Day 0, 21:05

Dolores burned her lips on the coffee mug before she had even taken a sip.

"Boiling water is hot, no shit," she scolded herself and returned to the patient files she had been working on for what seemed like hours now. Her eyes, however, refused to focus and she glared at the coffee mug, willing it to cool down. It wasn't even that late yet, barely past nine, but she hadn't really slept that day and her boss requesting her to stay home today hadn't really helped her busy mind settle down to sleep. Dolores was prone to worrying, no matter what her common sense told her, so despite there being a folder in her living room that proved both her surgical and psychological expertise, she couldn't get the fear of being fired out of her mind.

It was probably nothing. Maybe too much staff. A refurnishing of her room. She had missed a holiday. It could be anything. And yet, no matter how deep she dug herself into her work, she couldn't seem to concentrate. Yet another thing that made her nervous. Normally she loved her job and could lose herself in it, but now her mind couldn't pick any meaning out of the symbols her hand had scribbled in the files sometime that week.

A knocking at her apartment door tore her out of her thoughts. Thankful for the distraction she jumped up and rushed to the door.

A groan escaped her lips as she looked at the man before her. Ok, something was wrong with her. She had started seeing things. There stood Captain America, jeans, jacket, blond hair, blue eyes and all. She had definitely read too much last night. Well, why did the memo of her temporary suspension come in the middle of the night?! She hadn't been able to go sleep after that. That and the new meds had her body apparently running havoc. The mirage in front of her looked slightly confused as she turned away.

"Are you Dr. Dolores Mahr?" The confusion in his voice was evident, obviously, since her mind couldn't project it into his face anymore as she had turned around.

"Sure am. Come in, reek havoc, have some coffee." She sighed and went back to her files. Her coffee was still steaming happily away. The door closed. Dolores veered around. The Captain was still there. Her face turned bright pink and she rushed back into the hall.

"You closed the door, oh my god, I am so sorry. Yeah, sure, I'm Doctor Mahr, please excuse me, I am terribly sorry. Please sit down, would you like some coffee, it's still hot and all?" At that, the Captain interrupted her ramblings with half a smile.

"No need to worry Dr. Mahr. I take it you aren't too well? If now does not suit you, I would be happy to come by at another day," he said as he retreated back to the door with a look at the forming purple shades beneath her eyes.

"Oh no, really, please stay. I just haven't slept last night, work's giving me some trouble. Plus some new meds for my migraines and I just thought my body hadn't taken them too well. And I wouldn't wanna be scaring Captain America out of my house, Nessy would kill me." She walked back to the kitchen table and stuffed away her files, her mind just barely keeping up, reminding her of the confidentiality thing, before offering the Captain a chair.

"Just Steve is fine, actually."

"Just Steve, sure, no thing," Dolores absentmindedly nodded and tried to fetch another cup without showing off her collection of ceramic fangirling. She happened to find a neutral looking white mug and maneuvered it out of the lot to fill it with coffee and set it in front of the Captain.

"Now, how can I help Steve Rodgers," she asked, trying not to sound like she had his biography in her shelf.

"Well, it's rather simple. Have you been up to date with the news?"

"Glued to the screen," Dolores confirmed before noting what exactly she had just said. But the Captain seemed not to notice it. A quick scan of his face told her that he was somewhere else in his mind, definitely outside of joking territory.

"Then I'm sure you know about the Sokovia Accords." She nodded her affirmative and he continued.

"Well, UN supervision requires my friend Bucky to be signed into a Psychiatric Ward. Stark organized a special facility to be built near to the one you're working at. And after some discussion with the Director of your hospital, he decided you should be Bucky's psychiatrist." Dolores' eyes widened in shock. She had been wondering what all the racket outside of the hospital for the last few months had been but had never bothered to check on it. When she didn't answer, the Captain continued.

"Well, they brought him there today, and when I wanted to speak to you the director said you were on leave so you could come tomorrow unbiased. But he gave me your address and ensured me it would be okay if I dropped by, though I'm not so sure that was correct." Dolores still didn't answer but the silence startled her out of her amazed trance.

"Oh no, it's no problem. Really. Uhmm, well... that's quite the bomb," she nervously chuckled. "I ... I'm not quite sure what so say. Though I must say I'm glad I'll have the chance to see if I can help. I had some time in surgery, that usually helps with patients from war, so it might be some good here too. Honestly, I can't really say anything before I've spoken to him. Though I really appreciate you coming over." The Captain nodded.

"Then please forgive my intrusion. I'm just really worried. All the doctors he's had so far have done him nothing but harm, and he's had enough of that." Following an impulse, Dolores took the Captains hand to draw his attention to her. The blue in his eyes was truly startling.

"You do not have to worry anymore then, Steve. I will not promise anything before I know what I am dealing with, but let me assure you, I will do my best and not hesitate to do anything that might help your friend." Steve nodded and smiled a smile that seemed to struggle upwards against the weight of his emotions.

"He is very important to me."

"I know, I can tell. And I am glad he has you. It will help. If all goes well, I might even be able to sneak you in outside of visiting hours." She smiled at him and he mimicked her. Then he pulled his hand from hers to reach into the pocket of his jacket.

"Ahem, Stark had this sent to the director and he said I should let you know." He quickly pushed a piece of paper over the table, clearly uncomfortable with its contents. Suspicious, Dolores picked it up and flew over the printed letters. When she reached the number printed on the middle of the page she clasped her hand over her mouth.

"The way I understood it, you will only be working with Bucky and Stark will pay the expenses."

"Oh, not just the expenses. With that raise, I could buy a house just in the first two months!" Steve smiled quietly at her bluntness.

"I take it that you do not mind then?" His worried tone had her looking up and smiling.

"Of course not. I'm always happy to help, especially if I can help Captain America. You have to do me a favor though." Steve agreed all too happily. He was now convinced this woman would really try giving Bucky a chance, not let him sit around in a cage.