Chapter 58: Interview

January 4, 2017

Sazzin was not the King, but he was part of an advisory committee to the King, and that would have to be good enough. Luce and Bucky had no false senses of importance; an audience with the King was a privilege, something only granted in dire moments, and so they would have to be satisfied with meeting with this man they'd never seen and assuming he was trustworthy. Of course, they did not trust Sazzin, but T'Challa did, and that had to count for something. Sazzin, it was obvious, did not trust them, but he was putting on a brave front and really holding himself together well despite the fear they could feel radiating from him.

"Let me make sure I understand your request." he said, splaying his hands out on the desk in front of him. He thought they weren't shaking at all. He was wrong. "You wish to enter into our medical program, here in the capitol city."

"I'd like the opportunity to test for it, yes." said Luce. She wouldn't assume she could just attend medical school. Her stomach rolled; she'd assassinated world leaders, survived the worst of the elements, and gotten thrown into fights where the goal was for her to die, but this was making her nervous. Sazzin was nervous because they might kill him, and she was nervous because she just wanted to live.

"Right, yes." he said with a nod. He licked his lips, picking his words carefully. "You are aware that there are certain prerequisites. A university degree, for starters."

"Yes." Luce said with a nod. Bucky remained silent, there only for moral support or if Luce wanted to make a quick getaway. "I was hoping that, given my experience-"

"Your…experience." he said, his voice taking a distinctly chilly turn. Whatever he was feeling, it was stronger than his fear. Bucky perked up, sitting up a little straighter. Sazzin noticed the movement and seemed to catch himself; he cleared his throat, and his voice was definitely more professional and slightly more nervous as he continued. "I'm afraid, even given your 'experience,' we cannot allow you to enter the program without the prerequisites."

"Fair." she agreed. That was fine, she could take a change of plan in stride. And she shouldn't ask for favoritism, she'd just hoped that she could. "Alright, then how can I complete a university degree?"

"Have you completed secondary education? A…" he tapped his fingers against the desk, trying to recall the American equivalent. "High school diploma?"

"Yes, I have." she said, happy to finally have the right answer. Next to her, Bucky relaxed back into his original position. Sazzin raised an eyebrow, then sighed as if he were indulging a child. He pulled something up on his tablet.

"Very well. When and where did you complete your secondary education?" he asked. There was something about his posture that made Luce a different kind of nervous.

"Roosevelt High School, and I finished in 1941." she replied. "Completed my credits a year early, actually."

"Hm." Sazzin said, looking quite like the cat who caught the canary. "Unfortunately, the university may prefer a secondary education that was completed this century."

"Things probably haven't changed that much." Luce said, knowing that it was a lie. However, she was nothing if not stubborn, especially when going after a specific goal. "Math is still the same. As is literature. I've lived through most scientific advancements, some of them even discovered on me-"

"Yes, I'm very aware of your situation." he interrupted, and suddenly everything made sense. Bucky sat up again, but this time Sazzin wasn't intimidated. Well, as intimidated. "Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to help you."

"But-" Bucky decided to interject then, but Luce quieted him with a hand on his knee.

"Thank you for your time." she said, getting up without another word. Bucky let his eyes linger on Sazzin for a moment longer, the other man feeling like Bucky was memorizing every identifiable part of his face. His feeling was correct, but that was beside the point.

"Have a good day." Bucky said, following after Luce. Sazzin swallowed heavily, unable to respond around the lump of fear in his throat. He needn't worry, of course. They didn't hurt people anymore.

He caught up with Luce in the hallway, finding her waiting for him. She kicked off the wall, continuing the trek without hesitation. "You gave up pretty quick in there." he said. She shook her head.

"No, we're just going to have to go another route." she replied. "He did not trust us, so he was not going to grant our request. I didn't want to waste either of our time."

"That much was evident." he said. She'd always been better at reading people, but he wasn't blind.

"He had no interest in helping us, and was just looking for a legitimate excuse." she said. The empty feeling of defeat had punched a hole in her chest for a moment, but she was never one to wallow in her sorrow. If one path doesn't work, find another.

"We can speak with someone else." he offered, also trying to solve the problem.

"The King is the only one with the power to change anything, and this is not something that is worth his time." she said. Bucky hummed as he made the same connections she did.

"And we can't ask him to go against his people like this. He already allowed us to stay here and stay safe." he agreed. The King and Princess had already given them everything, healing their minds and their bodies and giving them a home. It was not his responsibility to make sure that they got their every desire. That would be up to them.

"Exactly." Luce said. "I still want to go to medical school, but it cannot be here."

"You're already forming a plan." It wasn't a question.

"Yes, but I'll need some help."

"Just tell me what to do, I'm at your disposal." he said. She smiled at him, taking his hand and holding it as they walked. It was so easy now, to be close to him, and she relished in it.

"Unfortunately, my love, we may have to utilize outside sources for this." she said. He glared at her out of the corner of his eye, despite the term of endearment.

"Are you seeing other super soldiers besides me?"

"Two, in fact." she replied with a smile. His eyes narrowed, and she patted his hand. "Their only merit is that they have access to the outside world."

"Overrated." he said, making her chuckle.

"But necessary, at times." she said. Bucky sighed as dramatically as he could muster, which was just a touch into the passive-aggressive territory. She bumped her shoulder into his, then stayed extra close to him as they walked. He tried to hold on to his fake anger, to really sell it, but he couldn't hold it when she looked at him like that.

"Fine. Steve is due for a visit sometime soon. I guess we can ask that punk for help." he relented. He'd never liked asking for help, not in a hundred years, but he supposed he couldn't solve every problem for them.

It took another two weeks before Steve decided to grace them with his presence, but better than that, he brought Natasha with him. That was who Luce really wanted to visit, though of course she would never verbalize that. Steve could probably help her, yes, but this was a job for a spy, not a soldier. They had time to clean up, eat, and even sleep a little bit before Luce had her opportunity to pounce on Natasha.

"Alright, whatever you're thinking about, just say it." Natasha said. Apparently, she'd been trained even better than Luce thought. They were on the back porch again, beers in hand and watching Mario as he messed with the goats.

"I know I have no right to this," Luce started, finally speaking the words she'd been thinking about all night. "But I have a favor to ask."

Natasha looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "Alright. Let's hear it."

"That easy?" Luce asked, earning a shrug from Natasha.

"Well I figure anything dangerous or deadly you could take care of yourself, so that just leaves things that I won't lose any sleep over." she explained. Luce raised her eyebrows for a second and, finding no error in her logic, nodded.

"I suppose you're right."

"So you gonna tell me or what?"

"Right." she said, taking a breath. "Bucky and I were discussing…plans. For the future."

"Ah. White picket fence? Seats on the HOA?" Natasha teased.

"Exactly. And city council." she said.

"Oh, dreaming big." she said, taking a sip. "And what are the other plans?"

"Medical school." Luce said. Natasha let out a low whistle.

"Now that is a big dream." she said quietly.

"You don't think I can do it?" Luce asked calmly. She meant it in genuine curiosity, but she could see how it could come off defensive. Natasha raised her hands in innocence.

"I know you could do it. The trick is just going to be getting you in." she said. Luce liked that she talked as if it was going to happen, the question was just how. She was a good spy, even if she hated it. "You need options for remote learning. And once you hit the internship stage, we may have to think about relocation."

"That would be in a couple years, based on what I've read." she said. "Although if we're honest, I believe I've had plenty of time with practical application."

"More than most, that's for sure." Natasha agreed. Her brows pinched together, and she tapped her bottle as she thought. "I have a few sources I could check with. Some would require an assumed name."

"Yes, I figured being a missing-in-action nurse turned wanted war criminal would not be a favorable addition to my application." she said. Natasha shrugged again.

"Eh, I've known a few people that it may not be an issue." she said. "Let me call some contacts, see what I can find."

"Thank you, Nata - Natasha." she said, nearly forgetting that she didn't go by Natalia anymore. "I'll owe you one. Possibly more than one."

"I'm trying not to keep track of things like that anymore." Natasha said, pulling out her phone. "Steve's always talking about the power of friendship or something like that, I guess it's starting to rub off on me."

"That's what the kids are calling it these days." Luce muttered, making Natasha choke on her drink and nearly dropping her phone. "Keep it together, Natasha. We're old, but we're not dead."

"No, you're certainly not." Natasha said, wiping her lip. The phone went back in her pocket. "For the record, it isn't like that."

"Mhmm." Luce teased. She felt a warmth, somewhere in her chest, from messing with the girl. It reminded her of a lifetime ago, when she would make fun of Angela and all the transient crushes she developed on the soldiers. Or when she would get on Steve for not making a move, his emotions more visible than he realized. "No judgement here."

"Nothing to judge." Natasha insisted. "You've been reading too many of those romance books."

"So Bucky says. I was under the impression that we're all just trying to find a little joy in life." she said, unable to keep the smile from her face. "You included."

"Wow, you've really got some stamina with this."

"I can do this all day."

"Ugh, you've spent too much time with Rogers too."

"He's an idiot, but he has a couple redeeming qualities."

"Very few." Natasha said, making Luce laugh. "Was he always this impulsive? I swear, I turn around for five seconds and he's already running face first into something else. Sam's no better, of course, he's right there next to him. And then I have to drag both of their asses out of danger."

"Unfortunately he was like that at baseline. I think it's just an aspect of his personality at this point." Luce said. "At least he has you, since Bucky and I aren't there to help him out of trouble."

"I have a hard time seeing Barnes as anything less than a willing participant."

"Oh he was wiling, he just didn't care for the methods. Or the plans…or lack thereof." she said, making Natasha laugh.

"Who knew between the two of them Barnes was the responsible one." she said.

"Oh no, I was the responsible one. Barnes was just the one that had to go after Steve. I was the one coming after both of them with gauze and a lecture." she explained.

"Sounds about right." she said, draining the bottle. Boisterous laughter echoed from inside the house, and Natasha rolled her eyes. "Should we go see what stupidity they're getting up to this time?"

"Do we have to?" Luce deadpanned. Natasha lifted one corner of her mouth in a grin.

"There's knives in there." she pointed out, making Luce groan.

"Fine." she said, finishing her beer too and getting up. Luckily no knives were involved when they went inside, though they did find Sam standing on the table, Steve standing on a chair next to him, and Bucky standing with the kitchen island between him and them. There were three different explanations and three different arguments thrown their way, and with just a shared look, Natasha and Luce decided it would be better for them to just grab another beer and go back to the porch. Whatever the guys got up to, it would be up to them to figure it out.

Natasha, it turned out, was the perfect resource. A few weeks later, she popped in with a stack of papers covered in multiple choice questions, dropping them on the dining room table and not letting Luce out of sight until she was finished. Then a couple weeks later, she popped in again (without the two members of her entourage) and set up a laptop on coffee table in the living room.

"What is this?" Luce asked.

"Hope you're ready. You're about to be in a video call with Dr. Alma Hansen at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden." Natasha explained.

"Why?" Luce asked as Natasha connected the computer to the WiFi.

"Because she's interviewing you for a position in their medical school." she said. Luce's heart skipped a beat, and Bucky settled into the chair across the room, keeping an eye on her. When she glanced over, he gave her an encouraging nod.

"An interview. Okay." she said, taking a deep breath. Another interview, but this one with an actual chance at stake. With no time to prepare. She didn't even have time to curl her hair. She didn't even own the tools to curl her hair anymore!

But now was not the time to worry about that.

"Hello, Mrs. Barnes." Dr. Hansen said with a smile. Luce shot a look at Natasha, who looked rather pleased with herself. Bucky couldn't stop a grin either. She hadn't thought about her surname since she'd arrived, but Barnes was the best one she could get. She decided to roll with it.

"Hello, Dr. Hansen. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me." Luce said. Once again, interview jitters made her stomach tremble, which was possibly the most annoying thing she'd experienced in recent memory. Dr. Hansen was a middle aged woman with white-blonde hair, dashes of silver going through it. She wore thick glasses, making her blue eyes seem even bigger. She had laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, and an easy grin. She did not show any signs of being scared of her. Luce liked her immediately.

"Of course, our mutual acquaintance spoke very highly of you." she said, purposefully leaving out Natasha's name. Neither Natasha nor the doctor mentioned how they knew each other, and Luce didn't think it important to ask. All that mattered was this one opportunity, here in front of her. Luce started to explain that the firewall surrounding Wakanda's internet sphere was impenetrable so they needn't worry about people listening in, but decided that it was not within her scope of practice to make such a claim.

"Did they mention my…experience?" she asked tentatively. She understood why Sazzin did not trust her to join their medical program, the many layers of why he had to turn her away. She hoped Dr. Hansen would feel differently. The doctor nodded.

"Yes, and I am very sorry for everything that you have been through." she said. She sounded sincere, and Luce decided to take the words at face value. Very few people countered their story with an apology. "I admire your strength of survival, and I also admire that you wish to further your education in this way."

"I was a nurse, for a while," Luce said. She felt like she was back in the Navy recruitment office, trying to convince the woman to take her even though she was technically too young. "I've, uh, continued to educate myself on trauma medicine ever since."

"Yes, our acquaintance actually sent me photographs of your work. Your stitching is impeccable." she said with a wry smile. Luce glared at Natasha again, and once again Natasha shrugged, nonchalance dripping off of her. Dr. Hansen folded her hands together, resting them on the desk in front of her. "But I'm sure you're aware that there are aspects of medicine besides trauma."

"Yes, ma'am. I am prepared to study hard and fill in the gaps." she said, trying to let her emotion show through in her voice instead of pushing it down like usual. "I must confess, I do not have a university degree." She hated that she had to admit that, but Dr. Hansen was very kind to grant her this interview, and she couldn't risk her getting in trouble.

"Ah, that does make it difficult, hm?" she said. She was still smiling. "Luckily, I am in a position to grant honorary degrees. But it's too early for us to think about that. Tell me, besides trauma, do you have an area of medicine that fascinates you?"

"Obstetrics and gynecology." she said immediately. "Specifically, obstetrics."

"Obstetrics?" She was surprised by the answer. According to her face, Natasha was surprised too. "Why obstetrics?"

"I want to…" she paused, organizing her thoughts. Dr. Hansen already knew about her assassin past, or at least that she was involved in some terrible things. She stopped thinking about that, instead thinking about the few times she'd coached a mother through birth, and held the new baby in her arms. That's what was important. "There's something indescribable about bringing life into this world. And I've learned that motherhood mortality has improved in recent decades, but isn't completely eradicated, which means there's a disconnect somewhere between the diagnostics and-" She stopped herself again, pressing her lips together before she could get carried away. She could feel Bucky smiling at her, and it took everything in her to keep her eyes on the interviewer.

"Excellent, I agree." she said. "Now, the coursework involved in a medical program is extensive. You'll have papers, tests, quizzes, exams, practicals, and projects. Our friend said that you would have to work remotely, which isn't ideal, but," she interrupted the spiral Luce's thought wanted to go down, "it is manageable. You would have to hold yourself accountable, though, and would have to teach yourself some of the information. Unfortunately some resources just aren't available for a situation like this. What is your set up like, where you are?"

"I have stable housing and internet connection. My partner is very supportive, it was - well, it was actually his idea that I pursue this." she said, her eyes finding Bucky's. He smiled at her fondly, but said nothing. "I am fortunate enough to have plenty of time during the day to complete my coursework, and resources for study materials, should I need them."

"And your study routine?" Dr. Hansen asked. Luce opened and closed her mouth a couple times. What were her study routines? She hadn't studied since 1942.

"To be determined." she said. "But I can retain knowledge well."

"Hm, yes, we've had many students that retain knowledge well." she said, sounding uncertain for the first time since the introduction. She tapped her fingers against the desk. "Alright, let's discuss some clinical applications."

Dr. Hansen took her through a few case studies, allowing Luce to write down details and ask questions before responding. It was obvious that her knowledge was not as extensive as she thought it was, but she did her best to use reasoning skills and whatever information she did have to make her case. The social ones were more difficult, trying to decide the proper, professional response if a patient were to get angry with her, or if a parent were to yell at her. She knew, at least, that bodily harm and threats were not the right answer.

"I must say, given your history, I am very impressed, Mrs. Barnes." Dr. Hansen said. Once again she sounded sincere. Luce didn't dare allow herself to hope, though her heart desperately wanted to.

"Luce, call me Luce." she said, hoping that she would be speaking with Dr. Hansen again. Behind the laptop, Natasha grabbed a random scrap of paper and a pen, starting to scribble something down.

"Luce." Dr. Hansen said with a smile. "I would like to offer you this opportunity on a trial basis. If you make it through the first unit with satisfactory results, then we will continue. It would also give me time to arrange an honorary degree."

Luce was stunned into silence, sitting like a stone and wondering if she'd heard correctly. Natasha threw the pen at her, and she startled out of her shock. "Thank you, Dr. Hansen. Thank you so much." she said, feeling like she was stuck in a dream. Except this was a good dream, which was still rare for her currently. "I don't…I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"Absolutely. I just need an email address, so I can send you materials and access to the examination portal." she said. Luce blinked; an email? She'd heard of them, and understood the concept. But did she have one? No. Luckily, Natasha slid the scrap of paper over to her, much more gentle than the pen.

"Right. LBarnes1923-at-gmail-dot-com." she said, furrowing her brows. What an odd username. Why did it require numbers at the end? Using her birth year seemed ill-advised.

"Perfect, thank you." she said. "I'll also send an email regarding financials."

"Right, yes." Luce said. They'd thought about financials when beginning this endeavor, but a rock formed in the pit of her stomach. What if it was more than they could manage? The whole plan might go right out the window. Natasha waved her hand to get her attention, then mouthed I got you. Luce blinked, unsure what exactly that meant.

"Great!" Dr. Hansen said, not sensing Luce's distress thanks to the beauty of video chat. "Thank you very much, Luce. I'll speak with you again soon."

"Thank you, Dr. Hansen." Luce said, her voice barely above a whisper. The call disconnected, leaving her with a reflection of herself on the screen. The house was silent. "Holy shit."

"Holy shit indeed." Natasha said, though she seemed zero percent surprised. She took the laptop from Luce, opening something and typing something in.

"The finances though." Luce said. It was still a concern.

"Right, yea, the finances." Natasha said, still not concerned. "Stark Industries allocates money to aid veterans pursue career interests. I just made sure that a little extra money got put into it."

"Where did that money come from?" Bucky asked lowly. They all knew that the possibilities were endless, especially when Natasha was involved.

"I just changed their orders to slightly cheaper compostable trash bags and paper towels. Amazing that they hadn't made the connections before." she said, sliding the laptop back to Luce. There was, she presumed, an email account in front of her. Waiting in the inbox were two emails that the browser was translating from Swedish.

"This is really happening." she said, putting a hand to her mouth. She didn't want to believe it, thought that surely the good things were going to stop soon. But it all seemed to be working out. Bucky came over, putting his arm around her and pressing a kiss to her head.

"You're doing it." he said. He turned to Natasha. "Thank you. For your help."

"Please, this was the easiest favor I've fulfilled in years." she said, waving them off.

"We'll find a way to repay you." Luce said, but Natasha shook her head.

"We don't do that, remember? Captain's orders." she said. "Though I have heard amazing things about your apple pie." As with everything else she said, there seemed to be an underlying meaning, but Luce was too distracted with her victory to worry about it.

"Now you won't be able to get mad if I call you Doc." Bucky said. He hadn't called her Doc in ages, but hearing it again made her body remember the affection. The name still didn't feel right, but perhaps she wouldn't mind it every once in a while.

After all, she really would be a doctor soon.

Aw, look at them, making moves, being happy! For sure they get to be happy forever and ever nothing bad will ever happen...

Thank y'all so much for your wonderful feedback. It keeps me coming back every week and writing. I hope you're having as much fun with this story as I am! Also, who's so pumped about F&WS in a few weeks?

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! Stay safe!

-XM