5am,
The doorknob turned slowly, careful not to make noise that would wake the one sleeping inside. Bucky turned toward the soft sound of footsteps expecting Sam to walk in, and instead it was Steve, his blond head haloed in the hall light, beckoning Bucky out of the room.
"How is she?" Steve asked in a whisper, looking down at the floor shuffling his feet.
The smell of antiseptic and the echo in the corridor tugged at Bucky's memory.
Steve, sitting on a hard bench beside him, listening to the doctor's kind but unhelpful words.
"Your mother is in a bad way son, there's not a lot we can do but keep her comfortable."
Steve staring at his shoes, kicking the untied lace away from him. "Is she in pain? She won't tell me." and shame coloured up the back of his neck to flame in his ears.
"She's refusing pain relievers…" the doctor looked conscious of treading on thin ice and cleared his throat, "I believe she is more concerned about the cost."
Steve turned his face up sharply, suddenly pale against the hot blush, "tell her its real cheap, I'll pay it, just don't tell her… Doc, I can't let my mama suffer like that."
"Alright, I'll do that," the doctor said, patting his shoulder before he left the room.
Steve bumped into more than one doorframe on the walk out of the hospital, muttering to himself about cost savings and how he could take a night shift job, stopping only to gasp and cough after they'd descended the last set of stairs.
"You work any more and your bones'll fall right out, Steve."
"Bucky." Steve glared at him reproachfully.
"I'm not saying she shouldn't have the medicine you fool. I'm saying I'll pay for it so stop trying to make more hours from a day."
"We couldn't possibly…"
"Take it Steve or I swear I'll have to pay you and her back for all the meals I ever ate at yours, and the mending your ma did on my dress uniform, and—"
Steve slapped his thin hand over Bucky's mouth and argued, "now, that's not fair Buck, we've been friends enough without exchanging money all this time."
Bucky shrugged away from the staying hand, "don't go imagining that this is charity Steve, I expect you to pay me back sometime, but right now your ma doesn't need to see her son wasting away to pay for her comfort, that's the surest way you'll hurt her yourself and you know it."
"I'll do that Bucky, I'll pay it back double in interest even if it takes me a hundred years."
Stubborn Steve. Beautiful, frail, stubborn Steve.
"Buck?" Steve's voice woke Bucky from the reverie.
"Uh, yeah, she's… she's just sleeping now."
"Did you get any rest?"
Bucky shrugged his answer.
"I can sit with her for a while."
"I don't need to sleep," Bucky said firmly.
"Sure, okay, but you should clean yourself up a bit, wash your face and brush your teeth put a comb through your hair, unless you want to make her uncomfortable. Buck, I'll let you know if she wakes up." Steve saw the moment of hesitation and pushed Bucky in the direction of the elevator, "the moment she opens her eyes I'll call you. Go."
Bucky chose the stairs, taking two at a time and jogging the rest of the way to his own door until he stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Steve was right. He looked scruffy, the hair over his left ear stood straight out, sweat stains marked the back and underarms of his shirt and his eyes were ever so slightly bloodshot. A shower and a short nap would set him right but he needed to see her before she left. He wasn't sure his resolution would survive the distance of a day or the cold detachment of a text message.
Peeling off the sweat soaked sleeve of his prosthetic arm reinforced the need for a proper shower, he didn't need the smell to repel her before he could speak.
Sarah woke slowly in a room that smelled first of antiseptic and then of something else spicy and warm and clean. Several blinks were needed to clear her vision and she saw the slump shouldered shape of Bucky Barnes leaning across the back of a comfy looking chair and breathing slow deep breaths, his prosthetic arm glinting in the light of a soft sunrise offered by the window shaped panel in one wall.
Damp hair and a change of clothes later, he appeared less haggard than she remembered him being the day before. He was handsome, there was no denying that but the softened expression he wore in sleep made him something more essential yet. Human. He was like herself. Super strength not withstanding, she had seen it in his eyes the first time they met, the same kind of eyes she saw in the mirror every morning. Haunted and afraid and alone, and afraid to be alone and afraid not to be alone.
Her palms were hot, her fingers ached and there was a prickling feeling creeping up her arms from the wrists. Raising them brought her bare forearms into view, an IV in one and a bandage wrapping the inside wrist of the other. Small abrasions, not bleeding but freckling in short but angry red lines across her skin, a blister had formed on the webbing between her left thumb and forefinger. She'd made it down the mountain before her arm gave out and the muscles burned, seeming to wake to fire alongside her senses, still, she'd done it this time, rough fingers curled into exultant fists.
Stone had fought the mountain and won.
"How do you feel?"
Bucky's voice made her jump a little, she had half forgotten he was there. How did she feel? "Like I got caught between a hammer and an anvil," clearing her throat and letting a grin slip past the mask, "incredible. How is the hiker?"
"Stable for now, needed a transfusion but it looks like he has a chance for a full recovery."
"Good." Stone used her elbows to pull herself up and looked around. "Where are my clothes?"
Bucky lifted a bag off the floor and set it beside her on the bed, "they had to cut off the shirt to get all the shards of rock out of your sleeves without you getting sliced up more, I'm not sure what happened to it but I brought you some clean things to wear." He looked her face over thoughtfully and she waited for him to ask whatever question was brewing in his head but instead he nodded and said, "I'll call the nurse to get the IV out and help you with, everything."
Nurse Betty was efficient and comfortable, speaking only to explain the process and all that had occurred the day before. Now seeing that Sarah was holding up well and could use her hands properly she said, "I see you have something comfortable to wear, if you'd like to shower, I'll just warn you the shampoo is a bit drying, but I've left a clean set of underwear in the linen closet beside the bathroom door for you. Is there anything else you need before I go?"
"No, thank you. Actually, yes, where do I go to pay?" Sarah asked, running a hand over her hair and winced at the gritty feeling against her scalp. She beat the mountain but half of it seemed to have followed her back.
"You don't have to pay here Miss, the Stark foundation covers all the medical expenses. If you'd like a copy of the medical reports I can print them out for you."
"Oh, yeah, that would be- that would be nice. Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I'll tell Mr. Barnes to wait for you outside the building, he's always a little green in the medical wing and the fresh air will help," she looked sympathetic in the direction of the door and then added, "I'll be right across the hall with the files when you're finished so take all the time you need."
Bucky was leaning against the brick façade of the medical wing entrance when Stone pushed through the doors and he straightened up when she saw him. Her hair was damp and the long sleeved sweater he'd lent her hung to the tips of her fingers but there was a warm flush of life under her tawny skin again and she walked toward him with an easy grace despite favoring her left leg in a nearly imperceptible limp.
"Thanks for the clothes, I'll get them back to you as soon as I can," She said cooly.
Her demeanor came across strong, unwavering, lacking all of the awkwardness crawling across Bucky's skull and he wondered if he'd imagined the strange air between them ever since he'd introduced himself as her friend, but no, that memory and the oddly flat expression she'd worn were real. Even now there was tension under the surface of her otherwise calm face.
"Are you going home?" he asked quietly, unsure of the words to use, how to say what he needed to without sending her running. "Or the gym? I can give you a ride if…"
"I'm fine to drive myself," She flexed her hands as if to prove it, "need to get the jeep home anyway."
"Right. Well… If you need anything," he trailed off, she was watching him with bland curiosity, "I was thinking I'd stop by the gym tonight, if you don't mind."
"I could hardly keep you out if I wanted to," she chuckled.
"No, I'd… I'd stay out if you- if you're uncomfortable. I don't want to overstay my welcome."
Stone looked from him to the ground and finally to her left hand, wiggling the fingers experimentally before speaking again. "I don't mind."
"Then I'll be there around 9," Bucky said, when it seemed she had nothing to add, he offered a little wave and turning to walk away. Cringing internally at the childishness of the gesture.
"I'll see you around then?" She asked suddenly.
He turned back and felt a smile grow across his face, "yeah, you will."