Oh, My Soldier

23

"What kind of work are we doing, doctor?" I asked as I followed the elder man down the hall.

"I need a recruit. A man with good heart. And I have a great idea of who it shall be." he spoke without turning back to face me as he walked.

"Who?" I asked, keeping my pace.

"You will see. He's in that room right down the hall at this very moment." Dr. Erksine said in his thick German accent. I pondered at who it could be as he and I approached the curtain. The doctor moved it aside to enter the room and I entered with him, closing the curtain behind myself.

I turned and faced the person sitting rigid in front of us. The tiny little man's eyes grew wide at the sight of me and I couldnt keep my jaw from dropping. "Steve?" I turned to the doctor with nervousness and panic on my face. He couldnt be recruiting Steve. This is what I didnt want to happen.

Dr. Erksine nodded and looked down on my tiny little brother. "So, you want to kill Nazi's?" the doctor raised his brows behind his lenses.

Steve snapped out of his stare at me and furrowed his brow. "Excuse me?" he frowned at the doctor.

Dr. Erksine outstretched his hand for Steve to shake amd smiled. "Dr. Erksine. I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve." he said as Steve stood up and accepted the handshake eagerly.

"Steve Rogers." he replied. The doctor released his hand and moved to a table against the wall inside the tiny examination room and flipped through a file he had. Steve glanced at me, then back at Dr. Erksine. "Where are you from?" he asked a little nervously.

The doctor looked up from his papers and smirked. "Queens. Seventy-third street... Before that, Germany. This troubles you?" the doctor scanned Steve's face for any signs of fear.

Steve merely shrugged. "No." he stated calmly.

The doctor nodded and began to look through the papers again. "Where are you from, Mr. Rogers? Is it New Hampshire? Or Paramus? Five different exams... From five different cities." he questioningly stared at Steve.

I swallowed nervously. Steve was going to be arrested. They had caught him just as Bucky had feared and he was going to jail. Steve must have been thinking the same thing too because his face drained of all color. "You... Must have the wring file." Steve lied through his teeth, not even bothering to glance my way. My eyes grew wide at his lying and I stared at the small man with disappointment and disbelief.

"It's not the exams I'm interested in. Its the five tries." the doctor eyed him carefully. "But you didnt answer my question... Do you want to kill Nazi's?" he asked again.

Steve swallowed nervously and his cheeks went red. He turned to face me and then looked back at the german man. "Is this a test?" Steve asked hesitantly.

"Yes." the doctor answered straight faced. I watched as Steve squirmed in his place, thinking carefully about his next choice of words.

After a moment of thought, he sincerely answered the question. "I don't want to kill anyone. I dont like bullies. I dont care where they're from." Steve said.

The doctor raised his brows at Steve and hid a smile as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, there are already so many big men fighting this war... Maybe what we need now is the little guy." the doctor said, glancing back at his papers.

My breath hitched in my throat and it took everything inside of me not to object the idea. This was Steve's dream and it was finally coming true, but it was also Bucky and I's fear.
"Doctor, he has medical conditions." I spoke quickly, hoping that would change his mind. Steve looked at me wide eyed and with hurt in his features. I immediately regret my words and swallowed as I shrunk back against the wall. Dr. Erksine smirked at me.