¹ Strength of the Mind || Marvel Cinematic Universe

25|Injuries

"Ow... What the fucking hell?" Hunter felt pain from almost every part of his body as he was opening his eyes, blinking.

"Thank god, you're awake." Carter was sitting in the corner of the room with his suit standing in the opposite corner.

Hunter was looking briefly around at the area, recognizing that he was stuck in the infirmary on the Heli-carrier. "How in the hell did I get back here on my own?" Hunter asked and Carter was looking over at him.

"I carried you. You're welcome." Carter replied bluntly and Hunter rolled his eyes at the blunt tone. "So, your dad shot you twice with bullets and your sister shot you with a fucking arrow. So, how the hell are you still alive?" Carter asked.

"Strength of will?" Hunter asked with a shrug, before he grunted in pain. "Ow, I have no fucking clue." He admitted and a knock came at the door.

Hunter glanced at the door as it slid open and Natasha walked into the room. "Well, you look like shit." Natasha stated and Hunter grunted.

"Well, I was wondering if I looked as shitty as I felt." Hunter muttered very sarcastically and Natasha held out a tablet to him and Hunter took it, looking at the information that was on it and scrolling through it awkwardly.

"We are searching all across the world for your dad and Tana, okay?" Natasha reached out and she was grabbing his hand, gently squeezing it. "I won't stop until I find them, Hunt, I promise." Natasha said and Hunter sighed.

"Thanks Nat." Hunter murmured softly as he was looking down at the tablet and she was letting go of him, before she walked away. "Why did you save me?" Hunter asked as the other S.H.I.E.L.D agents in the room were leaving, satisfied that he wasn't going to try anything stupid like getting out of bed.

"Well, what the hell else was I supposed to do? Just leave you there dying?" Carter asked as Hunter glanced at him. "Look... I dragged you back into this at Coulson's insistence, I didn't want you dying on my watch because of it. Okay?" Carter asked as he was scooting his chair closer.

"I thought that I was supposed to be the responsible one." Hunter said and Carter was shaking his head, before he was looking at him.

"After being stuck in a cave for three and a half years, after losing my two brothers and a man that I thought of as a guardian... I have learned to take responsibility, for the ones that I care about." Carter explained as he was looking at Hunter, who was nodding.

"And I'm now, in that group?" Hunter asked and Carter shrugged. "Did anybody else, get injured?" Hunter asked.

"Not as badly as you did." Carter replied as Hunter sighed. "I think that you are going to be out of the fight for a while, Hunt. Just rest up."

"Well, can you really see me going anywhere?" Hunter asked as he gestured wide with his arms right before he winced in pain. "Ow, shit." Hunter muttered, and now, he was quickly pulling his arms back towards his chest.

Carter reached out and he gently and carefully moved Hunter's arms, right back to where he wasn't going to hurt himself by moving them. "Don't hurt yourself more, all right? We need you alive." Carter replied as Hunter looked up at him, before Hunter was nodding.

"Well, who the hell else, would really just pretend to protect you and Kiara, while just really doing nothing at all?" Hunter pointed out and Carter rolled his eyes. "Well? Carter, who else would?" He asked and he was now indeed, seriously meaning it.

"Out of the people that I have met? Only you." Carter admitted and Hunter nodded slightly as he was taking the iPad silently as he was scrolling over the information. "Just watch yourself." Carter said and he reached out a hand, gently grabbing Hunter's hand in his.

"I'm in the infirmary, Carter. Really, how dangerous could it be?" Hunter pointed out and Carter shrugged, before he let go of his hand and he walked over to the door. "Hold up." Hunter said and Carter turned around to look at him again. "Thanks." He said and Carter nodded, before he was walking out of the room.

Kiara caught Carter by the arm as he went walking by her in the hallway and at the contact, Carter was stopping. Carter turned to look at her in confusion. "What?" Carter asked and Kiara glanced down the hallway at Hunter's room, where he had just come from. "Kiara? What the hell are you thinking right now?" Carter asked.

"Are you ever planning to tell him?" Kiara swiftly asked and Carter turned around to stare at her. "Don't give me that look, Cart, you know exactly what I mean." Kiara said and Carter scoffed.

"You as usual, don't know what the hell you're talking about." Carter stated and Kiara glared at him, drawing herself up to her full height and she was growing taller every day. "You must be crazy."

"I'm not crazy or blind, Carter. You really like him and frankly, you are also the only one that could find him." Kiara pointed out as she was looking at him. "Come on now Carter, I'm not kidding." She said.

"Neither am I." Carter said and Kiara was tilting her head to the side, staring at him. "I don't like him that way, Kiara. You don't know what you're talking about..."

"Did he listen to you? Did he seem angry when you pointed out, that he doesn't have to hide his emotions anymore?" Kiara asked and Carter narrowed his eyes. "Did he look at you like you might have a point, but said nothing instead of speaking?" She asked.

"Kiara, would you just stop it?!" Carter snapped and Kiara said nothing, staring at him in shock as she backed up slightly and let go of him. "Keep your nose out of my business, Kiara Stark and back into yours, where it belongs!" He practically shouted at her and Kiara went silent, flinching at the shouting tone.

"Fine." Kiara whispered and her eyes were shining, welling up with tears of pain as she was shaking her head. "Fine." Kiara whispered and she was turning around to walk away, walking down the hallway and she was slamming the door shut to her room behind her.

Carter was silently left standing in the hallway as he was looking after her, where she had disappeared and Carter lowered his head silently.

"Shit." Carter whispered and then, he was walking over to the door. Carter knocked on it quickly. "Kiara?" He asked and there was no response, except for the lock clicking and Carter sighed. "Kia, I'm sorry. Would you please just open up the door?" Carter asked and Kiara was leaning against the other side of the door with tears falling down her face.

Carter knocked again. "I didn't mean it. I swear." Carter said and then now, he was knocking again. "Please open up?"

"I'm not in." Kiara sounded like she was choking on something and she was choking out the words as Carter sighed. "Go away!"

Carter lowered his head to silently press against the door, feeling shameful as he was looking at the door. Carter turned around and he was swiftly walking away quickly, slipping his hands into his pockets and then, he was swiftly knocking on the door again to the infirmary room.

Hunter looked up at the knock and Carter awkwardly stood in the doorway of the room again after the door. "What's wrong now?" Hunter asked and he was sitting up, swiftly now drinking a protein smoothie out of the cup that he had tucked into the crook of his elbow.

"I think I screwed up." Carter admitted quietly and Hunter lifted his eyebrows at the words, before he nodded at the chair and Carter sat down.