The Guide To Moving On

Chapter 54 - It Hurts

Steve's POV 

The team stayed for about 20 minutes before my eyelids began to feel like lead. Nat noticed and shooed them all out fairly quickly, which I was grateful. I love the team, but I was getting so exhausted that I needed a break. 

Nat closed the door behind her and sighed, before making her way back to me. 

"By the way, Clint told me that Bucky was going to come around later, as to not overwhelm you at once." She told me as she made her way to sit down on one of the chairs and grabbed my hand. 

"Good to know. Also, I forgot to ask, how far along are you?" I questioned her and she smiled softly.

"7 weeks, I reckon." I nodded in response, still early then. I hadn't missed much of her pregnancy thank goodness. I still couldn't believe it. 

I had always told Nat to keep hoping, but a little part of me wasn't entirely sure if we really could make it happen naturally. But now, there was no doubt. She was pregnant. With our baby. 

That was my last thought as my eyes closed and I fell into a deep sleep, my head filled with dreams about little Natasha's running around. 

Nat's POV

I smiled down at my sleeping soldier. I glanced up however, when there was a knock at the door and someone entered. 

"Mrs Rogers, good to see you." Greeted nurse Genevieve. She was the nurse that has been helping and reassuring me whilst Steve was-, well, you know. She even lent me a pair of scrubs once so that I could have a shower and stay beside my husband, rather than having to leave. She has been a god send for me during this time. 

"I have just been informed by the doctors of something you should know." She took a breath before continuing, "As you know, Mr Rogers has super serum, which increases all of his metabolic functions tenfold. As part of that, unfortunately, pain medication has no effect on him what-so-ever." She looked at me gravely. 

"But he was-" I started, but she cut me off. 

"Fine? I know. I suspect that was something to do with the adrenaline and shock of waking up to you, his team and finding out that you were expecting. Congratulations, by the way." 

"How did you-" She cut me off once again. 

"Honey, I am a mother to five very vibrant children. I know the tell-tale signs of a pregnancy better than anyone." 

"Wow, ok. Just, please don't tell anyone. Other than Steve, no one knows yet." 

"Of course. Anyway, back to more pressing issues. That shock will wear off, and he will be in some serious pain for the next few days, whilst his body continues to heal some of his most serious injuries. It should lessen after the first day or two, thanks to his speedy healing powers, but even they aren't instant. I just thought it best to let you know beforehand, so you know what to expect when he wakes up next." She finished and I sighed. 

"Is there really nothing we can do for him?" 

"Not really. If it gets too bad, we can give him a super-strength tranquiliser and knock him out, but the doctors and I would rather not do that because that will only do more damage than help, which will be a step in the wrong direction from getting him back to normal again. The best we can do for him is ice packs, and distractions. Any other questions dear?" She asked, smiling sympathetically at me. 

I shook my head and then stood up to let her out of the room. Bad move. 

The room instantly began to spin, and I felt the all-to-familiar feeling of bile rising in my throat. I ran to the closest bathroom and threw up, nurse Genevieve followed me in, holding my hair back and rubbing my back. 

"Sorry." I mumbled after I was done and she laughed. 

"Trust me dear, I am a nurse. I have witnessed far more disgusting things. Vomit stopped bothering me a long time ago." As she helped me back to my feet and we walked back to Steve's room. 

"What I am going to do, however, is go an get you some medication to help with the nausea." She informed me as she left, leaving me alone with my thoughts again. 

Steve's POV

The next time I awoke, I was immediately blinded by pain. It was like I had just been hit with a truck. I glanced over and found Nat by my side, smiling, but I could tell that it was forceful. 

I was trying to hide my pain a little from her, but no more than 15 seconds later, I couldn't help the groan that slipped out as I shifted. Nat sat carefully beside me and ran her fingers through my hand comfortingly. 

"Where does it hurt?" She asked gently and I closed my eyes, frowning. I groaned again as I tried to move my right hand, and tried to focus on what part of my body hurt the most. It was impossible though, I was so blinded by pain, I couldn't figure out what was even hurting anymore. 

"Everywhere." I whispered after a little while, as a tear escaped my eye. Nat noticed immediately and wiped it away. At her movements, I couldn't keep it in anymore and the floodgates opened. Before long I was sobbing as she did her best to hold me, whilst not putting any pressure on my body. 

I have never been in that much pain before. Not when I got the serum, or when I was beat up countless times over the years. 

"Do you want some icepacks?" Nat asked me quietly after a while, but I shook my head, unsure if I could bear the weight of them on my body. 

"Please just stay." I weakly begged her, as she was the only thing that was even remotely keeping my mind off of the pain. 

"Of course." She whispered back. 

I don't know how long we stayed like that before I felt my eyelids drop and I fell back into a uneasy sleep. 

Nat's POV

I don't think I have ever seen him so broken. Pain was an old friend for both him and I, but this seemed beyond it. Steve's injuries were so extensive, I should've known it would be like this. 

I know that nurse Genevieve warned that he would be in a lot of pain, but I never imagined it to be this bad. Nor did I realise just how helpless I felt in all of it. There was literally nothing I could do for him but hold him as he groaned and cried. 

I stayed on the bed with him, holding his sleeping figure as best I could, kissing him whenever he seemed to get restless in his sleep.

This was going to be the longest few days ever.