Love fever
As the first month comes to a close, Natasha picked up the flu from another child at school.
Robin had been expecting it. She could only guess the amount of contact that Natasha had with others outside of the Red Room and knew that her immune system was probably lacking.
Natasha tried to hide that she was sick for as long as she could. Robin hates to admit that it worked for the first day or two.
It wasn’t until Melina woke Robin up in the middle of the night telling her that Natasha was suspiciously warm and lethargic and that Melina needed Robin to check in on her.
Robin slips out of bed, running a hand through her hair, and shuffles sleepily into Natasha’s room. The child is curled up in a tight ball, her hands tucked under her armpits as she shivers slightly. Her face is flushed and eyes slightly glassy, her skin a furnace when Robin pressed a hand to her forehead.
Melina lingers in the doorway of the bedroom, waiting for orders. Robin tells her to sit on the bed with Natasha while she fetches a thermometer.
Robin heads into her office while Melina sits on the edge of the bed with Natasha. Robin fetches the thermometer before taking a brief peek into Natasha’s medical chart. There were no notes of her ever getting sick and no notes that Natasha had ever been injected with vaccines to fight off illnesses.
When Robin returns to the bedroom, Melina is frowning, brushing hair out of the child’s sweaty face as Natasha lets out raspy breaths.
“Sit her up,” Robin instructs, pulling the blankets on the bed back and revealing the rest of Natasha’s body. The girl lets out a soft whine, shrinking away from Melina’s touch as the woman sits her up.
“Natasha, I need to take your temperature,” Robin sits on the other side of the bed. “Open your mouth for me.”
Natasha tries to squirm away from Melina’s touch. “I’m sorry… I can be-- I can be good!” She whispers, her voice hoarse.
“Robin’s not going to punish you for being ill…” Melina tells her before glancing up at Robin as if to confirm that her statement was true. “Right?”
“Of course not,” Robin replies immediately. “I’m not upset with you. Remember what I told you? I don’t punish for medical things. I need to take your temperature, sweetheart. Open your mouth.”
Natasha reluctantly opens her mouth, barely parting her lips enough for the tip of the thermometer to slide past. Robin grips Natasha’s chin gently to slide the thermometer into place and watches the numbers on the screen climb.
Natasha is running a fever of 102F. She’s lethargic and shivering, curling into Melina for warmth.
“I’m going to grab a few things,” Robin tells Melina. “Sit here with her.”
Robin leaves and fetches a cool cloth, a glass of water, and some fever reducers that she was thankful were tucked away in the back of the stockpile of medications that she was supplied with.
She returns to discover that either Natasha had climbed into Melina’s lap or Melina pulled Natasha closer to hold her. She doesn’t mention it, retaking her seat. “Natasha, sweetheart, I need you to take some medicine.”
“I’m not sick,” Natasha protests, shaking her head slowly as her voice rasped. “I’ll be good.”
“I know. You’re being so very good for me right now,” Robin watches as Melina gently smooths the damp hair back out of Natasha’s face. “I need you to be good for me again and take the medicine, okay? Two little pills.”
Natasha’s stare is a little unfocused as she reaches her fingers out toward the medicine. Robin helps Natasha take the two pills and drink some cold water.
Natasha squirms away from Robin and into Melina when Robin pats her face with the cool cloth. “It’s too cold…” She protests quietly.
“I know, sweetheart,” Robin soothes softly, cupping her face with one hand to keep her still. “You must be all hot and feel so yucky, huh?”
Natasha’s lower lip wobbles as she gives a sniffle. “I’m sorry. I’ll be better. I can be good.”
Robin can tell by the way that Natasha’s expressions read plainly on her face that the child is not very in control of herself at the moment. “I know. Nobody is mad that you’re sick and you are being such a good girl for me.”
Natasha curls in on Melina, letting out a low whine when Robin continues to pat the cool cloth against her face before she sets it down.
“I need to make a report and make a reminder to call Natasha out of school and--” Robin starts to list and shifts to stand before Melina’s hand reaches out to snatch her wrist and stopped her.
“Don’t leave me,” Melina whispers, the sick child grabbing onto her for warmth the obvious cause of her distress. “She’s sick.”
“I know. But she wants you, not me,” Robin says, gesturing toward the child before leaning forward and kissing Melina’s forehead. “It’s okay. It’s just a fever and a sniffle. A cough is sure to develop but it’ll clear up in a day or two.”
Melina gives Robin’s wrist another tug and Robin sighs but rejoins them on the bed. Melina leans against her, leading to Natasha snugly sandwiched between the two of them.
Robin strokes Natasha’s copper hair back, feeling her face. Natasha leans into the touch with a soft sigh.
It was quiet for a few moments and Robin feels Natasha droop comfortably against them. Robin then notices that Natasha is starting to sweat through the long-sleeved pajamas she wore.
“We should probably get her out of those pajamas and into something cooler,” Robin comments before slowly peeling away from the two. She rifles through Natasha’s closer, finding a white tank top and a pair of grey jersey shorts. “Arms up.”
Natasha shakes her head slightly. “Please… I don’t wanna train…” She said softly.
“We’re not training,” Robin tells her before glancing at Melina. “Help me sit her up.”
Melina sits Natasha up and Robin peels the clothes from her body, redressing her into the tank top and shorts. Robin is smoothing the top down when Yelena starts to cry out from the other room.
“Do you want the sick child or the crying toddler?” Robin asked Melina, watching as Natasha leans back against Melina.
Melina glances down at Natasha before looking back up at Robin. “Crying toddler…” She said quietly, shifting Natasha away from her. Robin pulls Natasha up against her and winces when the child lets out a wet cough. Melina disappears to settle Yelena back down.
Natasha keeps trying to press closer against Robin. “It’s cold, Robin.” She whispers, shifting restlessly.
“I know, sweetheart,” Robin stands, listening to Natasha let out a low whine before she pulls Natasha up into her arms. The child eagerly leans into her, wrapping her arms around Robin’s neck, and pushes her feverish face into the bare skin.
Robin paces the room to try and settle her back down, rubbing her back gently. Natasha lay against her limply, quiet other than the occasional sniffle and cough.
Melina returns once Yelena had settled back down and glances at the two of them, observing Robin for a few moments before reaching her arms out to take Natasha.
Robin was glad that Melina was stepping up to the plate in terms of being Natasha’s mother as she shifts the sick child into Melina’s hold.
Melina sways slightly when she walks, pacing just as she had seen Robin do. Natasha wraps her arms around Melina’s neck just as she did with Robin.
The two women keep switching off when their arms need a break, passing Natasha between them. Natasha didn’t want to lay in the bed, only settling at the pacing and being held close.
The sun finally rises and Melina was the one to call Natasha out of school while getting ready for work. Melina holds Natasha one last time in her SHIELD uniform while Robin gets Yelena ready for daycare. The two women then switch children, Melina taking Yelena, and Robin is left alone with Natasha.
Robin misses a call because she wasn’t expecting it. She picks it up the next time and her breath catches in her throat as General Dreykov demands to know where Natasha is.
Robin can only think of Natasha’s teacher and how he must have snitched to General Dreykov. Natasha tugs on her shirt to try and pull herself closer, frowning when she feels Robin’s heart racing in her chest as she carefully explains what had happened to General Drekyov.
General Dreykov tuts in distaste and Robin inhales sharply to keep her voice steady.
“You have me as her handler and her doctor. She will be better before you know it,” Robin promises him. "Only a few days."
“I don’t want any hospitals unless she’s on death’s door,” General Dreykov orders. “If you need further assistance then you take her back here.”
Robin swallows down the bout of anger that crawled its way up her throat. “Of course, sir.”
“Do not disappoint me, my pretty songbird,” He hums before the phone goes silent and Robin hears the dial tone.
Natasha did get sicker. Not as sick as she could have been if Melina didn’t catch her though. She developed a cough that left her hacking her lungs out and kept her up. Her face was flushed and she clung to Robin like a limpet.
Melina and Robin switch off every few hours. Robin runs steamy showers in the bathroom and holds Natasha as she listens to the child wheeze as she breathes.
She does everything she can to help Natasha. She absolutely does not want to take Natasha back to the Red Room.
Robin practically moved into Natasha’s room with her. She sleeps in the same bed with Natasha and Melina brings them food.
Robin never treated illnesses. She treated injuries. Bullet wounds, broken bones, gashes, burns, and other similar injuries. She also never treated children.
Natasha isn’t better by the second day like Robin had promised to General Dreykov. Her fever breaks but there is a lingering cough that Natasha tries to hide.
Then comes Robin’s weekly meeting with General Dreykov and she sends Melina, Natasha, and Yelena out of the house so they cannot demand that she bring Natasha back with her. She claims to not know about where Melina took the children and denies being able to call her.
She was right about their orders to bring back Natasha. She plays a fool and easily lies and tries not to sigh in relief when she’s the only one squished between two large men in the helicopter.
Robin conducts more tests with the teenage Widows and is able to slip away long enough to briefly consult another doctor on base who was able to slip her some medication to help her but only after Robin calls in a favor that he owed her after she saved his life.
General Dreykov takes out his frustration and anger on her. He yells about how she broke her promise and threatens to pull her from the mission. Robin does nothing but take it. What else could she do?
Robin isn’t quite able to hide the deep bruising around her throat without a lot of makeup or a scarf. She arrives back home and sets the pills out for Natasha before taking a seat on the couch.
Melina spots the deep bruising wrapped around her throat immediately and slips two fingers under the collar of her shirt to check just how far it stretched.
“I’m okay,” Robin tells her and Melina looks up at her with a frown.
“He can’t… he can’t keep doing this,” Melina tells her quietly.
“This one was my fault. I deserved it,” Robin said and watches as Melina frowns. “I shouldn’t have made a promise I couldn’t follow through on.”
“He’s going to end up going too far and killing you if you’re not careful. This could have easily snapped your neck,” Melina prods at the bruising around her throat and Robin winces.
“It’s bound to happen eventually,” Robin replies, and Melina inhales sharply before gritting her teeth and jabs a finger at Robin’s throat.
Robin lets out a gasp of pain and bats Melina’s hand away. Melina looks up at her angrily before disappearing from the room.
It was the truth. Robin was just a plaything for General Dreykov and was surprised to have lasted as long as she did. One in twenty were lucky enough to survive General Dreykov and Robin had only lasted on pure luck.
Luck runs out eventually.