When Johanna woke up on the next day, she felt her throat hurting badly. She sat on the edge of the bed and started coughing.

How could she be sick again? Everything was totally fine!

Until yesterday.

Johanna took her phone and sent a quick message to Tony. She didn't feel going to the work today.

She put her phone away and stood up slowly and walked to the kitchen. There she took the cup and filled it with the water. Johanna listened to the sounds of the water falling into the cup dully and yawned. Then she drank the water quickly to not to make her throat hurt even more.

Then she looked out the window.

It was cloudy, windy and it was raining. This weather was like her mood and feeling today. Miserable and dark.

Johanna went back to bed to sleep. She was so tired. But the sleep didn't come. Johanna trashed around the bed restlessly. Something was missing. Like a puzzle piece. What made her feel like that? Sadness? No. Anger? No. That stupid weather? Nope. Adrenaline? Yeah, that maybe was it. She missed dealing with that red case.
No...
She didn't...no she did...Johanna shook her head and screamed. Why? Oh God. Her chest hurt. Her heart hurt. What? That didn't make any sense. Johanna closed eyes quickly to get away this crazy world.

***

Johanna decided to go to the bedlam two days after that. She couldn't just stay home the whole time. Besides, Barnes won't get better if she doesn't help.

Barnes...

Bucky...

He apologised.

But was that real?

Peter had said that it wasn't real but Johanna believed the opposite. There was just something in his eyes at that moment...

And the reason he was there, Johanna didn't even know that. Her thoughts travelled to what Peter had accidentally said and she became angry. When she sees Tony or Peter, she'll ask what's really going on there. Because that what she had known was obviously one big lie.

She entered the big building and walked trough many many corridors like always. Finally she reached the 1BB room head door what was, like always, guarded by two soldiers. Those let her in and she saw Rhodey reading a magazine.

,,Good morning." She said and the man turned around on the small sofa.

,,Johanna!" He said, his face full of sincere happiness. Rhodey got up and hugged her. ,,You're back!"

,,Yes, I am." Johanna smiled.

,,And good morning to you too, even though I think it's not morning at all. It's 4:56am." He looked at his watch.

,,Very early morning then." Johanna said and smiled again. Rhodey was so sweet person.

,,Is he..." Johanna started and peeked at the console screens.

,,Don't worry, he is still attached to the chair." Johanna saw from his eyes that he was terribly sorry about his...mistake.

Johanna nodded. ,,Okay. Let me in." She turned to the iron door while Rhodey walked to the console. The two guards were standing in there too like usually.

Johanna inhaled deeply and the door opened. She didn't have the file but she didn't need it. Without that, she went in. She touched the wall next to the door, looking for the button to switch on the lights. When it was done, she saw Bucky in the chair, sleeping.

No.

He wasn't sleeping.

There were sweat drops on his forehead even though the room was cold.

Something was definitely wrong.

Johanna was one hundred percent sure.

She ran to him, heart already racing, and touched his forehead.

It was so hot.

She took his wrist and looked at her watch. His pulse was also extremely slow. Johanna's heart started to race even faster. She ran to the iron door and slammed it hardly, not even caring about the pain that shoot trough her hands.

The iron moved away and Johanna rushed to the console room.

,,When did he eat?" She asked from Rhodey who jumped up from the chair, face deeply concerned.

The man scratched his head. ,,Umm...I don't know...a week ago? Or even more? Maybe two? Or-"

Johanna's eyes widened. Two weeks without food? ,,Oh gosh!" He turned to the dark window and thought quickly.

,,You two." She turned to the two guards. ,,Run as fast as you can to the canteen and ask for water and food. Doesn't matter what type of food. I need food! QUICKLY!" She looked back at Bucky. ,,He needs it." She whispered but the guards were already gone.

Then she turned to Rhodey. ,,Where's the closest bathroom?"

,,Here." The man walked past her and opened the door behind that place where the guards had stood.

Johanna rushed past him to there, took paper and made it wet with the cold water.
,,Open the iron door." She commanded and Rhodey ran back to the console. Then, the guards came back. One held a bottle of water and the other a bowl with soup and a spoon. Johanna took those and went trough already open iron door to back inside. The smash behind her made her wince.

She went to Bucky quickly and kneeled down next to him. She put the paper on his forehead and Bucky moved and groaned. Johanna left the paper there and took the soup.

,,Wake up." She whispered. He has to wake up. Nothing won't happen to her patients. No. Not with him. ,,Please."

He moved and opened his eyes. When he saw the soup, he quickly opened the mouth too. Johanna put one small bite into his mouth. Bucky swallowed it down and sighed slightly. Johanna took the paper away. He was probably just starving, not sick. Well, that was still a good thing.

,,Here." Johanna said quietly. ,,Eat."

Bucky swallowed the bites quickly. He wasn't snapping mean things like usually.

Well, the last time he didn't snap anything.

Johanna's mind travelled back to that moment and the look in Bucky's eyes made her think again that was it sincere or not. She felt a shiver running along her back up and down and she shook herself.

,,Is everything alright?" Bucky asked and Johanna winced. Like last time, this soft and caring tone scared her. It all seemed to be a manipulation. She knew what kinda person hid behind that. Or did she?

Johanna didn't answer to him and dove back into her deep thoughts. Why and how was she trapped behind those two walls? One, based on its experiences, said that he was a master manipulator and other, based on reality, tried to convince her that it was all sincere and true. Now there was only one question remaining.

Which one to believe?

Johanna was so caught by her discussion that she didn't realise when she had leaned on the chair armrest. Now, suddenly, she jumped back to reality and slipped off that. Luckily, the soup stayed in its bowl and Johanna put it down to get the water bottle.

But she had accidentally gone against one hand attachment and unlocked it. It was the one what held Bucky's wrist on place. That meant that his hand was free now. And Johanna was sitting on his left side what meant that his left hand was free now.

His iron arm.

Johanna turned around and froze. Bucky was looking at his free hand and then he glanced at Johanna. She couldn't move. Her brain gave orders to her body but it didn't listen. She was just kneeling there, danger stretching towards her.

Bucky moved his hand towards Johanna's face, his eyes drilling into hers.

Johanna was breathing hardly and she was so scared. What was he going to do? Kill her? Hurt her?

Bucky's hand touched Johanna's cheek lightly. The metal was cold and it made Johanna wince. Bucky's hand shook a bit. He knew what he was risking with but was willing to take it.

He is not going to kill me. He won't.

A single tear fell down on Johanna's face as she pressed her eyes close. It was worse than a nightmare. Way worse. Her heart was slowing down and the time became slower and slower.

,,Please." She heard Bucky whispering. They were so close to each other that she felt his warm breath touching her cheek. ,,Let me tell you something. Please."

This wasn't a manipulation. This was real.

,,I can't." Johanna's voice was shaking a lot. And that sentence didn't make sense at all.

Suddenly, Bucky pulled his hand back so quickly that it made Johanna wince again. She opened her eyes and saw Bucky again. He looked okay so she pressed Bucky's hand down and closed the attachment. Bucky didn't do nothing. Johanna stood up and wanted to walk out of there but was stopped by her own thoughts.

You can't quit forever. One day, you have to face him. You can't escape from unavoidable.

She stood there, hands formed to fists and sighed.

No. This was the last time. She swore.

She waved with the hand and the iron door opened.

,,What did he do to you?" Rhodey asked, finger moving to the electric shock button.

,,Don't." Johanna stopped him. ,,Don't do it. Please." She inhaled. ,,Take care of him."

And with that sentence, she left again.

I'm so sorry for being the WORST writer ever! Please forgive me! I personally know how it feels to wait a writer to update his/her story especially when it's exiting or something (is this story exiting? lol). I'll try to be more active but I don't know how it'll work out because now my school starts and I'm going to be busy with that Satan 😶.
It doesn't justify my behavior but I haven't got that 'pegasus' what makes me want to write. I hope it helped you to understand me a little bit more :)
Yea...
But, like usually, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and see you soon (hopefully 😅)!
(PS! I hope to hear something about you soon NewtsLegacy because I miss your LOOOOOOONG but amazing feedbacks :) )