Surgical Steel Heart [Doctor x Reader]

Discipline

The night air is cold and harsh against your skin, but the smell of anything other than burning flesh is a welcome change. Even after everything that has happened today, you feel surprisingly good. While the work wasn't all that different, the atmosphere was night and day compared to your old job. Maybe this is just what you need.

You can't help but feel a twinge of guilt for thinking like this. You are going to be damning men to eternal suffering at the hands of Dr. Carter, yet all you can think about is yourself. Well, it's not like you have much of a choice. You were forcibly transferred to a CIA black site, there's no telling what will happen to you if you disobey orders. At least, that's what you tell yourself. Whether or not you truly believe it is a different story.

Besides the moral dilemma you're facing, the trip home is peaceful. Having something to think about besides dreading work the next morning is a welcome change. That peace wanes as a familiar feeling interrupts your thoughts. You are being watched.

It's easy to understand why you felt this way earlier–you were in a new location with new people. But now? You're on familiar roads with no one else in sight.

There is no way you're going to shake whoever it is that's watching you, you're the only one out this late at night. So, against your better judgment, you ignore it and hurry home.

* * *

The first few weeks at your new job remind you of your early days as a surgeon. Dissecting a live human body was much different from seeing diagrams in textbooks, but it wasn't long before you got used to it. It's like that all over again but with scenes of torture.

The face of your first patient was burned into your eyes. Their screams haunted your dreams for a few nights, but with time the memory lost its edge. The one thing you still can not adjust to, however, is Dr. Carter.

Multiple times a day he will lead you into an operation room to show you the mess he made of his newest patient. He made a habit of sneaking up on you whenever he wanted your help. Even as you come to expect it, the doctor manages to startle you every time, which earns you a laugh from him.

He frequently grabs your hand as the two of you walk, anything to get uncomfortably close since he knows it freaks you out. He wears the same giddy expression each time like he's excited for you to see his work. The carnage doesn't bother you, but the joy he takes in creating it does.

The doctor has been getting increasingly violent with each passing day. He experiments more often, trying out new and gruesome interrogation tactics with his patients. Based on the condition he left his patients in, it seemed as if he was being purposely reckless.

No one tests your ability to heal any injury quite like Dr. Carter does though. While you don't share his enthusiasm, reviving his patients is always the highlight of your day.

It saddens you that he hasn't approached you during your shift today. You were so busy with back-to-back surgeries that you hadn't even seen him. As uncomfortable as he makes you feel, you still look forward to the work he gives you.

Exiting from your last surgery of the day, you are left feeling empty. You linger in the building. It's not like you'd have time for another surgery if you did run into him, but something was keeping you there. Moments away from giving up, you round the corner and spot Dr. Carter. He's standing just outside of Dr. Stamper's office with him. You double back, ducking out of sight so that you can listen in on their conversation. It isn't hard since Dr. Stamper is yelling.

"The fuck do you mean you lost the code? Do you understand how important it was that we got that information from him? That's why we gave him to you! And what? You just killed him?" Is he reprimanding him? It's uncharacteristic for Dr. Carter to just kill a patient, he enjoys torturing them too much to do that.

Dr. Stamper continues yelling at him, but Dr. Carter remains silent and still. Even from a distance, you see his hands shaking, balled into fists, and teeming with rage. His back is to you, so you can only imagine what his face looks like.

Dr. Carter must have said something since Dr. Stamper pauses his verbal assault, but it's too quiet for you to hear. "Oh it better not," is the last thing you hear from Dr. Stamper before Dr. Carter turns to leave. You quickly hide, not wanting either of them to know you were listening in on their conversation. Hearing heavy footsteps trail off into the West Wing, you decide to follow behind. The doctor is too preoccupied by his fury to notice you trailing him all the way to his office.

The door to his office slams shut, but the force he uses leaves the door slightly ajar. You're about to peek through the crack, but you stop yourself. From your experience and the rumors you've heard, the doctor will do worse than kill you if he catches you snooping. While you don't have many friends due to your proximity to Dr. Carter, some of your coworkers made a point to warn you about how territorial he gets with his office.

It isn't hard to assume what's going on behind the door anyway. Lots of crashing, yelling, and cursing make it clear that he's taking his frustrations out. You're about to turn and leave until something catches your attention. The loud sounds die down enough for you to hear the doctor muttering your name.