[Leipzig AU] good for trouble

[from_the_outside]

Busan glitters like a disco ball in the night, and no one gives them a second glance as they stroll through the fish market, Sharon in her white dress on Ross's arm, the rest of the team behind them. "Sophia," she says, warmly, and exchanges air kisses with the woman, her pink visor and plastic apron both bright. She knows to expect them, and after she pats Sharon fondly on the cheek, she nods them through.

They spread out through the casino, the team's voices low in her ear. She stays by Ross, playing the part of arm candy, applauding when he wins and consoling him when he loses.

There's no sign of Klaue yet, and the metal briefcase full of diamonds stays locked to the wrist of one of the other agents. "I'm going to get a drink," Sharon murmurs to Ross, and makes her way through the crowd to the bar. 

The martinis here are fine, but not as good as Nat's.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

He accepts the offer with alacrity, coming up beside her and reaching for Sharon's hand with his right. Bucky holds on, running his thumb back and forth over her fingers as they walk.

Shuri leads them into the room that they've so painstakingly set up, swinging the gurney into position in front of the medical scanner with its hexagonal cells vibrating around the central display. A blue light starts to run over Sharon's body, and at the end of the table Ross startles.

"What are you doing?"

"Quiet, colonizer!" Shuri orders. "I am working."

[marvel_npc]

She has rarely been so grateful for Shuri's genius as she is in this moment, as the girl rapidly surveys the damage done. Several hexagons blur together to create a screen for Sharon's vitals; others blink with data as it feeds into the system.

The wound is easy to find, even with Sharon on her back. The system throws up an alarm, blinking red, and once Shuri has satisfied herself that she has not missed anything, she returns to it. On the display, a glowing image of Sharon's spine appears, with unhappy orange markings.

Nakia finds herself folding an arm protectively over her ribs, her hand pressed to her mouth. She'd known, she'd seen, but it's an altogether different experience to see the reality of it in the scans.

One bullet was all it took, almost enough to snuff her friend out for good. She shivers at the closeness of it all.

[nerves_of_ice]

T'Challa steps to Nakia's side as she shivers, reaching to put his arm around her. Beside the table, Bucky remains preternaturally still, watching everything with fierce intensity.

Shuri gestures at the screen, and pulls an image of Sharon's spine from the display into the space above her body. The young scientist pulls her hands apart, separating the vertebrae, and studies the map of orange lines that illustrates the damage done.

"She will live," she says, with assurance. "And she will heal completely."

Bucky drops into a crouch beside the table and lowers his head abruptly to his forearm, gasping in a long, relieved breath.

[marvel_npc]

Ross makes a sound like he's the one who was shot and exhales relief. Shuri smiles, until her Kimoyo beads give a chime.

She glances down at them, then gives T'Challa a warning glance. "W'Kabi is here," she tells him. T'Challa nods and tips his head to Okoye, who follows him out of the medical room as Shuri turns back to her task.

Nakia comes to put a gentle hand on Sergeant Barnes's shoulder where he is crouched beside the table, as comforting as she can make it. Shuri hums to herself and weaves complicated figures of light through the air, then peers intently at them before waving her hands at the group.

"Go on, all of you. I need to prepare her for the procedure to remove the bullet. I will call you when she is recuperating."

[nerves_of_ice]

He looks up at that, his hold on Sharon’s hand tightening. “Let me help.”

His glance meets Shuri’s and holds. “Let me stay.”

[marvel_npc]

She will let Shuri decide whether to let the Sergeant stay. For her part, she nods and pats his shoulder, then turns to Deputy Commander Ross, who is staring at Sharon like he might be able to will her into waking up.

"Come," she murmurs. "I will take you to the Citadel. Rooms have been prepared for both of you."

[nerves_of_ice]

Ross looks like he wants to argue, but instead nods to Nakia. “Come on, Barnes,” he says, gruffly. “She needs to work.”

Bucky doesn’t move at first, but every muscle in his body tenses. Slowly, he turns his head to pierce Ross with a cool, remote glare that promises nothing good.

“I’ll go if the Princess tells me to,” he says, soft and cold as falling snow. “You don’t want to push me right now, Ross.”

[marvel_npc]

Ross bristles and opens his mouth, and Nakia finds herself wishing T'Challa were here to get between the two men before Shuri intervenes.

"He can stay," the princess says, almost absently, before slanting a look at the Sergeant. "For now."

Ross looks as though he's bitten into a lemon, but nods, short and sharp. "Fine," he says, then steps forward and looks down at Sharon's sleeping face. "Hang in there, Carter," he says, with gruff affection, and has to clear his throat a few times before he can reach down to circle his fingers lightly around the wrist of her free hand. "We're pulling for you."

It's brief, and then he turns to Shuri, back military-straight. "Princess," he says. "Thank you."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods in response to Shuri’s warning, and stays quiet and still as Ross approaches to take Sharon’s other hand.

“Yes, you are welcome,” Shuri says. “Now go, so I can begin.” She checks something on her tablet. “Nakia, they are still above - you had best take the train.”

[marvel_npc]

Nakia nods and guides Ross with a hand on his back. "This way," she tells him, and leads him through the lab toward the train. He still looks a little shell-shocked, but he's handling it well.

"Call us when you have news," Nakia tells the Princess as they leave, then walks with Ross toward the train, quietly talking with him as they go.

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky looks up at Shuri and waits for instructions. He doesn’t have to wait long.

“Turn her over,” she says, already back to studying the images in the air. “Cut those filthy clothes away and get rid of them. I will run the sonic cleanser while you bring a drape for her. Fresh clothes are in the changing room cabinet.”

He turns Sharon with gentle care and places her on her stomach, her head turned to the side and hair neatly gathered at the nape of her neck, before going to find the things he needs to follow Shuri’s orders.

[marvel_npc]

While he's gone, Shuri adjusts the table, an aperture appearing at the head of it. She gently adjusts the woman's head, setting her face into the opening so her spine is long and straight, then peers at the wound.

There is only one, for which she is grateful, but it is a bad one. The Kimoyo bead T'Challa used to stabilize her pulses gently with a violet glow, keeping her in a deep sleep and telling her body and brain that things are not so desperate as they seem.

It will be a little tricky to remove. Shuri runs the sonic cleaner and pulls out a tray of sterilized equipment, then draws on a pair of sterile gloves as she considers the best approach.

[nerves_of_ice]

He returns with everything required and cuts the destroyed shirt free and removes it before moving to the rest. Every movement he makes silently proclaims his experience at caring for a sick person and helping them with their needs.

Bucky places the drape over Sharon, folding it back to her waist, and only then lets himself look at the extent of the wound. His breath comes in sharply and stays.

He knows exactly what kind of damage a bullet like that, with that placement, can do. It’s a miracle she survived long enough for T’Challa to get her here.

[marvel_npc]

Shuri sterilizes the wound and the skin around it, then tells the table to take over life-support function from the Kimoyo bead.

As she reaches for her equipment, she looks up at the Sergeant. "Are you sure you wish to be here for this?" she asks. Her voice is gentle. "It may be difficult to watch."

[nerves_of_ice]

“I trust you,” he says, softly. “If you tell me to go, I will. I won’t argue. But otherwise, I’ll stay with her. If you let me.”

[marvel_npc]

She should tell him to go, perhaps, but she finds she doesn't have the heart to send him away. "Well," she says, brisk. "If you stay, you must assist."

Shuri indicates the sterile masks and gloves, then puts a mask over her own face. Once he's ready, she hands him a small vibranium bowl. "I will remove the Kimoyo bead first," she warns. "There may be a brief moment of fluctuation as it disengages, but the table will keep her stable."

[nerves_of_ice]

He dons a mask, then looks dubiously at his left hand before carefully pulling a glove over it. The glove doesn’t tear, and he puts on the other and stands ready with the bowl Shuri gives him.

“I understand,” he says, quietly, and repeats: “I trust you.”

[marvel_npc]

She works quickly and efficiently. The Kimoyo bead offers little resistance as she removes it. As she anticipated, a flurry of alarms blink through the display as she lifts it from Sharon and drops it into the bowl the Sergeant holds. She ignores them, focusing only on the waveforms of the woman's vital signs.

Once they stabilize, she nods to the Sergeant. "Now I will remove the bullet," she murmurs, and carefully works her way into the wound. "Have courage. This is the worst part and it will soon be over."

Whether she's speaking to the Sergeant, to the unconscious woman, or to herself, she isn't quite certain.

[nerves_of_ice]

“You’re doing great,” Bucky says, keeping his voice low and his words quiet so as not to distract. “Everything’s going well.”

It’s meant for both of them, whether or not Shuri knows it, whether or not Sharon can hear him.

[marvel_npc]

The bullet is more difficult to extract, being lodged in the woman's spine, and Shuri instructs the Sergeant to put down the bowl for a moment and help her by holding the wound open and stable.

Shuri makes a face as she eases the bullet out, her eyes grim. "Guns," she mutters, and drops the thing into the bowl with an expression of disgust. The table beeps at her, notifying her of the cascading effects that are attempting to happen and which she refuses to allow. She focuses intently on the rendering of Sharon's spine in light above the woman herself and works quickly to repair torn tissue and nerves. She repairs the damaged vertebra with a putty which will allow the bone to regenerate, then finishes by running a blue light over the wound, which slowly seals itself without any need for stitches.

She is sweating by the time she's finished, her own back aching, but pleased as she looks at the display. It ticks steadily back up towards normal, and she beams at the Sergeant. "Success."

[nerves_of_ice]

His answering smile is blinding. Bucky lets himself find Sharon's hand with his own again and holds it gently as he meets Shuri's eyes.

"Thank you," he whispers. "For saving her."

[marvel_npc]

She smiles back, pleased and satisfied.

"You are welcome," she says, and goes to the cabinet to pull out a light robe of soft fabric, which she brings to him. "Dress her in this while I clear these things away. And then she will need rest, and so will you."

[nerves_of_ice]

He accepts the robe and does as told, cradling Sharon in his arms with gentle care as he dresses her, then laying her back on the table in as comfortable a position as possible.

“Can I stay with her?” he pleads. “So that she won’t wake alone? She’s going to be confused.”

[marvel_npc]

"I will be nearby," Shuri protests, but it's pro forma before she gives in.

"Stay if you like. It will be some time before she wakes, though. At least get a chair."

[nerves_of_ice]

He nods, and then draws a slow breath.

"Do you want me to call Ross?" Bucky's proud to hear that his voice is steady and calm, both. "He's probably waiting to hear. Sharon should have his number in her phone."