WandaWidow - Book 1

Chapter 32 - Failure

A/N: Not writing in individual POVs for now. If I switch back to them I will let you know, but if the chapter doesn't specifically say a POV just assume it's in third person.

A few days after the events at the hotel, Natasha found herself waking up in an unfamiliar room, a faint beeping echoing off the bare walls. After a moment she realised she was in hospital, and as she went to sit up she was forced back down by the pain still present in her chest.

She looked down and pulled up the hospital gown she was wearing. Right across her chest was a large bandage. She flopped her head back on the bed, annoyed to be injured. Just as she sighed to herself, she heard the door open and looked up again expecting to see a doctor or nurse.

Her annoyance only increased when she saw Maria Hill enter, with a smirk on her face.

"Well, it wouldn't be like you to skip the drama would it?" Maria laughed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Natasha croaked.

"Well, when one of the Avengers ends up in a small Belgian hospital, that doesn't really stay quiet."

"Yes, but why you?"

"Oh Nat, come on. Are you still really that mad?"

Natasha sighed again, and didn't reply.

Maria took a seat beside the bed, and poured Natasha a cup of water. Natasha accepted it, and sipped it quietly. After a moments silence, she spoke.

"What's the damage?"

"Well, you broke 6 ribs, and one of them managed to make it's way through your skin."

"Shit."

"Yeah. You've been out for 3 days."

"How long have you been here?"

"3 days."

"Just sitting here?"

"Well what else was I supposed to do?" Maria replied sarcastically, "You were all over the news, so I caught a flight out. Someone needed to bring you back to the compound."

"I'm not going back to the compound."

Maria laughed, thinking Natasha was joking. She was in fact not. Natasha didn't fail a mission, and right now all she could feel besides the pain was failure. As much as she had wanted to get back home, she couldn't leave on these terms.

"I'm serious, Maria. I'm not coming back now, not while Rumlow is still around."

"Nat, you're in no shape to get anywhere near him right now. Even at that, you've created too much of a fuss here, if he's got half a brain he'll be out of Europe."

"Fuck," Natasha slammed her fist on the railing of the bed, realising that Maria was right.

"We'll find him again soon enough, he doesn't keep under the radar too much, and he'll probably not like that you're still alive."

Natasha couldn't help but laugh at the comment. Rumlow would be really pissed he hadn't managed to kill her after all.

"What about the woman and her kid?" Natasha asked, suddenly remembering them.

"Fine. Few broken bones, but that's about it."

Natasha nodded in reply, relieved that it hadn't been for nothing after all.

"Fine. When can I get out of here?"

"I spoke with your doctors, they want to keep you here for another while but I think they can be persuaded. We can get a doctor on site at the compound."