sedatives
Natalia takes up post at Yelena’s side immediately. Yelena looks like she’s sleeping but there’s a mask on her face and a needle in her arm and Natalia hates it.
Yelena’s going to be very upset with her and Natalia doesn’t know how she’s going to handle that. Yelena’s never been upset with her before. Not since they were children and Natalia did something stupid like steal Yelena’s dessert or hide her favorite stuffed toy.
Bobbi stands guard at the foot of Yelena’s bed, angled in front of the sisters so that anybody who came in would have to get through her.
And, for some reason, May stays in the room as well. Natalia glances at the woman who had taken up sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Natalia doesn’t kick her out merely because it was better to have more sets of eyes on Yelena.
They keep Yelena constantly sedated, coming in every four hours to inject more sedatives into Yelena’s IV. Yelena is blissfully unaware when her fever rises and the doctors press bags of ice against her in an effort to cool her down.
Maria stops by to see them at the end of the first day in medical. It’s late at night and Bobbi had fallen asleep in the chair by the foot of the bed. May was quiet, her eyes closed as she rested but her breathing patterns told Natalia that she wasn’t fully asleep.
Maria glances over Yelena briefly before turning to look at Natalia. “How is she doing?”
“Her fever’s going down but they’re concerned about her breathing,” Natalia replies quietly, her body tense as she eyes Maria.
Maria nods slowly before letting out a sigh. “Listen, I’m sorry for yelling at you the other day. The threat I made about your sister…” Maria shakes her head, running a hand through her hair tiredly. “That was cruel and I never meant it. I used it against you to get you to do what needed to be done and that was unacceptable. It was a result of me overworking. I’m sorry.”
Natalia frowns slightly, Maria having been nothing but sincere with her words. “You threatened to take her from me.”
“I did…” Maria nods her head slightly. “I wouldn’t do it, though. I’m sorry. We have a deal to uphold and I’m not going to break that.”
“Don’t--” Natalia hesitates before staring at Maria. “Don’t do it again.” She orders, surprised when Maria nods her head.
“I won’t. I’m sorry, Natalia,” Maria apologized once again.
Natalia doesn’t know how to handle an apology coming from the deputy director herself so she just nods, shifting to focus back on Yelena. Natalia had been stroking her hair softly in hopes of comforting both of them. She needed to be able to touch and feel her sister to reassure herself that it was real.
“If you need anything, let me know,” Maria said, glancing over at where Bobbi was snoring softly before glancing at May, then turning and leaving the room.
Natalia looks down at Yelena, brushing her fingers over Yelena’s cheek to feel the flushed skin under the pads of her fingers.
“I never meant to hurt her.” May spoke up and Natalia’s eyes flicker to glance at her.
“I don’t care,” Natalia sneers. “You still did.”
“It’s nothing against her, it’s my own personal--” May starts but Natalia shakes her head.
“No!” Natalia snaps and May’s defense dies in her mouth. “You listen to me!” Natalia twists to face her. “My sister was being hurt by her trainer so Coulson pulled you aside and asked you, as a favor to him, to take on training a young recruit. You didn’t ask questions. You accepted.”
“I didn’t ask questions,” May agrees. “I should have.”
“But you didn’t! And you had no problem until you found out that she’s seventeen. Despite the fact she was capable of everything you threw at her. You were patient and understanding and kind and Yelena’s never had that before in a trainer,” Natalia said harshly.
“Never?” May asked quietly and Natalia shakes her head.
“Never.” Natalia scoffs. “Kindness is seen as a weakness. You made Yelena feel safe. She… she trusted you. Then you find out something about her and you cut her off.”
“I don’t train minors,” May leans forward in her seat.
“And if you find out that Yelena only had one kidney or is color blind or something else stupid?” Natalia demands. “You’d cut and leave her too?”
“What? No, that doesn’t matter,” May said. “Natalia--”
“You call me Romanov,” Natalia hissed at her. “You do not get the privilege of speaking my name.”
“Romanov…” May amended. “Listen. There was a mission in Bahrain--”
“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” Natalia jumps to her feet with a hiss and May opens her mouth but Yelena lets out a small whimper and Natalia twists to fuss over Yelena. “Shh. It’s alright, little sister.”
Yelena settles down but her eyes flutter open and she stares up at Natalia with glassy eyes. “Nattie…” She whispers.
“I’m here,” Natalia replies, smoothing Yelena’s hair back.
Yelena’s throat bobs as she swallows hard. “Where’s the General?”
Natalia shakes her head. “He’s not here. We’re free, remember? I got you out.”
Yelena frowns, her brows drawn together as she tries to sort through foggy memories. “You’re never free…” Yelena whispers before her eyes fall onto the IV in her arm. She moves to try and grab the tube and pull it out. “No, no, no, no--”
Natalia grabbed Yelena’s fingers, pulling it away from the tube. “No, no. It’s okay. It’s just saline. Water.”
“No… I’ve been good-- I promise, I’ve been good. I’ll listen. I’ll be better...” Yelena’s eyes peer up at Natalia, not quite seeing her. “I’ll be the General’s good girl--”
“No!” Natalia snaps and Yelena flinches, curling in on herself as she looks up at Natalia in confusion. “You’re not his. He won’t touch you again.” Natalia rests a hand onto Yelena’s face.
Natalia’s raised voice had caused Bobbi to jerk awake, looking at them in confusion. “She’s not supposed to be awake…” Bobbi stands.
Yelena’s eyes trail to try and follow the noise, staring at Bobbi for a few moments. “Madame B?”
Bobbi frowns. “What?”
“Bobbi,” Natalia points to Bobbi. “Not Madame. No Madame’s here. No Sirs. No Generals.”
“Bobbi…” Yelena frowns, her eyes flickering around. “Red Room?”
“SHIELD,” Natalia corrects softly, setting Yelena’s hand down to rest on her stomach. “Remember? Maria, Clint, Bobbi, Coulson.”
“SHIELD…” Yelena echoes softly as Bobbi leaves to get a doctor. “They don’t hurt us at SHIELD.”
“That’s right,” Natalia agrees, cupping Yelena’s cheek.
“Bobbi doesn’t whip me when I make mistakes… neither did May…” Yelena murmurs quietly, her eyes fluttering shut again. “I miss May…”
Natalia’s eyes flicker to glance at May in the corner of the room. “I know.” Natalia said as Bobbi returns with the doctor. The doctor injects more sedatives into Yelena and Natalia watches her drift back off.
“It’s been two days. You need a break,” Maria comments from the doorway. Natalia glances at her before looking back at her sister.
“I’ll take a break when she’s awake and well,” Natalia replies. “You can’t make me. You can’t take her away either.”
“No… I can’t,” Maria agrees, entering the room. “But you need a break. You need a shower and to stretch your legs.”
Natalia lets out a scoff. “I’m fine.”
“Natalia, look at me,” Maria moves closer, taking a seat in the chair that Bobbi had occupied at the foot of Yelena’s bed until Bobbi left to deal with some things she had to take care of.
Natalia reluctantly looks up at her superior.
“I understand that you’re reluctant to leave your sister when she’s unconscious and vulnerable. But Clint can wait here with her until you return. If she wakes up and sees you, what do you think she’s gonna say when she sees you haven’t been taking care of yourself?” Maria questioned and Natalia knows that she’s got her hooked.
If Yelena woke up and saw that Natalia hadn’t been taking care of herself then she’d be even angrier on top of how betrayed she was that Natalia held her while she was sedated.
“Where’s Clint?” Natalia lets out a sigh and Maria used her earpiece to call Clint in.
Clint takes Natalia’s seat while Natalia begrudgingly leaves the room with Maria, hesitating once again in the doorway.
“Go. I’ll contact Maria if she needs you,” Clint said, waving her away as he leans back in the chair with a comic book and cup of coffee.
Natalia follows Maria down the hallway and to her own room. “What, are you going to watch me shower?” Natalia rolls her eyes as she enters to grab a change of clothes.
“I’m here to make sure you don’t just turn around and head back to her room,” Maria said, watching Natalia gather up a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. “I appreciate the trust you’re putting in SHIELD.”
“Let me make one thing clear,” Natalia turns to look at Maria. “I don’t trust you. You threatened to break the deal we made. Tired or not, I don’t tolerate that.”
“Then who do you trust?” Maria inquired curiously, folding her arms.
“Yelena,” Natalia replies without hesitation before stepping out of her room to walk toward the showers. “And perhaps Clint.”
“What about Agent Morse?” Maria asked. “Coulson?”
Natalia shrugs. “Perhaps one day.”
Maria sits on the bench in the locker room to wait as Natalia showers. She does notice the lack of steam coming from the single stall. “You can use hot water, you know.”
“I’ve never needed it. Hot water wasn’t allowed,” Natalia comments, stepping out in a towel when she finished. Maria glanced away as Natalia dried off and got changed. “Can I go back now?”
“Come get something to eat in the cafeteria and then you can go back,” Maria said. “Come on.”
Natalia huffs but follows after Maria to the cafeteria. Maria insists on her getting actual food so Natalia shoves half a sandwich into her mouth to satisfy her before insisting on going back again.
Yelena was awake again, still not quite there but listening as Clint was reading the comic aloud to her and showing her the pictures.
Natalia leans on the back of the chair Clint was in, peering over his shoulder to look down at the comic.
Maria leaves the three of them alone, having accomplished her mission of getting Natalia to take care of herself.