WORLD'S WEIGHT ▹ tfatws

[ 017 ] chapter seventeen

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CALM AFTER
THE STORM

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Czarina woke up in the comfort of a hospital bed, hooked up to multiple medical machines and tiny tubes slithered all over her torso. The coherent thought that forms in the girl's head is SHIT. John Walker just shot her in public, on a foreign soil. And the rest of the country is probably in chaos after the incident, which certainly includes her father and uncle seeing she's alone in the confinement room right now.

Or maybe not so alone.

A figure dressed in fatigue and camo jacket lies peacefully on the couch by her bedside. Joaquin must have felt her awakened presence, the dark haired boy stirs from his sleep and looks over at the lone blonde who's now half wake and watching him.

"Czarina...," he rubbed his eyes and was quick to rush on the girl's side. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been shot."

"You were."

She scoffs a light laugh. "I know."

"Oh," the other one only grins back. "I can call a nurse if you feel dizzy or in pain, they say—"

"No, no. It's alright," Czarina waved her hand in refusal. Though reluctant, Joaquin remained by the girl's side. His keen yet soft brown eyes locked with her tired, blue ones. They spoke no words to each other for the next couple of seconds before Czarina pulled away, a bit taken back from the silent moment they shared.

"Uh, you can go back to sleep or-or," she stammers and adjusts herself on the bed. "I'm fine here."

It took a moment before Joaquin could respond. "Oh no, it's okay. I'm fine here too," he gulped and pulled a chair to sit by the bedside.

Czarina has to admit it, she was relieved to see him instead of some other military personnel sent by the state. At least he's a familiar face and is probably here at the dispense of Sam.

"Where are they?" She asked in a whisper. The bullet wound on her lower torso aches slightly.

"They went after Walker. The Latvia police and military came a bit late." It didn't seem he's comfortable talking about it.

"And the Flagsmashers?"  

Discomfort surfaced on Joaquin's face, the air force sergeant shifted on his seat and paused before speaking at last. "Walker took out one of them, the rest escaped."

Uneasiness quickly seeped in the girl, an intense pain on her left side flared up as blood rushed down her chest and head. She found it difficult to properly breathe once more. It was futile to stop John alone, she knew it yet she comprised the mission in a heartbeat. Maybe it would have been better if she waited for Bucky and Sam before she chased after him. Her interference might have agitated the already unstable soldier.

Her father and uncle together can be a formidable pair together but right now it feels like less of a consolation than usual, her head is scrambled and she's in a great deal of pain. 

Joaquin's presence is a relief to her but it holds no candle to the ever growing distress and chaos inside the girl. Numbness crawls on her fingertips and temples as blood pumps against her ears. Czarina can hardly keep herself awake without lights dancing before her eyes. 

"I think I should call home," she half blindly reached to the bedside for her things. "The press and authorities will be all over this. I need to call our lawyer..."