You grabbed your things and rushed out of the bar. Steve quickly did the same.

"Y/N," Steve called.

"No. I don't want to talk about this," you replied, heading down the street. "Not now. Not with you."

"Y/N..."

"You didn't sign the divorce papers. Fine. I get it. End of discussion."

"Y/N."

"What?!?" You finally spun around to face him.

"Oh... I usually just say 'Y/N' and then you yell at me. I haven't really thought past that point." You scowled and shook your head. "I actually didn't have anything planned." You hit him with your bag. "Hey!" He rubbed his arm. "What is with that?" You did it a few more times. "Hey stop it. Ow."

"Seriously?! Seriously?! You know what, just leave me alone."

Steve reached for you. "Y/N-"

"Stop it! I said leave me alone! I'll see you at work tomorrow."

You stormed off, heading to find your car so that you could go back home. You were pissed at Steve and, mostly, yourself. How could you let yourself believe that he would be so willing to sign those divorce papers to be with you?

~~~

All you interns had just finished rounds and Gamora had you all in the hallway for assignments. Before she could call them out, Peggy interrupted.

"Has anyone seen Dr. Rogers this morning?" She wondered.

"His name is on the OR board," Gamora answered. "He should be here somewhere."

"Thank you." Peggy swiftly walked off.

"Quill, Lang, you're in the pit today. Val, there's a cardiac patient waiting up for you on 2. Barton, they need help in peds. Romanoff, keep an eye on the Longs. And L/N, you're with Rogers. I don't want any problems. Go."

Everyone hurried away while you stayed put. "Rogers?" You whispered. "Uh, I guess, which one?"

"Steve."

"Uh, I don't think-"

"Hey, life is short. Times are hard. The road is long with many a winding turn," Gamora sassed. "He actually asked for you. Take it up with him." Gamora walked away.

"Shit."

"Shit? Oh no," Tony showed up beside you. "It's only morning. What's wrong already?"

"Steve didn't sign the divorce papers."

"Oh," Tony grimaced.

"And now he's asked for me to be on his service today."

"Well, maybe he will sign them. He just has to think about it."

"But I don't want him to think about it. I want it... I want..."

"You want to be the obvious choice. I get it."

"Yeah... how's trying to get Pepper going?"

"I think I almost have her. I've been in on all her surgeries that I can be. Fury and Hill are even making it work."

"Wow. I wish I had everyone on my side. But... I don't and it doesn't matter anymore. It has to be his choice, not mine, not me pleading or begging. It needs to be all him."

"Wise," Tony nodded. "I still think he'll choose you."

"We will see... we will see..."

~~~

"Y/N," Steve greeted when you found him.

"Your wife is looking for you," you responded.

"Oh, my gosh," he sighed. "This is hard for me, Y/N."

"Well, let me make it easy then. I'm not gonna be that woman. The one who breaks up a marriage or begs you to want me. You can sign the papers or you cannot. The choice is yours. Either way, when it comes to this relationship, I'm out." Steve's eyes widened and he went to speak but you quickly cut him off. "Nope. We aren't getting into it anymore. Now, where's this patient I'm supposed to be helping with."

Steve pointed behind him. "Down there. But, Y/N-"

"No." You walked away, Steve following.

"Y/N-"

"No."

Finally letting it go, Steve sighed and followed you into the patient's room. There was a young woman on the bed.

"Good morning," Steve greeted.

"Morning Dr. Rogers," she responded.

"This is Dr. L/N."

"Hello," you greeted. "Can you tell us about your pain?"

"I've had a twinge in my back for a little while," the young woman explained. "I thought it would go away, but then last night my legs went numb. And this morning my back... the pain is just too much."

"Miss Yang, we're going to put you on a PCA pump," Steve said, "give you some morphine which should help control the pain."

"Thank you."

"Okay, but there is a bigger problem here. I've just take a look at your MRI-"

"Cris!" A man exclaimed, him and a woman rushing into the room and to the young woman's bedside. "Why didn't you call us before coming down here?"

"I'm sorry," Cris said. She turned to look at you and Steve. "These are my parents."

"What's going on?"

"I was just about to explain that Cris's MRI has shown that she has myxopapillary ependymoma," Steve answered. "It's a tumor in her spinal canal. But the good news is that we can operate. You have a 95% chance of fully if we get you into surgery as soon as possible. We can't wait another moment. With a tumor this aggressive even waiting another day puts you at risk of permanent paralysis."

"Father?" Cris questioned, looking to the man.

Mr. Yang shook his head. "No," he said. "No surgery."

"Mr. Yang, without surgery Cris will be paralyzed, probably within the next 24 hours," Steve said.

"There will be no surgery today. We're taking her home."

"Cris needs the surgery," you pressed.

"And she can have it at another time."

"Look," Steve tried again, "Mr. Yang-"

"We are taking our daughter home."

Steve looked at Cris. "Cris, you are over 18. You don't need your father's consent."

"I am Hmong, and my father is the elder," Cris explained. "He says I go home, I go home."

You could tell that Steve was holding back from a harsh reply. He gave Mr. Yang a nod before leaving the room, you following after him.

"Hmong? Let's find out what that means," Steve said.

"Do I continue to process her discharge?" You wondered.

"Yeah we have to. It's insane, but we have to. It reminds me of this case I had one time and this woman came to the office and-"

"Look, do you need me for anything else work related?"

Steve looked around the hallway before pulling you into an on-call room with him.

"Look, I was married for 11 years," Steve began. "Peggy is my family. That is 11 Thanksgivings, 11 birthdays and 11 Christmases. And in one day, I'm supposed to sign a piece of paper and end my family? A person doesn't do that. Not without a little hesitation. I'm entitled to a little uncertainty here! At least a moment to understand the magnitude to what it means to cut somebody out of my life. I'm entitled to at least one moment of painful doubt. And a little understanding from you would be nice."

"I am not fighting you on this," you responded, opening the door. "Not anymore."

You stormed away. Leaving both you and Steve in an confused state of anger.

~~~

Bruce was walking down the hall when he noticed Peggy.

"Dr. Rogers," he greeted. "Still here, I see."

"I couldn't leave you," she responded with a smile. "Have you seen the other Dr. Rogers by chance?"

"I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"Thanks," Peggy walked off and Natasha walked up.

"So, um, thanks for, uh, being there," she said softly.

"No thanks needed," Bruce responded.

"Okay."

"So where are we?"

"Uh, the north-east corner of a medical center." Bruce glared at her. "Oh, I'm, I'm getting back on my feet."

"Fine."

"That doesn't mean that-"

"Natasha."

"It's my first day back, I've... I've got-"

"I'm not waiting forever." The lights flickered, causing the two of them to glance up. "And, apparently, I'm not the only one."

"Dr. Banner!" Nurse Vision jogged up. "There's a problem with the elevator!"

"And?"

"Dr. Quill and Dr. Barton are stuck in it with your GSW patient that they were bringing up to the OR."

"I should have fought harder for the pit," Natasha grumbled.

~~~

"Lightning hit a sub station," Maria Hill told Fury as they walked down the hall with Peggy. "We're running on back up generators." The medical center had lost its power. "One of them is down."

Fury stopped, causing the others to do so as well. He rested his hands on his hips, annoyed.

"Breathe, Nick," Peggy guided. "Breathe."

"Don't tell me to breathe, damn it!" He exclaimed. "The only direct means of transporting from the ER to the OR isn't working. I'll breathe if I wanna breathe."

Fury huffed before making his way to the elevators. Gamora and Banner were there, watching some men pry open an elevator.

"How bad is it?" Fury asked.

"Two interns and a GSW to the chest," Bruce explained.

Fury closed his eyes and put his hand to his forehead.

"Good air in," Peggy coaxed, doing it herself. "Bad air out."

Fury gave her a look before turning his attention back on the elevator. "Come on people! Get those doors open!"

The men working on the elevator doors, finally get the door partially open. Revealing that the elevator car was caught between floors. Peter and Clint were in there with their GSW patient.

"It's jammed," one of the workers said. "It won't open anymore. This is as wide as it will go."

"What did you two do?" Gamora asked the interns in the elevator, kneeling down to see them better.

"Nothing!" They both exclaimed.

"How's the patient?" Bruce asked, getting down beside Gamora.

"He's not looking so good," Clint answered.

~~~

"Why do the lights keep flickering?" Cris asked.

"Something about a backup generator," you answered, finishing up hooking the morphine up to her IV. "This pump will provide you with a morphine drip and should stop your pain."

"I told you, I don't need it. I'm going home."

"You realize you'll have to sign an AMA form stating that you're leaving against medical advice."

"Fine," she nodded.

"I know this is new and confusing. I actually called a social worker, they're willing to come down and talk to you-"

"Spare me the cultural divide, love. I grew up from the street down here. I play in a band. I get it. My father doesn't. He says no, it's no."

"We're talking about your ability to ever walk again."

"That's what you're talking about. I'm talking about my family. Have you ever even heard of the Hmong people?" You shook your head. "Our religion has got rules that are way old and way set in stone and way spiritual and you don't mess with them." She sighed. "You don't anger the ancestors. Even if you pierce your tongue and play in a band."

"What are the rules exactly?"

~~~

"Rogers!" Gamora shouted as she headed towards Steve. "You're wife is looking for you."

"I know," he responded.

"Are you actively avoiding her?"

"Maybe," he shrugged.

Gamora scoffed, shaking her head as she walked away. "You've got to deal with your problems before they all blow up in this medical center!"

"Steve," you called, coming up beside him.

"Yes?" He replied, turning to look at you.

"You need to talk to Cris's father. I'd do it myself but I guess having testicles is a requirement."

Steve sighed. "Did you try social services?"

"They can't help us. Mr. Yang believes that Cris is missing something that she needs for surgery."

"Missing something? Missing what?"

"One of her souls. We don't need someone from social services. We need a shaman."

~~~

Peter and Clint were still stuck in the elevator with their patient, Tommy. The patient was getting delirious, trying to sit up and pull out the tubes and wires.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Peter asked, trying to stop him.

"I have to get home," Tommy said.

"Tom, you're in the hospital."

He sat up. "Need to get home." Clint and Peter quickly worked to restrain him. "No. Need to get home."

Dr. Banner, hearing the commotion, peered through the small opening of the elevator doors. "What's his blood pressure?" The attending asked.

"It's not reading," Clint informed. "He's too agitated."

"How's his pulse?"

"Thready but it's still there," Peter answered.

"Do you have any instruments?"

"Uh, we have..." Peter quickly looked around. "Uh, just a code box and some gloves."

"You didn't bring an open chest tray?"

"No. We thought-"

"You don't have time for excuses. Barton, blood pressure."

"I've taken it 3 times," Clint replied.

"And?"

"I can't hear systolic over 50." Clint looked down at Tommy, who is really pale and wheezing. "He's gonna die." Both interns look at each other, scared.

"Intubate him," Bruce ordered. "I'll be right back." He went to push himself up off the floor.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"To get an instrument tray. You guys are going to have to open up his chest."

Clint and Peter looked back at each, minds going a mile a minute as Banner stood up. Gamora was behind him, having heard the whole thing.

"Are you sure about having them open his chest?" Gamora asked.

"No," he answered before he hurried away.

~~~

Chief Fury and Dr. Hill were walking down the hall together.

"This is incogitable," Fury said. "There's not enough power to move those elevators?"

"They're doing what they can to replace the back up generator now," Hill responded. "Fire department is standing by."

"All critical patients?"

"Moved to the south wing."

"Incoming trauma?"

"Re-routed to the other medical centers."

"That damn back-up generator should've been replaced last year."

"Yes, sir."

"So why didn't it happen? Dr. Hill, you know everything. Tell me whose ass I need to kick."

"That would be your ass, Chief. You didn't authorize the replacement generator to save money for the new MRI machine."

Not wanting to show weakness, Fury walked away. Grumbling under his breath as he went.

~~~

It didn't take long for Bruce to return to the elevator with the things the interns would need.

"This isn't gonna be too sterile," Bruce said as he got down to hand them the tools, "but we can still try. Prep and drape the patient."

"On it," Clint responded, quickly getting to work.

Peter stood there for a moment, nervously staring at Tommy. Eventually, he snapped out of it, shakily helping.

"Okay..." Peter breathed out once they were finished. "We're really going to do this."

Clint just looked at him, both interns feeling completely unprepared, as he kept squeezing air into the patient. Bruce stuck his hand back through with a pair of scissors and a scalpel in it. He hands them towards Peter, looking at him expectedly.

"Take these," the attending said. Peter just looked at them, remaining still. "Quill, take the scalpel." Peter just continued to stand frozen.

"Come on, Peter!" Clint exclaimed. "Take the damn scalpel!"

Dr. Banner looked at Peter, completely confused as to way the intern wasn't moving. Bruce shook his hand to signal for Peter to take the instruments. But the intern looked away.

"Ventilate!" Clint demanded, annoyed at Peter as he shoved what he was holding into Peter's hands. "I got it." Clint swiped the instruments from Dr. Banner. He shot Peter an angry look. "Okay," Clint looked to Dr. Banner. "What do I do?"

"Make a large anterior, lateral, mid-auxiliary incision in the 5th intercostal space," Bruce directed.

"How-how large?"

"As long as possible. You need to get 2 hands in there. It needs to be long and deep. Use the scissors if you have to." Peter then made eye contact with Bruce. "Quill, hold a light up for Barton while you're ventilating. You can do that, right?"

Peter nodded, grabbing a flashlight from Banner. Clint took a deep breath. He was about to cut when Bruce startled him.

"Barton, be sure you don't cut into the lobe of the heart," Bruce warned.

"Uh... how-" Clint paused to clear his throat. "How can I be sure of that?"

"You just have to be sure."

"We'll, uh, we're definitely not in Kansas anymore," Clint tried to joke before cutting into Pete's chest.

~~~

You walked up to Cris' room. Steve was standing outside, watching the patient and her father interact.

"Is the shaman here yet?" You asked.

"He's late," Steve replied. He glanced down at the watch on his wrist. "We need to get her into surgery right now."

Before you really thought about it, you put a comforting hand on Steve's arm. "It will work out."

Steve looked down at your hand and then at you. You two stared at each other, lost in the others eyes. It was too long before you realized that you two were too close for your liking and that your hand was still on his arm.

"Sorry," you mumbled, stepping back.

"Y/N, please just-"

You shook your head. "I'll see how far our shaman's out." And you hurried away.

~~~

Bruce hadn't moved from his viewpoint of inside the elevator. It had been a while now since Clint had cut into Tommy, but Bruce couldn't see exactly what was going on.

"Barton, how are you doing down there?" He asked.

"Bruce," Maria Hill said before Clint could answer. "The fire department's here. They can get the doors open."

"No!" Bruce turned to look at the crowd behind him. "Nobody moves. Nobody works not he elevator. I have an open chest and a very nervous intern in there. Keep them back until I give the word." Dr. Hill nodded, motioning everyone back, before Bruce focused back on inside the elevator. "Clint."

"I didn't cut the heart or the lungs," Clint answered, clearly surprised. "Dr. Banner, I didn't cut the heart or the lungs!"

"Good, good. Very good. Now check for injuries and do a pericardiotomy."

"Uh, I'll need some lap pads, forceps, Metzenbaums and Satinksy clamps then."

Bruce gave a light smile and a nod. "Yes, you will."

Clint was quickly given the supplies and got to work.

"Okay... I've removed the small clot from the pericardium," Clint informed Dr. Banner. "No obvious cardiac injuries."

"Any change in the vitals?" Bruce wondered.

"BP's still too low to register on the monitor," Peter spoke up.

"We need to cross clamp the aorta."

Clint grabbed the clamp from a tray next to him and put it through the opening.

"Stick your hand in and bluntly dissect down until you feel two tube-like structures," Bruce guided. "The esophagus will be more medical and anterior."

Clint stuck both his bands in the open chest. "Ah, I feel one tube that is easily collapsible and the other I store muscular, spongy. I can also feel the spine, just underneath it."

"Yes, you're touching the aorta."

The intern grinned. "I'm touching the aorta."

"Wrap the index finger of your left hand around it and apply a Satinsky clamp with your right hand."

Clint put in the clamp. "Got it... Wait, I... I think I can localize the bleeding. I... Well... I think it's coming from the inferior vena cava."

"Can you find the lesion?"

"Yeah. Yeah... I think I can feel, ah-it's too far in to repair."

"Can you tell me how big it is?"

"Small, maybe... like, smaller than a dime."

"Okay then Barton, I want you to take your finger and plug the hole."

Clint nodded and did as directed. "I think I can feel his heart... it's... it's starting to fill more. It's beating a little stronger."

"Excellent. Keep your finger there."

"Okay. Now what?"

"That's it."

"Really?" Bruce turned to lay on his back in relief. "I just stand here with my finger plugging the hole?"

"Yes. Until we can get you out of that elevator and into the OR." Bruce lifted his head and looked at Dr. Hill. "Tell the fire department to get them out of there."

"On it," Hill