The Black Winter

Chapter 20

Bucky's pov
  After sedating Joan, everyone else comes in and we all have our little debriefing in the hospital room. I didn't want to leave her side, in case she were to wake up and go of the ledge.

  "So, what? She's sick?" Tony asks.

  "Her body is fighting off some sort of virus. I'm not sure what it is, I've never seen one like it. And seeing that she's a super soldier and incapable of getting sick, it's quiet worrisome," Bruce explains.

  "Is it contagious?" Clint asks.

  "No, it's not like a normal virus. It's almost like it's attaching it's self onto her cells," Bruce explains.

  "Did you do a cat scan?" Tony asks.

  "No, why-''

  "I would check her brain. When she was going through my room something didn't seem right. It's like she was looking for something that wasn't there," Tony explains.

  "We can do that. Bucky, will you carry her for me?" Bruce asks. I nod and pick her up.

  Once we make it to the room, I set Joan down on the bed and we all pile into the room, waiting for the machine to do it's thing. Gosh, I hope she doesn't wake up, if she does I can only imagine what she would do.

  "Did you guys find anything?" I ask Steve, Clint, and Nat.

  "No, but I got the same vibe," Natasha says.

  "Is this one of those things that only master assassins can sense?" Clint asks, trying to crack a joke.

  "Bucky, what's going on?" Steve asks.

  "I don't know. Where I found Joan, I saw mud on the floor," as I'm about to keep going, Tony interrupted me.

  "Really Barnes? We all wear shoes, why is mud important?"

  I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh in frustration. "Because, Tony, you just had this place cleaned, not only that but none of us are wearing shoes that have mud on them. And no one else came into the common room except us," I explain.

  "So someone had to have gotten in," Natasha finishes for me.

  "Hydra?" Rose asks.

  "I don't know. I doubt it. They would have been more loud about it," I explain.

  "Guys, I got something," Bruce says.

  We all turn our attention to him and crowd around the computer.

  "There's things attacking her brain cells. See those little white dots?" Bruce asks, pointing at the versus dots on the screen with his pen. "What ever is attacking her body, is also attacking her brain."

  "Is it cancer?" Tony asks.

  "No, definitely not that. I don't know what it is. I've never seen anything like it," he explains.

  "What do we do? How do we fix her?" Steve asks.

  "I don't know that either."

  "I could go into her mind and try to find out what's going on," Rose says.

  "I don't know if that's a good idea," I say.

  "I've been getting better," she protests.

  "It's worth a shot Buck," Steve says. I hate how he always sides with her.

  I cross my arms. "Fine," I say bluntly.

  We all walk into the room and Rose pulls up a chair next to Joan. She places her hands on the side of her head and closes her eyes.

  As Rose is trying to do her thing, Wanda is walking her through it, step by step. I hate the idea of having Rose do it. Look, she's a great kid, but I know that Joan would be against this. After about ten minutes or so, I can see Joan clench her fists. He body tightens and her face shows fear.

  I step up to her and look at Wanda. "What's going on?" I ask, placing my hand on the bed.

  "Rose is in her mind. She's trying to find out what's going on," Wanda states.

  Then, Rose's face scrunches up. "I-I can't get in. She won't let me. Something blocking me," Rose says, it almost sounds like she's in pain.

  "What do you mean somethings blocking you?" Tony asks.

  Suddenly, Rose let's out a shriek. Steve rushes to her side and kneels beside her. I look down to Joan who has her back arched, almost like she's strapped down to a table. Her face seems to be distraught and in pain.

  "We need to stop this Steve!" I command, through Roses screams.

  "Hold on give her some more time," he tries to push.

  I look back down to Joan who's breathing is hitched and ragged. Not only that but I can tell that she want's to scream, but something is stopping her, so instead it comes out as whimpers.

  "Ok enough!" I yell.

  Steve tries to get Rose out, but now it's to the point that Wanda has to step in. Wanda places her hands on Rose and tries to pull her out. Now that Wanda is in her mind, Joan looks to be in more pain.

  Rose is screaming and Wanda is grunting through the pain. Joan though, Joan starts letting out whimpers and small yelps.

  Suddenly, Joan darts up from the bed and Wanda and Joan both topple over. I place my hand on Joans back as she wings her legs around the table. She looks so sweaty, and tired. Then, out of no where she jumps off the bed and sprints towards the trash can by Tony, and throws up.

  I rush to her side and pull her hair back with one hand as the other does circles on her back. "It's ok, let it out. You're ok,'' I tell her softly. Poor girl.

  Once she pulls away, I actually get a look at her face. She looks drained and pale. She has dark bags under her eyes, and she just looks drained and tired. I help her up and back onto the bed. Wanda is now fully recovered, but Rose is still toppled over, rubbing her temples.

  I can't help but roll my eyes at her. "Joan, are you ok?" I ask. She looks at me and for the first time, I can see the real her. Her icy blue eyes, turn into soft ocean like ones. This was her, this was the Joan that I knew.

  "I'm fine," she says shakily.

  "Rose what happened?" Bruce asks.

  Rose let's out a shaky breath and then looks to Joan with hatred in her eyes. "You monster," she says, but it comes out more like a squeak.

  Joan just hangs her head, her body giving out. I catch her and she now rests peacefully against my chest. I turn my head to Rose, she was really starting to piss me off.

  "What did you see?" Steve asks.

  "Memories," she says, her voice still coming out ragged.

"Your's or hers?" Steve asks.

"Hers."