Author's note: A missing scene from Captain America: Winter Soldier.

I Wasn't Sure Who to Trust

Blood loss left Natasha feeling weak at the knees — or maybe it was seeing Nick Fury alive again. The doctor sat her down in Fury's room — the most sterile room in the underground bunker — while Fury explained how he had survived.

"Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust," Fury said.

Natasha closed her eyes. That hurt more than the pressure the doctor was applying to her wounded shoulder.

A nurse hooked up an IV with whole blood and pain meds. Cap still seemed shaken by day's revelations, so Sam Wilson stepped up to make sure his friends got the help they needed.

"There might be bullet fragments that need to come out," he said when the doctor seemed about to leave.

"I know," the doctor said patiently. (It took a near saint to be Fury's personal physician.) "But I don't know who you are."

"He's a friend," Natasha said hoarsely. "He was Air Force pararescue. He knows a few things about bullet wounds."

"So do I," the SHIELD doctor pointed out. "Let the IV do its work. Then we'll take an X-ray. If there are any fragments, I'll scrub up and take them out. All right?"

Sam nodded.

"Good, then let her rest while I check your injuries. Both you and the captain look banged up."

Steve had already left the room, still trying to process the day's bizarre events. Sam started to follow the doc.

"Sam."

Natasha's first use of his first name brought him up short.

"Take care of Steve," she said. "He looks out of it."

"Well, two resurrections in one day are a lot to take in."

Natasha smiled weakly, appropriate for the weak joke. "And it's a shock to the system when your best friend tries to kill you. I know firsthand."

Sam hesitated, but had to ask, "How'd that come out?"

"I got him back."

"Then maybe there's hope for Steve's friend, too."

"Maybe."

"You'll be all right?" Sam asked.

"Pish," she said scornfully. "I'll be kicking butt and taking names by tomorrow morning. It's not the first time I've finished a mission with a hole in me."

Natasha leaned back wearily and closed her eyes. Sam took that as his cue to leave.

Natasha was alone with Fury. "Romanoff," he said.

She kept her eyes closed and turned her head away.

"Natasha," Fury coaxed. "Natasha."

Nick Fury was the closest thing to a father figure she could remember. He had gone to bat for her with the Council. He had kept her with Barton and Coulson, who trusted her. He had looked out for her the way no one ever had before. Clint and Coulson were the only ones that had known how much she looked up to the boss. No, scratch that. Maria Hill saying, "She'll want to see him," proved she knew, too.

"You didn't know who to trust, Nick," Natasha said without opening her eyes. "You didn't trust me." Betrayal was strong in her voice. Tears leaked through her eyelashes. "You trusted Hill. You trusted Cap, because you went to his home, but you didn't trust me."

She mentally cursed the blood loss and drugs that were making her so emotional. She sounded like a lost little girl.

"Natasha." She opened her eyes to meet his. "Natasha, I trusted you. I sent you after the information on the Lemurian Star. I trusted you."

She wanted to believe. She had so little to believe in right now. "But you played your death scene in front of me."

"You weren't supposed to be there."

That was true. No one had called her. She had learned about the shooting through some unofficial channels in the D.C. police.

"Hill could have said something."

"Natasha." Fury sighed. "Who else was in the observation room when I 'died.'"

"Me, Cap, Hill." Her memory brought up the scene as vividly as if she was reliving it — and she relaxed. "Sitwell and Rumlow were there, too."

"Right. We were already suspicious of Sitwell and I wasn't sure about Rumlow, either. For good reason, as it turned out. Hill tried to find you after she got me out, but you were in the wind and Cap was with Pierce, and then everything went to hell."

"OK." That was all she said. She didn't feel anger any more, but she didn't feel relief, either. She just felt numb.

"Are we good?" Fury asked.

"I believe you, Nick," she answered. "But I'm not sure I'll ever be good again."