream all you want, no one here will help you. And in time you will know what real pain feels like. In the end I will win, and you will obey me."

"No I won't."

"That's what they all say, until the pain starts….and the screaming."