She's Afraid and Forgotten - Winter Soldier

Memories Forgotten Chapter 15

Third P.O.V.

" Have you found out anything new about Dorthea yet? " Bucky asks while walking into the lab where Bruce has been working non-stop for hours. 

Bruce sighs, rubbing his forehead. " Not yet. I'm having a hard time translating this. It's in multiple languages, including dead ones I don't know about. I did find out she's had a caretaker for a good portion of her life. I don't know who that is but I know they had a strong bond together. " Bruce takes a sip of his fifth cup of coffee and cleans his glasses before looking back at his notes. 

" I can't believe someone would raise a child in that place. " Bucky shakes his head. " Poor kid. " 

" Have you gone in to see her yet? She's been passed out for about an hour, but I think she's up now. I'm going to go get her some food in a minute. She's way malnourished. I was going to put in some IV's to help her, but Dorothea freaked out and wouldn't let me anywhere near her. I'm hoping she'll eat. " Bruce glances at the only other person in the room. " How are you doing? Have you remembered anything yet? " 

Bucky shakes his head. He'd been wracking his brain for hours trying to figure out when and where he'd met that girl before and why she thinks he's her father. He'd never been a father-never planned on being one either. At least not now. Had he wanted a family before? From what he remembers from his past-which isn't much, and from what Steve had told him-Yes. Yes, he had. He hasn't really thought about having a family or getting into a serious relationship now. He doesn't even know if that's all possible. He might not be able to have children due to all the trash HYDRA put his body through and his age. " I still can't think of how I know her. I've tried walking through everything in my memories, everything I can remember at least, and I don't know how I know her. Maybe I don't know her. Maybe I just look like her father-I mean, if I had a child, wouldn't I remember that? " Bucky asks very confusedly. 

Bruce shrugs. " I don't know. Your memories are scattered and lots of things are blocked out. It's possible you do know her or are somehow related to her and just don't remember it. Your mind has been through a lot, maybe blocking her out stops some emotional pain or something. Brains are trained to protect us...maybe blocking her out is protecting you somehow. " 

Bucky sighs. " I don't know. Maybe it is. " 

Bruce stands up, glancing at the clock. " I'm going to go give Dorothea some food. You wanna come? " 

" Is that a good idea? She freaked out the last time she saw me. " Bucky points out, contemplating in his head whether or whether not to go see the little girl. 

" You're right...I mean, you can watch and try to remember if you know her. She won't see you from the tinted glass of the new room I moved her into. " Bruce had to move Dorothea into a new, empty room because she freaked out every time she saw a doctor or random person or object walking by. 'The poor child. She's so afraid of everything. ' Bruce thinks, his heart paining slightly for the young girl. ' No one should have to go through what she has, especially at her age. '

" Sure...I'll go and watch. Maybe that'll trigger my memories. " Bucky finally agrees after a moment of thinking. 

" Okay. Be careful while digging through your memories, Bucky. You might find some things you don't want to remember. " Bruce warns the man. 

Bucky nods, his mind not fully focusing on Bruce. He'd been sucked back into his thoughts and wonders about Dorothea. 

Bruce leads Bucky towards the room Dorothea's currently staying in. The door is locked from the outside to keep Dorothea from coming out and running around and getting overwhelmed from all the things she's never seen before and to keep people from going in and scaring her. 

Bruce takes a tray full of blander foods and drinks to give to the child. He doesn't want to overwhelm her with different flavors she's probably never tasted before and get her sick. " Well, wish me luck. " Bruce mutters while scanning his passcard through the lock and letting himself into the room. " Hi there, Dorothea. " Bruce says softly, trying not to scare Dorothea. " I've brought you some food. " 

Dorothea looks at the man with fear and confusion in her eyes. She moves as far as she can from him, wondering if this is all a lie or if he's tricking her and going to hurt her. 

" Do you want me to stay with you while you eat? Or would you like to eat by yourself? " Bruce asks while gently setting the tray down a few feet away from the girl.

" A-alone. " Dorothea's voice is hoarse and quiet. Her eyes dart around the room. Her stomach growls quietly, making Dorothea tense. 

Bruce nods. " Okay. Well, I'll be just outside if you need me. " Bruce sends the girl a small smile, waving at her slightly before leaving the room. 

Bruce closes the door and lets out a sigh of sadness. " Well, let's hope she'll eat. " Bruce walks towards Bucky who's intensely watching the young girl, trying to remember. " Poor kid. " He mutters while watching her quickly snatch some bread off of the tray and rushing back to her corner. 

Dorothea stares at the bread in her hands, inspecting it for anything unusual. After not finding anything strange about the bread, Dorothea hesitantly takes a bite, looking at the door for any sudden intruders. She misses her father, she wishes he was here. Why didn't he recognize her like before? 

" What's going to happen to her? " Bucky asks.

Bruce shrugs, his eyes staying on the girl. " I don't know yet. I'm thinking that since Fury was informed about her arrival, she'll probably be transferred to a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility where she'll get better care for her wounds and be questioned on what she knows. I don't know what will happen to her next. She might be sent into foster care if they can't find family or if she's not doing well mentally-which is very possible seeing as she's been living like a prisoner her entire life-they'll send her to an institution where she'll get the proper help she needs. " 

Bucky's eyebrows furrow. " What? Question her? Like the type of questioning, I went through? " He looks at Bruce. 

Bruce nods. " Yeah. I know it's terrible, but they're the boss'. They've got to find out what she knows before something happens again with HYDRA. " 

" That 'questioning' was torture for me. It's not going to be any better for her. She's a child, for Pete's sake. She'll be messed up even more than she was before if they take her. " Bucky spits. 

Bruce glances at the angered man. " Unless we find some reason to keep her here or a way to work out a deal with S.H.I.E.L.D, they're going to come and take her within the next week or so. " 

" How do we find a way to keep her? Is there some-some doctors note you can sign or something? " Bucky asks. 

" I wish it was that simple but no. We have to come up with a real reason to keep her such as she has classified information of Stark's or something like that. But, Dorothea can barely count to twenty. I doubt she has dangerous information of any kind in her mind. Besides, she's a child. No one would trust her with that sort of information. " 

Bucky bites his lip out of frustration. Why does this girl know him? How does she know him? Who was taking care of her in that cell? Why did HYDRA want her? 

Thousands of thoughts run through Bucky's head, begging for answers to solve them. Bucky looks at the girl one last time before turning away. " I'm going to go talk to Steve. " 

Maybe Steve knows something Bucky doesn't.