Winter Calls

„Come on, Buck! Said Steven while houling his totally screwed friend through the dark street, where Natasha parked their car.  

The soldier shouted something melodic in Russian and his body crooked suddenly in the waist, almost pulling Steven down to the ground.
„Whoa!” Said Cap, barely managing to push his buddy back up. „You're much heavier when drunk!”
Loose body waved again.

Some dudes standing in a nearby alley started cheering. One raised his hand, holding a bottle of vodka and they all called in Russian. It sounded like a part of a march or patriotic song...
Bucky smiled half-conciosuly, probbaly hearing something funny and giggled. Then burped.

„So you do have some positive assotiations with Russia, Bucky...?” Said Steven quietly, forcibly settling limp friend onto the back seat, with some mute help from Natasha. Her face seemed to express condemntation and amusement in the same time.

The soldier moved forward uncontrollably and pat his friend with his metal limb.
„No!” Slurred Bucky when Capitan winced because of pain in his arm. Sober friend gently grabbed metal hand and pushed it back onto Bucky's lap.
„I hate Russian!” Continued plastered friend while Steve fastened his seatbelt. „Mudak!”

Natasha growled. „Bucky, shut up...” And she added a few harsh words in their common language, that made the blue-eyed face frown under greasy strings of dark hair. And then he coughed pretty heavily.

„Easy, Bucky!” Said Steven. „We're going... home.” He wasn't sure how to explain to him not so comfortable truth.

Capitan looked at Black Widow starting the engine. She was staring forward, delibetary ignoring them both. „Thank you for coming and helping me...” He felt a bit guilty for pulling her into this „rescue operation”.

„No problem.” Not exactly honest reply.

The engine started. Sound of the motor mixed with Bucky's muffled grunts.

„What the hell?!” Natasha turned to the soldier, who became strangely curled all the sudden.

„Bucky!” Steven jumped out of the car. He opened the door, almost tearing them apart. He reached to his friend's face, now eyes closed.

Black Widow sighed, seeing obviously unconscious Winter Soldier. He looked so defensless, not like a monster that tried to kill her with machine determination.

„Bucky, speak to me!” Steven was holding his friends face, while all the feelings of loss were pushing back tho his mind. „Buck!” He shook the bulky body.

„Maybe he's just wasted, you know, blacked out, like people do...” Said Natasha with her voice more gritty than usual. Her eyes expressed a real concern though.

„He's a super-soldier like me... Something's wrong...” Muttered Steven. He tried to check the pulse. „He's cold!”

Natasha pressed emergency button on her phone.

Pale body was taken out and laid onto the ground. Happy Russians became quiet.
The woman was nervously talking on the phone, explaining something and answering questions. Capitan was about to start CPR when Bucky's chest rushed. A wave of pianful cough filled in space.

„...durak!...” Shouted the man with vodka bottle. A few other thick-accented words left his mouth.

Soldier's face changed. He was pailer than ever, his eyes glassy. Body shaking.

„He's awake!” Exclaimed Natasha to her phone.

„Buck!” Steve didin't know what to say more.

Winter Soldier's breath was distorted. He tried to stay calm, but his heart beat crazily, his head was filled with pressure and vision foggy.

„Buck! What happened, what did you do?!” Steven leaned closer to him. Natasha's voice still in the backgound. They didn't notice a small crowd gathering around them.

„Uhu.. Okay doctor...” She finished and put the phone to her pocket. She looked with a certian shock onto the sick face, covered with filthy hair that Steven was just pushing aside. „The help is on the way! We have to keep him conscious!”

Capitan was paralyzed with fear, he was holding Bucks head on his lap, trying to talk to him, while his friend's body was tortured by waves of torsions. His pale, trembling lips were trying to say something.

„Move away, people! Help is on the way! You won't help by staring...” The Widow stepped up and chased away most of too curious bystanders. They were reluctant enough, seeing her determined face. But some people took out their phones shamelessly. No way this won't go to the internet soon. She just sighed and cursed in Russian.

„Steve...” Quiet voice, so faint, as if it really belonged to Bucky. Steve remembered that voice, back when Bucky was having fever...
„Steve... I'm sorry...” Glassy blue eyes frowned. „But I had to...” A heavy, broken breathing. Soldier's chest waved crazily as he tried to cough.
„It's alright Buck... Stay with me. You don't have to do anything else.” Capitan tried to sound reasonable, but despair was ripping his heart apart. If he could, he would switch places with this broken man.
„I had to, Steve... I started remembering what they did to me. In clear detail... Day by day...”  Bucky's voice broke down to wheeping. A deep breath, his body stiffed. Steven embraced him. „It's alright... I'm here. You saved me Buck, I'll save you...”

„I had to try out some drugs, they'd make me forget...” Said Winter Soldier before passing out.