Goldridge (Steve Rogers AU)

22

"Steven". 

Steve looked up from where his head had been resting on Elsa's hand as he sat beside her hospital bed. She'd not come around yet and the doctor couldn't tell him how bad things could or couldn't be until she did. 

If she did. 

That was his worst fear. Leaving the hospital without her. 

Now his mother was standing over him, a weak smile on her lips. "Sweetie you've been here too long, you need to go home and get yourself some sleep". 

"Not without her". He simply replied and rested his head to the side on her hand again. "I ain't going nowhere without my wife". 

"Can't they tell you anything?" 

He just stared at the buttons on her jacket. "Nope. Can't even say if she'll come around. The fucking horse threw her off...it threw her..." 

"Steven..." Sarah crouched beside him. "Horses do this, she's a bronc rider. She knew what she was getting into when training wild ones. It's the risk she lives with...but it could've been so much worse. The damn horse could've crushed her..." 

"It's like our family is fucking cursed or something". 

"Always has been since our ancestors settled here. We've just gotta stay positive that her head isn't as bad as we think it could be". Now she pulled up a chair next to him. "Just the other day she was talking about getting back out there, competing. If she's anything of the fighter we know her as, then she'll be fighting to do just that". 

He lifted his head up. "No way, she ain't ever bronc riding again". 

Sarah sighed. "She ain't gonna be no housewife either, you know that. Girl gets bored way too easily. You try and control her then she's gonna act out just as much as the horses she rides". Even a child wouldn't ever keep Elsa Rogers at bay, they knew that much. "At least go get a coffee or something? I can watch her". 

Reluctant to leave, he decided to at least go get a cup to keep him awake. Still he was questioning why it had happened, just two days prior she'd been practicing to go compete in one of the upcoming competitions, excited to get back out and do what she loved as a hobby. He'd had no problems in encouraging her to return to the competition - especially if it took her mind from everything else.

Now he had the threat of her being taken from him. 

The coffee tasted just as bitter as he felt , and heading back to the room, he wondered just what he would do if the worst were to happen. 

He couldn't live without her, he'd decided that much. 

Resuming his position by her bedside, he stayed there once more - Sarah leaving just an hour or so later and then watching as the doctor came to observe how Elsa was doing. 

Nothing so far, but it could still change at any moment, for better or for worse. Steve just hoped that it would be the first option. 

Once again he was alone, left with his thoughts while keeping set next to his wife. Nobody bothered him. Nobody told him to leave, knowing that he wouldn't. There he stayed until the next morning, back aching from the hospital chair he'd now slept in for two nights in a row, and needing more shitty bitter coffee. 

"I'll be back in a minute, I gotta get my caffeine fix, you know that". He told Elsa with a squeeze to her hand, and making his way out of the room - he went to get a coffee and something that he could deem edible, then returning. 

As he walked into the room, he looked across to Elsa before his hand dropped the cup he was holding, coffee splashing onto the floor. 

She simply looked back at him, tired eyes blinking to keep herself from falling back to sleep again, her head throbbing painfully. 

"Hey baby..."