Author's Note: This is a sequel to Why Clint Has Never Tried It On With Natasha and Why Tony Should Not Interfere With Clint's Love Life. It takes place during and after the second to last chapter of the latter story but before the final chapter. Now I ain't a doctor so may be taking some liberties with the medical side but just bear with me please – it'll be worth it.

One point to note – I started posting this before Captain America 2 hit the big screens and came up with the plots sometime between Avengers Assemble and Iron Man 3. Therefore the series is compliant enough with Avengers Assemble but may not tie in with anything thereafter.

I have good intentions of making an entire series out of this with a story for everyone. So far I have written Why Clint… and Why Tony… and I have ideas for Natasha, Steve, Thor, Bruce and even Fury… Might find time to write them some day…

Warnings: Clint/OMC. That means Clint is gay. If that's not your cup of tea then please don't read.

Disclaimer: Don't have anything to do with Marvel and their wonderful play-land of creations … sigh…

Why Doctor Poole Gave Agent Barton an Extra Check-Up

Chapter 1

The day was dragging. With a heavy sigh Doctor Cayden Poole returned his samples to the fridge and stacked the files next to his nearby workstation. Glancing up at the clock he blinked in surprise at the time staring back at him. Rolling his neck Cayden ran a hand through his hair and turned toward the door – he could not face looking at any more research for the moment.

The doctor stepped out into the corridor and started to turn left but barely made it two steps before he stopped. Now that he had left the sanctity of his little research lab food and a nap sounded good. Glancing back over his shoulder however he looked in the direction of the administrative office. He really should go and get an update before going into hiding for a couple of hours…

Turning on his heel Cayden made his way towards admin, knocking on the door briskly before stepping into the office.

"Good evening Sarah."

"Hi Doctor Poole," the woman behind the desk offered him a smile. "I thought you left hours ago."

Cayden offered a sheepish shrug.

"Lost track of time," he muttered, smirking as Sarah just rolled her eyes at him. "I'm going now. Anything I should know about before I go?"

"No… everything's calm. Just one agent came in a little while ago with a laceration to the chest."

Cayden gave a small nod, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Good. Who's dealing with the laceration?"

"Let me check…" the woman clicked away at her keyboard for a moment before a slight frown pulled on her brow. "Hmmm. Doesn't say…" she pushed away from her desk and wheeled back toward the desk behind her, reaching for a file in one of the numerous apparently colour coded letter trays. "I'm sorry… I was through back for a while… I presumed someone had come and got this."

Cayden's brow furrowed heavily.

"So no one is dealing with it?" he asked, more to himself than to Sarah – it was not her job to chase up the doctors, merely let them know when someone arrived which according to the markings on the front of the folder she handed him she had. The doctor flicked open the file and rolled his eyes. "No. No one will be dealing with this one," he forced a smile back onto his face and turned it to Sarah. "Thanks. I'll see to it."

"I thought you were leaving?" she replied with a slight, knowing arch of the eyebrow. Cayden shrugged, half way to the door already.

"Can't leave when one of SHIELDs top assassins is sitting in medical with an apparently open chest wound," he replied, giving a wave over his shoulder as he disappeared out the door, reading the file as he went. Making his way briskly down the corridor he paused outside of the doctor's lounge. Sure enough his three colleagues who were supposed to be on duty were all gathered round a table talking away happily. Cayden cleared his throat loudly. "Does anyone want to explain to me why you're all sitting on your assess when we have an agent with an open chest wound sitting down the hall?"

Three pairs of eyes snapped towards the doorway, a brief flitter of panic and guilt quickly replaced by more defiant expressions.

"The call said it had pretty much stopped bleeding," one of them replied blandly. Cayden blinked.

"Pretty much st…" he shook his head in disbelief, unable to complete the sentence. One of the other doctors shrugged.

"If he was in that much trouble his girlfriend would have kicked up a fuss by now."

Cayden clenched his jaw.

"In future I expect everyone coming in here to be seen promptly, do you understand? The only time an injury like this should be left unattended is if there are other agents coming in with limbs hanging off – even if the agent in question is Agent Barton," he set an unwavering glare on the other three doctors. "And you had better hope this wound does not go sceptic because do not think for one minute that I won't tell Director Fury why one of his top assassins is off duty for longer than necessary."

With one last disgruntled sigh Cayden turned and continued down the corridor. He could hear the other doctors muttering behind him but he did not bother to strain to make out what they were saying. Glancing at the file he checked what room the injured agent had been sent to. Making his way down the corridor to the specified room, he slowed slightly as he approached. The door was slightly ajar, allowing him to step into the doorway silently. Agent Barton sat on the bed with his head bowed, fingers drumming against the mattress. Off to the side stood a female the doctor guessed to be Agent Romanov, an amused smile gracing her lips as she watched her colleague. So… these were the infamous Hawkeye and Black Widow…

"Hi, sorry I was delayed," Cayden stepped forward into the room, offering agent Romanov a quick smile as both agents looked up startled. He turned towards the agent sitting on the bed and despite himself found the smile widening. "I'm Dr Poole," he picked up the chart at the foot of the bed as Agent Barton gave a small nod. "So…" Cayden arched an eyebrow as he skimmed over the details. "The infamous Agent Barton. It's a pleasure to finally meet you – I've heard a lot about you."

Agent Barton let out a wry laugh.

"Don't believe everything you hear," the archer grumbled, casting his gaze down to the floor. Cayden's brow furrowed ever so slightly.

"No? Shame - I was actually impressed by most of it," he forced the frown from his face and met the archer's dubious gaze. "I hear you like to terrorize the new recruits."

"I don't terrorize," Agent Barton replied with a faint shrug, a little of the tension draining from his shoulders. "I just put them in their place."

Cayden laughed.

"Well someone has to. Some of them are far too cocky," he gestured towards the agent's chest, noting the angry tears on the fabric of his vest and the red that seeped through underneath. "Can you remove your top without aggravating the wound so we can have a proper look?"

"Eh… yeah…" Clint shuffled slightly on the bed, tentatively peeling his shirt away from his damaged skin. Cayden briefly let his eyes wonder over the muscled arms and defined shoulders as the top was removed before returning his attention to the wound.

"Hmmm… nasty," the doctor's eyebrow arched as he gave the wound a proper inspection before turning back to pick up supplies from the table behind him. Sure enough it appeared to have stopped bleeding although it looked pretty deep. "What happened?"

"Iron Man," came the simple reply. Cayden blinked in surprise but the casual tone of the reply told him it had obviously been an accident.

"Friendly fire? Ow," the doctor pulled a face as he slipped on a pair of sterile gloves, glancing back over his shoulder at the archer. "Well it looks like a clean enough wound. I'll just give you a shot for the pain, wash it out and stitch you back up, ok?" he turned and offered the other man a smile, unable to resist running his eyes over the agent's chest again. "I'll try and not leave a scar."

Agent Barton simply gave a small nod as Cayden took a gentle hold of his arm to inject his selected painkillers. Taking a step back the doctor gave a small shake of his head, mentally chastising himself as he found his eyes drifting again. Laying the needle onto the tray beside him the doctor glanced up to where Agent Romanov stood, hoping she had not caught him eyeing up his patient – who happened to be at least a very good friend of hers, more than that if the rumour mill was to be believed. He blinked in surprise as he found her smirking at him, eyebrow arched knowingly. Offering a quick wink the female silently spun on her heel and left the room. Again Cayden blinked before allowing his gaze to drift back to the bare shoulders next to him. Perhaps the rumour mill had this one wrong?