White Widow & All New Hawkeye (YA series)

The Chicken Has To Go

*** Last part of the rewrite, everything after this is all new**

"I don't get it- ouch . Gentle!" Kate gives Noh-Varr a glare when he messes up with stitching her wounded shoulder. 

"You told me to use this." He defends, holding up a bottle of rubbing alcohol. "They're deep scratches. It's going to hurt."

"Can't you at least try to make it less painful?" 

"No."

Kate rolls her eyes and leans back, letting Noh-Varr finish what he started and clean the marks left by the hawk on her shoulder, when it clung to her while they were crashing. Turns out predatory bird claws can cause quite the trouble. 

"I told you I could do it." Yelena mutters, clenching her own teeth in pain. She's sitting up on the kitchen counter while Clint's wife is bandaging her way worse abdomen wound. The girl is basically shaking during the process, both from exhaustion, pain and cold. 

"Stay still." Laura scolds her, careful to not move wrong and cause more pain. Unlike Noh-Varr. "You're hurt badly. Kate will have to take it so you can rest when I'm done here." 

To give you a picture of what's happening: after they talked to Bruce and got hit in the face with the truth like a brick, they went back to the States and stopped by at the Bartons. Not only because it was closer than New York, but because it was safer too. It's the middle of the night and Laura's living room is full of teens with superpowers. 

Yelena's sitting on the counter with her blood stained shirt off and Laura tending to the bad wound. Kate's sitting on the couch with her feet in Teddy's lap, a bag of frozen peas on her head, two bags on her side and one on her leg. Plus several plasters all over her face and her white sweatshirt (borrowed) moved down her arm so the shoulder with hawk marks is exposed. Noh-Varr is kneeled down behind her wiping around said marks, deep scratches that will get infected. He's wearing normal clothes as well now, the suit being hung somewhere around the house. 

Cassie is in the armchair, constantly checking on her phone that's charging, mug of hot chocolate in hand. Just like Teddy, she's wrapped up in several blankets. 

Not to mention that hawk that followed them all the way here and is now standing on the couch's backrest, above Kate. They sort of adopted the bird, whether they like it or not. And there's also Lucky, sitting next to the couch while nudging Kate's hand with his nose. 

An awkward silence fills the room while everyone does their thing. Yelena's the one to break it, putting on a shirt Laura gave her. Kate's all patched up as well at this point.

"I don't get why the chicken is still here."

"It's not a chicken. And it gave me my arrows back." Kate retorts, adjusting her position to let Noh-Varr sit on the ground with his back against the couch. Lucky cuddles into him immediately, and the Kree man scoots away, confusion all over him. 

"Is it dangerous?" A genuine question that is ultimately ignored.

"Wait, the chicken gave you your arrows?" Teddy chimes in, confused. 

"It did!" Kate replies with a hint of shock in her voice, like it sounds surreal to her too. But then there's eye contact with Laura. The archer changes her behavior then, guilt taking over her. The only thing on her mind is how she couldn't stop Clint from being killed. "Thank you…for letting us in and helping." 

Laura isn't stupid, she knows why Kate's voice is lower and more hesitant when talking to her. But now is not the time to throw the blame and act hurt or deal with survivor's guilt. It's time for important questions. "There wasn't much of a choice since you barged in half alive, half not. It's fine, Kate, really. But your hawk isn't my problem, I want you to explain everything Bruce told you, again." Not the slightest bit of gentleness in the woman's voice.