Chapter Text
Time was no longer being measured by the ticking of seconds, but by the rapid beeping of the heart monitor attached to Bucky's index finger. She glanced up at the screen to ensure that his blood pressure was holding steady as she took a scalpel to the bullet wound that had already started to heal over on his abdomen. There were other injuries, contusions over his right arm, a shallow wound to his forehead and what she was pretty sure was going to turn out to be a broken tibia but the gsw was the most urgent.
"I'm going to have to reopen this to get the bullet out, I need you to monitor his pain response closely." She said to the anaesthetist sitting calmly by Bucky's head. "Lord only knows his metabolism burns through the anaesthetic quickly, and the last thing that I need is for him to wake up before I've had the chance to close this."
She received a nod in response and focused back on the job in hand, taking a deep breath she cut gently downwards to where the bullet was resting beneath the muscles of his abdomen. Knowing that his body had already started healing, and would do so just as soon as she had the bullet out was no comfort as she tried to focus on the injury and not the man who lay before her.
"Come on Triss, you can do this," she thought to herself. "It doesn't matter that it's him, it doesn't matter what you feel about him, you have a job to do and that's what he needs from you right now." Using her gloved fingers to push aside the muscle she used her forceps to remove the bullet and breathed a sigh of relief when it came out cleanly. Taking a moment to check that there was no major trauma for her to worry about, she closed the wound with some dissolving stitches (specially designed for speedily healing super soldiers).
"Ok, that's that sorted." She said to the team, removing the latex gloves from her hands as she backed away from the table. "I want a dressing on that wound, and can we please send him through to x-ray to check out that left tibia please? Thanks for all the hard work guys." And walking away from the table, she pulled off the surgical mask and gown and threw them into the textiles bin for cleaning. Pushing her way through the double doors of the OR she moved quickly down the brightly lit corridor to the bathroom at the far end, nodding to the staff at the nurses station as she passed. She opened the doorway and stepped through into the ladies restroom before leaning back against the wall and sinking down until she could wrap her arms around her knees and take several long deep breaths. Taking a minute to remember her responsibilities she updated Jarvis with the results of the surgery, that done, she broke. Remembering the greyish tinge to his skin as they wheeled him into medical, the groans as she and the team cut away the remains of his body armour, the firm grip of his hand on her wrist as he struggled against their ministrations. The tears were streaming down her face as she recalled the murmurs of reassurance with which she had tried to calm him, the calm soothing tone which she managed with all her patients but which in this case hid the turmoil within as she saw him suffering. Her breaths were coming out as sobs now as she allowed the pent up emotions of the last 30 minutes to escape, as she tried to regain her normal sense of control.
"Dr James?"
"Yes Jarvis?" She called out, knowing that he could already sense her distress she didn't bother to hide it as her voice trembled slightly.
"Sergeant Barnes is out of x-ray, and the nurses have finished splinting his leg. They are wondering if you wanted to sign off on his treatment plan now." Jarvis replied, she could almost hear the concern in his voice.
"Could you let them know that I will be right there please Jarvis," Triss replied levering herself up from the bathroom floor and walking over to the sinks where she could splash some cold water on her face. "And could you please delete the security footage of this bathroom for the last ten minutes?"
"Privacy protocols were enabled as soon as you entered Dr James." Came the sympathetic response.
"Thank you Jarvis," and washing her face with cold water she stepped away from the mirror. Pulling the mantle of calm professional over herself once again she made her way to the nurses station and down to the private room where Bucky had been placed for his recuperation. Walking in to the room where a nurse was adjusting the bag of platelets which would assist with blood loss, Dr Triss James stopped at the foot of Bucky's bed and picked up the Starkpad which held the results of his x-rays.
"I see from the x-rays that the tibia has already started to heal Nurse Atkins, what did orthopaedics have to say?" Triss asked, looking over to the small blonde haired nurse as she came to stand next to her.
"The splint is more to remind him that there is damage there that he needs to be careful of, Dr King says that he will most likely be healed before too much longer as it was such a clean break. He also said, and here I'm quoting him directly 'the last thing we need is for him to get some idiotic notion into his fool head where he thinks he's superman, so we'll splint it and hope that it slows him down long enough for the bone to heal.'"
"Yep, that sounds like Dr King to me," Triss replied with a small smile. "I get the feeling that he's butted heads with these guys over treatment more than once."
"I would say so!" The petite nurse replied. "So the sedation should keep him out for a few hours yet, and we can give him some more pain meds once he's awake. You're off shift now aren't you Dr?"
"I am indeed, he was my last patient for the day." Triss replied, looking down at the sleeping figure laid out in the bed before her. "Any word on when the rest of the team will get here?"
"He was out on a solo mission when he was injured, Captain Rogers and the rest of the team won't be back for a couple of days." Nurse Atkins replied, taking the Starkpad out of Triss's hands to replace it at the foot of the bed. "It'll be a shame for him to wake up here alone after what he's gone through."
"Thank you nurse," Triss said in dismissal. The nurse smiled up at Triss before leaving to join her friends at the nurses station.
"I won't let him wake up alone, that much I can do for him." Triss thought to herself as she moved over to the armchair in the corner of the room. Removing her oversized scrub top to reveal the comfier long sleeved white t-shirt that she wore underneath, she lowered herself tiredly into the chair, kicking off her trainers before curling up with her stockinged feet beneath her. Looking over at the sleeping figure on the bed, noticing that he had been dressed in a pair of sweatpants with the left leg cut off at the knee to allow room for the splint, his top-half was bare to allow better access to his dressing. Not being able to resist the pull of her concern, Triss stood up from the chair and checked that he hadn't bled through the dressing pad on his right side, before resting her hand against his forehead to ensure that there were no signs of fever. Bucky moved under her cool touch, letting out a small sigh. Smiling down at him, Triss didn't bother to hold back the silent yawn that escaped. Her worries appeased for now she backed up into the armchair, and sinking back into it's soft embrace she gave in to the exhaustion that could no longer be held back and she fell asleep to the gentle beep of Bucky's heartbeat.
That same gentle beeping broke through the darkness of his mind, remembering the sound from his time being held by Hydra caused the beeping to speed up as memories of torture, of pain washed over him. Opening his eyes he wasn't immediately blinded by harsh white lighting, he wasn't strapped into place, he was warm and dressed comfortably in a pair of sweats which had been modified to fit over some kind of cast on his leg. His heart rate slowed as the memories of the night before flooded back and his panic receded, he'd been on a mission for Steve, his best pal Steve. He was Hydra's tool no longer. He was safe.
"You're awake," came a soft voice from somewhere on his left. Looking over at the figure of his favourite medical practitioner, Bucky did nothing to hide the smile that spread across his face at the sight of her, sleepy and rumpled sitting in the corner of his room.
"That would appear to be the case doc, how long have I been out?" Bucky asked, carefully pulling himself up on the pillows behind him. Triss stood to take the control for the bed and raise the head slightly so that he wouldn't have to move to make himself comfortable.
"Better?" She asked.
"Yeah, thanks," Bucky replied smiling up at her. "So how long was it doc? Break it to me gently, did I pull a Sleeping Beauty on you?"
"Nope not this time, it's been three hours or so?" Triss replied looking down at her watch with a question on her pretty face. "Wow, ok, did not realise that it had been that long. How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good I think, hey weren't you here last night?" Bucky asked, concern on his handsome face.
"Yeah, I was on duty when you came in. Got the bullet out and stitched you back up. Everything went fine if that's what's worrying you Bucky."
"No, no it's not that at all." He said hurriedly, not wanting her to believe that he doubted her skills in the slightest. "It's just that's a long night for you doc, what are you still doing here? Your shift must have finished hours ago."
"Oh, yeah my shift finished shortly after we were through with your surgery." Triss replied quietly, lowering her head so that he wouldn't see the pale blush that spread over her cheeks. "I just didn't want you to wake up alone that's all, I know you can't really be comfortable down here. After everything......."
"Ah doc, it took me only one visit to figure out that this place was poles apart from my experiences with doctors in the past." Bucky said, smiling as he reached out to take Triss' hand where it rested on the edge of his bed. "Thanks though, for staying with me. It means a lot to me that you did."
"You're welcome," Triss replied giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You hungry, can I get you anything?"
"No, I'm good I think. Hey, how long do I have to stay here doc?" Bucky asked, trying not to feel the loss as she let go of his hand and moved to the foot of his bed.
"Well, I'd prefer it if you could make it through to morning just so we can do another x-ray on that leg to check the bone's healing properly."
"I think I can stick it out for a night, it would be easier if I had some company mind." Bucky said, pouting up at her.
"Really? The puppy dog eyes? God damnit Bucky you know those are my kryptonite for god's sake!" Triss replied, trying to look angry at him but failing miserably under the power of of the pout. "Ok fine, but I've just finished an 18 hour shift, I'm getting some more sleep so you're going to have to keep yourself entertained."
Bucky watched as she walked over to a cupboard on the wall and pulled out a fleecy blanket before pulling it around her shoulders and making her way back to the armchair.
"There's plenty of room for you up here you know," he said noticing how she froze in her tracks at his words. "It would be more comfortable than trying to sleep in that chair doc."
"I couldn't, what if I caught your IV or knocked your splint. I wouldn't want to hurt you Bucky." The whispered words were disappointing, but the longing that was clear on her face caused a little burst of hope to flash in the recesses of his mind.
"The left hand side is all clear doc," Bucky said. Shifting over in the bed to make room for her he held out his hand, holding his breath as he waited to see if she would take his offer.
"Just for a little while ok," she relented. "And if I hurt you then you have to tell me." She finished as she sat down on the edge of the bed, lifting her legs up she took the unspoken invitation to curl up into his side. Resting her head on his shoulder and her hand on his bare chest, Triss pulled the blanket up over them both and took a deep breath as Bucky took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her back.
"Scouts honour doc, the slightest twinge and I'll rat you out to the AMA." He said, the smile audible in his voice.
"Just see that you do," she replied yawning. And settling in closer to his side, she gave in to sleep once again as exhaustion overtook her.
"Sleep doc," Bucky whispered into her hair, before placing a gentle kiss there. "I've got you."