Author's Note: Struggled a little with this one. Have kinda cheated at the beginning and I apologise but hopefully you still get the effect. I just could not get what was in my head on paper.

Why Doctor Poole Gave Agent Barton an Extra Check-Up

Chapter 4

A hearty laugh escaped Clint's lips as Cayden just smirked from his crouched position in front of the agent. Clint inhaled deeply, trying to stifle his chuckles.

"Sorry – I'm supposed to be sitting still aren't I?" the archer stilled his body although his eyes still sparkled with amusement, his lips still curled in a smile. Cayden shrugged absently, not making any attempt to continue with the removal of the archer's stitches.

"Well I was trying to make you laugh," he admitted, giving the other man's face a quick study. "Ok. Most amusing undercover mission?"

Clint chuckled quietly.

"Classified," he replied. Cayden tutted and shook his head, leaning forward and continuing to work on the remaining stitches.

"Wimp," he muttered, although it was laced with humour. The two had been exchanging stories for the whole appointment without sacrificing any classified information or intricate details of the missions in question. "Fine. Most ridiculous location you've had to stake out waiting for a shot?"

The two continued to exchange anecdotes as Cayden finished off the last of the stitches. Leaning back he checked his work as Clint finished off his latest story – and if he quickly admired the bare chest in front of him could anyone really blame him? The doctor nodded understandingly at the end of Clint's tale, shifting onto a nearby seat and sharing his own related experiences. It was at least ten minutes later that a quiet buzz came from the phone sitting on the doctor's desk.

"Shit, sorry," Cayden leant over and picked up the receiver. "Doctor Poole."

"Hi Doctor, sorry to bother you," the familiar voice of the administrative assistant drifted through the phone. "Doctor Green is needing a second opinion on one of the agents from the Kabul mission and he was wondering if you were free?"

Cayden sighed internally, pulling a face into the phone before glancing over his shoulder.

"I'm just finishing off here, tell him I'll be there in five," he replied, hanging up and turning back to Clint. "Well I guess I'll have to hear the end of that story next appointment," the doctor stood and handed Clint back his shirt, albeit with a reluctant internal sigh. "Everything's looking good. You can start back on gentle exercise – jogging and light stretches but no gym equipment, no firearms and no bow," he offered an apologetic smile to the screwed up face. "Sorry," Cayden turned back to the computer and quickly typed in some notes as Clint simply nodded. "Come back again in three days and hopefully we'll be able to change that."

The archer gave the doctor a quick salute, offering a small smile before he turned and slipped quietly from the room. Cayden stood for a moment, watching as the other man left and continuing to stare at the door for a couple of minutes after he was gone. With a shake of the head he refocused his attention, stepping toward the door himself to go and see what his colleague needed help with.

x-x-x

"You up for a jog?"

Natasha looked up from the book in her hand with an arched eyebrow, narrowing her eyes slightly at the archer standing in the doorway.

"You got your stitches out then?" she asked, a knowing smile pulling on her lips. Clint gave a small nod, lifting his shirt as he stepped forward further into the room. Natasha placed her book down on the sofa next to her and leant forward, eyebrow arching further as she examined the wound, her fingers reaching out to lightly trace the line down Clint's chest. "That doctor of yours did a good job."

"Yeah, the scar is going to be faint," Clint agreed casually, letting his shirt fall back down. Natasha looked up at the archer's face, studying him closely.

"Any interruptions today?" she asked, sitting back in her chair.

"No. Well, not till well after the stitches were out."

Natasha's brow rose slightly again.

"Well after the stitches were out?"

"Yeah, we were swapping war stories," Clint shrugged absently and while Natasha rolled her eyes slightly she refrained from rolling her whole head toward the ceiling in despair. There was no use in trying to point out the archer clearly had a soft spot for his doctor – all that would achieve would be an overly defensive Clint who would likely stop going to is appointments. Hopefully the doctor – who had seemed quite taken with the archer during their first meeting – was not so… emotionally stunted.

"Come on then," the female pulled herself to her feet. "You said something about going for a jog?"

x-x-x

A tired sigh escaped Cayden's lips as he made his way down the corridor, stepping into the administrative office and dropping a stack of files onto one of the desks.

"Doctor Poole!" a voice came from the doorway and Cayden flinched in an overly exaggerated manner. "What are you still doing here?"

The doctor offered the woman in the doorway a sweet smile.

"Busy?"

Sarah rolled her eyes and picked up the files Cayden had just dropped.

"You need a girlfriend," she commented lightly, smiling at the confused expression that pulled on Cayden's face. "Maybe if you had someone to go home to you might actually go home."

"Oh, right," Cayden smiled albeit a little uneasily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, my mom keeps telling me pretty much the same thing. Although her version involves grandkids."

Sarah laughed as Cayden shuddered dramatically.

"Well in the meantime have a nice evening," she smiled. "Anything planned?"

Cayden shrugged.

"Think I might hit the gym actually."

Sarah rolled her eyes.

"How many hours have you just worked?" she shook her head, not waiting for a reply although she did offer a parting smile. "I'll see you tomorrow doctor."

"See you tomorrow," Cayden returned a nod as the female slipped into the back office with the files. Left alone the doctor bowed his head briefly, worrying his bottom lip for a moment before turning and leaving the room. A good run on the treadmill would hopefully clear his mind…

x-x-x

A quiet curse escaped Cayden's lips as he leant back from leaning over looking at his laptop, rubbing his hands over his face as he let out a tired sigh.

"That bad?"

The scowl lifted as a smile instantly pulled at the doctor's lips. Schooling his expression he turned to the agent standing in the doorway.

"That bad," he nodded, spinning his chair round to face the archer as Clint stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "Some fruit bat has gone and fucked up the rotas."

Clint chuckled as he hopped up onto the examination table at the side of the room.

"Why do I get the feeling fruit bat wasn't your first choice of phrase?"

Cayden grinned.

"It was a little more colourful last night," he admitted. Reaching over the desk he picked up a file and turned back to Clint. Slowly – carefully – he pulled himself to his feet, using his free hand to pick up a cane which he then leant on heavily. Clint's eyes widened slightly and he had to fight the urge to jump back down off the table.

"What happened?" he frowned. Cayden pursed his lips, offering a sheepish look to the archer as he hobbled toward him.

"I eh… over did it in the gym the other day," he admitted, laying the file down next to Clint. The archer rolled his eyes.

"Ah right, yeah. Do as I say and not as I do right?"

"Exactly," Cayden gave a definitive nod but his lips curled into a smile. "Besides, I'm not under doctor's orders anymore."

"Right, of course," Clint smirked. Cayden chuckled quietly, shrugging absently.

"What about you? Have you been doing as your told?"

"No firearms, no equipment and no bow," Clint confirmed although his face scrunched up. "Unfortunately since Tony really wanted me to try out the new arrows he had made this morning."

"Ooooo…" Cayden pursed his lips. "How did you wriggle out of that one?"

"I didn't," Clint sighed. "I had to 'fess up. Tony looked so guilty."

Cayden smiled sympathetically.

"Well let's see if we can let you use those new arrows, hmmm?" he gestured to the agent's shirt. "How's it been feeling?"

"Great," Clint nodded genuinely. "Me and Tasha have been for a jog every day and I've felt fine."

Cayden nodded as he inspected the healing skin, leaning forward awkwardly on the cane. Indeed it was healing better than he could have hoped. It would probably only be one more appointment before he could sign the agent back to full duty he realised with a pang of disappointment.

"Well it's looking good," he nodded, standing back up straight, flinching slightly as a sharp pain rippled through his knee. Clint frowned in concern but Cayden waved it off. "You're still signed off duty for another week but as long as you ease yourself back in gently you can go back to full exercise," the doctor could not help but smile at the grin that lit up the archer's lips. "I hope those new arrows are fun."

"Oh I'm sure they will be," Clint pulled his shirt back into place. "I hope your knee feels better soon."

Cayden pulled a face.

"Well you are my last patient today so my plan is to go home and pop enough pain killers to KO me for at least twenty-four hours."

Clint screwed up his nose.

"That bad huh?" he smiled sympathetically. If Cayden was anything like him – and from what the doctor had said about his run-ins with medics when he was still in the Navy it sounded like he was – it must be pretty damn sore for him to be resorting to strong painkillers. Cayden's lips curled up wryly.

"It's a little nippy," he admitted. He was not going to mention that usually when his knee was sore it brought back the nightmares of… "Have fun playing with your new arrows."

"Yeah, thanks," Clint smiled with another of his small salutes. "See you next week doc."

"Yeah," Cayden suppressed a sigh. "See you next week."