DR. ROGERS: A Steve Rogers Story

ONE

"Hi there. I'm Dr. Lingsley. I heard you were having some stomach pains."

I came in and put some hand sanitizer on before sitting with the little girl and who I presumed was her mother.

A brand new job. A new hospital. A new town. This is good for me. It's exactly what I needed.

A fresh start. The first day. This was good.

The little girl nodded. I smiled, taking my stethoscope off of my neck.

"Can I have a quick listen?" I asked. She nodded.

"Okay. I'm gonna have you hop up on this bench and we are going to check out your breathing, and then I'm gonna ask you what your symptoms are. Do you know what symptoms mean?"

"What you feel?"

"Pretty much." I said and smiled. I put the piece in my ear and listened to her beats per minute. She took relaxed breaths. I smiled.

"Your little heart is just fine. Now. Let's have a chat. First off. Do you feel like you're gonna be super sick and are gonna throw up, or do you feel like your stomach is all tied in knots and it just hurts really bad?"

"Hurts really bad." She said. Her mom nodded.

"Okay. Have you eaten anything super abnormal?"

"I had pizza and ice cream and a soda from grandma today."

Her mom sighed. "We eat very healthy in my house. My ex-husbands mom took her out and fed her with junk. And now she's got a tummy ache."

"Does your daughter have any sensitivities to gluten, sugar, dairy, anything?" I asked as I softly pressed on certain points on her stomach.

"Well she doesn't eat any of those things. We're a dairy free, sugar free, chemical free house." She said.

"Ahh. Well my dear. You have a tummy ache. I would just drink lots of water, and get some rest. I could prescribe some medication to help ease the discomfort."

She nodded, looking at her mom. Her mom sighed and nodded too. I rolled over to the computer and put it in the system.

Once I was done with that, I got up and took my clipboard. I grabbed a sticker and a sugar free candy from my pocket. My back was to keep regular, and sugar free, and gluten free candy in my pocket for kids.

"Alright sweetheart. Easy as pie. You get some good sleep." I said. She nodded.

I smiled and left the room.

Hired here as a family doctor. I loved working with kids, and apparently the head doctor on this level needed more help. So I was here to help him.

I just hadn't met him yet.

I went to the front desk and dropped off papers.

"How'd that go?"

I turned, seeing the first person I met here. A nurse named Natasha.

"It went well. Hey, is that doctor that I'm supposed to meet even here? I have had twelve people today and I feel as though it isn't being fairly cut down the middle. Besides we're partners and I haven't even met the guy."

"He's coming actually."

I turned, seeing a man walking down the hallway. Tall, blonde, stern, muscular.

"You must be Dr. Lingsley."

"Yes. Steve Rogers right?" I asked as I took another file.

"Dr. Rogers." He corrected.

"Mhm. Hey, how many patients have you had today."

"Why does that matter?"

"Well I was hired here to help you because apparently you can't do it yourself. So I am asking because I have had twelve in the past two hours."

"I've had eighteen. Get used to it." He mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Look around Doctor. Do you see how busy this is? Get used to it. You're in a big city. There's a lot of people. And, there's people waiting right now."

"What a great way to introduce yourself." I said.

"I'm not here to make friends."

"I have a feeling that you and I are not going to get along."

"I have a feeling that you need to learn that there isn't enough room for the both of us here."

I took my file, leaving to a room.

This place is a disaster.