Surrounded By You ~Romanogers

26

Silence.

That was all Natasha had been for hours. She was sitting on the oddly uncomfortable chair of the waiting room; starring at the blank wall in front of her, not uttering a sound. In fact, she hadn't spoke a single word since it all happened. What they saw was a bright light and a cloud of flames followed by a loud sound. Then there was nothing; nothing but absolute darkness. She had collapsed on her knees, Vision, Maria and Sam on her side while Wanda and Clint were on the last lifeboat and Tony was flying around with FRIDAY searching the water for Steve Rogers. Then he had found the Captain, drowning in the deep dark water. He had snatched him out and took him to the quinjet; feeling the blonde's pulse weakening as he flew up. He laid the limp body of their leader next to the row of seats with Natasha sitting on the floor on the opposite side, her eyes fixed on Steve. She was silent, she didn't shed a single tear. Maria wrapped a towel around her, forcefully; as she saw her entire body shivering.

Sam and Vision had flew to the lifeboats to help Clint and Wanda while Maria had set the headquarters' coordination on the quinjet and she had called in Dr.Cho up front. Once they reached the HQ, they rushed Steve to the medical section and he'd been taken to the operation room at once.

Natasha had stumbled on one of the seats and stared at the wall, the longer she had stared, blanker it seemed. Sharon and Bucky had been the firsts to rush to the medical center, Pepper joining them soon. Pepper was trying to calm down Tony as he cursed the nurses who wouldn't give him any information about the operation.

Natasha didn't care.

Not when Sharon started crying, not when Tony threw a seat at the polycarbonate glass window that did not break; not even when Bucky punched the wall in frustration causing a giant hole in it.

She didn't budge at any of the sounds. Actually, she hadn't shown any reaction to non of the above. She had simply zoned out. Two hours later, Clint, Wanda, Vision and Sam jogged to the waiting room; but even when Wanda hugged Natasha or Clint shook her shoulders to get her attention, she didn't even flinch. Clint had requested a doctor to check on her and that was the only time that she responded to anything from the outside world; by jerking away the doctor's hand.

When after a five hour operation, Cho finally walked out the emergency room, Tony ran to her and asked for an update or better said demanded. She told them he was stabilized but needed to rest and they would be allowed to see him when he'd gain consciousness; but Natasha didn't care. She walked past Cho and when a nurse tried to stop her, Cho shook her head, telling the nurse that it was fine and so, Natasha disappeared from their sight behind the emergency rooms' doors. She walked through the corridor, not knowing which room Steve Rogers would be in. She stood there, wondering if she should check every single room. Then she heard footsteps that turned to be Cho's as she walked to her side, stood right next to her, gave her a glance and then started walking again; followed by the spy. She walked down the corridor to a door and opened it, standing aside to let the redhead in. Natasha walked in and was soon met by Steve Rogers' pale figure, resting on the hospital bed. She sat down on a chair, on the very far corner of the room and stared at the blonde.

Four hours.

Four hours she sat there, in absolute silent and watched him breath air in and out on a very low pace. The one time he breathed out with a slightly faster pace, she heard him let out a throaty grunt and the machines attached to him started to beep. Cho jogged in with two nurses and started taking his visuals and everything seemed to be fine. Steve fluttered his eyes open and searched his surroundings; his eyes resting on the silent red head. He watched her as she watched him, not locking eyes, but staring at him dead in the eyes. Then Cho told him he was fine to meet his friends and a few minutes later the room was filled with them. Tony cursed him the minute he stepped in the room, Bucky told him he was a reckless idiot, Sam smiled and said he was happy that he wasn't dead, Wanda only cried and Clint told him if he would do something as that stupid, ever again, he would shoot an arrow in his eye. Steve wondered if he meant taking a bomb to a yacht and sailing away like it was a summer afternoon or telling his best friend that he loved her and then getting himself blown up; although he doubted Natasha would tell Clint about the second part.