DISCLAIMER: This fanfiction will follow its own timeline, however, I've tried to stick to the movie timeline as much as possible. It must be noted that this story is rated M as there will be some explicit content mentioned later in the story (depictions of sexual intimacy, and also mentions of rape and abuse). Still, forewarnings will be provided at the beginning of the respective chapter.

It must be noted that I don't own any of the Marvel characters or anything affiliated with the Marvel Universe. However, all OC and original content have been created by me.

CHAPTER FOUR

"The One with The Ambush"

Lilah sat against her door, unable to find the strength to make a move. Her thoughts were swimming with memories and Steve's questions about her Grandmother and James. Only when she was losing the feeling of her legs from sitting so long did she glance up at the clock and realise that she had been sitting for almost 3 hours. Willing herself to get up, Lilah stumbled over to her room and proceeded to curl up in her bed and pull the blanket over her head, hoping that the covered darkness would convince her mind to give in to the world of dreamless sleep.

But it didn't...

After 2 hours of tossing and turning and overthinking, Lilah threw her blanket off and grumbled to herself, "No! I can't do this!" In that instant, Lilah got up, pushed herself into the bathroom, and got into the shower, hoping that a scalding hot shower would help sear the morning from her mind.

Within an hour, Lilah was at the hospital and walking through the emergency entrance. "Lilah? What are you doing here?" Julia, the head of the night staff in the emergency ward, asked while standing behind the main desk. "Hi, Jules," she defeatedly smiled back at the nurse, " I just couldn't get any sleep. Thought I'd come in and work on some odds and ends. If you need me, just shout, okay?" Lilah said to her while walking past the main desk. Having told the emergency staff that she was available to help out, Lilah got busy with some paperwork and an article that she was co-writing with four other pediatricians from surrounding cities. When she finally looked up from her laptop and to her clock it was 22h37 and she was nowhere near ready to go home and be bombarded by the thoughts of Steve's visit again. Standing up from her chair, Lilah stretched her arms above her head to relieve her back muscles and then let them fall beside her, "Coffee is definitely needed here," she whispered to herself. Just before she took a step out from behind her desk, the phone rang, and she reached over and answered the call. "Lilah! 2-year-old with a serious ear infection - help please!" shouted Jules on the other end of the line.

The next time Lilah looked at her watch, it was 05h30. Patients had just kept flooding in the whole evening and morning but Lilah welcomed the distraction, as she didn't often get to work with the emergency staff. Sunlight had now started to break through the evening darkness and finally, Lilah was feeling tired enough to go home and fall into her comfy bed. She wouldn't be needed till her first appointment at around midday. Dragging herself up to her rooms, she collected her things and headed back down to the reception area to say her goodbyes to the night staff. As she happily said her last goodbye, someone called out for her from the direction of the examination room, "Lilah..." whimpered Sharon, one of the on-call nurses, "I know you're on your way out now but would you be able to chat to this guy, he says that you're treating his daughter and he has some questions regarding her condition," Lilah frowned and very reluctantly put down her bags, took the clipboard from Sharon, scanning over the documents as she made her way down the corridor to the examination room.

"Okay, Mr. Wilson..." Lilah said as she opened the door to room 8 and walked in, "How are you doing?" She said, lifting her head and smiling at the tall, lean, well-built African American man standing across from her. "I'm great thanks and yourself?" Sam Wilson replied. Lilah looked at him with a puzzled stare for a moment, "... I'm good, thank you for asking," she stopped for a second, "Please forgive me for asking this, but is your daughter one of my patients?" Lilah asked. Worried that she might upset or offend the parent, she quickly added to her statement, "I'm sorry it's just that I have a close bond with my patients and their parents, so I know for a fact that I don't have a baby Wilson under my care..." she paused, hoping that the man would confess and ask his questions about his kid, which she'd be more than willing to answer so that she could just go home. Instead, Mr. Wilson looked at her with a pained expression, as if he was about to give her some bad news, "No, I actually don't have a kid and I'm really sorry for this," he winced more now, "but Dr. Novak, we're going to need some information from you."

Thoroughly confused by this sudden twist, Lilah frowned at him, "Really? And who may I ask is this 'we' you speak of?" she asked with a chuckle. Immediately Sam Wilson's eyes moved past Lilah and focused on the figure behind the door. She followed his gaze and slowly turned around to find the familiar face of Steve Rogers emerging from behind as it closed.

Author's Note: A short chapter again ... Sorry!

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