Infatuation | Bucky Barnes

Chapter Eighty Six

"I made amends today with Yori. He was...upset which I understood. Not everyone is able to forgive as easily as you. William asked when he could see this morning. I-I'm not sure what to tell him anymore. You were better at explaining things to him than me." Bucky's voice shook. "I need you Catherine. Please."

Bucky gripped Catherine's hand tightly as he watched her lay unconscious for the third day in a row. The doctors had warned him that there could have been damage done to Catherine's brain and that she would have to wake up when she was ready. Every day he came and sat next to her bed. He would hold her hand, stroke her cheek, talk to her, anything to get her to wake up.

She looked so frail in the bed. She had oxygen in her nose, her face was still quite pale from the blood loss. She just looked tired. Everyday he kicked himself for not protecting her better. He should have been next to her. He would have seen the knife. He could have stopped this.

There was a slight twitch in her hand. Bucky drew back, eyes glancing up to her face. He could see her face contorting as if she was trying to make a decision. Her thick eye lashes fluttered open, taking in the hospital room.

"B-Bucky?" Her voice was hoarse.

And then he broke down. He thought he had lost her for good this time. He leaned his forehead against her's pressing soft kisses all over her face. She was okay. She grimaced as she fought to sit up, wanting to see her husband better.

"Hey, take it slow." Bucky told her. "It's not like you got stabbed or anything."

Catherine attempted to laugh, but the pain was too much. "What happened? I remember lying on the ground. That's it."

"You passed out from blood loss. You were brought here and rushed into surgery. The doctors told me you kept flatlining, but I knew you were a fighter. You've been out for three days." Bucky explained.

"Three days? And what about the Flag Smashers?" She asked.

Bucky's face changed. "Karli...Karli was shot and died. The rest of them died from a bomb inside the transport vehicle."

Catherine's jaw tensed. That certainly wasn't the outcome she wanted. She didn't think anyone deserved to die. She rested her head against the pillow of the bed, taking a deep breath in, thankful for the oxygen.

"I thought I lost you Cat." Bucky admitted. "And I don't know what I would do without you. You're my entire world. You made me better."

Catherine gave him a weak smile. "You aren't going to get rid of me that easy."

There was a knock at the door and they both looked up to see a doctor standing there. "Mrs. Barnes, it's good to see you awake. Is it okay if I check you over?"

Catherine nodded and the doctor walked over. She gently lifted her gown to reveal her very bandaged and very bruised abdomen. The doctor removed each bandage, examining the cuts.

"I see this isn't the first time you've been stabbed." The doctor noted. "You're a very luck woman."

Catherine pulled her gown back down, trying to get comfortable. "It's an occupational hazard, but what's one more scar?"

"I see your wife has a sense of humor."

Bucky smiled at Catherine. "It's kind of in her blood."

The doctor pulled out a large tablet and began swiping through it, reviewing Catherine's labs. And then she stopped. "Oh."

"Is everything okay?" Bucky asked.

"Umm, well. When we patients come in, specifically ones that just went through extensive trauma, we run a full blood test. It's routine." The doctor paused. "I would like to do an ultrasound to confirm, but Mrs. Barnes, your HCG levels are high which would indicate that you're pregnant. Probably about eight weeks given the level of HCG present."