Chapter Text
"Another person I couldn't save. What's the point of me being a doctor if I can't even save the majority of my patients?" Bruce Banner stalked back to the crappy apartment he had rented for the next couple of weeks, as he could never stay in one place for too long. And to make matters worse? It was a kid. Again. He wiped away the tears that were threatening to escape from his eyes, afraid of showing weakness while in public.
Even though he had only been in this town in India for a week, he had already gained a reputation as a White Man's Doctor. Doctors at all are scarce in these desolate places, but a White Man's Doctor is even more rare. Thus, even though Bruce had only healed five of the twelve people he had attended to, they kept coming, hoping for a miracle. But he was quickly losing faith in himself. He had only barely managed to escape the U.S. a month prior, and he was still learning how to control his new…well, he didn't know what to call it. A friend? An enemy? The only family he had left?
But he needed to do something while he learned. He needed to help people. That was what he had set out to do in the beginning, now that he couldn't even save himself. He dragged himself up the stairs, wanting to get out of the public eye and pray that no one rushed into his apartment in the middle of the night. He also couldn't bear to be alone. When he's alone the shadows seem to have hands that want to drag him into the darkness he feels inside.
Finally, he made it inside. The single room apartment was as desolate and depressing as it had been for the past week. A single chair and a table, both looking like they may fall apart before his time in this town is done. A couple of duffle bags, holding all of his possessions in the world. He added his medical bag to the stool at the side of his bed. He lit the candle that resided on his table, only minimally lighting up the room. He was so sick to his stomach for allowing another child to die, that he couldn't bear the thought of eating anything. He spent the next few minutes reorganizing his medical supplies in case someone needed him in the middle of the night. Before too long, he blew out the candle and settled onto the hard mattress.
His memories haunted him and tonight they refused to give him any peace. And so Bruce tossed and turned, seeing dead bodies every time he closed his eyes, and the lingering shadows every time he opened his eyes. Suddenly, one of the shadows solidified into a human hand and then a small body tumbled out of the side of his wall, collapsing next to his bags. Banner stared at the body, afraid his nightmares had found a way to come into his waking moments. But then he realized he couldn't tell if the child was breathing, throwing himself off the bed and onto the floor next to the unknown kid.
He held his finger up to the side of the child's neck, and sighed in relief when he felt a steady beat. He ensured the kid was breathing before checking all over for any other injuries. He found a couple of bruises, but nothing too serious. Frowning in thought, he gently picked up the young boy and laid him on the bed, figuring it was better than the floor at least.
What the hell? Bruce thought. Am I dreaming? How did he come out of the wall? Could he…could he be some sort of mutant? He shook his head, wondering why a mutant would be out here in India, and why they would come into his apartment. He hadn't left any trail to be followed, and besides, the kid was out cold. That would be one heck of a plan to send in an unconscious child to capture him.
Unless that's their plan? Get me to lower my guard and then swoop in before I can change? His eyes widened in fear. That was the topic of most of his nightmares, getting tricked into being captured easily and then tested on to find out the intricacies of his mutation. He looked at the boy, who couldn't be more than eleven years old and hoped, for the boy's sake, that his fears would prove to be ungrounded. There was no other option than to wait until the boy woke up to find out exactly who he was and why he was here.