Chapter 13
"Before we talk about her hands," Clint immediately began speaking, "I've been noticing something weird about Mikayla."
"Define weird, Clint," Bruce said.
"She gets this vacant look on her face, then stares at nothing for about ten to twenty seconds, then goes on like nothing happened."
Bruce looked over to Doctor Cho, who thought briefly and nodded. "I'd like to do an EEG, but it sounds like she's experiencing absence seizures."
Clint groaned. "Not more brain issues. How much can her brain take before it's damaged beyond repair?"
"The brain is extremely resilient, Clint," Bruce replied. "Look at Bucky. And, before you say anything, I knew he got a version of the super serum, but the brain itself did a lot of the healing. So far, our tests on Mikayla haven't shown any lingering damage."
"Exactly," Doctor Cho spoke. "If it is absence seizures, they are quite treatable with medication and will likely fade away."
Clint breathed what he felt was about his millionth sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Now, about her hands?"
Everyone looked toward Shuri. "The cradle we've designed works similar to Doctor Cho's for creating tissue. This one fuses the bones quicker than surgery will."
"What about pain?" Clint asked.
"I've talked with Shuri," Dr. Cho said, "and we'll give Mikayla some pain medicine through her IV, which should make the pain more manageable."
Shuri nodded. "Depending on how well her body accepts the treatment, she may only need one treatment. The small amount of serum she has should help the healing process. Once the bones have been fused, she'll still need to immobilize her fingers for a couple of days to ensure no additional damage and that the cradle did its job."
"Clint?" Bruce asked. "Did you want me to talk to her about the absence seizures?"
"Please. You'll be able to answer any questions she has."
While the group was going over the plan, Bucky stayed with Mikayla, keeping her mind occupied. "So, tell me about Becca. You keep saying I remind her of you. How so?"
Bucky leaned back and smiled, bringing up memories of his little sister that had come back, plus ones Steve had shared with him. "She was stubborn, always had to be doing whatever Stevie and I did. Becca never let anything stop her. I think Ma was more worried about me than her. She was always speaking her mind, whether or not you asked her what her opinion was. Before you say anything, you don't do that. My sister was a tomboy who drove my mom crazy. Ma was expecting a little princess, someone she could dress in frilly dresses and play dolls with. Instead, she got a little hellion who preferred to spend her time tagging along with her big brother and his best friend."
"Have you tried to find her?"
Bucky shook his head. "Been too focused on finding me again."
Mikayla bit her lip, then shyly spoke. "If you'd like, I can search and see what I can find when I'm finally allowed to type again."
"I'm pretty sure she's dead by now, so even if you could find where she's buried, I'd like that."
"You've done a lot for me, so I don't mind. Just give me her details, and I'll take it from there when I'm back to being me."
"Thanks, Mikayla." The door from the waiting room opened, and the two turned to see Steve walk in. "Hey, punk."
"Jerk," he nodded toward Bucky. "How's our patient?" Steve looked at Mikayla, who was staring at the wall past him. He looked at Bucky, who shrugged his shoulders. "How are you, Mikayla?"
"Waiting to find out what they're going to do about my hands." Mikayla nodded toward the lab. "Powwow going on now. Shuri brought a cradle that's supposed to work on bones like Doctor Cho's on tissue."
The door from the lab opened, and Clint strode over to Mikayla's bedside, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. "It's a solid plan with a much shorter healing time than standard surgery."
"Pain?"
"Doctor Cho will give you pain meds through your IV to ease it."
"Let's do it. I'm ready to get on with our lives."
Clint smiled. "That's my kick-ass woman."
Mikayla slumped back into her pillow. "If you say so, though, I'm not sure I deserve it."
Clint leaned in and whispered, "You'll always deserve it. You've earned it, believe me." Mikayla smiled.
Shuri, Bruce, and Dr. Cho entered the room. "Steve? Bucky? Would you mind stepping outside?" Bruce asked. "Nothing serious. We'd like to talk to Mikayla alone. You can stay, Clint." The two super soldiers looked at each other, stood, patted Mikayla's arms, and left. Bruce sat on one of the rolling stools and moved to Mikayla's bedside. "Did Clint tell you about the cradle?"
Mikayla nodded. "Yeah, said it works like the one used on him. He told me I'd get pain meds through my IV, and the recovery time will be shorter than surgery."
"Why am I here again?" Bruce joked. "It sounds like Clint did my job for me. He looked over at Clint, who shrugged his shoulders and smirked. Bruce turned his attention back to Mikayla. "There is one more test we'd like to run before we get started. We want to run an EEG."
"Don't think my brain's cleared yet?" Mikayla nervously bit her bottom lip. She wondered about that herself, wondering if Wanda's magic had truly removed all the trigger words and bad memories.
"That's not it, Mikayla. Clint brought something to our attention and something I'm noticing. He told us you've been staring into space for several seconds, returning to the conversation as if nothing had happened. You probably don't even know you're doing it. While watching you, I've also noticed you're chewing, even though you haven't had any solid foods. Before you ask, it's more than likely absence seizures, a very treatable condition. During the EEG, we'll try and trigger one. If it's confirmed that is what's going on, we'll prescribe you some medication, and they should go away on their own."
"Sure, what's one more prescription? I'm a walking pharmacy at this point."
Bruce clasped her forearm. "I know that's not what you wanted to hear. You trust me, don't you?" Mikayla nodded, not looking at Bruce. "This will only be temporary. I'll also review your medication list and see if we can make some changes, maybe wean you off some of them, okay?"
"Okay," Mikayla said softly, barely above a whisper, almost defeated, "do what you need to do. Just want my hands fixed."
Clint hated to see his wife defeated, almost like she was losing her fighting spirit. "Hey, Mikayla?" He lifted Mikayla's chin so she could look at him. "We'll get through this. We've got this, trust me. Promise me you will?" Mikayla nodded. Clint leaned in and kissed her. "That's my kick-ass wife."
Mikayla leaned back into her pillow. "Let's get started. Get this over with."
"You sure?" Clint asked.
"I'm sure as I'm going to be. I'm tired of not being me. I miss the old me."
"Okay, then." Clint stood, kissed Mikayla again, then stepped away from the bed to make room for the medical staff.
Doctor Cho quickly attached the electrodes to Mikayla's head. "You shouldn't feel a thing," Doctor Cho said. "Go ahead and close your eyes. Please open them when I ask you to. We'll be in here monitoring you. If you start to feel uncomfortable or something's not right, please let us know."
"I will."
Doctor Cho nodded to the technician. "Go ahead and begin."
Mikayla stayed seated upright and leaned back into her pillow. Clint stood at the foot of the bed, hands lightly placed on the tops of her feet, a little touch to keep her grounded. She heard the machine whirring but didn't feel any weird things going on with her head. Before Mikayla knew it, Doctor Cho had leaned in, advised her the test was over, then removed the leads from her head. "That was it?"
The doctor smiled. "That was it, and it confirmed what we suspected. You seem to have a mild case, so I'm sure with the combination of time and a low dose of medication, they'll disappear in no time."
"Thanks, Doctor Cho." Before she lost her courage, Mikayla continued speaking. "Are we going to fix my hands now?"
"We can. I need to get some medicine for your IV. Did you want to let everyone know?" Mikayla nodded.
"Friday? Can you have everyone come up here, please?"
"Of course, Agent Barton."
"Be sure to tell Tony he can show up calmly. No need to put the suit on for this." Clint added, knowing Tony all too well. He heard a clunking coming from the waiting room. "Too late," Clint smirked, shaking his head. Even Mikayla chuckled at hearing Tony landing.
"Stop taking my name in vain, birdies," Tony said, strutting into the room. As he shut the door, the rest of the team filed in, and everyone gathered around the bed. "To what do we owe this occasion?"
"Updates," Clint said. "Mikayla had another brain scan, showing her brain is completely her own."
"Except for the seizures," Mikayla added.
Pepper let out a small gasp. "Believe it or not, it's nothing serious," Bruce explained the absence seizures and treatment. "They'll be gone before we know it."
A collective sigh traveled the room. "As for her hands, the Wakandans have created a cradle that works on bones like Doctor Cho's does on tissues, meaning her fingers should be healed in a couple of weeks. I'm sure there will be some physical therapy involved, but all much less treatment than having traditional surgery."
"So, you're doing that now, bestie?" Misty asked.
"Yeah, thought everyone would want to know before they get started."
"You've got this, M."
"I know. I'm just tired of being in this stupid bed. I'm still a newlywed, supposed to be doing newlywed things instead of recovering from being freaking kidnapped and brainwashed."
Misty leaned in and whispered, "I'm sure you two will make up for the lost time."
Mikayla chuckled. "Go, terrorize your birdman." Misty kissed Mikayla on the cheek and stepped back. Once she found Sam, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "She's still in there."
"I knew she would be. We can't have her missing our wedding."
"Damn straight, Wilson."
The rest of the group approached the bed, spoke to Clint and Mikayla, then retreated to the waiting room.
Once the room had been cleared, Shuri approached and stood next to the bed. "Are you ready, Mikayla?"
Mikayla yawned. "Yeah, feels like the medicine's taking effect."
"Good," Shuri smiled. "We'll remove the bandages and put your hands into the cradle." Shuri motioned for one of the medical personnel, who wheeled over a machine resembling a portable X-ray machine with a flat top resembling a glass tabletop. On top of the table was a dome-shaped covering for Mikayla's hands, causing her to let out a small chuckle. "This reminds me of the UV light device they use when I get my nails done."
"Yep, they gave her the good drugs," Natasha said, looking over at Clint.
"I'll be sure to throw in a pedicure next time I have to use this," Shuri joked. Mikayla, who was fully under the effects of the medication, had a dopey grin as she looked over at Shuri. "Now, put your hands under the dome light, and we'll get started."
Mikayla looked over at Clint, who warmly smiled back, then placed her hands on the table under the dome, not knowing what to expect. At first, she wasn't even sure the machine was on because she couldn't feel anything and didn't hear any whirring or buzzing from the device, and then she began to feel warmth flowing over her fingers and thought she could deal with that. The heat was followed by a buzzing, then sharp stings of pain as if hundreds of tiny needles were poking through her skin. When she heard the buzzing, the HYDRA chair came to mind, and her eyes flew wide open. She started to whine, then tried to pull her hands back out.
"Mikayla, don't do that, please," Shuri said. "You could cause further damage."
Clint flew to his wife's bedside and immediately began massaging her temples. "Babe, come on, focus on me. Inhale, hold for 4 beats, exhale out, and count to 4. You're not in the chair. You're at home. I've got you." Clint continued speaking to her in a soft voice and rubbing her temples. Slowly, Mikayla's breathing slowed, and her heart was beating normally. "That's my girl." Clint leaned back and smiled. During her panic, Dr. Cho injected her IV with additional medication, helping keep Mikayla calm.
"Good job, Mikayla," Shuri said. "Just keep your hands steady for a little longer." Clint stayed by Mikayla's side as the cradle continued doing its job. "Okay, all done. If you lift your hands, we'll get this wheeled away and take some X-rays." Mikayla followed Shuri's direction, putting her hands in her lap after moving the machine. The technician came back with the portable X-ray machine. Mikayla placed her hands on the device, and Clint and Shuri backed away as the pictures were taken.
When the x-rays were done, and the machine moved to the lab for the doctors to examine the photos, the team returned to Mikayla's room and gathered around the bed. As the team filtered in, Mikayla lifted her hands and wiggled her fingers. "Clint?" She whispered. "I think it worked." Clint rushed over to her bedside and sat on the rolling stool. "Look." Mikayla held up her hands and moved her fingers. She grinned and put an unbandaged hand on Clint's arm, tenderly running her fingers across the veins. "I can feel you." Mikayla moved her hand down to his and tentatively lifted it. "They work," she said almost in astonishment.
"Any pain?" Clint asked, trying not to get his hopes up.
Mikayla shook her head. "More uncomfortable and stiff than anything."
Bruce, Shuri, and Dr. Cho returned. Dr. Cho spoke. "Did you want to see your photos?" Mikayla nodded. "Here's what they looked like before." The X-ray she held showed her bent and broken fingers. "And here's how they are now." There was a marked difference between the two sets. "So, yes, it did work. As you can tell, your bones have been reconnected. You will probably experience some achiness similar to arthritis, but we can manage that with medication. Your fingers will be stiff from non-use, and we'll schedule physical therapy for you."
Mikayla's eyes were shining with tears she was trying to hold back. "Shuri?" Mikayla motioned to the Wakandan princess. "Thank you." Mikayla wrapped her arms around Shuri, who returned the hug.
"It was my pleasure. Any way that I can help my friends, I am happy to."
"Is T'Challa here?"
Before Shuri could answer, a deep voice rang out through the room. "I am right here, Mikayla. I wanted to see the results for myself." The group moved to allow him to make his way to the bedside. "And I can see the cradle worked as expected." Mikayla turned, then reached out and hugged T'Challa, unable to speak. "No words are necessary. It was our pleasure to be of assistance, as always. Besides, Chewie would have never let me forget it if we didn't help you."
"How is Chewie?" Mikayla asked after ending the hug and leaning back into her pillow. T'Challa shared some of Chewie's escapades with her. "He sounds like he's a handful but very loyal."
"That is a good way to describe him. He will be a great warrior and ambassador someday. I can feel it."
The group continued carrying on various conversations until Doctor Cho interrupted them. "Okay, enough team bonding for now. Mikayla needs to rest."
Clint, chatting with Natasha and Misty, turned and noticed his wife struggling to keep her eyes open. "Doctor Cho's right. Time to give her some space." Clint shooed everyone out and then returned to Mikayla's beside. "Friday? Dim the lights, please."
"Of course." Soon, the only lights in the room emanated from the medical machines.
"Now, scoot over," Clint said. Mikayla did so, and Clint climbed onto the bed next to her. Mikayla leaned her head on his shoulder. Clint took his hands in hers and watched over her until she fell asleep.