[oom] a beautiful night in Gotham City

[zerocharliexray]

The door she opens leads into a handsome old building with high, gracious ceilings. Down the tastefully appointed cream-colored hall, figures are bustling in and out of a room; some dressed in normal civilian clothing, others... not so much. "They're settin' up for the surgery," Zinda explains, and nods to another door not far from them. "That's where the Skipper is. Canary's in there with her, I think."

She looks from Bucky to Sharon and back again. "Mind waitin' while I go fetch her?"

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"Sharon." It's almost dangerously level. "Don't argue. Please."

[from_the_outside]

She deflates at the look on his face and the tone of his voice and turns to Dinah and Helena with a sigh. "Go on," she tells them. "I'll give you two a head start."

[raptorcanaria]

"After we've seen Babs, Pieter," Dinah says, with her firm leadership tone in place. "You can poke at me all you like when I've seen her."

She shoots Sharon and Bucky a look of infinite gratitude, though, and drags Helena over to Babs' room, where she almost barrels into Jim Gordon, coming out to see what the noise is about.

"Is she...?" Dinah asks.

"She's fine, Dinah," he says, "come on in."

Another glance at Sharon, and Dinah disappears into Babs' room.

[zerocharliexray]

Sharon gives them all a speaking glance as she allows Pieter to escort her into one of the other recovery rooms, and Zinda chuckles as she comes to sling a friendly arm around Bucky.

"Wanna go in with her?" she asks. "I can wait out here with you, if not."

[nerves_of_ice]

He looks after them for a second, considering, then shakes his head. "Might as well let her think she's pulling a fast one on me about how much she's hurt," he drawls. "For now."

[zerocharliexray]

"Somethin' tells me she's not gonna be able to get away with it for long," she laughs, and pats him on the shoulder.

"You did good, Sarge. You did real good. Thanks for comin' to lend a hand."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You're welcome," Bucky says. "Hell of a team you've got here, Lady B."

[zerocharliexray]

"Best in the biz," she says, proudly. "Here's hopin' the gals'll all come back together after this. We need each other, y'know?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky glances in the direction of the door Dinah and Helena had disappeared through, then nods to Zinda.

"I'd guess things might be looking up."

[zerocharliexray]

"Here's hopin'," she agrees. "A crisis has a real way of helpin' folks remember what it is they like about each other."

[nerves_of_ice]

The corner of his mouth turns up in a wry smile. "You're sure right about that."

[zerocharliexray]

"And cake," she says, amused. "I already got Sunshine on the hook to make some sweets for the Skipper's get well party, which she doesn't yet know I'm gonna throw for her. I just dare them to be mad at each other when they've got cake and ice cream to eat."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky laughs aloud, quick and bright. "Add champagne into that too," he suggests. "Hard to be mad with bubbles."

[zerocharliexray]

Zinda laughs, too, and tugs off her cap to run gloved fingers through her hair, untangling the snarls from sweat. "Better believe it," she says, grinning. "I'll drop you two an invite when we've got a date, how about that?"

[nerves_of_ice]

He grins at that. "Sounds good to me."

[zerocharliexray]

Zinda beams back at him. "Good."

She stays with him in the hall until the door opens and Sharon comes back out again, looking disgruntled, Pieter just behind her. "Remember what I said," he tells her, sternly. "Get some rest." He nods to Bucky and Zinda, then makes his way towards the room where Dinah and Helena had disappeared earlier.

"That's my cue," Zinda says, smiling, and steps forward to put an arm each around Sharon and Bucky. "Thanks for comin.' It meant the world to me."

Sharon winces slightly at the hug, but accepts it in reasonably good grace. "No problem," she says. "Seriously."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky hugs Zinda back with casual ease and flashes a quick smile at her. "What she said," he confirms. "We were glad to help."

[zerocharliexray]

"Let me know if I can ever repay the favor," she tells them, and opens the recovery room door again, this time onto the cheery bustle of the Milliways main room. "See you both soon, okay?"

[nerves_of_ice]

"We will," he assures her, letting Sharon pass through first. "Take care of yourself, Zinda. See you soon."

Bucky follows after Sharon and lets the door fall shut behind him. "So, do you need a second checkup here, or are you good to go?" he drawls.

[from_the_outside]

"I'm fine," she says, as the door swings shut behind her. It lacks her usual mulishness, though; after all this time together, she's resigned to whatever level of care he thinks she needs. "The suit absorbed a lot of it. Mostly I'm just bruised and sore."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Hmm." Bucky looks her over, then runs a gentle hand up and down her back. "Want to go and lie under that shade tree for a while?"

[from_the_outside]

"God, yes."

She shifts closer to him, puts her arm around the small of his back. "Just let me change. And then that sounds like heaven."

[nerves_of_ice]

"You got it," Bucky promises, and opens the door to Wakanda for them both.