[Ohio AU] the heart of winter

[nerves_of_ice]

Coulson had been called away on something for Fury before they'd gotten more than halfway to wherever his locker is and the set of trading cards stored within it. Without anything else to do, Bucky makes his way back to the quarters he's been given. It's either that or explore the rest of the helicarrier on his own, and that seems like something that can wait safely enough.

He swings by the mess on the way back. As he'd suspected, it's not placed too far distant from what serves as a commissary on this boat. He requisitions a couple of notebooks, a couple of pencils and pens and takes it all with him.

Might as well start with a report on the other Soldiers, he decides. That's likely to be more important in the immediate future than anything else.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"Right here on the gurney," he hears the doctor say. Bucky drifts a little closer to keep a better ear on things for any signs of trouble. "I'll get a scan ready. Want to tell me why you're here voluntarily to be checked out?"

[from_the_outside]

She sits, a little more carefully than she's allowed herself to move around Bucky, and winces as she hoists her legs onto the gurney and lies back, folding her hands on her stomach. "A building fell on me," she says, dry.

"After it got hit with a missile. Fortunately, I had someone a lot tougher than me blocking most of the wreckage, but I still took a few hits."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I see." The doctor pulls out a wand that emits a soothing blue light and starts running it over her. As he does, a digital image appears on the wall screen. "Quite a few, it looks like."

[from_the_outside]

"More than I'd like," she admits. "And it knocked me out for a bit. Longer than just a few seconds."

[nerves_of_ice]

"We'll be doing an MRI then. And you should be taking it easy for at least the next two weeks."

Bucky tenses. How badly was she hurt?

[from_the_outside]

"How about I take it easy for the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours before my next mission?" she hazards, making a face at the scans as they appear. "I'll sit down sometimes and everything."

[nerves_of_ice]

"One week minimum," the doctor says. "That's less than I'd like but clearly you're not bleeding out inside your skull or you'd have collapsed already."

He starts tapping the scan. "Scrapes, cuts, contusions, deep bruises, bone bruises, it's frankly a miracle your ribs or other bones aren't broken, muscle strain, and yes, post-concussion markers."

Bucky grits his teeth. Hard.

[from_the_outside]

Outstanding. "Well, that explains the headaches."

She closes her eyes for a long moment, then stares up at the ceiling. "What am I supposed to do for a week, ride a desk?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"Rest. Don't overdo. Sleep. Rest some more. I can give you something for the headaches and the rest of it, but if you don't take the time it'll take longer for you to get all the way back to well."

He may not have known her that long, but Bucky knows that's not likely to go down easy.

[from_the_outside]

She presses her lips together, contemplating an entire week of rest and sleep while everyone else works to take out the facility in Siberia. "Give me what you can," she says, finally. "And I'll try, but you know as well as I do that we'll be lucky to get even two full days where all I need to do is rest."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Try hard." The sound of pills rattling carries. "Two of these every four hours. One of these every six, in addition, if you can afford to be a little fuzzy. Like when you're resting. Or sleeping."

[from_the_outside]

Sharon sighs and sits up, slow, every muscle protesting. "Whatever you say, doc."

She holds out her hand for the bottles and examines them, then slides them into her pocket. "Anything else?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"If you start feeling worse, or start seeing double, come back and see me immediately. Don't wait. Got it?"

Bucky makes a mental note.

[from_the_outside]

"Loud and clear." She pushes off the gurney and heads toward the door, straightening as she heads through. "See you later."

[nerves_of_ice]

The doctor sounds resigned. "See you later, Agent Thirteen."

Bucky straightens as she comes back into the room. "How'd it go?" His tone is perfectly bland.

[from_the_outside]

She pulls one of the bottles from her pocket and shakes it at him as she heads towards the exit, not even breaking stride. "Fine. Pretty much what I expected. Got some painkillers, though."

[nerves_of_ice]

"That's good. Need some water?" He follows her out into the hall, keeping pace with ease.

[from_the_outside]

"In a bit." She pockets the pills again and glances over at him. "We should get that report over to Fury, first."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sure." He meets her eyes. "You should probably be aware that I have good hearing."

[from_the_outside]

"I remember. You heard Nick on the phone." It takes a second — maybe there really is something wrong with her head — and she slides another, more suspicious glance at him.

"Sorry, were you eavesdropping on my checkup?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"I overheard a few things." He makes it sound perfectly matter-of-fact. "Did you expect me to put my hands over my ears?"

[from_the_outside]

Great. "Maybe you should," she tells him, and keeps going.

"Regardless, we need to talk to Nick and give him our recommendations."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky manages to stifle his sigh. "Yes, we do," he agrees. "And then you should get some rest."

[from_the_outside]

"Once we're done." Which could honestly mean a lot more than just after this conversation. She slides a glance over at Bucky, ignoring the light pounding in her head. "I'm not about to fall over, Bucky. I can go for a while longer."

[nerves_of_ice]

"I believe you." He does. He also believes that she'll go right until she does fall over, if she feels she has to.

Steve would have done the same. Did do the same, more than once.

"But you should rest up before we go in. Get as close to the top of your game as you can. And you should let me do the heavy lifting."