[Of course he can't see the forest for the trees yet. It's all still too close. The phantom hand is still at his throat, threatening to drag him back. And no wonder - HYDRA had him for decades, and he hasn't aged decades. It means all of his time since 1945 has been torture, conditioning, and missions. There's no start or end to the cycle because the cycle is all that there is.

She wonders briefly if it would have been kinder to rehabilitate him slowly. Present Fury as his handler for SHIELD. Give him missions. A bunk. But in her heart of hearts, she knows the answer is no. That the only way forward is making choices of his own.

His answer is a deflection - or more accurately, an answer from an oblique angle. And it's more or less what she's been expecting. She studies him in a thoughtful silence for just a moment before she speaks again.] Nothing makes you feel safe, because HYDRA could still be in the world. Still be in you. Why did you come over here to let me help with your arm? [It's another oblique angle. And the question isn't curiosity for her own sake. She's trying to map a pathway, for as long as he'll let her. See where his connections have been crossed and rewired.

She's not sure if he'll ever let her help untangle them. But there's worse places to start than having a map.]