Chapter 12
Yelena knows immediately when she wakes up that the wound in her side is infected. She’d had enough wounds get infected and fester and leave scars on her skin.
She knows that she can ask her sister for help. She knows that nobody here will make fun of her for getting shot.
But she still hesitates. She doesn’t know why.
When she changes in the bathroom in the morning, she takes a moment to change her bandage too. The skin is red and irritated, the wound weeping between the stitching. It’s a gnarly sight but one that Yelena had desensitized herself to. She cleans it up and bandages it again and ignores the throbbing in her side as she gets dressed.
Tony is in the kitchen by the time she arrives. He’s making another gross green smoothie and grins and offers her one.
Yelena declines, rifling through the fridge for something to eat. She smothers a sharp exhale with the stab of pain through her abdomen.
Much of the rest of her day is the same. She won’t let Natasha touch her anywhere near the wound. She doesn’t crouch or bend over or jump or anything that will make her wound worse.
MJ comes over to hang out. They hole up in Yelena’s room and watch movies. It isn’t until MJ hits her torso with a pillow that Yelena lets out a cry of pain. MJ jerks away immediately, confusion and surprise on her face as Yelena doubles over.
“What’s wrong?” MJ questions, moving toward Yelena.
“Nothing,” Yelena quickly manages to contain her gasp and forces herself to unfold herself. “I’m fine.”
“Bullshit,” MJ quickly calls her out, reaching out to poke her finger against her stomach.
Yelena grips the wrist, twisting to pin MJ under her in a matter of seconds.
“Okay, no need to get violent,” MJ said softly. “I won’t poke you again.”
“Sorry…” Yelena lets her go.
“Talk to me,” MJ doesn’t shove Yelena off of her. “What’s wrong? And don’t tell me that it’s nothing.”
Yelena takes a moment before huffing and pulling up the bottom of her vest and shirt to reveal the bandage. “I got shot.”
“Holy shit!” MJ sits up some, her hand reaching out to hover over the bandage. “You should have told me. I wouldn’t have smacked you with a pillow. Can I see?”
“It’s gross,” Yelena pushes her hand away and drops her shirt.
“I don’t care,” MJ said, tilting her head to the side. “I’ve never seen…” She trails off. “Wait. Yes, I have.”
Yelena raised an eyebrow. “Never seen what?”
“A gunshot wound…” MJ mumbles. “I just remembered that I have. In… in the diner.”
Yelena slides off of MJ to sit next to her. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
MJ is quiet for a moment. “I looked at the bodies for a long time.” She finally admits.
“What? Why?” Yelena frowns in confusion.
“I was looking for yours,” MJ confessed quietly as she reaches out to grab Yelena’s hand. Yelena squeezed MJ’s. “I was afraid that I would see you. I don’t know if I was more scared when I didn’t.”
“Come here,” Yelena tugs MJ up, and MJ falls against Yelena, curling into her. “I’m alive.”
“I thought that you were dead,” MJ mumbles quietly. “There were so many gunshots and everything got really quiet.”
“I’m sorry,” Yelena tells her softly. “I keep meaning to tell you--”
“I don’t care,” MJ looks up at her. “I don’t really care who you are or where you come from. Natasha already explained some.”
“I didn’t mean to put you in any danger,” Yelena quickly tells her. “I’m sorry. If I thought for a moment--”
“Be quiet,” MJ reaches up to wrap her arms around Yelena’s neck and pull her down to lay next to her. “I don’t want your apologies. We’re both alive. That’s what matters.”
Yelena takes a moment to stare at MJ. “Thank you.”
MJ gives her a small smile and Yelena lets out a small sigh, leaning her head over to rest it on MJ’s.
“So, about that thing on your stomach… was that from one of the people at the diner? Are they dead?” MJ asked quietly.
Yelena takes a second to reply. “Maybe…” Because that would mean admitting that she killed people.
“I hope they are,” MJ grumbles and Yelena looks down at her in surprise.
“...they are,” Yelena said after a moment.
MJ was quiet for a few seconds. “Did you kill them?”
Yelena’s silence must have been an answer enough before MJ nods.
“They deserved it,” MJ said and Yelena pulls away to look down at her.
“I never want you to have to make the choices I did,” Yelena’s voice was firm. “Do not go down the road that I have. Never kill unless it is the absolute last choice that you have.”
MJ’s face softens and she nods. “I promise.”
Yelena lets out a small sigh, flinching when there’s a sharp pinch in her side.
“Okay, come on,” MJ gently pushed her to lay back on the bed. “Lemme see. It’s obviously hurting you.”
Yelena huffs and rolls her eyes but pulls up her shirt and vest. MJ reaches out and starts to peel back the bandage when Yelena doesn’t stop her.
“Holy shit,” MJ sits up. “This is massively infected. Jesus Christ!”
“Shh!” Yelena swats her hand away, moving to tape the bandage back into place. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Dude, you need antibiotics for that,” MJ said. “You’re gonna get, like, blood poisoning or something.”
“It’s fine. I’ve had worse,” Yelena pulls her shirt back down, letting out a frustrated huff when MJ grips her wrist. “What?”
“Why are you scared?” MJ asked her. “What is stopping you from getting help? You know that your sister would help you, right?”
Yelena lets out a long sigh, closing her eyes as her side throbs. “Dunno…”
“You deserve to get help,” MJ moves to straddle Yelena. “Look at me, Belova.”
Yelena peers up at MJ.
“Your side is gonna get worse if you don’t get help,” MJ said, her face serious. “Don’t make me watch you get worse because you’re being an ass and refusing help.”
Yelena turns her head to the side so she doesn’t have to see MJ’s disappointed face. “Admitting that you’re wounded is a weakness. Weaknesses get you hurt.”
“There are so many things wrong with that statement,” MJ starts. “You being hurt is a weakness, yes. But admitting that you need help will not get you hurt. Not here. I won’t let that happen.”
“Natasha’s gonna be mad at me for hiding it,” Yelena mumbles, reaching up to cover her face.
“I think she’ll be relieved that you’re reaching out and admitting that you need help. You’re not an unbreakable rock, Yelena,” MJ tuts, gripping Yelena’s wrists to pull her hands away from her face.
“I am made of marble…” Yelena mumbles quietly.
“You are made of my best friend. Come on. You’re not marble or invincible,” MJ tugs on Yelena’s wrists slightly. “Please?”
Yelena takes a deep breath, feeling MJ’s weight on her thighs and the burning in her abdomen. “Okay.”
“Okay?” MJ’s face lights up.
“Yeah. Okay. Come on, get off of me,” Yelena said and MJ rolls off of her. Yelena sits up with a small sigh.
“I’ll come with you,” MJ said as Yelena gets out of bed. “For as long as you want I’ll be at your side.”
“That’s quite the promise,” Yelena said, smoothing her vest down before reaching out and grabbing MJ’s hand. MJ links her fingers with hers, giving her hand a small squeeze.
“I mean it,” MJ said before tugging her out of the bedroom. “So, where can we find your sister?”
“FRIDAY?” Yelena didn’t use Tony’s AI a lot. Mainly because she didn’t understand quite what FRIDAY was.
“Miss Romanoff is in the gym,” FRIDAY relays, and Yelena nods, mumbling a quiet thanks. The duo head into the elevator and down to the gym.
“Hey girls,” Natasha stops punching a punching back when she sees them. “What can I do for you?”
MJ nudges Yelena when she’s quiet for a few moments.
“I need help,” Yelena finally said, watching Natasha frown and unravel the wraps from her hands.
“What’s wrong?” Natasha asked and Yelena hesitates again.
“Yelena has an infected gunshot wound,” MJ pipes up when Yelena doesn’t, ignoring how Yelena elbows her.
“Aw, Yelena,” Natasha moves toward her and Yelena pulls up her shirt to show her. Natasha peels back the bandage and grimaces. “I wish you would have said something.”
Yelena can only shrug as Natasha replaces the bandage.
“Come on. Let’s get you down to the medbay and find you some antibiotics,” Natasha said.
“I don’t wanna go to the medbay,” Yelena doesn’t mean to whine but she’s tired of thinking of doctors in white coats and being tied down to beds.
Natasha clicks her tongue against her teeth. “Fine. We’re going to Tony then.”
Natasha wraps an arm around Yelena to lead her up to Tony. Yelena’s still holding MJ’s hand so she follows.
Tony raised an eyebrow when he sees the three of them enter the room. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“Yelena needs antibiotics for the gunshot wound on her torso,” Natasha comments. “And if you insist on a doctor then use a different one than last time.”
Tony frowns, glancing at Yelena. “You comfortable showing me?”
Yelena shifts to pull her shirt up and peel the bandage back. Tony scrunches his nose up.
“Ew,” He comments before shrugging. “I’ll get a doctor.”
“I’m not going back down to the medbay,” Yelena tells him. “No white coats. No needles unless absolutely necessary. No restraints.” She lists her demands.
Tony nods his head. “Of course. I’ll see what I can do. Don’t stray far.”
Yelena takes a second because Tony listened to what she wanted. It was just a matter of whether he followed through.
And he did. The doctor he got looked just like a slightly nervous woman in a pencil skirt and blouse as she cleans up the wound. She gives Yelena some antibiotics to take and Yelena is left sitting on her sisters bed in disbelief because that was the fastest doctor’s visit ever. There was no poking or prodding. No extra pain. No restraints, needles, white coats, masks, or anything that Yelena didn’t want.
She feels foolish when the whole thing is over. MJ still holds her hand, squeezing it as Yelena runs her fingers over the fresh bandage.
“That didn’t hurt,” Yelena comments quietly as she smooths her shirt back down. “I’m... sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad that you finally spoke up,” Natasha runs her hand over Yelena’s hair. “It’s okay to admit weaknesses.”
Natasha didn’t even have to wheedle that piece of information out of Yelena as MJ did.
“I should have told you. I don’t know why I didn’t,” Yelena mumbles, leaning against her sister.
“I know,” Natasha leans down slightly to press a kiss to her forehead and Yelena relaxes under it. “I’m not mad.”
“Told you I’d protect you,” MJ whispers to her and Yelena lets out a soft laugh, elbowing her friend in the side. “Now you’re just being rude.”
“You’re the rude one, I didn’t slam a pillow against that wound in your stomach,” Yelena pokes MJ’s side.
“Excuse you, miss I-don’t-tell-anybody-anything,” MJ reaches out to flick her nose in return. “I can’t be at fault for something you never told me.”
Yelena rolls her eyes but she’s grinning because MJ is a really good friend to have.