WHO Steve and Martha WHAT: A Physical WHERE: Med Lab WHEN: May 12, Midday WARNINGS: Low/None STATUS: Complete
~~
With the upcoming mission, Martha had busied herself getting what medical supplies would be needed together before the launch. It wasn’t the first time Martha had done something like this, but it was the first time with such a biologically varied crew. She’d spent the last few hours putting the finishing touches on the supply crates and conferring with FRIDAY about last minute items that needed to be ordered for delivery tomorrow. Other than that it had been a slow day in the medical bay.
It spoke of the direction Martha’s life had taken after Royal Hope Hospital had landed on the Moon that this was normal for her. Moreover, it spoke volumes that she’d taken to it so readily. The constant go-go-go, the unknown and the discovery of all things new drove her, but the need to protect the planet she’d sacrificed for kept her grounded. This might not be home, but if there was something coming, Martha Jones would not turn her back.
Giving FRIDAY the last of the items, Martha sat down and sent a message to the bots, scheduling the crate pickup for the next day.
~~
Steve was going through the announcements on his device, and realized that he still owed Martha a trip to the med lab. He wrapped up all of the things he’d been working on in the morning, and headed up there so she could run whatever tests she was interested in running. He didn’t want her to think that he’d forgotten, but with everything that had been happening lately? He’d forgotten.
He knocked on the doorframe, stepping through the open doorway into the lab. “Hello? I’m looking for Martha. Are you here?” They’d seen each other around, but hadn’t spent a lot of time together, so he didn’t know her very well.
~~
Martha’s attention was drawn to the lab’s entrance and the man standing there. She’d spent much of her time the last few weeks getting herself familiar with everything in the lab, and that had left little time for her own socialization. As such, while she’d started getting to know everyone at game night and Sunday dinners, she knew everyone mostly by sight and not on as personal a level as she might have liked.
Still, the entrance of Steve Rogers to the lab was a pleasant surprise for her. She hadn’t seen anyone else for most of the day, and she rose from the workstation to greet him.
“Well I certainly hope so. I’ve had very poor luck with clones of myself,” she answered with a smile as she approached. “Good afternoon, Captain. What can I do for you?” She took a moment to look him over for any obvious injuries, but saw none, which put her more at ease.
~~
Steve smiled at the sight of her. She was younger than he’d thought, he realized as much while he moved closer and held out her hand for her to shake.
“I thought I’d swing by and introduce myself. I saw you at Sunday Dinner, but haven’t seen you much since.” He motioned to the lab. “I figured you might want to put a face to the name attached to the medical file. And if there’s anything else you need for those files, I’m here.”
~~
She took the offered hand and took note of the firmness of his grip. She’d run into this a lot during her time at UNIT. If she hadn’t known it already, the grip, plus his way of standing would have given away his military background in an instant. With an international organization like UNIT, you had many people from many different branches under one roof, one became very used to spotting it.
“Entirely my fault, I’m afraid.” Martha offered Steve a smile tinged with a tiny bit of embarrassment. “Between studying the files on this world’s extraterrestrial biologies and preparing what medical supplies are required for the team going into space, I’m afraid I’ve been a bit of a hermit. Rather unusual for me, but extraordinary circumstances and all.”
“I appreciate it. Won’t you come in?” She glanced around, trying to find where Dum-E had moved the chairs earlier. The robot apparently liked rearranging some of the furniture for ‘optimal efficiency’ and she hadn’t stopped him as it opened up the space a bit more. Finally spotting them, she nodded towards the two comfortable looking chairs before she started walking.
~~
Steve didn’t really mean for his grip to be so tight. He couldn’t help it, really. He wasn’t painful with his grip, but it was definitely a firm one. It was a brief shake, and when it was over he brought both hands to slip into his pockets.
“Sounds like you’ve been busy.” Steve wasn’t sure what he felt about this space expedition. There was a part of him that wanted to go, but another part that knew he wouldn’t have been able to contribute much to a space battle. Still, he felt a responsibility to lead. So he would lead here. Protect the portals, protect the compound.
“Sure,” he added, following her into the larger part of the lab. “What holes do you want me to fill in for my medical records to be complete?”
~~
“Just a bit,” she agreed. “But no more busy than working for a military organization like UNIT. In some ways, the work is similar.”
Martha took a seat and placed the pad in her lap as she got comfortable. The last thing she wanted was for this first session to be awkward. This was also her first real chance to get to know Steve Rogers, beyond what his public reputation was.
“It isn’t so much holes as you haven’t had a proper physical since right after the Chitari incident.” Martha glanced down at the records before turning the tablet off. She didn’t need the data in front of her right now. “Or the records are missing, which given what I’ve heard happened with the fall of SHIELD is more likely. From everything I’ve seen, you played a rather large part in that. Well done, it’s everyone’s duty to punch a Nazi any time they see one.”
~~
Steve was pretty sure he hadn’t heard of this UNIT before, but he didn’t pry. He logged the name away so that he could bring it up later if he felt it was important. Actually, he recalled that she was from a different version of Earth from his world… maybe UNIT existed there, but not here.
He chuckled at that and nodded. “I wish more people took that opportunity when it presented itself. Nazis’ faces are ripe for punching.” He leaned back a little in his chair, visibly relaxing. “So, what do you need? Measurements? Height, weight… blood sample? Please tell me you don’t want me to pee in a cup,” he blushed, “because I went before I came.”
...she was a doctor, right? It wasn’t weird telling that to a doctor… right?
~~
“Too right.” It was an attitude that she’d seen for herself, something no one had ever wanted to see again, while she’d walked during the Year.
At his question, Martha chuckled, but shook her head no. Steve seemed a good man. Everything she’d read, everything she’d seen and heard had given the same impression. From what she was seeing from him in this moment, she could tell that all of the reports had been correct.
“No, Captain. Nothing like that,” she assured gently, holding up a hand. “Today I’m interested in your cells,” she started. “I’ve read your file and I believe you, or rather they, would be perfect subjects to be tested for potential radiation from your trips through the portals.”
~~
“Oh.” Steve wasn’t really sure what she was looking for in his cells, but he compared it to Bruce and his… condition. Of course, a lot of this technology and science was fresh and new for Steve--they didn’t have things like portals and radiation back in the 1940s when he went under the ice.
“Not a problem.” Steve lifted a hand and held it out to her. “Whatever you need, Doc. I’m here to help.”
~~
At his seeming enthusiasm, Martha offered him a brilliant smile of thanks before getting up to retrieve a tube and scraper and a needle and several vials for blood. She would need to take some of his blood and skin cells for testing.
From what she’d read, Steve’s cells were unique. The process he’d undergone during Project: Rebirth had more or less strengthened his cellular structure, which meant while he wouldn’t necessarily feel effects, his cells might hold a memory of anything within them. It was the beginning of a theory at any rate.
Sitting back down, Martha took Steve’s outstretched arm and gently started scraping the back of his hand, catching some skin cells onto the tube.
“So, Captain,” she said, glancing at him. “Tell me about yourself.”
~~
Steve had been poked, prodded, and tested over and over. He didn’t mind giving blood or skin cells for testing. He watched as she collected the samples, then glanced up and over at her.
“What do you want to know?” He asked, not sure what to say about himself. Normally people knew everything, so he didn’t need to say… anything, really.
~~
Over the last few months, Martha had learned the broad strokes of Steve’s story along with the rest of her research into the history of this place. But there was only so much history books could tell you about an actual person. Still, this sort of ice breaker could be rather awkward. Especially in this sort of an environment.
“Glen Miller or Benny Goodman?”
~~
Steve blinked at her, then broke into a smile at the question. “Really? No one’s ever asked me that before. I… Glen Miller, I suppose. Moonlight Serenade.”
He leaned back a little in the chair, impressed with the question. “Do you ask all your patients which big band orchestra is their favorite?”
~~
“Only the ones qualified to answer the question,” she replied, a quirk of a smile pulling at her lips as she added an agent to the tube to dissolve the cells in the second tube.
Martha swirled the test tube around a few times watching the reaction, making sure the solution started changing colors before putting it down in a test tube stand and turning back to Steve.
“You’ll be shocked to find that most people don’t like sitting in that chair, especially when needles are involved.” There was a slight tone of amusement to her voice. “I like getting to know the people I work with, but with the speed at which assignments and crises come up, it can be difficult. The right question can put someone at ease, bridge a gap, or start a friendship.”
~~
Steve nodded. After everything he’d been through, it would make sense for him to be afraid of doctors. At the same time, he’d had Peggy to help him through a lot of it. And then the tests and drawing blood and all those other things became old hat. Even in this time, he was used to people trying to figure him out.
Martha seemed very smart, and was kind and friendly. Good bedside manner. Steve almost wished that he knew how to flirt, how to be so open like Bucky. What would Buck say to Martha? He had no idea--couldn’t even guess.
“You want to start a friendship with me?” He asked. Kind of a stupid question, Steve.
~~
“I might have been thinking about it,” she answered with a small smile. While the question may have been silly, it was cute. She wondered if maybe he hadn’t been sure what to say. After all, as she’d mentioned, ice breakers weren’t always easy. “Though if you’re against it, no pressure.” She was teasing of course.
~~
Steve grinned warmly. It was nice that someone was open and honest. He could always use more friends, too. Martha seemed like a good friend to have: she was smart and friendly, obviously knowledgeable about the times and medicine. Not that Steve was selfish with his friendships, but they would both get something out of it besides friendship, wouldn’t they?
“No no, I’m always looking for more friends. Ones who I don’t only see when they’re poking me with sharp things to steal my blood.”
~~
“Then you’re in luck, because I only play a vampire, when absolutely necessary. Though depending on situations, sometimes I’m a bandage mummy,” she chuckled at her own joke.
Martha settled on the backless stool across from where Steve was sitting. “You know how it is when there’s a mission. All hands on deck. But now that things are slowing down, I’m hoping to put in an appearance.” She really wanted to. She hardly remembered going back to her quarters the last few nights. “One of my goals is to finally step foot outside the compound and see what’s there. Mind you, when you’ve worked for the military awhile, you become used to this.”
~~
Steve gave a short, soft laugh at the joke. It was cute. It was cute. She was cute. It definitely made the whole doctor thing easier--the blood draws, checking blood pressure and temperature, and whatnot. It was more comfortable now, less clinical.
“Well, hopefully we’ll have fewer times of stress and more times to get to know one another.” He could definitely do with some down time. “When things are a little more calm, maybe we can go wander around together.”
~~
“That would be brilliant,” Martha folded her hands in her lap. “It’s been killing me not being able to go out and take a look. I spent a lot of time in the city on my world but, it doesn’t matter how many times you do it, a new planet requires exploration. Assuming things haven’t gone pear shaped before you’ve gotten there. I think it’ll be fun.”
~~
That made Steve raise an eyebrow. How many new planets had she been to? He smirked softly, thinking that he’d fully underestimated the good doctor. He shifted a little in his chair. “We’ll definitely have fun. You’ll have to tell me more about your world, and I’ll try to show you the best that this one has to offer.”
~~
Now that was an offer that Martha couldn’t turn down. She’d learned a long time ago that new worlds went best with company, and even better with someone who knew the lay of the land. Not that she couldn’t figure it out, she could. But things were just better with friends. For a moment she wished that there was some way to get word back to the Doctor or Jack or her family that she was alright. But if her theory held, they wouldn’t realize she was gone anyway.
“I believe you have a deal there, Captain.” She offered him a nod of agreement. “Moreover, I look forward to getting to know you. I happen to know that the most interesting parts of a person can be overlooked by the writings and historic retellings of others.”
~~
Steve chuckled softly. “Let’s hope so. Because the writings and historic retellings in this world that include me? They’re kinda boring.” He was mostly teasing--self deprecating humor, maybe? But he had a point. They talked about his story, but didn’t really get his personality. He’d been a puppet for the United States Government for so long that sometimes he didn’t remember exactly what made him Steve, when so much pointed out how much he was Captain America.
“Sometime soon? Send me a message and let me know when you’re free.” Steve said, giving her a smile. “Until then, though… do you need any other medical… stuff? I’m supposed to be washing dishes after lunch, and I’m afraid the kitchen’ll be a mess without me.”
~~
“Nope. I think I have all I need for comparison. I’ll let you know when I have the results.” She hoped there wouldn’t be anything amiss, but it never hurt to check. “You are dismissed, Mr. Rogers. Thank you for your assistance and yes, I’ll be in touch. Start thinking about what kind of stories you want to hear. I have a universe’s worth of them.”
Martha shot him a knowing smile before turning back towards the computer to start getting the sequencing in for the tests.
~~
Steve grinned. When she was business, she was all business. He appreciated it. “Thank you, Dr. Jones.” He said, then climbed up from his seat and nodded. “I will. I’m sure I’ll be asking for all sorts of stories. Next time.”
He gave her a little wave, then headed out of the Med Bay.