Chapter Text
Sam moved slowly down the darkened hallway, Flashing red lights illuminating the space every few seconds. He could distantly hear the alarm still blaring somewhere deeper inside the compound. Most of the HYDRA agents had been arrested or killed, but a select few were still inside the compound farther inside.
A door to his right hung open, and he could see the body of a hydra scientist laying in the doorway. Sam's heart raced. This could be it. He was scared of what he might find in the other room. Sam carefully stepped over the body, careful not to slip on the pool of blood splattered across the floor.
There was a metal table in the center of the room, straps hanging loose and broken off the sides. It was covered in blood. Two dead soldiers lay at the foot of the bed, and another scientist to the right. Sam's grip on his gun faltered when he saw the shadowy figure at the back of the room, back turned to him.
"Bucky?" Sam's voice was cautious. The figure didn't move. Sam edged forward, lowering his gun slightly. He recognized the long dark hair that fell just above his shoulders. The stiff posture, as if he'd never been relaxed a day in his life. The figure wore Bucky's clothes. Light blue t shirt and dark pants. Combat boots that were scuffed and dirty. Sam was surprised they'd let him keep his clothes.
"Hey, man. You okay?" Sam's heart pounded in his chest. Something was very wrong.
Bucky finally turned. He was covered in blood. His flesh hand hung limply at his side, an empty syringe in his left. Long, dark hair hung loose around his face, dirty and tangled. He was shaking, Sam could see it from several feet away. He stared blankly back at Sam, blinking sluggishly.
"Sam?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse. Like he'd been screaming.
"Yeah, man. It's me." Sam set his gun on the metal table, taking a few steps forward toward his friend. He held his hands out in a placating way. "It's all right, Buck. I'm gonna get you out of here."
Bucky swayed on his feet, looking down at the syringe in his hand. He let it clatter to the ground, pulling his metal hand around his waist. He winced in pain. "What're you doing here?" His words were slurred and he tipped back into the wall behind him.
Sam reached forward, trying to catch his friend. Buck flinched back violently at the sudden movement, and Sam stopped instantly. "Looking for you." Sam's heart sank.
Bucky eyed him warily, not seeming to trust reality. "How long's it been?" He coughed harshly, then spit
a mouthful of blood onto the tile.
"Two weeks."
Bucky seemed to lose track of what was happening. He stumbled forward a few steps, and Sam darted forward to catch him again. "Woah, woah, okay. I got you." Sam held onto his friend tightly, trying to steady him. Bucky's eyes were bloodshot, pupils blown wide. Dark circles made his face look thin and pale. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, Sam noticed.
"Hey, did they give you something, Buck?" Sam grabbed Bucky's face, trying to get the other man to look him in the eye. "What'd they give you?" Bucky's eyes slid lazily to the side, and his eyelashes fluttered for a few seconds. Sam's eyes darted to the syringe on the floor. Whatever they had given him, it was strong enough to knock out a super soldier.
"All right, okay. I got you. Let's get out of here." He was turning to speak into his comm when Bucky's metal arm shot out and grabbed Sam by the wrist.
"No." The super soldier took a ragged breath, gray blue eyes locking with Sam's. "Help me."
Sam gave the other man a bewildered look. "What? That's what I'm trying to do. Buck, you need to go to the hospital. I think they drugged you with something."
Bucky swatted Sam's helpful hands away. "They did." He spit blood onto the tile again. "Come on." He shook off his friend and began stumbling out of the room, grabbing onto the walls for support every few steps.
"Bucky." Sam followed behind his friend, trying to help him but getting swatted away every time. "Bucky." The man took an exasperated breath. Why did he always have to be so stubborn? "Seriously, man. Stop."
The super soldier shot him a dangerous look. His hair clung to his face with sweat, eyes dark and burning with anger. If Sam didn't know his friend so well, he'd be afraid. "Stay out of my way, Sam." His voice was low, steady. Completely opposite of how he looked on the outside.
Sam felt rage build inside his chest. He came all this way to find his friend and this is how he was going to act? What the fuck? "You're being a jackass. Tell me what's going on."
Bucky snorted and rolled his eyes. It looked like it hurt. "Sorry if I'm not in the mood to chat, Sam. I just got tortured for two weeks."
"Cut the fucking attitude and just tell me what's going on." Sam put his hands on his hips, waiting for a response. Who knew the super soldier serum also made you a giant asshole.
Bucky let his eyes fall shut. He slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting with his long legs splayed out in front of him. The knees of his pants were torn, and Sam could see blood underneath. He looked like hell, and he felt that familiar pang of worry again. The winter soldier never seemed to be able to catch a break. For a moment, Sam felt guilty for snapping at him. Who knows what he'd been through.
"Where's your backup?" Bucky's voice was almost inaudible, eyes still closed. He was losing the battle to stay conscious.
Sam cast a glance behind them, down the long dim hallway. "Up top. I came to find you while they were finishing arrests. They'd be here now if you'd let me call for help." Sam briefly wondered if he should have dragged his friend's sorry ass back to the surface and forced him into an ambulance. It wouldn't have worked, he knew. Bucky was stronger than any soldier, even in his weakened state.
Bucky was silent for a moment. The steady flashing red light cast an eerie glow across his features. He looked almost...dead. "They have something...of mine." He pulled a shaking hand away from his waist and winced, arm falling to his side. His pale skin was slick with blood.
Sam felt worry tug at his gut. He was going to bleed out if he didn't do something. The falcon dropped to his knees beside his friend and shrugged off his jacket. He pressed It against the source of the blood. It looked like a gunshot wound. Sam wondered how many more of these his friend had.
Bucky hissed in pain. "'m fine."
"You're bleeding out from a gunshot wound and you haven't opened your eyes in 3 minutes, Buck. You're not fine."
Steely blue eyes cracked open, sliding over to meet his gaze. Sam's heart lurched in his chest. He didn't like how Bucky could do that. Just take one look into his eyes and see his soul. Flay his skin from his body and reduce him to his bare bones. Strip his confidence away and pick apart his insides without even saying a word. He wondered if Bucky knew what he was doing when he looked at Sam like that. Was he always this unnerving, or was it something Hydra taught him?
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Sam trying to apply pressure to the wound and Bucky making pained gasping noises every so often. "Will you please let me call for medevac?"
Bucky took a shaking breath. He was struggling, Sam could tell. It wouldn't be long before his body succumbed to the drugs and blood loss and Sam would be dragging him unconscious out of the compound. "I'm not leaving without it."
Sam heaved an exasperated sigh. "Without what, Buck? I'll go get whatever it is and you can go to the hospital."
Bucky shook his head doggedly. "No. Coming with you."
Sam studied his friend worriedly. His gray blue eyes were hard with determination, jaw set in a tight line. A strand of dark hair stuck to his cheek in a mixture of blood and sweat, and Sam reached out softly to brush it away. Bucky didn't break eye contact. He wasn't going to back down, Sam knew that much. He admired the other man's strength.
"Okay." Sam took a deep breath. "All right. Let's go." He extended a hand to Bucky and his friend took it, hauling himself to his feet. He swayed for a moment, eyes pinched shut in pain, before steadying. "But if you pass out you're going straight to the hospital."
A ghost of a smile crossed Bucky's face. "Sure thing, boss."