Stunned, hurt, and puzzled, Steve stepped back again. The Doctor had never been cruel before. Never spoken of her time machine with anything less than loving. He didn't think she even needed the key - he couldn't unlock the box, but he hadn't tried very hard, not wanting to let Tony inside without the Doctor's express permission.
"Doc..." He started again, but stopped himself. His head shook, sadly. "I guess Hydra's taken another of my friends away. Unless I was just wrong about you." Steve turned away and let himself out the door.
Sam and Natasha looked up as Steve exited the room. Each had a red plastic cup in hand, Sam lowering it with a guilty expression as he looked at Cap. Natasha gulped down the remainder of her cup and her expression dared Steve to protest. He sighed a bit and shook his head.
Another friend, lost. It didn't matter how. There was one more connection to the skinny young man he'd been that was gone. Maybe he hadn't measured up then. Maybe that was why she had wiped his memories.