Different worlds (a Steve Rogers love story)

Chapter 42 - Hang in there

Steve's eyelids fluttered open to a course, wet object repeatedly licking his face.
"Good boy Blue."  Steve said with a raspy breath and a cough, rubbing Blue behind the ear.
Steve slowly sat up, checking himself and Blue for any injuries.
"Blue, stay here buddy.  Stay!"
Luckily, Blue was fine.  Steve was a bit worse for wear but he had to find the others, quickly.

The room was completely full of dust and rubble, with some large chunks of ceiling now scattered across the floor .
"Han!  Hannah!"  Steve's voice wasn't as loud as it should have been, but the dust was grating at the inside of his throat like sandpaper, causing him to cough.
"Steve?!"  Tony and Bucky both yelled from the other side of the room.
"You guys okay?"  Steve said as he made his was over to them.  "Where's Sam and Hannah?"
"Sam's here.  He's badly hurt Steve.  He took a hit to the abdomen and the chest, he's losing a lot of blood."  Bucky said with great urgency.
"We haven't seen Han Steve.  She's somewhere over where the kitchen was, that's where she fell.  I can help you look if you want Cap?"  Tony offered.
"No, it's fine.  I got this.  Get Sam out, then go find the others.  Nat and Clint were in the gym, Thor was in his room, and you need to check with JARVIS to find out who else was in the building.  I'll get Hannah and meet you guys outside."  Steve yelled over the sound of another shell hitting the tower.
"I'm not leaving you!"  Bucky shouted back.
"I'll be fine Buck, go find Nat, she might be hurt."
Bucky begrudgingly followed Steve's orders and left, helping Tony get Sam out of the building.

With the others off the main floor, Steve turned his attention back to finding Hannah.  It wasn't too long after he'd started looking again that Steve spotted a hand sticking out of the rubble that used to  be the kitchen.  Moving as quickly as he could, Steve made his way over to that area.  Once he got there, he found Hannah almost completely buried in rubble, minus her hand, one of her legs, and part of her face.

Putting his shield down next to him so he had full use of both of his hands, Steve began to move the rubble off of Hannah's body.  He feared with every movement that he was doing more damage than good, but he knew he had to get her out of the tower and to a hospital.  Once he'd got her free of the rubble, Steve picked up his shield and gently pulled Hannah into a bridal style lift.  He looked down at her with a look of worry on his face.
"Blue!  Come on buddy, let's go!"
Blue ran across the rubble to get to Steve before they all headed to the stairs to make their way out of the tower.

...

In the tower's gym, Bucky was helping Natasha and Clint out.  Tony had gone to help Thor, once Sam was with the paramedics, before getting any of the staff out that were on the bottom 2 floors of the tower, a job which had now been completed.
"I'm fine James, honestly."  Natasha said as she looked into Bucky's eyes in an attempt to reassure him.
"I know.  I just wanna get you two out as quickly as possible."
"Come on then you two, otherwise Cap and Stark will be risking their lives trying to find us.  Again."  Clint said, having managed to get the door to the stairwell open again.
Natasha threw Clint his bow and arrows and the three of them made their way downstairs.

...

"Cap!  Over here!"  Tony yelled as Steve all but stumbled out of the stairwell, coughing and spluttering, but managing to stay upright so as not to drop Hannah.
"Lay her down here Captain."  Thor said as he gestured towards a spot on the ground.
Steve gently placed Hannah on the ground before sitting next to her with his legs spread out in front of him.
Paramedics were all around the tower as Bucky, Natasha and Clint finally made it out.
"Steve!"  Bucky yelled having spotted the super soldier, still sat on the floor.  "You okay pal?"  Bucky asked as he placed a hand on Steve's shoulder.  "Where's Han?"
"I'm good.  Just a little bashed up.  They already took Han to the hospital, I'm gonna go too, I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay and everyone was out."  Steve explained, still slightly out of breath.
"We're good Steve, now go, get to the hospital and find Hannah.  We'll meet you there."  Natasha said with a reassuring smile.
"Thanks Nat.  I'll see you guys there."  Steve said before standing up and making his way over to a paramedic.

Despite his friends' concern for his health and wellbeing, they could all see that Steve's mind was focused on making sure Hannah was okay.
"Come on then boys, lets get to the hospital."  Natasha said as they made their way over to Natasha and Tony's cars and drove to the hospital.