Steve Rogers, known in the field as Captain America, was decidedly not in the field at the current moment. No. The world's only successful super soldier was sitting in an office, waiting for the United Nation's representative.
They required a one on one debriefing about the Chitauri invasion from all agents in the field. If there was one thing that hadn't changed one darned bit in the past seventy years, it was the bureaucracy.
According to Fury, the UN formed a unified task force to deal with exactly this sort of thing. The captain was faintly disturbed by that. Just how often do alien invasions happen?
By the order of President...Ellis? Yes, Ellis, the UN's task force was to have SHEILD's full cooperation. Thus dutiful soldier Steve Rogers has been alone in an office without even a magazine to read for the last ten minutes.
Soon though his patience was rewarded when he could hear harried footsteps walking up towards the door. He stood and turned to greet the UN rep. Judging by the footfalls, he was meeting with a girl. She had stopped just before turning the knob, whispered something, and entered.
"Oh! It's you! You're Steve Rogers!"
He nodded. "Yes, Miss, I am. Is the doctor on his way?"
"Sorry. No idea. I'm just here to record your vitals."
"Again?"
"...yes. The doctor just asked me to retake them. Actually, it was more like he ordered me to do it. We've never even met and he ordered me around just because I'm dressed like a nurse! Can you believe it?"
Steve frowned. "You mean you're not a nurse?"
The woman smiled. "I am right now, I guess. But I'm studying to be a doctor."
"Great! With the war going on, we need all the doctors we can get."
"You're damn right, Mr Rogers. Now, vitals?"
Steve Rogers sighed and rolled up his sleeve. She took his vitals and recorded them in his medical chart.
He looks about 16 right now. She reads his chart and sees the list of medical problems. She frowns. It was worse than she expected. Huh. Steve's actually 18. Unless he's lying about his age? No. His address, his mum's name, everything else was like how they said on that PBS mini-series.
The nurse swallowed. This wasn't a routine checkup! He's enlisting! And all the info is correct! This was his first try!
A doctor walks in. He takes the chart from her and just like that she's dismissed. The nurse stays nearby though, knowing what was being said inside the examination room.
Soon enough, the doctor opens the door. He stares at her for a moment with regretful eyes before heading back into his office. After a couple of minutes, a visibly frustrated and upset Steve Rogers storms out. He swears, loudly.
The would-be soldier punches a wall. He swears again, this time in pain.
"Oi!"
Steve blanches. "I...I...I'm so sorry, miss! I didn't see you there!"
The nurse ignores him and grabs his hand. "Move your fingers." He stares at her dumbly for a second before complying.
It stung a little, but he had full range of motion. He'd simply bruised his knuckles.
"Just put some ice on it when you get home. You'll be all right."
"Thank you, nurse."
He got up and headed out, shoulders slumped, hands in pockets; the very picture of defeated.
She frowned. "You're just going to give up?"
Steve stopped and considered this.
"What's the point," he demanded, whirling to face her. "I'm about twenty pounds too light and got a list of problems as long as my arm! The army will never take me."
"You knew that going in there. Why even try to enlist in the first place?"
"Because there are men risking their lives out there trying to protect my rights. How can I do any different?"
The nurse smiled beatifically at him and kissed his cheek. Steve couldn't help but blush furiously.
"Do you not feel that way anymore?" She asked, sitting down in a waiting room chair. The nurse gestured to the chair next to her.
He hesitated for a second before doing so. "It doesn't matter if I do or not. They won't take me."
"Someone in the armed forces will. If not the army, you can try the navy, or the air force. Someone will take you. Definitely. Do you know why?"
Steve shook his head.
"Because you're a good man. They will always need good men. You can cook, right?"
"I can make a couple of dishes, yeah."
"And you do cleaning?" He nodded. Can you drive? No? Doesn't matter. You'll learn! And I bet you'd make the best secretary."
His eyes widened in excitement. "All of which would free up a more able bodied man!"
"That's right, soldier! Keep your chin up. Someone will see reason. They'll see how genuinely good you are. You'll have the chance to serve your country in ways you never even considered."
"You really think so?"
"I know so, mister."
He held out his hand to her again. This time to shake it. "Thank you so much, Nurse...
"...Jones. Martha Jones"
"It's you! How...?"
Martha smiled. "You do remember me, Captain."
"How could I forget you?" He blushed. "You were the first girl I wasn't related to to kiss me on the cheek."
This revelation clearly touched her. "Sit down, Captain and I'll explain everything," she said warmly.
Twenty minutes later he was speechless."So then the...metal eating badger aliens infesting the sewers were all caught?"
"That's right. It took the Doctor and me three more days to clean up that mess!"
Time travel! Imagine that!
Steve had to ask. "Could your friend take me back to my time?"
He could tell by the look on her face what the answer was. "I'm sorry, Steve. Your disappearance was a pivotal moment in history. If he brought you back, it would cause a cascading paradox effect. Reality would be destroyed and rewritten."
He nodded, not at all surprised.
With a resigned smile, Steve told Martha he was glad to see her. It felt nice to recognize someone he hadn't seen in a while and not have them be old. "What you said to me back then meant a lot. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I don't know if I would've kept trying to enlist if it wasn't for you."
"All I told you was the truth. You're a good man, Steve Rogers. And the whole WORLD thanks you for your service. God, I'm famished! Have you had Chinese food yet? Because I could really go for some wonton soup and roast duck!"
Before Steve could answer, Martha picked up the phone and ordered enough for two, with some sides. "We can debrief about the Chitauri incident while we eat. Until then, let me tell you about the time the Doctor and me stopped a giant heart with arms from building a mind control device!"
"A giant heart...? Mind control?"
"I know, right? I asked that same thing and you know what? The heart shamed me! Said I needed to shake my preconceived notions. The Doctor agreed with him! Can you believe it?"
That night, for the first time since waking up, Steve laughed out loud. He also discovered Chinese food is delicious and spicy mustard can clear your sinuses. However, and this was important, being a super soldier didn't automatically grant one the ability to drink an entire cup full of the stuff.
"Welcome to the 21st century, Captain Rogers," Martha Jones said, raising her can of Coke as he coughed.
Captain America is owned by Marvel. Martha Jones and Doctor Who are the property of the BBC. I represent neither of those entities and am therefore not in a position to accept money for this story. Doesn't mean I can't get paid in reviews though! Please let me know what you think about this and my other work if you have time. Thank you for reading!