Actions

Work Header

The Incredible Dr. Bruce Banner **UNDER CONSTRUCTION**

Summary:

When Natasha Romanov found Dr. Bruce Banner to join the Avenger's initiative, he was working in India as a medical doctor. When he remarks "And if the other guy says no?" she responds that he has gone months without an incident and that he shouldn't break that streak. But what happened before that? This is the story of young Mia Harper, a medical student passionate about her work. She gains the opportunity to study beneath the greatest scientist of the decade helping save lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. Here she builds a strong bond with Dr. Banner and his patients and when his feelings grow to a passionate romance she must decide just how strong that love is. This is the story of Dr. Banner before he returned to the U.S. and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Notes:

FYI: This work is on the mend. I am well aware it's kind of crap. So just know it's gonna be a bit odd for a while. I also promise all changes will be for the better.

Chapter Text

Dr. Mark Antony Clock had earned the reputation of being... an ass. A smart ass, wise ass, jack ass, pain in the ass etc. In fact, he had often heard his name changed from Clock to another word used for the male anatomy. He was more than fine with that, though. Because being chief resident of the St. Mary's Learning Hospital in Hell's Kitchen was no easy feat, and if his interns feared him they had a better chance of not being shot or stabbed by the riff raff they sometimes had to heal in these very walls. In fact, he had taken it upon himself to send them home as soon as possible during daylight hours, and make sure they didn't have to take the bus when their nightshifts ended. Not that they knew that, oh no. Better to stay Dr. Cock in their eyes, but he knew they'd one day be better doctors for it.

For Dr. Clock there was no work-life and personal-life, St. Mary's was his life. Day in and day out he led around interns, bullied them during rounds and hoped that just maybe there would be enough food left in the cafeteria for at least one hot meal a day. But if not, there was always coffee. Most of his interns just bowed their heads and did as they were told and that kept most of their patients alive. Until she came along. Mia Harper cared about this hospital and it's patients almost as much as he did. Capable, smart, and not at all afraid of him she had given him pause the first time she had offered an alternative treatment that may have been slightly safer than what he recommended. Yeah, she had really pissed him off. It didn't help that no one took her seriously as a doctor, always mistaken for a nurse because she was pretty, only about five foot one and weighed around one hundred and twenty pounds. Mia Harper had become his prodigy though, whether she liked it or not, and he had recommended her for a study abroad program with W.H.O. because dammit if he didn't want better for her than stitching up criminals in hell's kitchen.

It was the annual dog and pony show where The Chief of Medicine forced him to take the board members around and kiss their asses for more funding. Of course, Mark wanted to also show off his own little prodigy Dr. Harper and announce then to her and the Board that she had been approved for her trip to Afghanistan to work with W.H.O. He glanced down at his watch and smiled knowingly before stating, "I'd like to introduce you to one of my most promising interns." he said. He led them into the now calm Emergency Room from the midnight shift and over to the nurse's station. He had timed this introduction to align perfectly with Harper's shift start time. Any minute now she would be strolling through those doors, pulling down wayward dark brown points of her short hair cut and with an iced coffee in hand. She drank that stuff even when it was in the single digits outside and that made her even more annoying to Dr. Clock.

Upon arrival to the little round area, he anticipated waiting only a few minutes, the stuffy old men joking in their expensive suits and lingering in the doorway. Then, Mark glanced down seeing an all too familiar Dr. Pepper pen on the counter. Sitting at the computer, chin resting in her hand and drool leaking from the corner of her lips was Mia Harper. Pointedly he locked his jaw and ground his teeth, cheeks turning red and hands flying behind his head in frustration. He'd told her to go home last night so that she could be at her best today, told her not to do more than twelve hours- no asterisks. Knowing Harper, she'd probably done close to sixteen and he huffed begrudgingly dropping his hands. This damn girl was going to be his undoing, and he'd really been doing well with his blood pressure. The Board was going to see her as a potential lawsuit, sleepy doctors made mistakes, point blank. Well that introduction would have to wait, and so thinking quick on his feet he changed the subject and led them elsewhere.

The small bright pink and gray watch chimed the theme from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harper startled awake. She used the back of her hand to swipe the drool on her chin and looked at the time. Yep, just five before the start of her shift. She could change into fresh scrubs and maybe even grab a Frappuccino before Dr. Clock was on her. The nurses had promised they'd cover her tracks later today too, assuring her they'd tell the boss man she had worked her eleven hours and headed home. Gingerly she pulled on her black scrub top and touched up her tinted moisturizer and blush. Quickly she swiped on a bit of mascara and with cherry chapstick in hand she was running for her little pit stop.

"What flavor for you today Ms. Mia?" the kind older lady behind the counter asked. Mia smiled at her friend and decided to go with her favorite, "How about dark chocolate chip?" she asked and before she knew it, the frosty caffeinated beverage was placed before her. She smiled and was interrupted by two styrofoam cups being shoved on the counter.

"Two black coffees, on her. She won't be needing the girlie drink today." an all too familiar voice said. Harper sighed knowing she had been caught and handed over the cash. Without even looking at Dr. Clock she asked, "How'd you know?" and she took her coffee finding their usual table by one of the windows. He sat across from her, his ginger curly hair and piercing blue eyes looking angry and tighter than usual.

"Your scrub pants leg is stuck in those same tacky tootsie roll socks you wore yesterday." he told her, and quickly she bent down to untuck the material she had jumped into so quickly.

Mark looked out of the window as if he was pondering something in the most melodramatic way ever and then suddenly slapped his hand on the table, "Oh yeah! Pretty sure it was your insubordinate ass I saw this morning drooling at the emergency room desk as I brought the Board members by." Mia flinched and scrunched her nose, accepting her punishment as usual, black coffee hot with no sugar. It was some stupid deal she had made with her mentor that had stuck. If she screwed up, she had to go without sugar and drink coffee like 'a real doctor'. Cringing as she took her drink she rolled her eyes and sighed. To be fair though, she had fully intended to do as she was told. But a lot can happen in one night, especially a full moon in Hell's Kitchen on Friday the 13th. Not that she was superstitious, but this July heat in New York sure did bring out the craziest of the crazies.

"I'm going to cut your hours again Harper. Sleepy doctors make mistakes. You know this!" he said incredibly exasperated and angry, throwing his hands behind his head and leaning back in his chair. Harper sort of grinned to her coffee cup and then narrowed her eyes. Nodding her head she said, "Hm... and what happened the last time you did that?" and she tilted her head curiously. Dr. Clock's face reddened and she was certain he was about to yell and chew her out. Instead he puffed out his cheeks and let a deep breath go. Narrowing his eyes he responded, his words short and forced through gritted teeth.

"You. spent your off time. In pediatrics... with special needs. patients." and she gave a coy smile. Well, now was as good a time as any, "I'm just thankful you wont be my problem much longer." he said with a smirk. Harper nearly dropped her coffee as her stomach hit the floor and her eyes widened. Hands shaking and brain short circuiting she was certain he was firing her. It was all her fault too, she'd broken the rules too often, she had pushed him too far. Mia was ready to beg for mercy, she was close to getting her residency and it was all she had wanted for most of her life. This hospital was her home, it had meant absolutely everything to her and she got on well with the nurses, she had friends working here.

"You'll be my colleague's problem when you work with him in Kabul for the World Health Organization. Maybe you'll listen to Dr. Banner." Dr. Clock finally said, deciding not to prolong her torture and fess up. The grin that split across her face was magnetic and with excitement she ran around the table, attempted to punch his arm and hugged him. Dr. Clock didn't flinch or give under her hold, just rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee. Harper had been quite a fan of Bruce's work, this he had known from reading some of her thesis papers from medical school. When Bruce had come up in conversation she had quoted the man directly and made him roll his eyes. Bruce had been working solo for years abroad trading science for medicine, and so Dr. Clock mentioned a promising young intern with a bit more heart than brain eager to get out of Hell's Kitchen. And of course it was entirely unintentional that he left out her first name being Mia, allowing Bruce to believe Harper was male.

Finally Mia took her seat across from Dr. Clock and took a drink of her coffee, "I just can't believe this is happening!" she exclaimed, hands shaking at her joy.

"Yeah now you can run off to some shithole sandbox taking everything I've taught you, all of my time and hard work spent on you, oh and believe me you were hardwork. I just hope you learned enough to not be a medieval murderer over there. Might ruin my reputation." He said, his voice monotone and sarcastic as ever. Most people would have thought what a jerk and stormed off, but Mia had a different approach. While other people would have heard Dr. Clock's words verbatim, what she head was 'I'll miss you. I'm proud of you. Don't forget me and don't screw this up.' Dr. Clock stood first when it was time for rounds and their respective shifts, and Mia followed suit before stopping him in the doorway. He looked bored and uninterested, but she gingerly wrapped her arms around him in a full front hug.

"Thank you Doc Rock-a-Doodle. I'm gonna miss you too." she whispered as tears sprang to her eyes. He patted her back a moment and groaned, unfamiliar with affection but deciding she deserved it. Harper was, a very good doctor. That was the highest compliment of which he was capable.

"Take care of yourself over there. And who knows, if you never call me that again, maybe there will be a residency here waiting on you. When you get back." Mia laughed and pulled away from him. She had thought the nickname was incredibly clever, refusing to call him Cock like the other residents and trying to find a better word. His red curls had reminded her slightly of a rooster, and she knew he preferred mostly rock music so the name just stuck. Besides, he'd called her serial killer, murderer and any number of other nicknames over the last two years. Seemed only fair to her.

Mia's last two weeks to prepare for her trip flew by. She would be spending the next six months of her life in Kabul, Afghanistan working under Dr. Banner in refugee camps, war prisons, various under funded hospitals and anywhere else they were needed.