the dark sapphire -Bucky Barnes-

87

Ally sat up in bed, startled, as the scream ripped her from sleep. It had taken her forever to fall asleep after she had showered, barely able to close her eyes with guilt, but knowing there was no point in trying to talk to Bucky. When she was finally able to fall asleep, it was a fitful, non-restorative sleep from which she was ultimately awakened by the scream.

Despite the tiredness she felt, she was wide awake because she knew who was screaming. Bucky! Without thinking, she jumped out of her bed and ran out of her room, almost bumping into Sam in the hallway, who staggered out of his room totally sleepy. "So you hear it too. I was beginning to think I was fantasizing in my sleep" he yawned loudly. "I'm sorry he woke you up, but are you okay with me going in to see him alone?" Ally winced as another scream was heard. Sam nodded before yawning again. "If anyone can calm him down now, it's you. But I'll stay outside the door in case you need help" Ally gave him a grateful look before opening the door and slipping into the room.

Her eyes had to adjust to the darkness before she could see her way to the bed. She heard Bucky's frantic breathing, saw him tossing and turning sufferingly in the bed. His blanket was on the floor, his pillow at the other end of the bed. "No, no, stop it. Make it stop" Bucky whispered, before another pained cry was heard. Ally quickly groped her way to the bed and shook Bucky's shoulder. "Bucky, wake up" she noticed the sweat on Bucky's forehead, his breathing seemed to get even faster. "Bucky, wake up. You're having a nightmare" she shook him harder as he suddenly snapped his eyes open in panic.

"Ally?" his voice sounded frightened. "I'm here, Bucky. I'm with you. You just had a bad dream" she answered him softly and sat down on the bed. "Ally" he sighed "it's over. It was just a dream" she stroked his cheek. Bucky sat up and rested his head, out of breath, against Ally's shoulder, who immediately put her arm around him. His forehead felt like it was glowing "How did you know I was having a bad dream? " Bucky asked softly. "You were screaming" "I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to wake you up" "It's okay. Didn't sleep well anyway" she mumbled as she laid her head on Bucky's.

"It was awful. I was there again" Bucky began quietly. "I relived it all, Ally. The pain, the helplessness, the loss of control over my own body" "it's over, Bucky. I'm sorry I made you go back there" Bucky shook his head and wrapped his arms around Ally. "It wasn't your fault, you didn't do it on purpose. I should never have been so aggressive towards you. I hope you're not mad at me" "not a bit, Bucky" she whispered. "Good, because....I need you with me tonight. Only you can chase away my nightmares" he whispered and Ally thought she heard a soft sob. "I'll stay here, I promise" she replied. After Ally wet a towel in the bathroom with cold water and dabbed Bucky's forehead, they both lay down in bed. Bucky wrapped his arms around Ally and pulled her close before closing his eyes. "Ally?" he asked softly. Ally only made a humming sound. "I'm glad you're here" Bucky mumbled before falling asleep.

The next few days brought nothing exciting. After Ally and Bucky had a very intensive and long conversation, they decided together that Ally should go through with the therapy, because Bucky was also aware of how relieving the release of control would be for Ally. The therapy was having an effect and the doctors continued to make progress with Ally each day and were sure that it would not be long before she would be completely free.

Bucky and Ally had again started to work on Bucky's knowledge gaps and watched regularly and at any possible time, series or movies that Ally had on her list. Since Ally was usually exhausted and tired after the therapy sessions, she would sleep in Bucky's arms while he watched the movie with interest. Occasionally Clark or Sam, and once even Sharon, joined them.

The scouting of Karpov's hideout proved helpful, for after four days a night party was finally able to bring the long-awaited proof when they photographed Karpov leaving the warehouse for several hours. Sharon had now ordered to find out what exactly was going on in the warehouse and how many people were inside, had even requested extra new tools, including a drone with X-ray vision, from the FBI. She didn't want to intervene until they were sure what or how many they were up against, giving Ally enough time to get back up to speed.

Ally had been doing the electrotherapy for a week and a half now, and the doctors suspected that they were not far from success. They even said that depending on Ally's health condition, it could be completed as early as today.

Right after breakfast, Ally and Bucky left and met the doctors in the treatment room as usual. Doctor Shelby asked Ally the same questions as every morning. How she was feeling. Whether she felt fit enough. How she had slept, etc. Meanwhile, Doctor Hinton hooked her up to several machines. After Ally's seizure at the first session, she was hooked up not only to the machine that recorded her brain activity, but also to ones that read her vital signs, as well as blood pressure and other important readings. The machines had the function of turning everything off as soon as one of these vitals became too high or low, and therefore life-threatening.

"Ready?" it had become something of a routine for Doctor Hinton to ask Ally this question every morning, to which she only ever responded with a tense nod.You would think that after a week and a half she would have gotten used to having tubes and wires all around her, but Ally still didn't feel comfortable hearing the beeping of the machines next to her. However, she reminded herself again each time that it would soon be over.

She looked at Bucky, waiting for him to start reciting the words he had already memorized in the meantime, as many times as he had had to recite them in the last few days. He stood a little ways away from the treatment chair where Ally was lying. Since the incident at the first treatment, he had always put a safe distance between him and Ally, had not taken her hand either, as he had done the first time. It wasn't because he didn't support Ally or want to protect her and be there for her, but the fear that he might be taken to that place again, even if by accident, was greater, causing guilt in him. He wanted to protect Ally no matter what it took, but the memory alone intimidated him so much that he would not be able to say the words and so he would not help Ally either.

Ally was already automatically clinging to the chair when Bucky started, not because she felt control overtaking her, but because she was afraid she wouldn't make any progress. Her body relaxed, however, when Bucky said the fourth word and she still felt nothing. One more word! "Transfer" Bucky also said the last word in Russian and looked at Ally tensely. She smiled, no electric shock had set in. "Am I....?" that's as far as she got, because suddenly the electric shock jerked through her and her body reared up.

"Fuck" Ally was visibly annoyed as her body relaxed and she lay back to normal. "I thought I had it" she sighed "Hey, we're close. Don't give up now" Bucky spoke encouragingly to her. Ally nodded. "I know. We should keep going" she sighed and so it all started over again.

Again Bucky spoke all five words and watched Ally. Her hope was gone, so she closed her eyes at the fifth word and waited for the electric shock, but nothing happened. Confused, she opened her eyes. "Why...? What...?" she sat up and looked at the doctors, who seemed to be just as speechless as Ally. "Am I...free?" she asked, to which Doctor Shelby just nodded. Ally looked overwhelmed at Bucky, who was simply at a loss for words. "We should test it again, just to be sure" Doctor Hinton ordered, which Bucky didn't let himself say a second time.

However, when nothing happened even the second time, nothing could help Bucky. With quick steps he ran to the treatment chair where Ally was beaming and ripping all the wires and tubes from her body. "i'm free" she squealed as Bucky wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him. It was over, it was finally over. Ally was free. As soon as Bucky let go of her, relief burst over Ally.Tears of joy, of relief that it was finally over, ran uncontrollably down her face. Her voice was lost among the sobs as the doctors congratulated her on her success.

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