That One Time We Kissed // Bishova College AU

Wheels On The Bus

"What's this?" Kate asked, tapping her IV bag with her her pointer finger, the pulse monitor attached to the digit waggling. "Looks like one of those bags you get at the fair. With a lil goldfish in it." The ambulance dipped as the driver crossed a pothole. "Whoa."

"It's an IV." Clint chuckled, typing on a sturdy laptop in the seat next to her stretcher. "Pain killers are kicking in, huh?"

"What's in an IV, anyway? Why can't I just drink water?"

"Cuz there's salt in there, too. It's saline."

"Um..." Kate giggled, head laid lazily back on the stark white sheet of the stretcher. "We can't even drink salt water, so, checkmate."

"Yep, got me there, kid." Kate laughed again, then frowned, brows furrowed, becoming suddenly serious. Clint glanced up curiously, asking, "what's up? You in pain?"

"I am in... great pain..." she nodded, lip wobbling. "You saved my life, sir, and now I owe you a great debt."

"I mean, I didn't really-"

"You're a hero!" Kate proclaimed, one tear rolling down her cheek.

"Okay, well, thank you." Clint banged on the wall partitioning the box from the cab. "We almost there?"

"Yeah!" Bruce responded, muffled.

"Who was that?" Kate asked, eyes darting around. "Was that... God?" She screwed her eyes shut. "Maybe if I can't see the light, I won't be summoned."

"You just broke your leg, kid. You're not gonna die."

"Oh, right." Her eyes popped open again. "I got hit by a car. This is so embarrassing."

Clint laughed at the poor girl addled with shock and drugs as the ambulance wheeled into the hospital ER bay, where the bus came to a stop and Bruce opened the back door.

"Aw, my ride's over already?" Kate pouted. "I was just getting to know... what was your name, again?"

"You wouldn't remember if I told you," Clint responded, lowering Kate's stretcher out onto the pavement. He relayed initial diagnoses on Kate's injuries to waiting doctors, who assured her leg was securely splinted before wheeling her inside, Yelena in tow.

"She's good, right?" Yelena asked as Kate was handed off to a few nurses and taken to a room, but the question vanished in the chaos. The blonde frantically followed along, but opted to wait outside the small emergency room for fear of interfering. Not like Kate could really talk to her, anyway. Tugging out her phone, Yelena dialed Natasha as she leaned against the beige wall.

"Hey, Lena. How's Kate?"

Yelena grimaced, remembering how purple and twisted Kate's leg was as the paramedics cut away her jeans to assess it. How she sobbed as the two men splinted it and promised pain killers soon. Her hands were also cut up from bracing her fall against the pavement, and the paramedics did not rule out a concussion.

"It's not great. Not like they'll have to amputate, or anything like that, but her bone was almost through the skin."

"Shit, man... is it her ankle? Her shin?"

"Her shin, unfortunately. There's no way she won't have surgery."

"What, like right now?" Natasha asked, relaying the information to presumably Wanda and Bobbi beside her.

"No, the swelling has to go down. But if the bone had broken through, they'd be doing it now."

"Poor Kate."

"I know..." Yelena shook her head, a bit of anger rising back up. "What ended up happening with that idiot in the Bug?"

"Oh, we called the cops and made sure he stuck around. They're getting stuff figured out, but it's pretty clear what happened. There were like, twenty witnesses that saw him swerve into the bike lane."

"Okay, okay, good. Thanks, Nat."

"Yep. And hey, let us know when you need a ride."

"Will do."

Hanging up, Yelena stared at her phone with pursed lips. There were a few more people to call in regards to the day's events- namely, Kate's parents, but Yelena did not have their phone numbers, and getting to Kate's phone would be a tall task at the moment. Though, realizing Eleanor operated a fairly large company in Manhattan, Yelena rolled the dice and Googled a phone number.

Upon dialing, a secretary answered, which Yelena expected, and the blonde politely asked to speak with Eleanor Bishop.

"She's a bit busy at the moment," replied the receptionist. "Do you have a message I can relay?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, this is urgent. It's about her daughter, Katherine."

"Sorry, who is this calling?"

"Yelena. Yelena Belova. I'm a... good friend."

A pause. "Alright, I'm putting you through."

Yelena did not have the chance to say 'thanks' before Eleanor came through, asking, "Yelena? What is it, honey?"

"Um... it's Kate." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look, I don't know how else to say this, but she was in a bit of an accident."

"Okay, you're kind of scaring me. Is she okay?"

"She's fine, she's fine. We just got to the hospital. She's got a broken leg, not sure what else."

"...how is that fine?"

"I didn't want to freak you out!" Yelena said, pacing.

She must have sounded frantic or nervous or both, because Eleanor followed with, "okay, alright. Thank you for calling. Do you need me to come down there?"

"Um... I'm not sure?"

"Does Kate have her wallet on her?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Okay, good. She should have her insurance cards and her ID, but let me know if they give you any trouble." The older woman paused, and Yelena heard typing. "Okay, honey, I've got to get back to work, but call me if you need anything."

"Okay. I will."

The line disconnected, and Yelena slumped against the wall, a little overwhelmed. What a wild few hours, she chuckled humorlessly. Finding a random set of a few chairs in a alcove of the long, soulless hall, she decided to take a seat, knowing the X-ray and whatever else would be a while.

As odd as it seemed, Yelena accompanying Kate to the hospital was an honor, a blessing to her. It had been so long since Yelena had someone to care about, to be worried about, to fuss over. When Kate looked up at her as she laid on the sidewalk, tear stained cheeks cupped by Yelena's tender grasp, and asked her so earnestly if she would ride in the ambulance with her, Yelena's heart swelled. To be the person Kate leaned on, relied on, wanted by her side in such an occasion, it was all the blonde really needed. Of course, Yelena would have accepted affirmation in better circumstances as well, but she'd take what she could get.

So now, anxious form occupying the rough canvas of an old hospital chair, Yelena took a steadying breath. She would be Kate's rock in her time of need, as Kate had been to her. Kate deserved that.

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You're all witnessing my descent into madness. Enjoy!

PS I feel like my info is fairly accurate because of how much Nightwatch I binged this Spring and because of how many bones I've broken myself.