James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nerves_of_ice) wrote2021-05-13 06:45 am
nerves_of_ice) wrote2021-05-13 06:45 am
Entry tags:
[oom] within a shell of infinite space
He wakes long before dawn. Bucky lies still in the darkness, listening to the soft sound of Sharon breathing beside him, and tries not to let himself think. It's easier than he'd expected it would be. He's already made the decision to go ahead with the procedure, experimental or not, and he isn't willing to change it. As he accepts that, truly accepts it all the way down to his bones, a quiet sort of peace settles over him, and he gives himself up to it.
He waits until dawn streaks the sky outside before he gets up. Sharon murmurs a sleepy complaint, and he kisses her hair and reassures her he'll be back in a moment. It actually takes a lot longer than that for him to manage to shower and wash his hair as thoroughly as he can in the dim morning light, then to dress in the clothes that Shuri's technician had suggested he wear for comfort during cryostasis. He hadn't bothered to tell the tech that it doesn't really matter - he'd appreciated the gesture too much. When he finally goes back inside, Bucky makes coffee for them both, and smiles slightly at Sharon's efforts to be bright and cheerful, even this early. He knows why she's doing it. He doesn't protest.
Steve is waiting when they reach the Citadel. He stays with Bucky while Sharon goes to get cleaned up, the two of them standing together and looking out at the incredible view. They don't talk about the procedure, or the upcoming mission, or anything at all. They've already said everything that needs saying.
When the three of them arrive at the lab, another one of Shuri's medical technicians leads them back to the bioscan chamber. Shuri's already there, fingers flying over multiple keyboards and activating more things than Bucky can easily keep track of in a glance on a variety of displays. There's a soft hum from the equipment, he notices - even Wakandan technology isn't entirely silent, it seems. Somehow, that's reassuring. He listens carefully, aware of Steve and Sharon doing the same at his side, while she explains the procedure to follow one more time. How she'll be taking the final, full-spectrum comprehensive bioscan of his brain, capturing any and every possible nuance down to the smallest of details at both the nervous system and cellular levels. How she'll upload and double-check everything in a digital representation of his mind and how she'll put him to sleep once she's sure it's ready. How she'll finalize the new algorithm's design over the weeks to follow and test it against the digital copy to make sure HYDRA's programming can safely be destroyed.
How she'll overwrite his mind with the results, hopefully setting him free.
"Are you ready?" Shuri asks, finally, and Bucky nods.
"Yes."
Steve's the first to move, grasping his shoulder and pulling him into a quick hug. "See you when you wake up, Buck," he murmurs. "Don't sleep too long this time." Bucky manages a rueful grin in answer. "Count on it."
When he turns to Sharon, she just smiles at him, warm and bright. He smiles back, trying to reassure, and leans down to kiss her before he climbs into the chamber the technician's prepared for him, lies back, and closes his eyes to wait it through.
After a few minutes, the soft hum of the scanner shifts into an equally soft hiss as the cryostasis module activates, and he slides into unconsciousness before he even realizes it.
He waits until dawn streaks the sky outside before he gets up. Sharon murmurs a sleepy complaint, and he kisses her hair and reassures her he'll be back in a moment. It actually takes a lot longer than that for him to manage to shower and wash his hair as thoroughly as he can in the dim morning light, then to dress in the clothes that Shuri's technician had suggested he wear for comfort during cryostasis. He hadn't bothered to tell the tech that it doesn't really matter - he'd appreciated the gesture too much. When he finally goes back inside, Bucky makes coffee for them both, and smiles slightly at Sharon's efforts to be bright and cheerful, even this early. He knows why she's doing it. He doesn't protest.
Steve is waiting when they reach the Citadel. He stays with Bucky while Sharon goes to get cleaned up, the two of them standing together and looking out at the incredible view. They don't talk about the procedure, or the upcoming mission, or anything at all. They've already said everything that needs saying.
When the three of them arrive at the lab, another one of Shuri's medical technicians leads them back to the bioscan chamber. Shuri's already there, fingers flying over multiple keyboards and activating more things than Bucky can easily keep track of in a glance on a variety of displays. There's a soft hum from the equipment, he notices - even Wakandan technology isn't entirely silent, it seems. Somehow, that's reassuring. He listens carefully, aware of Steve and Sharon doing the same at his side, while she explains the procedure to follow one more time. How she'll be taking the final, full-spectrum comprehensive bioscan of his brain, capturing any and every possible nuance down to the smallest of details at both the nervous system and cellular levels. How she'll upload and double-check everything in a digital representation of his mind and how she'll put him to sleep once she's sure it's ready. How she'll finalize the new algorithm's design over the weeks to follow and test it against the digital copy to make sure HYDRA's programming can safely be destroyed.
How she'll overwrite his mind with the results, hopefully setting him free.
"Are you ready?" Shuri asks, finally, and Bucky nods.
"Yes."
Steve's the first to move, grasping his shoulder and pulling him into a quick hug. "See you when you wake up, Buck," he murmurs. "Don't sleep too long this time." Bucky manages a rueful grin in answer. "Count on it."
When he turns to Sharon, she just smiles at him, warm and bright. He smiles back, trying to reassure, and leans down to kiss her before he climbs into the chamber the technician's prepared for him, lies back, and closes his eyes to wait it through.
After a few minutes, the soft hum of the scanner shifts into an equally soft hiss as the cryostasis module activates, and he slides into unconsciousness before he even realizes it.
no subject
Sleeping, she reminds herself. And without any nightmares to trouble him. Surely that's a good thing.
"Better not," she mutters, and behind her, Steve says: "What?"
"Nothing." Her arms are crossed hard against her chest; she forces them apart and turns away, towards the door. "I'll be in my room," she tells him, and her tone is absolutely focused, all business. "Come find me when you want to go over the mission. There's a lot to do."