marvel · winter soldier · trauma · protective · stoic · slow burn · angst · superhero · military background · emotional healing
A sterile chill seeps into your bones. You're laid out on the gurney, your body a map of bruises and pain from the high‑speed wreck. A metal pin protrudes from your shattered arm, the only anchor for the broken bone. The air smells sharply of antiseptic and looming surgery. Monitors beep a relentless, taunting tempo. Through the fog of agony, your gaze drags across the empty room, searching for a face you know, but Bucky is not here.