Nice To See You Again, Doc

- - - - -

"Welcome back."

Ana pulled a smile and walked into Steve's open arms, ignoring the minor headache she was getting and embraced her friend. She left Bucky back in Russia after he wanted to chase another lead. He was going after all the people who had some sort of connection to Alexander Pierce, and the ones who tortured him for all those years. She offered to accompany him but it was something he had to do and she understood completely.

Bucky promised he would make himself known again, and she promised to find him.

Steve pulled back carefully after hearing her wince. "You alright?" He asked, looking down at her through his glasses.

Ana nodded softly and dug her hand into her sundress pocket, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to him. "I couldn't think straight on the flight back. I wrote everything down though. Here." She said, before furrowing her eyebrows when her vision blurred for a split second.

Steve read Bucky's name being mentioned near the end on the letter and pursed his lips together, "Thank you, Ana." He gave her a soft smile.

"No problem, Cap. If you don't mind, I feel a migraine coming on-" Ana stopped and pressed her hands on her temple when there was a sudden throb of pain.

"Ana?" Steve called in concern, grabbing her arms when she almost fell. He slowly lowered her down on the wooden bench. Ana couldn't feel her fingertips and she brought them up to her face when they felt numb. What the hell was happening?

"Are you okay?" Steve asked, looking around cautiously at all the people at the park.

"Yeah, just... my head." Ana waved off, closing her eyes away from the blaring sun and putting her palm flat on her forehead. She could hear what everyone was saying as they passed her and Steve, making her look up in confusion. This doesn't happen to her, it was like her senses were amplified one minute, then mute the next.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Steve whispered, taking out a tissue and wiping off the trickle of blood that came from her nose. Ana nodded, "I don't think I can walk, Steve. I can't feel my..." She said, swallowing.

"Just stay with me, you're zoning out." Steve looked at her fluttering eyes and hauled her up. She felt a wave a nausea coming on and shook her head, "I'm loosing it, Cap." She breathed out.

"Don't close your eyes- Ana!"

- - -

When Ana opened her eyes, she couldn't hear anything. She was in a hospital room, tucked into the white sheets and connected to the monitors with wires behind her. Steve sat in the seat next to her bed, reading the letter she had written for him on Bucky probably for the tenth time. She went to sit up, the rustling of her sheets alerting Steve.

He hopped up and gave her a relieved smile, "Hey. You okay?" He asked, but she couldn't hear a word he was saying.

Steve chuckled at her confused squint and removed the earmuffs off her head, "Your hearing kept on going over the limit and the nurse suggested to put these on." He explained, putting them down on the table.

Ana rubbed her face tiredly and sighed, "What happened?"

"You blacked out at the park and I took you to the closest hospital. The nurse told me you experienced a-"

"A chronic subdural hematoma." Ana mumbled, interrupting Steve.

"What?"

"It's when veins located in the brain's surface and dura break, blood leaks and forms a clot which increases pressure in the brain." Ana explained, still remembering what the doctor told her years ago.

He blinked. "You've had this before?"

"Once. When I was sixteen. I hit my head too hard when I was playing soccer in high school and I blacked out on the field." She revealed, "We still won though." She chuckled slightly.

"I'll bet." Steve smiled with a shake of his head. His phone started ringing and he sighed, Ana just waved him off to go and answer it. He pointed outside the door, "I'll be right there."

"Oh captain, my captain." Ana sighed out making him jokingly roll his eyes at her.

She laughed as he went outside and faced her as he answered the call. She looked down at her hospital wrist band and saw her full name printed on it. As she let her finger slide over it, there was knock on her door and Steve gave her an apologetic look.

"It's Peggy. She had a minor stroke and-"

"Say no more, go." Ana nodded firmly.

"You sure? I could get Nat or Sam here."

"Seriously Steve, go now. Peggy needs you a lot more. I can call the others." She insisted, giving him an encouraging smile. Steve nodded and gave her a quick hug before leaving.

Ana sighed and frowned, Peggy Carter meant a lot to Steve and she hoped nothing bad would ever happen to her. Ana had the privilege to meet the founder of SHIELD once, but even then Peggy had trouble with her memory and would always look at Steve like it was the first time seeing him alive. It broke her heart.

"Knock, knock."

Ana looked up and widened her eyes at the man who stood at the door. "Stephen?" She whispered.

Stephen grinned at Ana and walked forward, "It's been a long time, Katiana. Come here." He pulled her in for a warm hug and Ana laughed softly, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"When I heard you were taken into the surgery ward from my colleague, I took the papers off of him so I could tend to you myself." He explained, bringing up his clipboard to show her.

Ana smiled when she saw the previous doctor's name, Nicodemus West, was scribbled off the top and replaced with Stephen Strange. He treated her first condition and she was stuck in the hospital for two weeks to recover, even though her healing allowed her to be restored in four days.

She looked up at him with a small smirk, "Well, you are the best neurosurgeon in the world." She said, earning a smirk form him also.

"Nice of you to remember." Stephen chuckled.

Ana then frowned when he stopped and became serious. He put on his doctor face and looked down at the clipboard. "Okay. Ana, I need you to tell me how this happened, again. Exactly when you hit your head or if someone else did. The affects you experienced when you blacked out. And how much pain are you experiencing?" He asked, taking out the pen from his breast pocket and clicking it.

Ana licked her dry lips and recalled the fighting she did a few days ago. "Well, last week I was in Russia. And I-"

"Why were you in Russia?" He questioned, taking a seat.

Ana gave him a look. He laughed it off.

"I was in a fight about four-five days ago with these men. And, uh, well I woke up in this warehouse, strapped in a chair. Long story short Doc, they tried to fry my brain — erase my memory so to speak. And before I blacked out earlier, my hands were numb, I had a killer headache, like the first time I had this." She stated casually, crossing her arms.

Stephen blinked, and stopped writing down on the papers. He lifted his head and Ana pursed her lips at his wide blue eyes. The look in his eyes told her he was worried, like a parent would be when they found out their kid had been in an accident.

"Erase your memory?" Stephen breathed out, "What kind of savages would do that to a girl like you? Are they back in Russia? Did you tell the authorities or something over there?" He blasted her with questions and she held out her hands in front of her and waved them around so he could calm down.

"They're gone. Okay? I'm fine." She placed a hand to her chest in a motion to show she was telling the truth and offered him a small smile.

Stephen clenched his jaw and Ana moved her head to the side, letting it rest on the white headboard. He then rubbed her clasped hands, letting out a sigh. "You're still the same sixteen year old who came to see me with those," He scrunched up his face, "Odd parents. I still remember the way they looked at me when I told them you had healed remarkably early." He blinked multiple times and shook his head, keeping in a shiver.

Ana grew curious but before she could ask him about it, Stephen checked his silver Rolex watch and hummed, standing up. "You're having surgery now." He stated, not seeing the way Ana widened her eyes.

"Now?" She breathed out.

Ana swallowed the lump in her throat and removed her covers, swinging her feet to the edge of the bed. All of a sudden she felt like a sixteen year old, entering surgery for the first time. Stephen held his hand out for her to take and she threaded her fingers with his, gripping them tightly when the numbness in her feet prevented her from standing up straight.

Stephen winched, "Ana, I'm going to need these hands in order to perform perfectly." He commented lightly.

Ana gasped and loosened her grip immediately. She gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry, Doc." She apologised as two nurses made their way inside her room. They smiled politely her way and took her off Stephen. Just as they were going to place Ana in a wheelchair, Stephen placed a quick kiss to Ana's hand, rubbing it comfortingly. The nurses both raised their eyebrows, they had never seen Stephen act this way.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

"I know."

- - -

Ana looked in the mirror, her hands were gripping the pieces of her hair back so she could take a look at the stitching on top of her head. The surgery, as expected, had gone great. Stephen had given her a prescription medicine for one week which should get rid of the swelling of the brain. But she was supposed to be on bed rest for at least two weeks.

She sighed and tied her hair into a low ponytail, smoothing back the stray hairs. Once she finished getting into her jeans, black shirt and grey hoodie, Ana zipped her bag closed and walked out of the small bathroom.

Natasha was sat on the bed, flipping through a fashion magazine with her hair in her face. Hours ago, she was told off by a nurse telling her only family was allowed, and Natasha in turn told her in a deadly whisper that she was family, before walking inside Ana's room and slamming the door shut.

"I'm pretty sure that doctor of yours cares a little too much about his patients. He left you these." She lifted a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates.

Ana laughed it off and dumped her bag next to Nat on the bed, taking the roses in her arms. "This is what I gave him when I got through my first surgery as a thank you. But the expensive roses are his version of my backyard yellow sunflowers."

Natasha hummed and opened the box of chocolates, "The good stuff too." She bit into a piece and smirked, nodding to herself.

Ana took a piece for herself and handed Natasha the bag, making her let out an breath. "I'll be outside in ten minutes. I just have to talk to him one last time." She said and they walked out of the room, with Natasha swinging the bag over her shoulder.

"We're gonna have lunch soon. Be quick, sestra." Natasha told her before giving her a soft hug and walking down to the elevator.

Ana made her way to Stephen's office, passing the many patients, nurses and staff. She focused her hearing and followed his voice when she heard his yelling at the end of the hall.

"Sorry, if you can't pay my price, I can't help you! Find another doctor!"

Ana knocked on his door, pushing it open a little when he slammed his phone down. He looked up at the door when she knocked and sighed, waving her in.

"Sorry about that, Ana. Come in."

Stephen walked around his desk and lead her to a chair, before going to close the door. A nurse hurriedly intercepted and looked at Stephen urgently,

"Uh, Doctor Strange, there's a patien-"

Stephen waved her off, "Can't you see I'm busy? Come back later, Tina!" He yelled before slamming the door shut. He smoothed his suit down before giving Ana a smile as she sat at the seat in front of his desk.

Ana refrained form raising her eyebrows at his behaviour, but he was known for his arrogant and egotistical personality. It was always preferred to compliment him on his many awards. She pointed at the framed certificates on the wall behind his desk and grinned, "I see you get better every year. The Young Neurosurgery Award, wow." She praised.

Stephen dropped onto his chair with a sigh and waved his hand in dismissal, "That's old, I haven't received the one for last year and the year before that. But, yeah I guess it's a real achievement since I'm the most experienced neurosurgeon in America." He said, making it seem like it wasn't a big deal.

"I just came by to thank you, again, for everything you've done for me." Ana smiled gratefully. He leaned forward so his head rested on his propped up arm. "It's the least I could do." He smiled.

"Well, I owe you one Doc." She crossed her arms.

"So how is it that you developed those abilities of yours?" He asked. Ana had a feeling he was waiting to ask her that since the first time he saw her.

She looked at her hands and shrugged, "I inherited them from my parents, actually. I know it seems impossible but-"

"Impossible? I've learned never to use that word in my line of work." Stephen smirked, leaning back in his chair.

Ana quirked a smile and laughed softly, "Of course. Well, that is why I came here also, to ask you if you knew someone named Marcus Michaels. He used to work here in the nineties, before he died in a fire." She explained, biting on her bottom lip anxiously.

"Michaels? Your father?" Stephen asked.

Ana pulled a small smile, "Yeah."

"I'll have to go through the archives, which will take a while." He grabbed a pen from the small cup of pens and scribbled down the name. There was a phone buzzing and Ana looked at her pocket, before picking it up and looking at the caller id. Natasha was calling which meant she was growing impatient. She gave Stephen an apologetic smile and waved her phone slightly, "I gotta go, but it was nice seeing you again." Ana said.

Stephen nodded understandingly and checked his watch. "Go on then, go save the world." He grinned but then shook his head with a hard look, "In two weeks though. You can let your friends do the work while you rest." He said, making her bite back a grin.

"And when you find that you have some spare time, I'd like you to call me and let's catch up, okay?" He questioned, handing her one of his cards. She stood up and reached out with her hand, curling the card in her palm.

Ana looked at it with a nod. "You got it, Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange." She read.

"Doctor Strange works too."

- - - - -

I hope you liked this one guys! It's sort of a filler and it will lead Ana into the Doctor Strange movie, and I have a great plan for that. So, tell me what you thought and I'll see you all soon with another chapter!

Q- How are you?