Avengers: Search for the Winter Soldier

Chapter 52: As Time Goes By

Summary:

Steve re-unites with Bucky. The two friends share some quiet time together before meeting the team.

Notes:

This chapter is dedicated to notes_on_tragedy for your support and the wonderful feedback you left for me to find. All comments are always appreciated. They feed a writer's soul, so this one is for you. – W6C

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

As Steve ran from the room, the others looked at each other and, as one, pushed away from the table to follow. They knew he'd left the Soldier with Wanda in the common area so that's where they headed. Dr. Golden closed her laptop and hurried to catch up to them.

The elevator stopped on the proper floor and when the doors opened Steve rushed into the common area. He paused briefly, his gaze scanning the large room finding Wanda in the recreation section, kneeling in front of the Soldier, her hand resting atop his. She looked up to see him standing there and smiled softly. Then, she leaned forward and spoke to the man left in her charge. As Steve walked toward them, he could clearly see the man's muscle tremors and head bobbing. The last two times he'd seen this condition, it had been Barnes and not the Soldier or Soldat. Steve cautioned himself to not get his hopes up but as he approached them, Wanda patted the Soldier's hand and stood up.

"He asked for you," she told Steve and stepped back to give him space.

Steve knelt down in front of him. He took a moment to study the twitchy movements and the head wobble; noting the unfocused stare as the Soldier stared toward the floor. He inched forward and laid his hand over his friend's, noting the visible change in his appearance; he looked pale and drawn compared to the man he'd left with Wanda less than an hour before.

"Buck?" he said softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze, the single word held so much hope. The sound of his voice caused the man to raise his head, his eyes moving slowly, searching for him. When they stopped and focused on him, Barnes smiled wearily. Steve held his breath although he couldn't help but smile back. "Bucky?"

"Steve –."

"Yeah, it's me. I'm here."

Barnes smiled again and it seemed to take all his energy to do it. "You're… a punk," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Jerk," Steve replied, laughing to hear those familiar words and pulled his friend forward, wrapping his arms around him. Bucky closed his eyes and rested his head on Steve's shoulder; reveling in the sensation of the tight embrace. Despite his twitchy muscles and involuntary movements, Steve could feel Bucky's body relax against him. He tightened his grip and just held him as the elevator doors opened and the rest of the team arrived.

Wanda looked over at them then walked around the couch to join them; allowing Steve some private time with Barnes.

"If I had to guess," Emily stated, watching the two men, "I'd have to say James is back?" Natasha looked at her in surprise; hearing that name caused her heart to skip a beat. Emily noticed her reaction and gave her an apologetic look.

Wanda nodded. "I believe so."

The team watched the two men until Emily turned to them. "Why don't we give them some space," she suggested and guided them toward the dining area.

Steve allowed himself a few minutes to sit quietly with Bucky. It honestly felt good to just hold him close, to let him know that he was safe and with people who cared about him. Barnes rested heavily against him with his hands trapped between them, focusing on the sensation of Steve's strong arms encircling him. A few minutes passed before Barnes wiggled his right hand free from between them and wrapped his arm around Steve.

Steve felt Bucky's arm snake around him, trying to hold onto him in return. He allowed himself to enjoy the moment before relaxing his hold and pressing Barnes back a little so he could look at him. Bucky relaxed his arm as Steve put a little space between them. With Steve's hands guiding him to sit up straight, he looked at his best friend through a curtain of hair. Steve smiled to see that one steel blue eye peering at him and dragged his fingers across Bucky's forehead; sweeping the hair out of his face before letting his palm rest against Bucky's cheek. Barnes pressed his face into Steve's palm. Rogers smiled softly, remembering how Soldat had done the same thing after finding him cowering in the gym and offered him reassurance.

"I've missed you so much, pal. How're you feeling?" Steve asked.

"Tired," Bucky replied, his voice hoarse with minimal use.

"Yeah, you look tired," Steve told him. "Do you want to go back to your room and rest?" he asked, but even as he asked the question Barnes was already shaking his head no.

"I want to… stay… with you," he said.

"I can stay with you, if you want to go back," Steve told him, but Bucky was shaking his head again.

"I don't want to sleep anymore," he added. As the words tumbled out of his mouth, his voice held an edge that made Steve frown in concern. His fingers played against the material of Steve's shirt sleeve in a worrying manner as his eyes seemed to focus inward.

"What's going on, Buck?" Steve asked.

Barnes shook his head slowly, his arms and shoulders twitching now and again. "I don't want to sleep anymore. That's all," he said. Steve watched him closely, his head bobbed slowly as his eyes focused inward. He could clearly see that his friend was upset about something, but not knowing what it was he didn't know what to say. Steve waited and then Barnes blinked and focused on him. His fingers curled into Steve's shirt sleeve, gripping it tightly. "I have dreams," Bucky told him, then shook his head. "I don't want to dream anymore."

"You're having bad dreams?" Steve asked quietly and Barnes nodded, "- about what?" Barnes didn't say anything but he seemed to be focused on the question. "Can you tell me what you're dreaming?" Steve asked again.

"Bad things," Bucky told him; as if confiding in him then looked around for the others to be sure they couldn't overhear. When he saw the group was on the other side of the room he leaned closer to Steve. "I keep dreaming that I… do bad things. I… I… hurt… people," he told him, sounding desperate; his fingers digging at Steve's sleeve. "I keep dreaming… I hurt people… in really bad ways… over… and over… and over." He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Steve's. "I don't want to dream anymore," he said, his voice quiet with exhaustion.

Steve steeled himself against a flood of emotions as he realized what Bucky was talking about. He could see himself, as the Soldier, hurting people repeatedly over the past seventy years and he thought they were dreams - just really bad dreams. He worried now how Bucky would take the news that these things he was seeing weren't dreams, but actions he had been forced to commit against his will or conscious knowledge.

"No more," Bucky whispered hoarsely and Steve leaned forward to wrap him in his arms again. Pulling his head to the side, he let his friend rest against him as exhaustion took him under.

The team watched them from the opposite side of the large room; Emily, Natasha and Wanda had their eyes glued to them the entire time while Clint, Sam and Bruce glanced over now and again while they talked quietly amongst themselves.

Emily could clearly see Steve was upset as he wrapped his arms around Barnes again. She knew the two friends had exchanged words and they both appeared emotional; not at all surprising given the circumstances. It was also evident that Barnes had either fallen asleep or was unconscious in Steve's arms. She excused herself from the group and made her way toward them.

She angled her approach so Steve could see her as she neared them. When he looked over at her, she raised a hand to signal him to remain where he was and she crouched down beside the chair. She looked at the two friends for a moment and then reached out to rest her hand on Bucky's back. "Is he okay?" she asked, keeping her voice quiet.

Steve looked her in the eye and clenched his jaw. She could see the tension and the emotions he was trying to keep under control. "He said he's having bad dreams," he told her. "He sees himself doing bad things to people." Emily blinked then nodded slowly. "He said he doesn't want to sleep anymore… he doesn't want to dream," Steve had to stop and took a deep breath. "He's seeing the things he's done as the Winter Soldier and thinks they're nightmares…" he told her through clenched teeth.

Emily nodded and touched the back of Bucky's head, letting her hand glide down the long hair. "That's completely natural, Captain. It's not unusual for victims of intense trauma to have a detached sense of the things they've seen or done… or had done to them. They often report such instances as if they are completely detached from the event, as if it had happened to someone else… it's called 'dissociation'. It's how our brain tries to protect us from a reality our minds can't handle."

"How do we tell him?"

"We don't, not right now," she explained. "We listen and we try to help him sort out his feelings about what he's seen and thinks are dreams. We are not going to force the subject on him. When he's ready, his own mind will reveal the things he needs to know as he's able to deal with them. It won't be easy for him at all, but we're going to be here to help him through it."

Steve nodded. He rubbed his hand up and down Bucky's back and Emily withdrew her hand. They sat that way for a few minutes just taking in the moment when movement to his left drew Steve's attention. He looked up to see Bruce looking pensive wringing his hands lightly but when Cap looked up he gestured toward Barnes.

"Can I get in there?" he asked. "I just want to get a quick look. Don't disturb him."

"Sure, Bruce," Steve said, nodding.

Dr. Banner moved around to the other side where Barnes was resting his head on Steve's shoulder. He reached between them to grip Bucky's wrist, comparing his pulse to the beat of his watch. Still looking at the second hand on his wristwatch, he pressed his hand lightly to his patient's back to count his respirations. His vitals appeared normal and stable. He checked his skin for temperature, finding him a tad warm but nothing to worry about. He was pale and had the same dark circles around his eyes, but his exhaustion was clearly the reason for that. Steve glanced at him as he finished his assessment and Bruce gave him a nod. "Aside from exhaustion, he's doing okay right now," Bruce told them. "The muscle tremors and head bobbing looked to have diminished a bit…" he mentioned and looked to Steve for confirmation.

Steve nodded. "Yeah, he was still twitchy, but it didn't appear to be as bad as it was the other day."

"That's good. Hopefully he'll recover from these symptoms as his brain heals, but we need to watch him. He'll have issues standing and walking, so he's going to be a fall risk until he recovers his balance," Bruce advised. Steve understood and nodded. "Other than the cognitive issues which Dr. Golden will tend to, I'll be focusing on his physical symptoms. I'm certain they're due to injury to the nerves in that part of his brain and I'm hopeful that it can heal completely due to the fact that he's been given the serum. I don't believe it's due to a degenerative disease as in true Parkinson's, but he's going to need us to protect him until he can recover from it."

Steve nodded again and felt Barnes shift against him; Bucky was waking up and trying to push himself away from Rogers to sit up straight. Steve assisted him by pushing him upward and got him seated safely in the chair. He blinked slowly at Steve and then his eyes shifted to look at Bruce.

"This is Bruce – Dr. Banner," Steve told him. "He's been tending to your medical needs… helping you get better." Bucky nodded. It was easier to identify the actual nodding movement as his tremors and head wobble, although still present, had decreased significantly. "Do you recognize him?" Steve asked as Bucky studied Banner.

"I… think," Bucky stammered. "I… think so… maybe." His head jerked to the left and as he tried to focus on bringing it back around, Emily slid toward Steve so she could see him and he'd see her when he was able to turn back around. They waited patiently for him, as he focused on bringing his head around again. When he did, his gaze landed on Dr. Golden and she smiled softly at him. "I… know… you," he said to her.

Steve was surprised by that statement. "You know her?" he asked. "You remember her?" Bucky's eyebrows scrunched together as he thought about it. They gave him a minute and then he nodded. "How do you know her? What do you remember?" Steve asked.

Bucky thought about it. His focus redirected inward and just when Steve thought he'd forgotten the question, he answered. "Clock," and raised a trembling hand to make a circular motion in the air as if he was drawing a clock. Steve shot a surprised look at Emily and she smiled thoughtfully at him. As far as she was aware, James Barnes had not been present when she put Soldat and the Soldier through the memory and spatial awareness testing, but he remembered drawing a clock. That could mean only one thing; that the separation of the three entities was weakening and they were beginning to merge. From this point, it should only get more confusing for everyone involved, she knew.

"It's very nice to meet you, James," Emily said.

Barnes shifted his gaze from her to Steve and then looked at her again. He turned his hand over extending it toward her, palm up. "My name… is… Bucky," he told her.

Emily smiled at him and put her hand in his. "It's very nice to meet you… Bucky." He nodded in agreement and Emily stood up. "I think we'll let you two catch up. Come on, Bruce. We'll take the others with us and we'll check back in about an hour, okay?"

Steve looked up at her and nodded. "Thanks, Doc."

After the others had left Steve grabbed the stereo remote from the end table nearby. Bucky watched him as he pointed the object toward the wall and music began to play as he set the remote back down. Bucky looked toward the ceiling and then around the room, as if wondering from where the sound was coming. Steve noticed him searching for the radio producing the sound.

"It's projected from speakers inside the walls," Steve told him. Bucky looked at him and then focused on the high tech objects in the room. The large screen tv monitor and gaming systems were things he knew nothing about. Steve realized that although the Soldier had been active throughout the years and was at least acquainted with such technology; considering he could pilot a Quinjet and operate all manners of military and civilian vehicles and modes of transportation, Barnes knew of none of it. The Soldier was also well-versed in covert technology and weapons, but Bucky hadn't been exposed to any of the new technology that the rest of the world now took for granted.

"Patience" by Guns N' Roses came to an end and Queen's "Killer Queen" came over the sound system. Barnes looked uncomfortable with the music being played.

"You want to hear something different?" Steve asked and Bucky looked at him, seemingly confused by the sounds of Guns N' Roses and Queen. "Friday?" Steve spoke to the air.

"Yes, Captain Rogers?" came the voice of the resident AI. Bucky sat up trying to figure out from where that voice had come.

"Play something from 1943, please."

"As you wish, Captain."

The pop rock music disappeared and there was a moment of silence as the two waited to hear what Friday would present to them. Steve smiled when he recognized Fred Astaire's I'm Old Fashioned. He looked at Bucky who, despite the involuntary muscle movements had become still; listening to a song he'd known and had even danced to seventy years ago. Steve watched him, his heart feeling full and overflowing as they both listened to the words being sung, transporting them back to a time and place only the two of them knew first hand.

"I'm old fashioned but I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me."

The two friends listened together and Steve watched Bucky as he lost himself in the words and music. The final refrain repeated and the song came to an end. Bucky looked up at Steve, still standing a few feet away and he reached out toward him. Steve stepped over to him and took his hand feeling Bucky pulling him down. No, he wasn't pulling Steve down he realized, Bucky was trying to pull himself up out of the chair. Steve gripped his metal elbow and repositioned his other hand prepared to lift Barnes out of the chair.

"Are you trying to stand, Buck?" he asked and Barnes nodded. "Okay, here we go. With me… one, two… threeee," he said and lifted as Bucky pushed himself out of the seat. Steve held onto him securely, allowing him a moment to gain his balance. Bucky gripped Steve's sleeves as he was unsteady on his feet. "You want to dance?" Steve asked, grinning. Bucky breathed out a laugh and shook his head.

"Sit," Bucky said, pushing at Steve's arms.

"Sit?" Steve asked, confused. "You were just sitting -."

"-with… you," Bucky added, cutting off Steve's words. "There," he said, nodding toward the couch.

"Oh, you want to sit with me?" Steve asked to be sure he understood and Bucky nodded. "Okay." He guided Barnes to the couch and got him seated then Steve sat down between him and the arm of the couch as the next song had already started. Bucky leaned toward him and Steve put his arm around his friend and pulled him up against his body and held him there. Two friends out of time, lost to each other and brought back together by fate. Steve rested his cheek atop Bucky's head as they listened to Frank Sinatra singing As Time Goes By.

You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by

Steve took a deep breath and fought back tears as he held his best friend in his arms, feeling suddenly homesick for a bygone era. He dropped a kiss to the top of Bucky's head and felt his friend's trembling body relax against him.

And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by

Steve's thoughts swam in memories suddenly so thick in his vision that he felt he'd need to wave his hand in front of his face to dispel them, but he didn't want to. He closed his eyes and rocked his body gently as Barnes tightened his arm around his torso.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

Steve's breath hitched his chest and Bucky could tell he was trying hard not to cry. He smiled with compassion for his friend as even he held back tears. It felt like an eternity since the friends last saw each other and at once it seemed like only yesterday. It was definitely confusing and a bit overwhelming.

It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

Steve allowed himself a memory that made him smile. He turned his head slightly so his lips grazed the top of Bucky's head and spoke quietly. "Do you remember the day we hitched a ride to Brighton Beach on the back of that pick-up truck?" He felt Barnes breathe out a soft laugh and he nodded. "Do you?" Steve asked, pleasantly surprised that Bucky nodded. "Remember, he almost drove right past because he forgot we were in the back?"

Bucky nodded against him again then said softly, "We… had to… yell… and pound –."

"Pound our hands on the side of the truck to get his attention," Steve finished for him and the two chuckled at the memory. "Do you remember the time you rescued me from those two bullies behind the market? You sat on the edge of the tub in my apartment telling my mom how we fought them off together? Your lip was split and bleeding but you wouldn't stop smiling about it," he told Barnes, smiling with the memory, but Bucky shook his head no. "No?" Steve asked. "You don't remember that?" Bucky shook his head again. "My mom loved you so much," Steve told him and Bucky pushed himself up so he could look at Steve.

"Was… she… a nurse?" Bucky asked him and Steve smiled.

"Yeah, she was," he said, nodding.

"What… was… her… name?"

"Sarah," Steve told him and Bucky nodded. "Do you remember your mom?" Bucky thought about the question and searched his shattered memory but came up with nothing. He shook his head slowly and Steve's heart fell.

"I think," Bucky added, "I had… a sis-ter."

"You did, yes," Steve told him.

"Becca," Bucky whispered softly.

"Yeah, you called her 'Bec'. You gave her nickname a nickname," Steve told him smiling.

Bucky looked at Steve up close and his brow furrowed with a thought. "You… did… same… with me," he said.

"I did?" Steve asked with a smile, intrigued. Bucky nodded.

"Buck," he said.

"Oh," Steve laughed, tightening his arm around his friend. "You're right. I gave your nickname a nickname… Buck." Barnes smiled and relaxed against Steve again. He took a deep breath and let it out then yawned. "Tired?" Steve asked and Barnes nodded. "You want to rest? I can bring you back-."

"No," Bucky interrupted. He didn't want to go anywhere. He just wanted to stay with Steve, close and warm and feeling safe. He felt as though he hadn't truly been safe in a long, long time. He couldn't remember much; his mind was mostly blank and empty, and that alone scared him. "Can we… just… stay… for a… while?"

"Of course, we can," Steve told him, wrapping his arms tightly around his friend.

Bucky closed his eyes as the next song started. It was one both men recognized immediately and Steve leaned his head to the side to rest his cheek atop Bucky's head again.

You'll never know just how much I miss you
You'll never know just how much I care
And if I tried, I still couldn't hide… my love for you
You ought to know, for haven't I told you so
A million or more times?

You went away and my heart went with you
I speak your name in my every prayer
If there is some other way to prove that I love you

I swear I don't know how
You'll never know if you don't know now

Steve sang the words quietly and a tear rolled down his cheek. Bucky lost himself in the sound of Steve's voice singing the words so softly and he nearly fell asleep against him.

The elevator door slid open silently and the team immediately felt the calmness surround them. It was a sensation they hadn't felt in weeks. They exchanged glances with one another and stepped into the common area without making a sound. They stopped as a group to listen to the old song being played and the sound of Steve's voice singing the words as if to Barnes. Nat and Wanda immediately felt emotions swell and fought down tears. Sam and Clint looked at each other and grinned.

"Let's wait over here," Emily whispered and pressed the group toward the table they had vacated earlier to wait.

Steve continued to sing softly to Barnes, tears streaming down his face as the song neared its end.

You went away and my heart went with you
I speak your name in my every prayer

If there is some other way to prove that I love you
I swear I don't know how
You'll never know if you don't know now
You'll never know if you don't know now…

As the song ended there was a pause before the next song began and Steve became aware of the sound of chairs being moved behind him. The team was back and doing their best to be as quiet as possible. He smiled at their thoughtfulness and quickly wiped away the tears.

He stroked Bucky's hair and whispered softly, "Are you awake?" He waited for a response and when he didn't get one he figured Barnes had fallen asleep again. He couldn't even imagine how exhausting this entire ordeal was for him. He decided to just sit quietly with him as Friday continued playing 40's songs for them.

About ten minutes passed when Steve felt Bucky shift against him and realized that even he had almost fallen asleep sitting here. Perhaps he had dozed off, Steve realized. After all, he was exhausted too. As Bucky woke up he tilted his head to look up at Rogers. Steve smiled at him and then noticed Barnes gaze was focused behind him. Steve turned to see Dr Golden and Dr. Banner standing behind him trying to assess the situation.

"Hey," Steve greeted them. "We're good. He's good," he assured the two doctors then turned back to Barnes. "You want to meet the rest of the team?" he asked.

"You have a… team?" Bucky asked, trying to push away from him to sit up straighter and Steve nodded. "C-C-Commandos?"

Steve's smile fell slightly, but he pushed forward. "No, Buck… not Commandos. Avengers."

"Avengers," Bucky whispered. He thought about the team name and then nodded. "It figures," he said. Steve laughed at that. "Such a… punk," Bucky added. Emily and Bruce couldn't help but see the humor also, they had to laugh too.

"Come on," Steve said, standing up. "Let me introduce you to the rest of the team," he said, reaching down to grip Bucky's metal arm. Emily moved around him to be of service if needed. As Bucky pushed himself up from the couch, she and Steve assisted him, offering their arms as leverage and to help him balance. They got him to his feet and gave him a moment to get situated then guided him around the furniture.

As they made their way to the other side of the oversized room, allowing Barnes the slower pace he needed as he concentrated on moving one foot forward and getting the other to follow. Halfway there, he looked down to see Steve's hands wrapped around the metal appendage and he stopped, frowning at his arm as if he hadn't been aware of it. He stopped walking and turned his arm over, flexing the fingers. Steve and Emily gave him the time he needed and when he looked up at Steve with a confused expression, Steve smiled at him. "It's okay," he told Bucky.

Barnes looked at Emily and she too smiled at him. "Do you need to sit?" she asked, but Barnes shook his head. "Okay," she acknowledged, "it's not much further." He nodded but didn't move. She gave him a few seconds and realized he needed assistance to start moving again so she pressed her hand to the back of his thigh until it triggered him to bend his leg and step forward. She and Steve kept his momentum going by leading him forward until they reached the table where the others were sitting.

Natasha was in the chair closest to them as they approached and she vacated the seat so Barnes could sit. As Steve helped him safely into the chair he looked around the table. He studied Wanda for a few seconds and she smiled, "Sgt. Barnes." He looked at Clint who gave him a nod, "Sergeant."

Bucky glanced between the two. "Name's… Bucky," he told them and they both smiled and nodded.

"This is Wanda," Steve told him, resting his hand on her shoulder, "and that's Clint." Bucky nodded at them and gave Wanda a small smile which made her beam. "I don't know if you remember Sam," Steve said, pointing across the table.

Barnes followed Steve's pointing finger and looked at Sam who smiled and said, "Hey, Buck." Bucky furrowed his brow. The man looked and sounded familiar but he didn't know why. Bucky gave him a nod.

Natasha stood beside Steve studying Barnes as he interacted with the team for the first time. Steve reached down to gently grip Bucky's shoulder so he'd turn toward him. When he did, he looked up at Steve and noticed the red-head standing beside him. He stared at her as images flashed through his head. He didn't know what to make of them but her face kept popping up in his mind's eye; some images were smiling, others serious and even a few showed her dirty and bruised. He knew her. He didn't know how he knew her but he clearly knew… he knew her.

"Buck, this is Natasha," Steve told him.

Bucky raised his metal hand toward her and Natasha's breath froze in her lungs. She swallowed nervously and reached out to take the hand in hers. His eyes were intense as he stared at her and his hand tightened as if wanting to draw her closer so she knelt down in front of him. The two stared at each other for a long moment and then in a broken voice she said, "It's nice to meet you, Sgt. Barnes."

Bucky frowned, he looked toward the floor and then back to her to offer her his name. "James," he told her. Natasha sucked in a shaky breath and fought to keep tears at bay. She nodded and stood up, letting go of his hand before she lost complete control in front of everyone. She stepped behind Steve as she tried to pull herself together and Emily looked at her as if to ask if she was okay. Natasha nodded and Emily smiled knowingly at her.

"Can we get you anything?" Wanda asked. "Would you like something to drink?" Bucky nodded and Wanda got up to get it for him.

"Let me check something first," Bruce mentioned, as he stepped behind Barnes. He laid his hands gently on his shoulders so his patient would know where he was. Bucky lifted his head searching for him, but Bruce gently turned his face forward. "Stay like that," Bruce told him then placed his fingers lightly against his throat. "Swallow for me, if you can," he told Barnes. Bucky opened his mouth, his tongue came out to lick his lip then he closed and focused. Dr. Banner felt the movement of his throat complete the action properly and he dropped his hands nodding. "Okay," he told Steve.

Wanda came back to the table with a glass of ice water. Bucky looked down at it and reached a shaky hand toward it. Wanda reached out and covered his hand with hers to stop him and popped a straw into the glass with a smile. Bucky looked at her, appreciating her attention to detail, and gave her a nod. He leaned forward and Wanda held the straw in place so it wouldn't spin away from him.

Once he satisfied his thirst he sat back and turned to look out the large windows a few feet away. He stared out at the bright blue skies and vividly green grass that seemed to go on as far as his eyes could see. It was the most beautiful sight he'd seen in a very long time.

"Wow," he breathed out.

TBC'd

Notes:

Song credits

"I'm Old Fashioned" is a 1942 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the film You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

"As Time Goes By" is a jazz song written by Herman Hupfeld in 1931. It became famous when it was featured in the 1942 Warner Bros. film Casablanca

"You'll Never Know", sometimes referred to as "You'll Never Know (Just How Much I Love You)" in later years, is a popular song with music written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song is based on a poem written by a young Oklahoma war bride named Dorothy Fern Norris. It was recorded in 1943 by, among others, Frank Sinatra and Dick Haymes. Sinatra recorded his version at his first recording session at Columbia as a solo artist.