OUT OF THIS WORLD [2] ✓ (AVENGERS FF)

12.

After their conversation, both parties fall back asleep, the Doctor protectively holding her hand, his head resting next to her.

Hours later, Bruce awakens next to a heater, his brows furrowed together in confusion as he opens his eyes, which land on the girl's shivering form.

Quickly coming to his senses, he stands up and opens the blinds a little to take a better look, noticing the girl shaking more.

"Vanessa?" He calls out softly, hands gently shaking her shoulder. When she doesn't respond, he tries again. "Vanessa, talk to me." He says, this time grabbing both her arms, the girl letting out a pained groan, her head hanging limply as he picks her up.

Outside, the brown haired super soldier is about to knock on the door when he hears something break inside her room. Without hesitating, he opens the door, almost breaking it in the process.

"Dr. Banner?" Bucky questions, frowning when his gaze lands on the girl's form. "What's going on?"

"I'm not really sure." The Doctor says wiping his forehead. "But we need to get her in the tub now." He says, alarmed by the girl's state.

"Alright. I got her." Bucky says, exchanging a nod with the doctor who quickly goes and gets everything ready. In the meantime, the super soldier carefully places his arm under the girl's legs, the other arm holding onto her shoulder to keep her in place. As he does so, the girl leans her head on his chest, teeth gritted as she clutches onto his shirt.

"Is this even normal?" The super soldier questions as he feels the high temperature radiating from the girl, hurrying over to the bathroom where he carefully placed her in the tub.

As the girl sinks in the ice cold water, her body relaxes a little, her shaking coming to a stop.

"How long has she been like this?" Bucky asks.

"Around a day. But she's not improving." Bruce replies frowning. "Her fever is too high, and I don't think medicine will help much." He adds, letting out a sigh as he sits on a chair. "I didn't think it was going to last this long." Bruce says pressing the bridge of his nose. "If her fever doesn't go down, we might have to get outside help."

As he listens, Bucky gives the doctor a nod, hesitantly placing his hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure she's going to be okay Doctor. She will pull through." He says, trying to reassure himself as well.

Both fall into silence as they watch the girl, the super soldier deep in thought as he speaks again. "Was it Hydra?" He asks in a low voice, fists clenching by his side.

"I'm not really sure." The Doctor confesses. "We've been running tests ever since she came back and nothing had changed until now. We've tried asking her what happened during the time she was kidnapped, but she says she doesn't remember much of what happened, so we can't be sure of anything."

"But if it helps, there have been no signs of experimentation." He offers.

I don't blame her. Bucky thinks to himself. He himself does his best to forget his time with Hydra. It's no surprise the girl is doing the same.

The door opens startling both of them, their bodies tensing as they see a silhouette approaching, relieved when a friendly face shows up by the bathroom doorway.