Natasha isn’t called in when they find Bucky Barnes. It stands to reason; she’s half a world away and his best friend is living in SHIELD’s headquarters.
Also, it’s not like their shared history is common knowledge.
So she doesn’t know he’s been brought in until she walks into the infirmary and Steve’s there, arguing with a doctor and all she hears is “sedation” and “possible amnesia” and “Barnes”, before she ducks behind them and goes through the door.
Sure enough, Bucky’s in the bed, pale as anything, one--fuck, one arm, obviously asleep. Sedated, like the doctor said.
“You can’t be in here,” someone says from behind her, sounding timid enough that she’d laugh if Bucky wasn’t right here.
“What did they do to you?” she murmurs, but doesn’t get any closer. The restraints they have on him turns her stomach, even if she understands why they might be necessary. But.
“He shouldn’t be restrained,” she says, turning to the doctor.
“Ma’m, with all due respect, he took down three SHIELD agents before collapsing on his own with, well. One arm.”
“Restraints will make it worse,” she says. “Make someone sit here to guard him. Captain America out there might do it. I will, if he won’t.”
“Of course I’ll sit here with Bucky,” Steve says, and he’s come through the door while they were both talking. “What do you mean, though, Natasha, about restraints making it worse?”
“If he doesn’t know where he is and he’s tied down,” she says, trailing off. The tightening of Steve’s jaw lets her know he takes her point. “If you want to start, captain, I’ll take second watch. Unless SHIELD has something else for me, of course.”
“Of course,” Steve says, and she can tell he wants to ask why she cares about this soldier, but she also sort of thinks he probably assumes she’d do that out of friendship, caring for a stranger because her teammate does. Because he would do that. Natasha wouldn’t, really, but Bucky isn’t a stranger.
As it turns out, Coulson agrees with her assessment of the situation and she’s assigned to monitor Bucky while he recovers.
He tells her to take it easy, but doesn’t say anything else, because Phil knows her very well.
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Date: 2012-05-12 08:09 am (UTC)Natasha isn’t called in when they find Bucky Barnes. It stands to reason; she’s half a world away and his best friend is living in SHIELD’s headquarters.
Also, it’s not like their shared history is common knowledge.
So she doesn’t know he’s been brought in until she walks into the infirmary and Steve’s there, arguing with a doctor and all she hears is “sedation” and “possible amnesia” and “Barnes”, before she ducks behind them and goes through the door.
Sure enough, Bucky’s in the bed, pale as anything, one--fuck, one arm, obviously asleep. Sedated, like the doctor said.
“You can’t be in here,” someone says from behind her, sounding timid enough that she’d laugh if Bucky wasn’t right here.
“What did they do to you?” she murmurs, but doesn’t get any closer. The restraints they have on him turns her stomach, even if she understands why they might be necessary. But.
“He shouldn’t be restrained,” she says, turning to the doctor.
“Ma’m, with all due respect, he took down three SHIELD agents before collapsing on his own with, well. One arm.”
“Restraints will make it worse,” she says. “Make someone sit here to guard him. Captain America out there might do it. I will, if he won’t.”
“Of course I’ll sit here with Bucky,” Steve says, and he’s come through the door while they were both talking. “What do you mean, though, Natasha, about restraints making it worse?”
“If he doesn’t know where he is and he’s tied down,” she says, trailing off. The tightening of Steve’s jaw lets her know he takes her point. “If you want to start, captain, I’ll take second watch. Unless SHIELD has something else for me, of course.”
“Of course,” Steve says, and she can tell he wants to ask why she cares about this soldier, but she also sort of thinks he probably assumes she’d do that out of friendship, caring for a stranger because her teammate does. Because he would do that. Natasha wouldn’t, really, but Bucky isn’t a stranger.
As it turns out, Coulson agrees with her assessment of the situation and she’s assigned to monitor Bucky while he recovers.
He tells her to take it easy, but doesn’t say anything else, because Phil knows her very well.