Nat's POV
I heard the crash of metal behind me a turned to see iron bars drop down, trapping me in the corridor. Great. I should've known this was a trap. I loaded my guns and stayed alert, spinning immediately as I heard the click of a door. I spun toward the noise and was immediately bombarded with guards.
I cursed under my breath and started shooting. I was severely outnumbered and the blows that the guards were landing on me were getting more frequent and with more force. I continued fighting anyway, I had no choice. I was stuck and if I stopped now, I would die.
I had tolerated the blows until one of the guards drew out a knife and started attacking my legs with it, leaving large stab wounds all over my legs and I screamed, falling to the ground.
They all kept going, punching and beating me, I swear I heard one of my ribs snap at the force of one of the soldiers feet getting wedged in my side. Black spots started to invade my vision and m surroundings became blurry.
The last thing that I remember before I gave into the darkness was the sound of a gunshot and the thundering of footsteps close by.
*Time skip*
I felt myself slowly emerge from the darkness. This isn't the first time that I have been knocked out, and the familiar feelings started washing over me. The first sense that you regain is always hearing, I could hear beeping and some muffled talking, though I couldn't quite work out what they are saying.
The second sense to come back was smell. I could smell the strong scent of anaesthetic, nearly enough to give me a headache.
Next comes taste, I rolled my tongue around my mouth and found it dry. There was a distinct taste of dirt and something metallic, probably blood.
Then it was touch. I felt everything at once, it felt like I had been runover by a truck. My whole body was aching, I couldn't tell what parts exactly, everything just throbbed. The only thing I could pin point was the weight and warmth of my hand, moving it slightly, I realised that I was holding something, or someone.
Lastly, was sight. I opened my eyes slowly and was blinded by the light. I blinked for a few seconds trying desperately to get my eyes to adjust. I looked around and confirmed by suspicions. I was in a hospital.
As I looked around properly I realised that the weight on my hand was actually another hand, Steve's to be exact, and his head rested on top of our intertwined hands. He was asleep, still wearing his suit, all dirty and bloody himself.
"S-Steve?" I called but it came out more like a choked whisper due to how dry my mouth was. But he woke anyway, shifting back into his seat and blinking, he looked exhausted, dark bags evident under his eyes.
"Hey Nat." he said groggily looking around the room trying to get his bearings. His eyes then circled back to me and he stared at me for a second before his eyes widened and he stood up quickly in fright.
"Nat! Oh my goodness! You are awake! How are you feeling?" He rapidly asked, and I took a second to process what he said.
"I'm fine." I retorted quickly and he arched an eyebrow sitting back down on the plastic hospital chair.
"Ok, I feel like I have been hit by a bus." I admitted solemnly, giving up on pretending that I wasn't in pain.
"Yeah, I figured, you have quite an extensive list of injuries. I'm going to alert the doctor that you are awake, give me a moment." He said getting up and letting go of my hand to go in search of the doctor.
He returned with one a few minutes later and I smiled as he returned to the hospital chair.
"Good evening Ms Romanoff. If you don't mind, I need to check on the your wounds to make sure they are healing ok?" He asked and I nodded wincing as he started poking around.
"You were very lucky Ms Romanoff. Your wound missed all of your important organs and it should all heal nicely. We should be able to discharge you in an hour." He said as he finished his examination.
"Is there anything that we can do for her pain?" Steve piped up and I looked at him tiredly, he knew full well that pain killers don't work on me.
"Actually yes, but it has to be super strong to have an effect on you. It will mean that you will be a bit out of it for the night though due to the strength of the medication." He said and I immediately recoiled at the idea of 'being out of it'.
I am always sharp, in control, and the idea of losing that was not something that I even wanted to consider.
"I won't be needing that." I told the doctor sharply and he nodded, leaving the room quickly.
"Natasha." Steve said warningly and I fobbed him off, trying to change the topic.
"What happened after I blacked out?" I asked him and he sighed in defeat before he answered my question.
"I came running towards you and took out the remaining guards that were attacking you from the other side of the iron bars. I ended up lifting up the gate myself to get to you and I got you the hell out of there, calling for backup to finish the rest of the mission and I took you to the hospital." He regaled and I nodded.
"If it was that simple, why do you look like you have seen a ghost?" I asked him, half joking, half serious.
"Ah-, I- um" He stumbled and I waited patiently for him to get a grip of himself and tell me. I could tell that something had a rather large effect on him, so I didn't want to push him too much.
"Back in the army, I had a mission once with 3 other guys. We had to rescue some hostages from behind the edge of the German line and that had been taken in a raid of a town close by the day before. There was this building, with black tiles and lime green walls where they were being held." He took a breath before continuing.
"I had a young kid with me, begged me to let him come, only just eligible for the army, when we went down a corridor looking for where they were kept. The corridor was a dead end and before we knew it were were trapped, being attacked by guards. The kid didn't make it." He said, looking at his feet, probably in guilt. I badly wanted to grab his hand and let him know that it wasn't his fault, but I knew it would have no affect.
"Anyway, the building we attacked today, kind of looked like it. I pushed it aside, especially when I saw that there wasn't a single lime green wall in the place. That was until my shield got stuck in the wall and it chipped the white paint. Lime green underneath, just like it had been. I realised that you had gone down the exact same corridor that I did, but I was too late, you were already screaming and when I got there you were unconscious and beaten." He said looking up at me with tears welling in the corner of his eyes.
"Come here." I whispered and he stood up, leaning over me and wrapping himself around me, carefully, as to not hurt me too much. We stayed like that for a while until he let go and sat beside me again, this time on the edge of my bed.
"You mean to tell me the base we were in today used to painted lime green? Who in their right mind decided that that was a good idea?" I chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. But my giggles quickly turned into coughs and before I knew it, I was having a coughing fit.
Steve reached over and got the water off the bed stand and passing it to me, placing a straw in it so it was easier for me. I smiled gratefully at him and took a sip, trying to calm myself. I reached over to place my cup back on the table, wincing as I did so as pain shot up through my arm at the movement.
Steve grabbed the cup off of me and looked at me sternly as I settled back into the bed again.
"Natasha, you need those painkillers, you are hurting yourself." He instructed and my eyes widened, I don't want to lose control.
"I already told you, I don't need them, I am fine." I insisted but I could tell that it was useless, he could see right through me.
"Try and sit up." He challenged and I tried but the pain that rushed through me forced me back down again.
"Do you trust me?" He asked and I nodded slowly, trying to figure out what he was getting at.
"Good, and I need you trust that I will take care of you, even if you are a little out of it. I know you don't like being out of control but you can't keep going on like this. You're hurting yourself, and seeing you do that is hurting me." He said softly, staring deep into my eyes.
I sighed, but gave in and nodded. He pressed the doctors button next to the bed to alert the doctor. The doctor appeared quickly and Steve shifted off the bed to next to me instead.
"I want the painkillers." I stated, cringing as I do so. Steve saw my discomfort and grabbed onto my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The doctor reappeared a moment later with a syringe filled with a clear coloured liquid.
I took a breath as he sterilized the area. I wasn't scared of the needle, but the loss of control was terrifying, even if Steve was by my side.
"It's ok, I got you." Steve whispered comfortingly and he kissed the back of my hand. I relaxed a little at his words as the doctor administered the painkillers.
"All done Ms Romanoff. It should take effect in the next few minutes and we will discharge you as soon as I get the papers." I nodded and he left the room leaving us alone again. Almost immediately I felt it take effect.
Talking and moving became a lot easier and I could feel myself getting a little more careless.
"How do you feel?" Steve asked after a minute or so and I sighed sitting up properly.
"Better." I replied and we settled into a light conversation to pass the time. Soon enough, the doctor came in with the papers for me to sign. Once everything was done, we were officially discharged from the hospital and I was free to go. I used my arms to push myself off the bed and I stood up shakily.
I tried to walk across the room on my own but tripped on my second step and fell. Right as I was about to hit the ground, I felt two muscular arms wrap around me and pull me back up.
"Nice catch." I breathed and he smiled at me, wrapping an arm around my waist this time as we walked to make sure I didn't fall again.
Before I knew it, we were back at the Avengers tower. It was funny, I remember being in the hospital and now I am here, but how I got here is a little foggy. It is like I am witnessing things but not really registering what I am seeing.
Guess the medication was strong.
Steve's POV
"Nat, why don't we run you a bath?" I suggested as I guided her over to her bathroom, my hands firmly around her waist. I am surprised that they were willing to let her go from the hospital so quickly, she was still badly injured and could barely walk on her own.
She had a little over 30 stitches in her legs alone, a broken rib, multiple bruises and cuts, a split lip and a nasty gash on her forehead that had been glued shut. She was honestly a mess and yet the hospital discharged her.
If the hospital isn't willing to care for her, then I guess it is up to me. I ran a hot bath for her and she started to unzip her catsuit. I knew that she had a singlet and shorts underneath, so I helped her out of it. I then promptly left the bathroom once I was sure she was ok to give her privacy.
I decided to make a quick dash to my room across the hall to take a quick shower and put something other than my dirty suit on.
When I returned I sat on the couch and waited for her to be finished.
"Stevie?" She called, yep, she is definitely out of it.
"Yeah?"
"Can you get my pj's from my bed please?" She called and I quickly went and retrieved the clothing, passing them through the door to her. 2 minutes later she stumbled out of the bathroom and I went quickly to her side to support her.
"I think it is time for bed." I instructed and led her to her bedroom, placing her onto the bed. I turned out the light and glanced back at her.
"Stevie?" She called again and I turned back to her.
"You know I like you?" She said in a rather high pitched drunken voice. I cleared my throat and looked away, this wasn't her.
"I like, like you. A lot. But I don't tell you because I am scared. Cause Stevie doesn't like me back. Bad Natasha. Love is for children." She rambled and I looked back to her in shock of what she had said. This isn't her, this isn't her. I kept repeating to myself, yet I was blushing at her words.
"I likes you for a while now. I thinks you are hot and sweet, and the most amazing guy in the world!" She said as she tossed herself back onto the bed for emphasis, hands flailing. Her words were also becoming more and more slurred.
"Goodnight Nat." I said finally and walked out of the room as to not embarrass her further when she was so out of it.
She is on pain meds, they are messing with her. None of what she is saying is actually true Rogers. Right?