Out of Time (Book 1)

Love and Longin'

1942

January

"Sister Rogers? There's a telephone call for you." The receptionist said, peering around the door to the ward.

"Did they say who's calling?" Betty asked. She wasn't expecting any calls.

"Yes, erm, a Sister Jane Barnes? From McCoy Hospital? I'll put the call through to the office."

Betty barely restrained her smile. "Thank you, Frances, I'm on my way." She hurried into the office across the hall from her ward and picked up the phone. Hearing the clicks as the call transferred, Betty spoke into the receiver.

"Hello, who is this?"

"Oh hello. This is Sister Barnes. I'm lookin' to speak with Sister Rogers." The high-pitched falsetto voice was slightly slurred.

"Jeez Bucky, don't strain yourself!" Betty laughed.

"Was it that obvious?" Bucky's regular baritone sounded down the line.

"Sister Jane Barnes, from McCoy Hospital? You won't make a spy that's for sure."

"I might not make a spy, but they want me to train as a marksman. Rifle and pistol." There was pride in his tone, despite his slurring.

"Marksman? Way to go, Bucky! I'm proud of you! I didn't realise you had such steady hands." She chuckled.

"You've never had any complaints about my hands Doll."

Betty blushed. She could imagine the wink and smirk that accompanied that statement and then her blush deepened as she heard a chorus of masculine laughter in the background. Bucky shushed them loudly.

"Bucky! Are you drunk?!"

"I've had a swig or two. We're celebratin'."

"I gathered. Are you allowed to be callin' me?"

"Shhhhhhh. We may have snuck into the office."  He actually giggled.

"I'm gonna go then. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"Noooo no no no no. Wait Doll! You can't go yet. The guys won't let me hang up."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"That's the problem. Talkin'. I won't stop talkin' about you. So, the guys, they said, the...the guys..." he slurred.

"Yeah Buck, the guys..." she prompted.

"Damn those guys. They said that I had to call and tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"I can't stop tellin' them, so they said I had to tell you."

"Bucky! Tell me what?"

"Tell you that I love you!"

Betty stopped breathing and her heart skipped a beat. There was a roar of cheers from the background.

"Tell me again when you're sober Buck," she said softly.

"I love youuuuu Betty. Crap, someone's comin'." There was scuffling and muffled laughter. "I gotta go Doll. Shitshitshitiloveyoubye..."

The line went dead. Betty replaced the phone in the cradle and laughed until tears rolled down her face and her ribs ached.

April

Steve was waiting for her around the corner from the diner. She looked at him quizzically as she neared him.

"Hey Stevie, what's goin' on? Are we not eatin' today?"