Nightingale's Song (My MCU #3)

Chapter 5

It was less than a month later that Dugan came in. His side was split open and bullets riddled the rest of him. Blood colored his lips as he groaned in pain. The other nurses chased the rest of the Commandos from medical while Anna gripped Dugan's hand. He gave her a weak smile.

"Guess I get to see Cap and Barnes sooner than I thought," he managed to force out, gasping at the end of the sentence.

Tears ran down Anna's cheeks as she set her jaw. Not again. She wasn't saying goodbye again.

"There's nothing we can do," the doctor said to her, a guilty expression on his face.

Anna didn't wait to hear the door shut. She didn't look around to make certain the room was empty. She didn't care. Not anymore. She fed her power into Dugan, finding wounds and repairing them. The holes closed up as the bullets were pushed from his body to fall onto the table.

"Anna, stop," Dugan said, squeezing her hand.

But she didn't stop. She found every scrape, every bruise and fixed it. Dugan felt better than he had in months. He finally managed to pull his hand from her grip as he propped himself up on his elbow. Anna faced him, but her eyes were unfocused. "Sweetheart?" he asked in a soft voice. They always said she had the 'magic touch' but none of them had imagined anything like this.

She seemed to focus on him for a moment before her lids fluttered close and she swayed sideways. He moved quickly to catch her and scoop her up in his arms. Now, she laid where he'd been a moment before. One hand held hers while the other pushed the hair from her forehead.

"I will see to Miss Charles," a lightly accented voice said and Dugan turned in surprise.

The doctor who had pronounced him a hopeless cause stood in the corner. He gave a tight smile when Dugan's gaze fell on him. Something about the man didn't sit right with him, but he wouldn't be able to name it if asked. He ignored the doctor and put his attention back on Anna.

"Come on, sweetheart. Wake up for me," he practically begged. They'd all kind of adopted her when Barnes died and if she'd hurt herself saving him, he'd never forgive himself.

A hand came down on his shoulder and he clenched his jaw.

"I promise she is in good hands, Corporal. This has happened before. I know just what to do." The doctor's voice had taken on a kinder edge and his words made Dugan feel moderately better. "You should join the rest of your squad. They'll be wondering about your condition."

Dugan straightened and turned to the other man as he let Anna's hand slip from his own. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, doc. I'll check in with the others then one of us will be back."

"Of course," the doctor said with another fake smile.

The corporal headed toward the entrance stopping at the doorway to take one more glance at the woman who saved his life.

It didn't take him long to find the rest of the Commandos gathered under a tree a short distance away. They always went to the same place to wait when someone was in medical.

"I've never seen a sadder bunch of misfits in my life," he called when he was still a good distance away.

There was a moment of disbelief before they all ran in his direction. They surrounded him, shouting so many questions he had trouble picking out one to answer. He held up his hands to quiet them. "Easy, lads. One at a time." He couldn't help but laugh at their visible relief that he was all right.

"You were near dead, Dugan. What happened?" Junior asked.

"Anna," came the answer but not from him. They all turned to find Peggy standing a short distance away, her face pinched with worry.

Dugan's smile fell, that uneasy feeling coming back. "Yeah. You knew?"

She nodded. "They'll all know now that she's saved you. She must have exhausted herself. Where is she?"

His brow furrowed. "I left her with one of the doctors. He said this had happened before and he knew what to do."

Peggy stepped forward. "No one knows. No one except for me. Where is she?"

"She's in the same room I was in." The rest of the commandos weren't certain what was going on but they knew Anna was in trouble. That was enough for them to fall in line behind Peggy and Dugan.

They were ten feet from the building when an explosion tossed them backward. Dugan scrambled up and, using an arm to shield his face, pushed toward the building. He had to try to get to Anna. To save her. Heat overwhelmed him as flames rolled from the doorway. There was no way anyone could survive that. Anna was gone.

***

When Anna woke, she was laying on something hard and cold. She blinked trying to adjust to the bright light that blinded her. Finally, things around her began to fall into focus but she wasn't any less confused. It appeared to be some sort of medical facility but not one she had ever seen. How did she get here?

Her brow furrowed as she scoured her memories. Dugan. She saved Dum Dum but she couldn't remember anything that happened after that. Surely, they hadn't locked her up because of what she'd done. Not her boys. The fear of the unknown made her heart race.

She attempted to sit up only to discover she was unable to. Stretching her neck, she saw thick straps holding her body to the table. What the hell was going on?

"Hello?" she called out. Her voice cracked from disuse and she wondered how long she'd been out. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello?"

This time the door creaked open. The screeching sound made her cringe. Footsteps entered the room but stopped short of her line of sight. "Is someone there?"

"You are much prettier than I thought you would be," a deep voice answered. The Russian accent was easily identified.

"Do I know you?" Nausea rolled in her belly and she struggled to take a deep breath. What would anyone want with her? Why would anyone be talking about her?

A man stepped into sight. He was dressed all in black with pale blonde hair. A small pair of glasses perched on his nose and he tilted his head as he looked her over. "Not yet. But you will. We will be spending a great deal of time together you and I."

"Where am I?" Tears welled in her eyes and her voice shook. She hated herself for it, but she was no soldier. She was a nurse.

He clicked his tongue. "No tears, sweetling. There is nothing to cry over yet. You have nothing to fear from us. In fact, I have no doubt you will be a great asset to Hydra."

The name sent a cold chill through her. It wasn't possible. Steve had taken out the last of Hydra, hadn't he? She licked her lips. "I want to go home. Please just send me home."

"Ah. You are home, devushka and we have so many plans for you."