kick_ass_curls | Business as Usual

They say it takes the average woman half the time of a relationship to get over a break up.

It took Natasha Romanoff seven and a half hours, a bottle of Stoli, and half the ammunition she had in her personal collection to 'get over' Steve Rogers. Or, that's what she told herself happened. In truth every second she was apart from Steve made it worse, made her worse. She was angry, violent, close to becoming unhinged. It would have been scary of she hadn't spent much of her life in a very dark place before. It wasn't anything new. He'd be better off without her, and she'd live.

She always lived.

Everyone at SHIELD knew by the time she came to work the next day that she and Steve were over. There was chatter of a betting pool. Natasha considered breaking the wrist of the man holding the wad of bills. Instead she walked by, head held up like nothing was bothering her, her expression so cold and emotionless it was terrifying. She'd got mission orders. She was a SHIELD agent, damn it and a failed relationship wasn't going to stop her from doing her job.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Her recent memories will be more at risk than older ones. That's the way the brain works." The doctor explains. He offers Steve a reassuring smile. "She's got a remarkable mind, Captain Rogers. The woman learned how to speak Latin. She might be just fine. If anyone could...it's her."

Steve nodded, closing his eyes again.

The doctor gave Steve a reassuring pat on the arm before returning to his post. Hours passed and soon Natasha was transferred to recovery. A different doctor came to find Steve then to inform him that Natasha's vitals were strong and there was no detectable lose of motor function or spinal damage. This was all very good news. Her body would recover completely in a few years.

The only concern now was her mind, and her memories. They wouldn't know for sure what was going on with those factors until they brought her back to consciousness.

Steve had been sat on the floor against a wall since the Doctor left. When the other one returned, he stood up quickly and listened. He let out a long breath when she said she would completely recover physically at some point.

"Can I see her?"

"She's not conscious yet." The doctor points out. "We'd like to keep her heavily sedated for at least another 18 hours." He looks at Steve worriedly. "You don't need to be here, Captain. You could go home and get some rest."

"I'm not leaving." Steve replied.

The doctor simply nodded, stepping aside. He wasn't sure Steve would like seeing here like this, with all the machines helping to keep her stable and sedated. He gave Steve the number of Tasha's room and pointed int he right direction.

Steve nodded to the Doctor before making his way to Natashas room. He hesitated outside for a few minutes before opening the door and entering. When he saw her hooked up to all the machines, Steve stilled. His face falling. He made it to the chair beside her bed, sitting down before his eyes welled up and everything came to the surface at once as the tears started to fall.

Even though he wasn't allowed in the recovery room, Clint Barton was soon standing in the door of Tasha's suite. They gave the higher level agents the real rooms. It was only fair.

"How's she doing?" Clint asked, the usual roughness of his voice somehow much softer now.

Hearing Clints voice behind him, Steve sniffed slightly. "Stable. They're leaving her unconscious for now." He replied, his voice betraying the fact that he had been & still was crying.

No one could judge Steve for reacting that way. In fact, Clint would have probably thought less of Cap if he didn't cry. "She's lived through worse than a crowbar, Cap." It's true. The drone got in a very lucky shot and Natasha was...well she wasn't paying attention. Not to herself but to Steve. Clint didn't move from the doorway. "You want me to stay so you can go get some sleep?"

"I'm not leaving." Steve replied, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I won't go anywhere."

Clint didn't say anything. He did leave for a few minutes to bring back a cup of coffee, a sandwich, a pillow and a blanket. He pulled a cell phone from his belt and set it on the table in case Steve needed to reach anyone. "I'm sorry." He said gently before turning to leave.

Steve gave a small yet grateful nod of thanks before looking behind him to Clint as he moved to the door. "Thank you...."

Clint made a note to have the nurses make sure Steve was at least not pacing the room. If they stopped him, who knows. The hours passed, and Natasha's head was filled with shattered thoughts, memories, feelings she didn't consciously understand.

Eventually the doctor came in again, clearing his throat. "Her vitals and brain activity are stable enough to bring her out of sedation."

Steve hadn't slept or eaten and was in exactly the same position he had been in when Clint had left. Hearing the Doctor, he looked over his shoulder and nodded before looking back at Natasha. "Just be careful with her."

The doctor nodded before moving around to change the medications on Natasha's IV. It too several minutes for her to open her eyes, and when she did she was extremely disoriented.

Steve breathed in deeply through his nose when he saw her eyes open, moving forward slightly on his chair. "Natasha.....?"

It took several seconds for her to focus on his voice. Natasha smiled, moving to reach for his hand but the pain in her stomach stopped her. "Fuck." She spat in Russian as she looked around the room. The doctor wasted no time rechecking her stats, her brain activity more than everything. There wasn't any damage...at least to her mental capacity.

"Take it easy.." Steve murmured. "Don't move yet..."

Natasha HATES being in medical. She hates being useless. But, she respects Steve's opinion and what he wants her to do, so she settles back, begrudgingly answering all the doctors questions. What's her name. how many fingers, what letter comes after H, what day is it...?

Tasha stopped at the last question, her brow furrowing when she looked at Steve. "It's...June, something. Right?"

When she looked at him with her brow furrowed, saying it was June, Steve breathed in sharply. Taking a few moments before he shook his head. "September...."

"Oh." Internally Natasha was in a panic. Three months? Where did three months go? it was clear to her that her not knowing upset Steve a great deal, and she didn't want that. She liked him. A lot. A lot a lot...

"September." She blinks, things not quiet adding up just yet. She's still groggy from the sedation. Tasha smiles at him, though it's not as strong or bright as usual. "I missed your birthday."

Steve closed his eyes, tilting his head down as he took a few moments to try and come up with something to tell her.

"You didn't miss it...."

Tasha's eyes dart to the doctor, who goes into a calm medical explanation of why three months are missing. He explains how memories are formed, and lost, how parts may stay while others may go. That she may never recover what she'd lost, and if she did, it would be mentally trying when those memories returned.

Tasha listens. She knew all this already. She has for a while so it's still there. Instead of looking at the doctor she's staring at Steve, her mouth open slightly. When the doctor is done speaking she rolls her head back, closing her eyes. "What else did I forget?" She asks as if there's a simple answer.