The Unknown Enemy ∘ Marvel [3]

Chapter 9: Forgetful Homecoming

They stayed the entire surgery, off to the side of the room. The doctors would throw nasty looks their way, but did they care? No.

As Steve kept his eyes on either the floor or a frail Sienna, Natasha watched the doctors. She watched the fluids they'd inject into her, the scalpels and deduced movements, and most importantly, their faces. She didn't trust any one of them, not after the hyperbaric chamber. Not after Sienna's random reappearance.

So as the minutes ticked by and beads of sweat formed on the doctors' heads, the Unseen Avenger's pulse would fluctuate slightly every half hour or so. The nurses would always tend to freeze or freak out a bit, but the doctors would furrow their eyebrows and continue to work. Within three hours, they were working on sewing back Sienna's gut together.

As a few if the assistants took off their bloody gloves, one of the head doctor's came up to the two heroes. He detached his mask that guarded his nose and mouth to talk to them," She seems stabilized, but we will have to keep an eye on her. We'll have one of our nurses asses her for all her wounds, but just a look at her shows that over 30% of her body is covered in scar tissue, ranging from a few weeks ago up to the time the she disappeared. Her gut has sustained a fair amount of damage and she'll be hospitalized for the next few months."

"When will she wake up?" Rogers asked, gaze lingering back and forth from the doctor and Sienna.

"Give it a few hours. She hasn't gone comatose, but there is a slight chance she might slip into it, but very unlikely. We have no idea her mental state, but that's a whole other bridge to cross. I have a psychological therapist and behavior analyst on call if we need him, but we can't be sure."

"So everything's up in the air?" Natasha cocked her head, unimpressed by the doctor's knowledge of her friends' condition.

The doctor gave a very annoyed look to the Black Widow," Look, I allowed you to watch the surgery, which I don't even reserve for family members of patients."

Natasha smiled, completely fake and she was letting him know it," Allowed? I say more along the lines of we intimidated you into letting us."

The doctor balled one of his fists, the redhead smirking at his response," Sure, whatever wording you want. You want to watch her sleep, or are you going to take a seat outside? Either way, I will be calling security."

Before Natasha could answer, Steve held up his hand again for the second time that day, pretty much telling her to shut up before charges were pressed,"I don't think that's necessary. We're only worried about Sienna. What are her chances?"

The doctor diverts his glare from Natasha to the Captain, setting his jaw in anger, speaking tight through his teeth," We won't know till she wakes up or until her body proves it can function well enough in the state to actually keep her alive."

"But you can do your job and keep her alive, correct?" Natasha continued to prod, and the doctor about had enough.

"Security-" he called, but was cut off as a man dressed in all black, with only one eye, the other covered.

"Delay that order Doctor," Fury looked at the man, radiating his commanding presence throughout the room. The man seemed to shrink a bit, nodding as he moved away a little from the director.

Fury walked over to Sienna, putting his hands in the pockets of his trench coat as he gave a lopsided smile," Well, well. You just can't die, can you Firman?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clint had been notified immediately, but it would take a few hours before he got to DC. He was screaming in happiness over the phone, basically blowing out Natasha's eardrums. The archer kept saying something along the lines of 'stubborn old girl' and 'stupid kid', contradictory, but excitement none the less.