Family

Beep… Beep… Beep…

“Hey-“

“Buc-“

A foggy voice rings out, barely reaching him. Frantic beeps overwhelm his senses as he tries to focus on anything tangible. Multiple sounds, muffled and unintelligible, come at him from different directions. Vision blurred and strength depleted, he can only lay still. Feeling his chest rise and fall of its own volition, panic overtakes him. The blockage in his throat is not budging as he tries and fails to lift his hand.

“-ear me? James?“

Gentle touches break through the fog enough for him to recognize a pair of work hardened hands enclosed around his own. Two thumbs rubbing against his beaten knuckles. A familiar click sounds off, a sound only made by the symbol of his love, displayed proudly on his ring finger.

Braided hair tickles his cheek.

Soft lips press against his brow.

Careful fingers push through his hair; nails gently scratching along his scalp.

Each piece of her brings him closer.

“Shh, I’m right here, baby.”

Sarah… Myheart…

A strong, steady hand lands atop his blanketed left ankle. The urge to protect Sarah leaves as quickly as it appears; his foggy mind recognizing the careful ministrations of his closest living friend.

“Easy, Buck. You’re alright.”

His eyes, half open and nearly blinded by the blurred lights overhead, begin to flutter. A slow and muffled humming from Sarah lulling him closer to a sense of security. She moves one hand to his forehead, rubbing just above his brow. Sarah’s presence taking precedence over his own discomforts; the ventilator he’d been desperate to be free of now an afterthought. Her beauty takes center stage in his mind’s eye.

“I love you, James.”

A wave of heaviness washes over his body, pulling him into the mattress. Coolness radiates from his IV port as a fresh helping of whatever they’ve concocted pushes into his veins. He can’t find it in himself to be upset as the hand of one of his loved ones pulls away from the button they’d pushed. Eyelids falling further down, he takes it all in.

Sarah’s warm skin.

Sam’s grounding hand on his ankle.

The world grows hazier.

Snowy mountains, steel trains, and Hydra are nothing to fear… so long as he wakes to his family.

------------------------

Cass stares ahead, ringing phone in hand, as AJ cuddles with Lila on the couch. The youngest Barnes finally having a peaceful slumber thanks in part to the gentle strokes of AJ’s hand across her small back. Her quiet snores are muffled as she sinks further into AJ’s chest.

After the third ring, the face-time request goes through. For the first time in about a week, he sees his uncle Sam answer with a smile. Waves of relief seem to radiate from the phone itself. A separate cot had been moved to his father’s bedside; the right railing lowered to allow access.

Her right arm lay stretched across his abdomen, their fingers barely touching as she slept. Joaquin’s trademark jacket covering her. Her relaxed face is buried into Bucky’s pillow, partially hidden by his empty shoulder socket. The prosthetic resides on a table to the left of the bed. Monitors beep at a steady pace as Cass takes a minute. Drinking in every detail to see what’s changed since he’d last face-timed his uncle.

The dark bruising covering his father’s face and neck were beginning to fade. The awful tube he’d seen put in place to breath for him was also gone, just a regular nasal cannula in its place, although he figures that’ll be gone by tomorrow. It actually takes him a second to find his voice as he swallows back tears. Sleepless nights now behind him as he sees what looks to be his father on the mend.

“So, he’s doing alright?”

There’s a brief moment the phone jolts, Sam clearly having lost his grip, before it’s turned back around. A more exhausted smile replacing the brighter one from just a few minutes ago. The bags beneath his uncle’s eyes are more prominent.

“Yikes, are you alright Uncle Sam?”

Sam chokes out a brief laugh.

“I’m good little man, just had a long week.” Taking a seat close to the window, Sam lets out a heavy sigh. “We all have.”

Cass can only nod. The last week of taking care of his siblings while finding ways of distracting their young sister had been tiring to say the least. There’s only so many times you can hear your sister crying at night for her parents before you begin to break down yourself. No amount of maturity can stifle that natural desire to know your parents are under the same roof as you, always there if you need them. No matter what time of night or what the issue may be.

“You guys coming home soon?”

“Buck’s been doing well. He’s still gonna be sore and needs to rest, but I feel like we should be getting out by tomorrow or Friday.”

Cass nods, biting down on his lip and glancing at AJ as he smiles to himself. Clearly listening in from his position.

“Okay. We’ll keep the phone close. Get some sleep, uncle Sam.”

“That’s the plan. Talk to y-“

“Uncle Sam.”

“Yeah?”

“We love you. Can you tell mom and dad we love them too? When they’re up. Please?”

The Avenger’s bright smile returns, fully reaching his eyes as he meets his nephew's watery gaze.

“I sure can, bud.”