Hey guys! Just an fyi, these first couple chapters might run a bit slow, but I think it's important to set up the story before we dive in. I'll try to post chapters pretty regularly, but I make no promises because shit happens. Like any author, I love reviews, so please let me know what you think, even if it's just a couple words it really means a lot and shows me that you guys are reading this. Enjoy!

Ava Harper was having a bad day. She was in hour 56 of what was theoretically a 24 hour shift. She'd slept a grand total of 7 hours since the Triskelion fell. She could barely see straight, but was unfortunately one of the only doctors who could still stay on her feet, which meant that she was still there. And the cafeteria barista had fucked up her coffee order.

At least she could solve one of those. Whoever thought putting a Starbucks across from the hospital was a good idea might be a billionaire by now, but that was okay with her. She ordered her venti coffee with two shots of espresso and two of caramel and nursed it, eyes closed as she enjoyed the bliss that was caffeine and heat. Of course, two seconds later she looked at her watch and realized that she had been away from the hospital for a grand total of twenty minutes, which meant that there would probably be at least two fires and all the nurses quitting by the time she got back. She anxiously waited at the crosswalk, and as soon as it signaled to go, she started to run across the pavement-

"Hey! Watch out!"

She felt an arm around her waist that dragged her back onto the sidewalk just as a tiny and probably ridiculously expensive red sports car tore by, the driver clearly unaware or just uncaring that he'd just run a red light and nearly creamed one of the best surgeons in DC. Worse, he'd made her spill her coffee.

"Son of a bitch fucking SHIT that motherfucker better count his goddamn blessings that I didn't catch his license plate or I swear to god I would have CASTRATED that little fucker using completely unsanitary tools and fed his tiny little dick to goats that oblivious asshole-"

"Um, ma'am? Are you alright?"

Her helper sounded nervous, as though her swearing might be a sign of her poor fractured womanly nerves and not a logical reaction to some rich motherfucker nearly killing her and making her spill her precious coffee. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, then turned to her helper. "Yes, thank you, I'm f- STEVEN FUCKING ROGERS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!"

Steve's face went from concern to fear in about the space of a second. "I- uh- I-," he said, mumbling, jamming his hands into his pockets.

She glared at him. "Let me answer that question for you. You think that because you're Captain America, and you heal faster than us mere mortals, you can do whatever you please and sneak out of the hospital two days after major surgery, huh?"

"Well, ma'am, you see, I feel fine, really," he started, sheepishly, talking to her shoes.

"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF YOU'RE FEELING FINE. I am your goddamn DOCTOR, and that pretty much makes me GOD as far as you're concerned, which means that if you so much as think of getting out of bed without my permission, it is my duty to kick your ass until you remember that you are a patient. Now, ARE YOU GOING TO FUCKING WALK YOUR ASS BACK TO THAT HOSPITAL OF YOUR OWN FREE WILL, OR AM I GOING TO HAVE TO DRAG YOU BY YOUR FUCKING EAR LIKE THE CHILD YOU ARE?"

Sam's face went from panic to amusement at the sight of a shamefaced Captain America following the tiny, cute doctor through the door like a bad puppy. Of course, that grin went away the second Dr. Harper spotted him.

"YOU!" she hollered at him across the room, stalking towards him in those ridiculous heels. "Your job was to WATCH this man and prevent him from pulling this kind of bullshit! You were the one who told me he was a goddamn flight risk, and now I find him across the street TWO FUCKING DAYS after MAJOR SURGERY? What the HELL is the matter with you? Are you incompetent or simply easily fooled?"

"Um- well, actually, ma'am, it was my fault. You see, I-"

She whirled on Steve as he attempted to defend Sam, and Sam swore that Captain America actually shrank in that moment. "DID I ASK WHAT YOU DID? NO. I DID NOT. I KNOW WHAT YOU FUCKING WELL DID. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW-" at this point, she whirled back around to glare at Sam again- "IS HOW THE HELL THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING YOU ALLOWED YOU TO DO WHAT YOU DID."

Sam straightened his shoulders and looked her in the eye. "You're right, Dr. Harper. It was my job to keep him in bed, and I failed. You have my apologies. It won't happen again."

Ava eyed him suspiciously, searching for any sense of mockery in his tone. Finding nothing but sincerity, she reduced her tone to one of mild fury. "It damn well better not. I'll be up in ten to make sure he didn't ruin all the hard work I did on him. And you," she said, glaring at Steve again, "had better not have fucked yourself up again, or so help me I might just let you die instead of wasting my time on someone who clearly doesn't give two shits about his own well-being."

Steve nodded meekly and followed Sam to the elevator (if Sam's shoulders were shaking with hidden laughter, no one dared comment on it). Dr. Harper surveyed the room, glaring at all of the men and women sitting or standing there staring at her. "Don't you people have jobs to do?"

There was an immediate mass of movement as people rushed to do whatever it was they were supposed to be doing (or at least something that would get them out of the room.) She surveyed the room, gave a self-satisfied nod, and headed to the stairs to go check on Captain America. And fuck, did she ever still need that coffee.