Forest

You woke up on the forest floor. At that moment you couldn’t remember how you got there. You slowly reached to your ear to see if your comm was still there. It was.
You tapped it.
“Hello?” you said then waited.
“Anyone?”
Still no response.
Shit.
You tapped it again and it beeped. The recorder was still working. You sat up.
“Well here goes nothing.”
You started a recording.
“I woke up in the woods. As of right now I can’t remember what happened or why I am here.” You paused to think. “I don’t know if anyone will listen to this. But talking is just more helpful. Makes me feel less alone.” You got up. “Looks like your standard forest. Trees, dirt, flowers.” You let out a breath. “I’m gonna walk for a while and see what happens.”
You tapped the com and started walking.

They were looking for you. They hadn’t found anything.
Bucky had his head in his hands, eyes closed over the board he had been staring at for hours. He opened his eyes and there was a red blinking light that hadn’t been there before. Bucky wasn’t exactly sure what it meant.
“Tony.”
“Yeah?”
“What does this mean?”
Tony wheeled his chair over.
Bucky pointed to it.
“A recording to the log.” Tony said confused. “But no one uses it anymore.”
“Well, someone did.” Bucky clicked it.
Your voice stared coming out of the speakers and Bucky let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in.
“FRI trace the recording.” Tony said while you were talking.
“… and see what happens.”
“No location can be found.”
“What? She obviously has a comm. Activate the location.”
They waited.
“No location can be found.”
“Why?”
“Comm cannot be detected. Presumed broken or disconnected.”
“Broken or disconnected, damn it FRI! It is clearly working! She is making recordings!” Tony yelled to the ceiling while pushing buttons to try and find a location.
“She’s in a forest and she seems okay.” Bucky said, trying to be hopeful.
“I’m going to start a search.” Tony said rolling back to his board.
Bucky looked back to his board and the light was blinking again. He clicked it. Your voice started again.
“Well, I haven’t found much yet. I can hear water but haven’t found it yet. The sun is going down but doesn’t feel too cold. Feels like it does at the compound.”
Bucky looked out the window and saw the sun was about in the same position.
“Anyway, I am going to find somewhere to sleep.” You paused. “If anyone is listening to these. I’m okay, but please find me soon.”
Bucky sat quiet for a few minutes.
“Tony…”
“We will find her. She is fine, just lost.” Tony said.

You found a tree that had some perfectly placed branches. You were able to lay across them without falling. After you got comfortable, you watched the sun set. After that, it only took you a few minutes to fall asleep.

Bucky fell asleep on the board waiting for the light to blink again. Tony didn’t mind, but he got it connected to a pad so Bucky could sleep in his bed. He would wait until morning to tell him.

You woke with the sun. You laid there thinking about what to do.
I am probably not going to find a way out of this by myself, unfortunately. If anyone is listening, if they are listening, I should give them clues so they can find me.
You pushed your comm.
“Morning, so I have decided if anyone is listening you need clues. I’m in a forest but you know that already. The sun is low so it must be early. Six maybe? Um. The trees look familiar so I must be not too far away.” You paused looking around. “It is sunny and blue sky. I can hear some water in the distance. That’s all I got right now. Talk to you later.”
You climbed down and started walking toward the source of the water.

Tony was just about to wake Bucky up when he woke by himself. His eyes immediately went to the corner of the board.
“There’s a new message.” Bucky said as he clicked it.
While you were talking, he started taking notes.
Tony looked over and saw Bucky smiling.
Bucky was proud of you, doing everything you could to be found.
“If she gives us enough clues do you think you can find her?”
“I might be able to triangulate her position. Or send out heat seeking drones.”
Bucky looked back to the notes.
“Here.” Tony said handing him the pad. “I connected her comm recordings to this. That way you can eat and sleep and not be chained to the desk. I am not kicking you out, though, you are always welcome.”
“Thanks Tony.”
“Let’s work on these clues.”

You made it to the water source. It was a creek. You followed it until it connected to a river, a big river.
You tapped the comm.
“I found a river. It’s big, wide. … Ugh. I wish Steve was here. He would know the names of these trees and flowers. It really looks like home, normal. I feel like I’m not too far away. Nothing looks too crazy different. … Which would be helpful for finding where I am.”
You pushed the comm again.
You kept walking along the river. The sky darkened a bit.
You made a quick recording. “It’s going to rain. It’s coming in from the… west. Yeah, the west. The dark clouds are just starting to come over my location.”
You looked around to find some shelter. There wasn’t anything great, but you saw something that might work. You got to work.
While building, you found some blueberries and other berries to eat.
By the time it started raining you had your shelter built.
“It’s raining now. Just rain… I miss everyone… Bucky.”
You stopped the recording before you started crying. You wanted them to see you being strong.

Back at the compound, Peter and Steve had come to help. They were looking at the weather maps.
“Okay. From the time she saw it to when it started, she should be in this area.” Steve said.
“I have been looking for creeks turning into a river, there are a few in the area.” Peter added.
“We need to narrow it down a little more.” Bucky said.
“If she can’t give us any more details, I don’t know if we can.” Tony said. “I will start getting the drones prepared.”

You sat in your tree tent watching and listening to the rain. It lasted well into the night, and you fell asleep to it.
In the morning you sat trying to think of what else to tell the team. Assuming they were listening. There was nothing remarkable around to help.
You finally got down and walked around describing things you saw. After a while you stopped. You knew you were getting nowhere with it.
“I’m going to stay by the river and hopefully you will be here soon. Love y’all.”
You decided to take a little different way back to see if you could find something else to eat. You saw a little path and made your way toward it. Your foot hit something metal, before you could pull it back something clamped around your ankle. It took three seconds for your brain to register what happened.
You let out a strangled scream and fell to the ground.
It was an old, rusted bear trap.
“Fuck!” you screamed.
You tried to pry it off, but the joints were not moving. They were beyond rusted, and it wasn’t going anywhere.
You rested you head on the ground, eyes fluttering. It was so hard to stay focused, you worked on breathing through the pain. In and out. In and out. Eventually you passed out.

“Any new information?” Tony said.
“No… It sounded like she gave up finding things.” Bucky said, frowning.
“It doesn’t mean she gave up.” Peter said.
“Yeah, I know. It’s just, we haven’t heard anything in a while.”
“She is fine.” Steve said.
“Why don’t we get some sleep. The drones will be ready to go soon. We can wake up and look for her then.”
“Yeah, okay.” Bucky said.

When you woke, you were confused, foggy. You felt hot, too hot. You turned your body and a new heat flared up your leg. Pulsing throbs shooting up your leg.
A sob left your mouth.
What time is it? When was my last recording? Thoughts that went through your head in between the throbs.
You took a breath and pushed the comm.
You almost started talking but knew you would sound hurt and in pain. But leaving an empty message wouldn’t look good either. You had no other choice, you wanted to compose yourself before speaking.
You clicked it again.
A few minutes later you worked up the courage to look at your ankle. The trap points were deep into your skin. Your ankle swollen and the angriest red you had ever seen. You laid your head back. The ground was cold.
Should it be this cold?

Bucky woke up by himself. He rolled over and looked at the pad. He pushed the blinking red light.
He listened.
Nothing.
He shot up.
“FRI analyze last recording for any sound.”
“Yes sir.”
Bucky got up and started walking.
“Sound magnified. Playing back.”
FRI played the recording again. All Bucky could hear was your breathing. And it wasn’t normal breathing.
Bucky made it to Tony’s lab.
“Tony, we have to go.”
“Why? What did she say?”
“That’s just it. She didn’t say anything.”
Bucky replayed the recording.
“Drones are five minutes from being ready to do. FRI wake everyone, be ready to go in thirty.”
“Yes sir.”
“There’s another one.” Bucky’s finger hovered over the light.
Tony pushed it.

It took you a few minutes to compose yourself, but you finally did.
“Um…” You took a breath. “Something happened.” It was so hard not to move. “I’m okay. For now… But I am going to need help soon.” You paused. “I love all of you. Bucky…” Your voice was wavering. “I love you most. I’m sorry.” The recording caught one sob before you turned it off.
As tears were rolling down your face, you pulled your leg closer, thinking it wouldn’t be that bad and getting it into a better position.
Wrong. So very wrong.
Agony, hot and sharp stabs down to the bone. You fall back gasping choking on sobs. The pain eventually taking you under again.

Tony sent the drones out 5 minutes after they listened to your last message and the team was in the air another ten after that.

You woke to sticks snapping and a low growl. You looked toward your feet and saw a bear. At least you thought it was real. You weren’t totally sure anymore. You rubbed your eyes to see better.
I’m going to be eaten by a bear.
Then you heard another growl and looked behind you. A dog. No, a wolf. You were sure you were imagining things.
A bear and a wolf are going to fight over me. Then one is going to eat me. Fuck.
The wolf walked toward the bear snarling, teeth showing. It snapped at the bear and the bear growled back.
This can’t be real.
The wolf snapped a couple of times and advanced and the bear gave up and walked off. The wolf walked back toward you, first smelling your ankle.
You swallowed.
This is it.
It kept walking toward you. You turned your face away from it. The wolf sniffed your face then licked your cheek. You were surprised and turned your head to watch it. It laid down next to you, pushing its head under your hand. You moved your hand around its neck, laid your head back down, and passed out again.

“Drones are in place. They are starting to scan.”
The whole team stared at the screens.
There were a few heat signatures, but they were all animals.
“Okay moving to the east.”
Again more animals.
“Hey wait.” Steve said. “Go back.”
Tony moved the drone back.
“That.” Steve pointed.
It was a bigger heat signature than they had seen before.
“Her heat signature shouldn’t look that big. It is probably a bear or something.”
“Please, Tony. It’s the first thing that has been out of the ordinary. It is close to a river. Let’s look anyway.” Bucky said.
He shook his head. “Okay.”
Bruce lowered the jet.
Bucky and Peter hopped out.
The drone had moved to right above the signature so they could find it quicker. When they got closer, they both saw you, then the wolf.
“Is that a wolf?”
“Yeah.”
It lifted its head and looked toward Bucky and Peter. Then laid its head on your stomach.
“What do we do?” Peter said.
“Walk slowly toward her.”
The wolf perked up as they got closer and lifted its head again. When they were about a foot away the wolf got up and nudged your head.
“Huh…”
It licked your face again.
“Hum…”
The wolf looked to Peter and Bucky, then walked away.
“Babe.” Bucky said going to your side. “We are here.”
He put a hand on your head and pulled it away.
“She’s burning up.”
“Probably an inflection.” Peter said pointed to your ankle.
“We have to take it off.”
The voices sounded familiar, but your head was too foggy to pay attention. But you did hear something about taking it off. You didn’t want the trap to be moved. It was going to hurt like hell.
“No…” you croaked out.
“Hey.” He cradled your head. “I know it’s going to hurt. But it’s going to hurt more to keep it on.”
You let out a moan, still feeling the pain and heat pulse up from your ankle.
Peter and Bucky moved to your ankle.
“Okay we have to open it and carefully get her foot out.” Bucky said. “I’ll open it.”
“Okay.” Peter said back.
“Here we go babe.”
Bucky pried the trap open, you let out a strangled scream. Feeling a sharp pain run through your leg all the way up your body. You passed out after that.
Working together they removed the trap from your foot.
“Done.”
“I’ll clean this up.” Peter said, picking up the trap and double checking for anymore around.
Bucky picked you up and walked back to the jet.
“You can lay her here.” Bruce said.
Bruce got a scanner and began looking you over as the jet took off.
“She’s got a high fever. Obviously, her ankle is injured. Probable infection. I’ll radio to the medical team and have everything ready when we land.”
Bucky nodded.
Bruce put a cold washcloth on your forehead and looked at your ankle closer.
Bucky didn’t leave your side.

When they got to the compound Bruce took you immediately to the med bay. They cleaned out our ankle wound, hooked you up to and IV and medication, and gave you a tetanus shot.
They made Bucky clean up and eat before they let him see you, knowing he wasn’t going to leave you until you woke up.

When you woke, Bucky was sitting next to your bed, sleeping. You couldn’t reach him to tell him you were awake.
“Buck…” you whispered.
He didn’t wake.
“Bucky…” You tried a little louder.
He opened his eyes and looked right into yours. It took him a minute to register that you were looking back at him.
“Babe. How do you feel?”
“Better than before.”
“Good.” He got up and kissed your forehead, noticing it was back to normal temperature.
He pushed some hair back and stared at you. You put your hand on his.
“Bucky.”
“Yeah.”
“Was there… was there a wolf with me when you found me?”
He smiled. “Yeah, there was.”
“I thought I was going crazy.”
“It was a white wolf.”
“One of your friends?” You smiled. “Always looking after me.”
“Forever and always.” He placed a soft kiss on your lips.
“How did you find me?”
“The messages you left. All the clues.”
“You heard all those?”
“Yup. Led us right to you.”
You smiled and closed your eyes. It took you a few seconds to open them again.
“Sleep. I’ll be here.”
“I have already slept… I want to be with you…”
He held your hand.
“Your body needs it.” He brought you hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Sleep.”
It was like his words had a commanding presence over your eyes, because they slowly closed, and you drifted back to sleep.