Frostbite: Blood in the Winter// Third Book of The Frost Bite Series.

Who Can We Trust?

"Ellie, Ellie c'mon, we gotta get to the hospital."

Steve's hands were on my shoulders as I looked down at my vomit that pooled on the ground. I stood up straight, my hands on my stomach looking at the place where the soldier disappeared. 

"Are you okay?" Steve asked. 

"I don't know. Let's go." I said.

~~~

We stood at a glass window outside of the operating room. Nick was on the table. I was holding onto Steve's arm, squeezing tightly to try and relieve my stress. The door opened behind us and Natasha ran up to the window.

"Is he gonna make it?" She asked.

"I don't know," Steve said.

"Tell me about the shooter," Natasha said.

"He's fast, strong," Steve answered. "Had a metal arm." 

I shuddered at the memory. The darkened eyes staring straight at me.

Agent Maria Hill approached the window as well. The tension and fear in the room was heavy. 

"Ballistics?" Nat asked.

"Three slugs, no rifling and completely untraceable," Maria answered.

"Soviet-made?" Nat said.

"Yeah.." Maria looked at her.

"How do you know that?" I asked and before she could answer, loud beeping came from one of the medical equipment.

"His pulse is dropping." One of the doctors spoke. "Nurse, help me with the gauzes, please. BP is dropping. Defibrillator!"

"Charge to 100!" Another doctor spoke. 

A doctor walked over with a defibrillator and they pressed the two panels to his chest.

"C'mon, Nick," I whispered. 

The shock went through but there was no pulse. My grip on Steve's arm got tighter and vapor escaped my mouth.

"Charge to 200. Three, two, one. Clear!"

I turned my head and pressed my face against Steve's sleeve. 

"God, please," I mumbled, hoping that some sort of prayer would help.

"Give me epinephrine! Pulse?" A doctor called out.

"Negative." Another doctor spoke.

The sound of a flatline came to my ears and Steve's arm left my grasp as he walked away.

"What's the time?" A doctor asked. 

"1:03, Doctor." 

"Time of death, 1:03 A.M."

The doctors began taking off their masks and putting away equipment. Maria left the room leaving Natasha and I alone. They took Nick's body out and Natasha and I left the room.

~~~

Nick's body had been cleaned and he was placed on a stretcher in a separate room covered in a white sheet with only his head and shoulders showing. Steve and I stood in the hall as Natasha stood in front of the stretcher looking down at Nick's body.