What Would Maria Say?
"Not a chance in hell." Wanda glared at Nat from her hospital bed. The pain medication made her accent extra thick and her usual reluctance to cross the former assassin had seemingly disappeared. Nat had yet to see Wanda drunk, but this seemed like a pretty accurate preview.
"At least give me a chance to explain," Nat sat lightly on the edge of Wanda's bed. "She was following orders, just like you were under Ultron."
Wanda shivered and pulled up her blanket, concealing the two still-healing bullet wounds you had expertly inflicted only days earlier. "And that brought me nothing but pain," Wanda whispered. "Why should I spare her the same?"
Nat sighed. As the newest member of the team and the only other woman, she'd gone out of her way to bring Wanda into the fold. But the similarities in their backgrounds made Nat all too aware that it would take time for Wanda to adjust. Nat's first few months in SHIELD had been rough to say the least, full of institutional angst and plenty of tense conversations with Fury and Hill. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What would Maria say?
Nat opened her eyes and met Wanda's. "Sometimes being a hero means saving the world, and sometimes it means being the bigger person." Classic Maria line, Nat thought. In fact, it might've been a verbatim quote.
Wanda frowned but kept her mouth shut, which Nat took as a good sign as she continued. "She's in a lot of pain and it's my fault. There's nothing I can do to help. Except ask you. That's what teammates -- what friends -- do."
Wanda lowered her eyes and twisted the rings on her fingers. "You trust me?"
To anyone else, it would sound like a strange question, but Natasha knew exactly what Wanda was asking. Nat had approached the young Sokovian with what seemed like a simple request: use her powers as a sort of psychic anesthetic while you were in surgery. But giving Wanda access to your brain wasn't so straightforward. If she wanted to, Nat knew firsthand, Wanda could do much more harm than good. And she wasn't exactly your biggest fan.
Nat waited until Wanda met her gaze. "I do. I know you, Wanda, I know you never want to hurt anyone."
You'd given up trying to keep track of the voices in the room. Natasha had left and so, it seemed, had the other woman. The Authoritative Man was still there, barking orders, but the lights were too bright and the people too numerous to try and make sense of anything beyond what you already knew. A nurse secured your body with straps so you wouldn't squirm when they sliced into your abdomen to remove the bullet. You wondered whether you'd finally, blissfully, pass out. If maybe undergoing emergency surgery was some sort of hack to escape the worst parts of the serum's side effects.
There was movement in your periphery and suddenly Natasha was standing next to you. "Hey, Y/N. I have someone I want you to meet."
"Natasha, are you sure this is a good idea?" The Authoritative Man was there too, hovering.
"You got a better one?" Natasha shot back. The man frowned. Score one for Natasha.
She turned her attention back to you. "With the serum still in your system, the doctors won't be able to use anesthetic. But I have a friend whose powers can distract you, help you focus on something else. It should ease the worst of the pain. But in order to do that, she'll have to access your brain, your memories."
Natasha turned, nodded. A new woman stepped forward into your vision. She was slight, with long, auburn hair and big, sad eyes. But it was the hospital gown that gave away her identity. It was Wanda, the woman you'd shot. Suddenly, you weren't so sure about Natasha's "plan."
She could evidently tell, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. "I know what you're thinking, Y/N, but Wanda knows you were only following orders. In fact, I think you'll find you two have a lot in common."
"Hi, Y/N." If you could've jumped, you would've been hanging from the ceiling. It was Wanda's voice, but she hadn't spoken aloud; she'd spoken directly into your mind.
"It feels weird at first, but you'll get used to it." Her voice was quiet, calm, almost meditative.
"How do I...?" you thought, testing to see if the link worked both ways.
Wanda laughed out loud and you were surprised at the beauty of her smile, however fleeting. "Just like that. You're a natural."
"Are we good here, or?" The man was growing impatient. "Serum or no serum, sepsis isn't something to laugh at."
Natasha looked at Wanda, who nodded. Natasha squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered into Wanda's ear, either forgetting or not caring that your enhanced hearing picked it up with ease.
Natasha turned her attention to the Authoritative Man. "I think we're all set, Bruce. You'll keep me updated?"
Bruce? As in Bruce Banner? As in the Hulk? You mentally kicked yourself. How did you not recognize his face? To be fair, the medical coat was a definite upgrade from his rumpled appearance in the lab, but still, it was sloppy. You were getting --
"Just because I played nice in front of Nat, doesn't mean I forgive you." Wanda's voice in your head pulled you out of your spiral. Gone was her peaceful tone, replaced by hatred and spite. It caught you off guard, though you knew it shouldn't have. Of course she would still be mad at you. That left you with only one question and, as annoying as it was, it was the same as Dr. Banner's.
"Why did Natasha think this was a good idea?"
Several nurses rolled your gurney into a small but ludicrously well equipped operating room and Wanda shifted into the least unobtrusive position out of Bruce's way, which just so happened to be directly behind your head.
"Because, despite all her training..." Wanda paused, clearly thinking about her answer, "sometimes Nat trusts too hard. Does that make sense in English?"
You thought about it a moment. And then you thought about Kilroy. And how quickly you'd turned from fighting Natasha to fighting with Natasha. And how you were seconds away from letting Bruce fucking Banner cut into your stomach.
"Yeah, it does. I think I have the same problem."
This time Wanda laughed inside your head. Next to the serum, it was probably the weirdest sensation you'd ever felt. "Oh, you certainly do, Y/N. Otherwise, why would you be so stupid to let me into your mind?"
Bruce looked over at Wanda skeptically as a nurse slid gloves onto his freshly washed hands. "When you stepped into this operating room, you became part of the surgical team. First rule of medicine: do no harm. Nat trusts you and I trust Nat. She saw me for who I was when no one else could. When no one else wanted to. I know she's done the same for you." Bruce locked eyes with Wanda. "Now it's your turn."
He picked up a scalpel from a tray. "You ready?"
Wanda nodded, her lips a thin line. "I'm ready."
"I'm not," you yelled. But of course, no sound came out. You were just as trapped in your own body but this time, you weren't alone.