Save Me

Chapter 20

Bucky's POV

Sam's been asleep for a couple of days now, and Jay isn't taking it well. Not leaving her side, refusing to eat etc, so I'm staying here with him to make sure he doesn't straight up collapse. Peter is also blaming himself for making her go on patrol. What is it with these self-sacrificing people that makes them always blame themselves? I only had to deal with one of them back in the day, but now the entire team?!

Bruce was checking her IV drip when she began to stir, her eyelids fluttering softly. "FRIDAY, dim the lights," Jay asks the AI (can someone teach me what this AI is and does?). Bruce immediately runs towards her, checking her over to see if she's alright. She groans for a second, squirming slightly from the uncomfortable hospital bed.

She eventually croaks out, "w- wa- ter," I'm up as soon as she says it, sprinting to the kitchen to get a glass for her. As I enter the kitchen, I notice everyone else is in the lounge watching TV. I decide not to tell them about Sam, because she probably doesn't want everybody crowding around her within the first 5 minutes of her waking up.

That is until I spot Peter. I know he's been taking this hard, so I whisper in his ear, "she's awake." He immediately bolts from his seat and sprints down the stairs at inhuman speed. I take the elevator as to not spill any water.

When I get back down, I see Peter holding Sam's hand and apologising to her. "-orry, I shouldn't have let you go out on your own, it should've been me, please forgive me, I love you so much and I can't live without you please-," she cuts him off with a kiss. Ew.

"I love you too," she whispers. "And it's gonna take a lot more than a couple bullets to get rid of me," she giggles and turns to the door, which is where I'm still standing.

"A couple?" I say sarcastically.

"A few," she replies in the same manner, giggling once more. I hand her the glass of water before taking Jay's hand. Bruce follows us after telling Sam that she needs to rest.

"We'll give you two some time alone," I drag Jay out of the room as he waves back to Sam. We enter the elevator and go back up to the lounge. Everybody is staring at us when we get there.

"What happened? Where's Peter?" Tony asks urgently.

"Sam's awake," Nat jumps up as soon as the words leave my mouth. "But..." I put a hand on her chest to stop her from going any further. "She's with Peter and is in bed rest." Nat sits down with a pout and Jay joins her, cuddling into her side. I sit next to Steve and we snuggle up together. We continue watching the film that was on when we got here.

—————Time skip—————

We were on our third movie. Clint, Tony, Jay and Steve are all asleep when FRIDAY makes an announcement to the whole team. "Miss Barnes is requesting the presence of Miss Romanoff and Master Barnes." Nat picks Jay up and takes him to the elevator, going down to see Sam. I watch as the doors close and listen to the slight rumble it makes as it descends.

Nat's POV

I carry Jay carefully, making sure not to wake him up. I walk into the med bay to see Peter asleep, his head on the hospital bed that Sam lay in. She turns her head slowly, looking at Jay and I. Seeing her in this shape breaks my heart, I'm not gonna lie. I watch as she smiles, clearly in pain and smile sympathetically at her. I walk towards the pair and Sam shuffles slightly, patting the spot next to her. I put Jay in the spot and sit down on the hard plastic chairs.

We watch the two boys for a couple minutes before I speak up. "Why do you do this to yourself?" I ask softly, careful not to wake up the sleeping beauties.

"I'm used to it," she responds, shrugging.

"That's a bad thing, y'know?" I snort quietly. She chuckles to herself, before erupting into a coughing fit. Peter stirs and notices the situation, grabbing her the glass of water. She smiles gratefully and takes a couple sips.

"I know," she begins, "but I've learned to deal with it." She looks down sadly at Jay, yet with some sort of pride that only a parent could have. Peter excuses himself so we can talk for a bit.

If I had to be honest, I envy them. A lot. They are the perfect mother-son duo and they're both so young. No doubt they will live old and spend a lifetime together. Something I will never understand. Of course, adopting is always an option, but not in this line of work. And, it's just not the same. I pray every night to whatever God I have heard of, from every religion and mythology known to mankind, for some sort of miracle. To be able to change what happened in that hellhole. But from watching these two, and almost everyone else on the team, I'm able to get through, because we're heroes, and we're not supposed to dwell on the past.

"You're lucky, you know?" I say and Sam looks up at me. "You May be young, and you may have been through absolute hell, but you have a family. And they'll never leave you." She looks happy for a moment, before remembering my past.

"I'm so sorry if I-."

I chuckle at her. "It okay." I smile at her, but I know she can see my sadness. "Just, be grateful," she nods her head ever so slightly.

"I am."