Loren thought it was from Nat, because that's who had given it to him to hand over, but it wasn't. She had just been the person who had gone out to do the buying in the store, Bucky not quite up to making it out of the apartment. The two of them had met three days previously and bonded almost immediately over their shared need to see a sightline to the door.

Bucky didn't trust her like he did Steve, but he liked her enough to have asked her to do that for him, and she liked him enough in return to do it. Not that Loren knew or cared about any of this, just nodding awkwardly before he showed himself out.

It would be another few hours before a text came through from Bucky.

FROM: Bucky
TO: Steve

Haven't heard any coughing for a while, pal. Checking you haven't up and died on me.