LEAVING TONIGHT. . . BUCKY BARNES

[ 009. ] take care

Avery sits still as The Guard wraps gauze around her torso. An occasional wince escapes Avery's lips every time she bumps her on accident, or pulls the gauze too tightly.

Her ribs are marked a deep angry red color, the outer edges a deeper darker red. She knows in a couple days her torso will be marred a deep purple and blue. Her skin feels hot to the touch, and the ice pack The Guard has given her no longer seems to do the trick.

Avery chews at her lip, ignoring the metallic taste of blood. Two bandages hold together the slash on her cheek that the redhead had caused her, another one on her chin though she isn't sure what caused that one. Her eyes look sunken, tired. Discolored black bags under her eyes make her look for tired than she seems, for some reason they look worse than usual. Which makes her wonder if they're really just dark circles or if she has a black eye.

"Stop it," The Guard says when she sees the look on her face. At this point, Avery's sure The Guard can read her like a book. She's so sure that The Guard knows she needs to be washed again, well, because she does.

The name escaping from Steve Rogers' lips continues to echo through her mind, like screaming into a cave. Bucky, Bucky, Bucky.

"I think I know him," Avery's broken whisper draws an exasperated sigh from The Guard. "Please, the name."

The Guard's fist comes down on the stainless steel medical stand. Gauze and bandages scatter from the force. Avery jumps, heart beating erratically in her chest.

"Enough." The Guard says through gritted teeth. She watches Avery's face, how her brows furrow, and confusion (and fear) washes over her. The Guard laughs lowly, shaking her head. "You don't get it do you?"

"Wha—"

"You put everyone in danger when you talk like that."

Avery almost wants to laugh. She could care less about what happened to everyone there. She despised each and every single person there. Everyone besides him.

The Guard can see that in her face, the disregard for her own life. It's written all over her face, painted in blood. She knows if she could have it her way, Avery would kill everyone there for him. It's a sinking feeling, when The Guard comes to the realization, a kick in the gut.

"They will kill you," The Guard says, tone more serious than before. She gazes into her eyes, "They will kill you if they hear you."

Avery shakes her head. She opens her mouth to speak, but the door of Avery's quarters swings open. Both of their heads snap up. Another guard stands in the doorway, loaded gun in hand. Both girls freeze, Avery swears she can hear The Guard's heart thumping in her chest, both hold their breaths.

Avery's already eyes her gun, seeing how to take it off of her before the other guard has a chance to shoot her.

"He's erratic," The other guard finally speaks. The Guard says nothing, responding with a simple nod. Once he's gone, they're free to exhale.

Avery hops off the cot. Each step she takes is agony with her broken ribs. As she pushes past, The Guard grabs her by the arm, pulling her back.

"Get you shit together," The Guard hisses. Avery's lips purse together, she gives it a moment's thought before nodding.

The Guard leads her down the long hallway. Avery has walked down that hallway a hundred times before, now it feels foreign. Avery's head doesn't feel like her own, flashes of someone else's life surge through her mind. She can't quite get a gasp of what her mind is telling her. She can't help but wonder if her brain is trying to show all those memories HYDRA had long buried.