Knives and Lies | Bucky Barnes

Chapter 5

Ruby's eyes opened in a panic. The room was white, complete with white tile, and her mind took her back to Singapore and the box. She moved to sit up, but a hand grabbed her shoulder and kept her down. "It's okay, Ms. West. You're in the infirmary on base. You're safe here." A doctor's soft eyes connected with Ruby's, and the assassin stopped trying to force her way out of the bed.

I'm not safe anywhere, she wanted to scream, but her throat clenched and she couldn't get the words out.

"Here, drink this. You were extremely dehydrated, so we've been pumping fluids into your system. And now that you're up and moving, we'll get you something to eat." The woman gave her a soft smile as she handed her a cup with a straw in it.

The cold liquid running down almost made Ruby cry because her throat was raw. She forced out, "What's the damage?"

"Well, you were right about everything. We took you into surgery when your scans came in and got those two bullets out of your abdomen. They didn't hit any vital organs, but one of them was in there for a long time, so it did a number on your muscles. Same goes for your leg and arm, but those were clean shots. Your collarbone was starting to heal incorrectly, so we had to rebreak it and set it in the right spot, so that'll hurt for a few weeks. Your ribs are going to be just fine, they'll just be sore for a few weeks. As for your lungs-"

"Was there any more water in them?" Her voice was becoming stronger the more water she drank.

"That's the thing, it wasn't water. It was a fluid called perfluorocarbon, and it holds enough oxygen for you to be able to breathe-"

"So they weren't actually drowning me?"

"I—you were drowned?"

"Apparently not." Ruby's stomach growled, and that knocked the doctor out of her stupor.

"I'll grab a nurse and have her bring you some food." The doctor scurried out of the room.

Ruby tried to sit up again despite her abdomen's protests, but a callous voice made her stop dead in her motions. "You know they have a button that'll do that for you, right?"

He was the last person she wanted to see. Of course, he would be the first. "Go away."

"Not happy to see me?" Tom leaned against the doorframe, his all black tactical suit almost harsh against the white painted walls.

"I haven't been happy to see you for seventeen years."

He stepped into the room and took a seat on the edge of her bed, fully aware she couldn't move to push him away. "Almost eighteen now, right?"

She glared at him, her jaw set and eyes murderous. "What the hell do you want?"

"I came to check up on you, make sure my best assassin is still in working condition."

"'Working condition?' 'Working condition?'" Ruby laughed without an ounce of glee. "If you wanted me to be in 'working condition,' you'd punish my teammate without putting me in the crossfire."

Tom chuckled. "He finally figured it out?"

"Of course he didn't, I did."

"How long did it take you?"

"Five days."

Tom shook his head. "You're slipping, Red."

"I was a little busy keeping my mouth shut, Tom."

Tom's gray eyes turned stormy. "Keeping your mouth shut should be second nature by now, Red. Do you need another lesson?" Ruby stayed silent, her eyes steady on her trainer's until she lowered them in submission. The things Tom could do to her would hurt more than her pride. "I didn't think so." Tom stood and stretched, taunting her with his range of motion while she was confined to the bed. "It was nice seeing you, Red. I'll be back soon."