Loving The Captain

Chapter 1

To say that Cora was nervous was an understatement. Only an hour and a half before she'd received a call from Sam while she was nervously watching the news. The Triskelion had fallen, S.H.I.E.L.D was in shambles, and Cora just knew that Sam had been involved. After all, who else could it have been that she'd caught a glimpse of flying through the sky on the news camera?

That had all been three days ago, and honestly, Cora had been worried sick over the well being of Sam, and Steve. It didn't matter that she'd only met him once, Cora was the type of person that was kind and caring to everyone until proven that they didn't deserve it. Even then, she had a habit of 'turning the other cheek', and it had been Riley's greatest fear that Cora's overly kind heart would one day be her undoing.

Sam had stayed at the hospital with Steve from the time they'd admitted him through the emergency room, through his surgery, and his recovery. Steve had still been in pretty bad shape from what Sam had texted her the night before, but now he was doing better and was allowed to have visitors. Or at least a few. Sam had made it known to Cora that there was a very specific list, a very short, specific list, of who was allowed to see Steve. And her name was at the top because, for whatever reason, Steve had woken just enough to ask Sam about her and to say that he wanted to see her.

So, here she was. Wearing a pretty light blue sundress, white wedge sandals, and a white sweater that did little good to keep away the chill of the air conditioning in the hospital. From where she stood, Cora could see into Steve's room enough to know that he appeared to be asleep, and Sam looked exhausted while flipping through a magazine. She was hesitant, afraid almost, despite the fact that Sam had assured her it would be all right to visit.

The last time Cora had visited someone in the hospital had been when she was eight years old and her mother had been dying. She'd had cancer, among many other health ailments, and it had finally won its battle with her one day while Cora had been at school. But the memories of that last day, of that last moment of seeing her mother with her ashen skin, thinning hair and weak gaze, haunted Cora like nothing else. She'd been terrified then, just as she was now. But Steve, like her mother, had said he wanted to see her, and Cora didn't want to keep him waiting.

Very carefully, and quietly, Cora stepped up to the door, nodding to the armed soldier who stood before it. They'd already checked out who she was and searched her bag. The container of mini apple pies had been scanned for poison, and once they were satisfied that she meant no harm, they gave her clearance to go in. It had been Cora's own hesitation that had held up her entry.

It seemed rather ironic, to be bringing Captain America apple pie, but Sam had given her the idea. It was one of her specialties, her grandmother's recipe passed down from the Depression with a few tweaks here and there to make is Cora's own. Sam had suggested Cora keep busy the night before when they'd been texting and she'd confided in him that she couldn't sleep. "Make some apple pie. Steve loves apple pie, you can bring him some."

"Is he even on solid food yet?" Cora had immediately began gathering the ingredients. Thankfully, they'd had everything on hand and she hadn't needed to go out at two-thirty in the morning for a grocery run. "And how do you know he likes apple pie?"

"Because he told me he does. And he'll be fine to eat it. Super soldier, remember?"

And so Cora had baked a half a dozen mini apple pies, just big enough to require two bites rather than one. She only hoped that Sam had been accurate in his claims that Steve like apple pie. The last thing she wanted to do was carry a container of something into his room that was going to make him sick.

"How's he doing?" Cora whispered as Sam glanced up and gave her a warm smile.

Sam shrugged a little nonchalantly as Cora moved to stand next to Steve's bedside. There were cuts and bruises all over his face and neck, not to mention the still healing wounds that lay out of sight. The swelling to Steve's face had gone down a lot, now he was able to open both eyes although it pained him to do so, and the gash on the left side of his face had healed to the point that he was actually able to open his mouth, but Steve had to be careful not to reopen the wound.