The Woman in Uniform

Pain.

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It's strange how a single incident can make you realize your feelings. It's strange how all it takes is for one small thought to bring you so much dread, especially when you never thought it would.

Yet, it made sense.

The skipping of the heartbeat at his smile. The adrenaline she felt in his presence. The feeling of nausea mixed with happiness. It was always there.

But it never made sense to her.

How was it possible? She never felt anything like it. She's never heard about such a thing before.

Bucky Barnes was flirting at the bar with some woman.

Marlene Rogers was near death.

Edwin Jarvis tried his best to get Marlene to Howard as soon as possible. Sweat dotted his forehead in his attempts. He kept looking back at the woman he viewed with immense respect periodically. He looked at the woman that seemed so strong. Yet, here she was, breaking.

"Please don't leave me," She'd whimper. Her skin was paling by the minute. She clearly held a fever. At first glance, Jarvis believed she was sweating. And she was. But there was something else. She was crying.

"No! Please! Come back!"

Jarvis wasn't sure what happened, but he knew it wasn't good. Angry shouts were heard as he weaved his way through the cars.

"Stay awake," He heard her cry. "Wake up. Wake up! Don't you die on me!"

Howard Stark was busy in his work. His dark hair fell into his even darker eyes as he went over the calculations before turning to the prototype. There was a crease between his eyes as he furrowed his brows in confusion.

Marlene felt like there was a fire lit on her skin. It felt like the flames were trying to consume her whole body until it got to her soul, burning it alive. She felt like knives were dragging through her brain.

Steve wondered when his sister was going to be returning. Two nights ago, he had gone to make sure she remembered to eat something seeing as she often forgot while working as much as she did. He was becoming worried she'd overwork herself. She was working nearly every day and late into the night. Sometimes, she would fall asleep at her desk. Yet, when he got there, Howard informed him Marlene was sent to a factory to make sure everything was running smoothly.

When Bucky heard, he wasn't too pleased. In all honesty, neither was Steve.

Marlene missed Sunday.

Sundays were the days she and Steve spent the day together. Just the Rogers siblings. No one else. No Bucky. No Howard. Just Marlene and Steve.

Before working for Howard, she only had one request after being treated as an equal.