Chapter 4

Alice didn't remember falling asleep, but the next time her eyes opened, sunlight was streaming through the windows. If she hadn't been curled up on Bruce's mattress, covered with his blanket and his pillow under her head, she might have believed she'd dreamed everything, the gun shot and the huge green creature…

She sat up slowly, painfully aware of all her aches and bruises. Bruce was standing in the rubble of what had probably been his table, leafing through his journal. He glanced up at her over the glasses perched on his nose and gave her a wry smile.

"Good morning."

His voice was crisp as he snapped the journal shut. Alice resisted the urge to flinch or squirm. He crouched down in front of her, sliding his glasses up to nestle in his messy curls.

"You lied to me."

Alice was still a little fuzzy, but she was awake enough to feel indignant.

"Excuse me?"

Bruce gestured at her with his journal.

"You told me no one got hurt."

Alice looked down at her hands. The strips of black t-shirt were gone, replaced with clean white bandages.

"And judging from the way you're moving," Bruce continued in the same clipped tone, "You're feeling the after effects of some other injuries too."

He tucked the journal under his arm, reached into his pocket and pulled out a pill bottle. He tapped out two tablets and held them out to her.

"These should help with the pain."

Alice narrowed her eyes. She didn't like that emotionless expression, or his cool, acerbic tone, but she took the pills and swallowed them as Bruce watched. She glared at him despite herself, and that produced a humorless smile. He rolled to his feet, tapping his journal in the palm of his hand as he paced in front of her.

"But you know," he said, "The lie isn't even what's really bugging me."

"I didn't…" Alice tried to cut in, but the doctor just kept talking over her.

"No, see, what really bothers me, what I really just don't get..." He stooped down again so he was level with her, eye to eye and just short of touching, "...is why you're still here."

He stared at her for a minute, studying her face.

"You could have run, any normal person would have run. So why did you stay? Why didn't you run?"

Alice met his eyes steadily and without expression. She remembered how she'd felt the night before, sitting against the wall, her senses bombarded by a creature that couldn't be real, but was right there in front of her, the sounds of wood shattering, and the smell of dust as it sifted down from the unstable rooftop. Any normal person would have been afraid. Any normal person would have run. But she hadn't run. She couldn't tell Bruce the truth, the relief that she'd felt as the roof above her had trembled. That was her secret to keep. But there was no lie she could tell that would satisfy the curiosity she could see in his eyes. So she told him the closest thing to the truth that she could.

"I didn't run, because I wasn't scared."

Bruce's eyes narrowed and his jaw set.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," she snapped, "I didn't leave because I'm not afraid of you, Dr. Banner. And that thing I saw, it was you, wasn't it?"

Bruce shook his head and rolled back onto his feet, pacing the floor again.

"If this is some stupid play at nobility, you can just stop, okay? I don't need saving."

"That wasn't what it looked like last night," Alice said, carefully working her way up to standing, "What if… that… other guy," The corners of Bruce's mouth twitched up for a moment, "What if he hadn't saved your ass last night?"

"Well then the world would be a little bit safer now, wouldn't it?"

"What about Mika?"

She had the pleasure of seeing Bruce flinch.

"What about all the other people in this city, living all around you, dying around you, that need your help?" she added, "You're a doctor for God's sake, what the hell are you doing working at the damn docks?"

"Trying to stay out of it!" Bruce shouted, "And I was doing a damn fine job until you showed up! The one time I actually decide to give a damn, I get followed, and waylaid, and I can't even shoot myself in the privacy of my own home!"

"I was trying to help you!"

"I don't need your help, goddammit!"

He slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her face. Alice glared up at him, her feet set and her fists clenched.

Suddenly the rage drained out of his face and he just stood there, staring down at her until Alice began to feel uncomfortable. She had to fight the urge to squirm.

"What?" she snapped.

"You were telling the truth," he said, sounding like he barely believed it.

He took a step back and Alice relaxed a little. He was still staring at her, incredulously.

"Who are you?"

Feeling self-conscious, Alice brushed a hand through her hair and unnecessarily straightened her shirt.

"My name is Alice Ripley."

They stared at each other across the room for a moment. Alice could tell that he was really studying her now, not trying to scare or intimidate her, but really trying to figure her out. She kept her face expressionless. She really didn't want him reading anything about her.

"Dr. Banner, I…"

"I'm not really a doctor," he blurted out.

Alice arched an eyebrow and he rolled his eyes.

"Okay, I mean, I am a doctor, but… I'm more of a specialist."

"A specialist?" Alice said, her voice betraying her incredulity, "In what, giant rage mutations?"

He actually laughed at that.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. You could also say I have a PhD in nuclear physics with a focus on gamma radiation, but really, why split hairs?"

"Gamma radiation?" Alice asked, "So, you… build bombs?"

Bruce smirked.

"I could I'm sure, but my research was more focused on the… biological applications."

"Ah, right, so this is like a…" She swirled her finger in his direction, "A mad scientist thing."

Bruce shuffled awkwardly, shifting his journal from one hand to the other.

"More like a lab accident. Anyway, that's not the point," He cleared his throat, "I'm telling you this because you asked why I was working at the docks. I'm doing exactly that, working. I've made a few…"

He paused searching for words.

"...undesirable acquaintances thanks to, as you've so aptly named him, 'The Other Guy'. I've been trying to stay off the radar. The dock was the first place that would hire me, no questions asked. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not working as a doctor."

"But you are a doctor!" Alice exclaimed, "At least enough of one to make a difference. You saved Mika's life!"

Bruce waved away her words.

"That was easily diagnosable if she'd been taken to a real doctor…"

"But she couldn't go to a doctor. That's the point! There are so many people in this city who die because they can't afford a doctor, or medicine. They could really use your help."

Bruce shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's not safe. And how exactly am I supposed to live? I can't just quit my job to help the poor; as you can see," He spread out his hands to the empty shack, "I'm not exactly well off."

"You don't have to quit," Alice said, "I'll help you."

Alice was just as surprised as Bruce looked. And he asked the very question she was asking herself.

"And how would you do that?"

Her mind raced.

"I… I can be the go between, set up appointments, that kind of thing."

Bruce waved a hand in the air, stopping her.

"Let me get this straight. Are you offering to be my secretary?"

Alice thought about it for a minute, and then shrugged, trying to sound casual.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

Bruce stared at her for a long moment.

"Now why would you do that?" he asked, "Forgive me, but you don't exactly strike me as a philanthropist."

Alice swallowed.

"I just want to help."

And that was true. Mostly. Bruce still didn't look terribly convinced, but Alice just kept talking, hoping to get past talking about her. Talking about her, about her motivations, was dangerous territory.

"Besides, once word gets out, you'll be taken care of. These people may be poor, but they still have a little bit of pride. They'll pay you anyway they can, and it'll still be cheaper than trying to go to a 'real' doctor."

She did the finger quotes in the air and Bruce rolled his eyes.

"What if I say no?"

"You won't," She knew it was a gamble, but she took it anyway, "You won't say no for the same reason you didn't just walk out of that store three weeks ago. You didn't know me, and you didn't care. Hell, you still don't. But you're a good man, Bruce Banner. And good men don't just walk away."

He scoffed.

"I've been walking away for years, Miss Ripley, you don't know anything about me."

"I know you have a huge green man-thing living inside you, but the first thing you ask when you wake up is if you hurt anyone."

Bruce stared at her, speechless.

"I don't need to know anything else."

It was true. Despite the 'Other Guy' lurking under his skin, Bruce Banner was no monster. He was a good man. She could see it in his eyes even now as they flickered back and forth, trying to work out some way to argue with her, trying to find a way out. But he didn't have a way out.

"I could just go," he said, waving his hand at the doorway, "I could just leave, right now, shake the dust of this place off my shoes and never look back."

Alice snorted.

"Okay, two things. One, the fact that you just told me that means you aren't even considering it. And two, I would follow you and never let you live it down."

Bruce blinked mutely and she grinned.

"You aren't the only one that knows how to walk away, Dr. Banner, I've been doing it my entire adult life. Don't test me."

She regretted the words almost as soon as they were out of her mouth. Bruce tilted his head to the side, his brow furrowed.

"What are you running from, Miss Ripley?"

She dropped her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair again to give herself time to think. Then she looked up and forced the grin back on her face.

"I guess you'll have to stick around and find out."

It was an incentive, a carrot at the end of stick she would never, ever drop, but she was willing to dangle it in front of him for a while. After a moment's hesitation, Bruce threw his hands up in the air.

"Fine," he said, "Why the hell not? It's not like I have anywhere to go, I'm practically on the edge of the world as it is."

Alice smirked, but inwardly she was wondering what in God's name she'd just signed up for.

Jesus, Alice... what the hell were you thinking?