Leave Me Broken [Winter Soldier] II

All I Have [Chapter 30] Finale

"I wish that I had known in that first minute we met,

the unpayable debt that I owed you.

'Cause you'd been abused by that bone that refused you,

and you hired me to make up for that."

        The wind had settled on the mountain. Grey skies made the tops of the mountains in the distance look dark yet calm; clouds above allowed only a small amount of snowflakes fall to the ground. It was as if the Earth itself knew that an event of utter catastrophe had occurred and everyone needed a brief moment of peace. But among the softness of the clouds and the crisp snow on the mountain pass, there was no sun breaking through. No sun to break through the chill, no sun to shed light on the darkness that had occurred. They were not out of the darkness yet as they exited the HYDRA base where the Quinjet sat, slightly snow dusted. Beside it was another jet, smaller than the Quinjet that it was sitting beside.

       Steve saw hope.

       Bucky felt fear.

        As Bucky stumbled out of the base, almost losing his footing in the slippery snow, T'Challa turned and saw them. His mask had been removed, and there was a placid and calming look upon his face when he saw Steve, Bucky, and Ophelia. In his own grasp, he had been dragging an unconscious Helmut Zemo across the snow towards his own jet. He released the man, crouching down and making sure his head did not hit the ground too hard, while still showing a lack of affection towards him whatsoever. He rose and stood tall, facing the two men who he had fought against only hours ago. It felt like years ago, and T'Challa already knew that he had become a better king since the events after his father's death. In his eyes he showed nothing but forgiveness, and when Steve noted it, he swallowed nervously.

         "She's hurt, badly," Steve told him.

         "I cannot help her here," T'Challa replied, his bold voice like velvet.

         "We have no where to go," Steve continued; there was nothing for miles, and Ophelia needed immediate medical attention. The Quinjet had some basic supplies, a medical kit that might prevent her from bleeding out. But without proper medical equipment and professionals, it was impossible to say what other injuries she had sustained when her head crashed down on the concrete.

           Desperate, even Bucky spoke up. "Please... She's all I have."

          T'Challa looked at Zemo, and then back at the desperation in Bucky's eyes. "I will give you coordinates to somewhere safe."

         "Thank you." Steve said. 

         Helping Bucky walk towards the Quinjet while he felt Ophelia's heart rate slow. The blood seeping from the back of her head had ceased, enough had coagulated to stop the wound from bleeding further. Her breathing was still laboured, but neither Steve or Bucky were giving up. Ophelia wasn't giving up either, Steve could tell. Bucky could tell. 

         Once Steve had punched in the coordinates, the Quinjet was able to do the rest on its own. He tried to sit Bucky in a seat, but his friend refused to have Ophelia out of sight, he knelt on the ground beside where Steve had laid her down. It only took a few more minutes before Steve had the first aid kit pulled out, and an abundance of gauze, antibacterial fluids. He draped the shock blanket over her body to keep her warm; the cold temperature of the mountain had not done her any favours. Working fast, Steve cleaned the wound on the lower right side of her skull. There was a gash with thick, coagulated blood and the hair around the wound was matted and sticky. He ripped his gloves off and poured some of the hydrogen peroxide over his own hands to make sure they were clean. Propping her head up on another shock blanket that he had bunched up, he slowly began to cleanse the wound as thoroughly as he could, and then he padded a bundle of gauze against the wound, wrapping the rest of the white gauze around her head and wound.