Where To Go From Here? (April 2002)

Daniella Torres Just looked straight ahead blankly as the Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Gregory Kiernan, one of the best in the country went on about what she was going to be going through for the next year to two years. Her mother had come in just an hour before and she had brushed her hair and helped give her a sponge bath. It had been over a week now since SHIELD had come face to face with ‘The Winter Soldier’ as Hydra called him. SHIELD didn’t normally get into the personal protection game but Kate Blackwell, one of SHIELD’s best and youngest agents, had heard from one of her contacts that the President’s Niece, Lauren Bush had become a target do to her press conference on the arrest of Helen Charrin, a Republican New York State Congresswoman. Lauren made an open accusation that Helen had ties to Hydra, a ultra-violent terrorist group that reportedly had a presence in the US and in New York. SHIELD had done its job but several agents were injured and 2 agents, Harold Austin and Joshua Shawn had been killed. Among the agents that were injured, Daniella was the worst off.

The Winter Soldier’s weapon could launcher anti-personnel grenades and Daniella was caught in one of their explosions. Her right leg had to be removed from the knee as well as her right arm at the elbow. Her right hip was shattered and they had to replace it. The right side of her body had sustained horrible burns and shrapnel wounds.

Daniella and Kate were two peas in a pod. Almost always seen together either on the job or training and they even shared an affinity for the outdoors. They went on vacations together including 2 hiking trips. One in Arizona and one in Oregon. Kate waited outside while the doctor began going over the long list of things that would be happening in the weeks and months to come.

“Get out,” she said softly as her eyes began to well up with tears. Dr. Kiernan paused as he looked over at her. “Agent Torres we really…” He began but her eyes turned to dark fire as she looked at him. “Get, the fuck...OUT!” She said. When he only looked at her stunned she began yelling at him. From outside Kate heard Daniella’s yells and furious shouts and even something that sounded as if it was thrown. The doctor came out of the room followed by the nurse and closed the door behind them as Daniella continued to scream in fury at them.

SHIELD was the only home Kate had ever known. It was her entire life. Both of her parents had been SHIELD agents and she had been born in SHIELD's hospital. Her parents had both died overseas during a mission when she was 12 and agent Phil Coulson had been her legal guardian up until the time she was 18. Kate had known Phil her entire life and had always thought of him as an uncle. They had become even closer after the death of her parents and Phil had been heavily involved in a lot of Kate's SHIELD training. Because of that, Kate was now considered one of SHIELD's best agents, despite the fact that she was only 24 years old.

Besides Phil, Kate had several other people she was close with, but her closest friend was Daniella Torres. Daniella was 2 years older than Kate, but the two women trained together and were often paired up on missions together. They liked to joke around and laugh and have a good time, but when they were on a mission they got serious and worked well together.

The fight had been a bloodbath for SHIELD. Kate had heard about The Winter Soldier, but seeing him was...terrifying. Kate had managed to get Lauren Bush to safety, but then had been forced to remain there to protect her. Knowing that her colleagues were getting killed and hurt but she could do nothing about it was the hardest thing Kate had ever gone through. Then, seeing the state Daniella had been left in threatened to tear Kate's heart from her chest. Daniella had lived, but she had paid a high price. Daniella was all about her job and Kate knew that not being able to do it was going to kill her.

The past week had been extremely hard for her friend. As Kate stood outside of the entrance to Daniella's room, she could hear the commotion going on inside. She winced when she heard her begin to yell and something sounded like it was thrown. After the doctor and nurse left in a hurry, Kate stood there for a moment before stepping in. She had a box in her hands.

"Hey," she said brightly with a smile. Kate knew her friend well enough to know that she didn't want pity or for people to feel sorry for her. Kate remained upbeat and positive, though inside she was crying for her friend. "I brought you those cookies you love from that place in Brooklyn. I had to cut ahead of someone in line to get them. I thought they were going to punch me."

Daniella didn’t know how to feel. Happy and thankful because she was alive? Sad about her lost colleagues? Devastated about the loss of her leg and her arm? It was all too much. She didn’t know how to feel or how to grieve for her lost friends and her lost limbs. Her bedside table was empty of all that had once been there. She had thrown it all and it was all against the wall near the door. Once she saw Kate she smiled though tears rolled down her cheeks and her eyes were wet and red from crying. But just having Kate there, feeling the warmth and love the woman had for her was just too much. Her lips began to tremble and then the sobs began to overcome her.

She felt Kate move up to her and take her into her arms. Daniella was sitting up and she heard Kate’s soothing murmurs and her light kisses on her forehead as she rubbed her back. Never in her life had she lost as much as she had just then. She still had Kate though. She still had her best friend. And she was alive and healthy. She was indeed thankful for that.

“I’m a mess Kate!” She wailed.

Kate hated seeing her friend like this. Daniella was always so strong so it was heartbreaking for Kate to see her in so much emotional pain. Kate knew that she needed to be strong for her then. She took Daniella into her arms and comforted her. She offered her a smile though when Daniella complained about being a mess.

"You're in better shape than you were the day after we did all of those tequila shots. I wasn't sure your head was ever going to come out of the toilet."

She pulled back and looked at her. She brushed some hair back from her face. "You're alive Daniella and no, your life is never going to be quite the same but you'll figure it out. I'll help you. You can still live a full, happy life as long as you believe you can. You have to make that choice though. No one can make it for you."

Daniella worked to get herself under control. Not an easy task with how badly she hurt and how messed up she was. She could still feel her leg and her arm. And her body...her beautiful body wasn’t beautiful anymore. She had so many bandages and wires and tubes coming out of her. The SHIELD hospital was one of the best in the world but it didn’t heal back lost limbs or fix burned flesh.

“Kate, just to begin there is no more Agent Torres. No more hiking or climbing. None of it. Alive? Chase comes back from Canada next week! When he sees me…” She began than her throat clenched up as more tears streamed down her face. She hadn’t told him what happened. She had put it off dreading that conversation. Chase was her on again, off again boyfriend. She really loved him but her career kept them from taking the next step. Her admitting she hadn’t told him yet might come as a shock to Kate.

Kate was shocked to learn that Daniella hadn't told Chase yet about what had happened. However, she could also understand why she hadn't. She sighed and opened the box of cookies and pulled one out. She broke it in half and gave Daniella a piece. She didn't feed it to her. Daniella was going to need to learn how to take care of herself. Instead, she put it in her left hand. Kate took a bite from the other half.

"Just because you won't be able to work out in the field anymore doesn't mean you can't still work for SHIELD. There are plenty of things you can still do to help and be involved in the organization. Field work is just one aspect of what SHIELD does. You have an opportunity here to start a new chapter in your life and try something new."

She finished off the half of the cookie and reached over and brushed back Daniella's hair. "As for Chase...I will talk to him for you. If Chase is really ready to take that next step with you, and I think he is, he won't let something like this come between you."

Daniella knkew Kate was right. She had survived. And she was high enough in the organization where she knew most aspects of it. She could ride a desk but she would miss the field work. SHe had to remember those that died though. Bitching about her situation meant that she still had a situation. Two of their own did not. SHe had to pull herself together. She chewed the cookie slowly. They were her favorite. The coconut melted into her mouth and honestly? It did make her feel better.

“No...I’ll talk to Chase,” she said softly as she looked up into Kate’s eyes. “God I love you so much Kate,” Daniella said. “But you gotta promise me one thing…” She said. She reached out and took hold of Kate’s jacket. Her grip was so tight her knuckles turned white. “You take that son of a bitch out! FOr Hal...For Austin...and for me! You fuckin kill em Kate! You promise me!” Daniella said between clenched teeth and her eyes had that bloodthirsty look they took on when she was very angry.

Kate was relieved to see the strength come back to Daniella's eyes. She knew in that moment that she was going to be alright. She was a fighter and survivor would make it through this. This was not the end of of her life...just the beginning of a new part of it.

Kate's expression turned much more serious when Daniella grabbed her jacket and told her to take the man out who had done this. "I will."

The funerals for the two dead agents was a solemn affaIr. Kate was one of Austin’s pallbearers. Both Nick and Phil were in attendance along with almost all the other agents. The masked Man, the Winter Soldier had failed his mission but somehow Kate knew that he’d be back. And SHIELD was already planning on their next meeting with him.

------------------

James sat in the metal chair. The chair had him in a laying position and the room he was in was dark and the surgeons were reattaching his synthetic arm. A man and a woman watched the procedure. “He missed his target,” The man said as he took a sip of his coffee “No, SHIELD got in the way. He killed 2 and injured 6, 1 seriously. That’s as good of an outing as we could have hoped for. The worlds top anti-terrorism organization burying two of their own as we speak,” The woman said.

“We wanted to make a statement,” The man said. “And we did. Hyrda will not tolerate interference...from anyone,” the woman said. “Well, get him ready, we have another mission for him,” the man said.