Retnikopf: Widow Of Siberia (old Version)

Chapter 5 - Poisoned

As Vienna lay on the medical table that Doctor Strange had ordered they put her on, he sorted frantically through medical equipment that they had in the infirmary at the compound.

The sedation that Melina had given her was starting to wear off so she began to stir.

"Shh," Melina said softly as she stroked Vienna's hair trying to keep her calm, "Solnyshko, teper' ty v bezopasnosti." (you're safe now.)

"Mama," she mumbled, leaning into Melina's hand, her eyes travelled over to where Natasha was standing, "vy umerli, vse v moyey golove, ne real'nyy." (you're dead, all in my head, not real.)

Vienna's head lulled back on the table as her eyes closed. Suddenly, all the machines began to beap viciously.

Melina's eyes widened as she stood up and glanced up at Doctor Strange before checking the monitors. Her heart was beating out of rhythm and she'd stopped breathing. They would have to fight this venom hard if they were going to keep Vienna alive.

"Stand back," Strange told Melina as she brought the shock paddles over Vienna, placing them on her chest, "clear."

He shocked her once and her heart beat went back to its normal rhythm.

"She needs to be intubated," Strange said, glancing up at Melina as he continued to check the monitors and her pupil reflexes, "she's not breathing."

"I've got it," Melina told him, grabbing the intubation tube and the metal guide.

Melina needed to be able to help if she wasn't going to go crazy with the frustration, and while it was all medical and science she could. She could help to save her daughter.

The tube was put down her throat and hooked up to the ventilator machine, they needed to get oxygen back around her body so that they could continue to save her.

"What now?" Natasha asked, stepping forward from standing against the wall out of the way.

"Shuri is working on an antidote," Strange told her, "she has the venom and one of the creatures, hopefully it won't be too long. I'm going to need to take a couple samples from your sister so that we know how it's effecting her. You might want to step out for this, I don't need you questioning everything I do because it looks like it's going to hurt her. Some of it will but its necessary. I need to work quickly."

Natasha nodded and placed a hand on Yelena's shoulder to guide her out of the room, "Alexei come on."

Alexei had been sitting against the wall, not able to look up at the table. Throughout her whole life, his biggest fear was that he would have to bury her, and after carrying her limp body and hearing that without those machines she'd be dead, he couldn't take it. It was like he had retreated inside himself to hide from the whole situation.

He pushed himself to his feet as Melina came over to help him up, she walked with him out the door with their daughters, leaving their youngest with the doctor.

----

"How is she?" Bucky asked, quickly getting up from his seat and rushing over to Natasha, "is she okay?"

Natasha went to speak but couldn't, all she could do was shake her head and let the tears finally fall from her eyes. She collapsed into his chest allowing herself to be held while she was terrified of losing her sister. This venom was meant to be fatal, it would take a miracle to fix it now.

---

Yelena sat herself down next to Kate who had her head in her hands and didn't looked like she had moved in a long time.

"This is my fault," she mumbled, "if I'd have been more focused, if I hadn't distracted her, she- she wouldn't-"

"She may still have been bitten," Yelena told her, her voice dry, drained of all energy, "it's no ones fault. Vienna fights viciously and at close quarters, and she didn't know that they were venomous. She wasn't looking out for it."

"Is she... Is she going to die?" Kate asked, lifting her head, her eyes red and puffy, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be asking you this. You're her sister."

"I really hope she doesn't," Yelena said, a little spaced out with the shock as she stared at the ceiling.