A Birdie Lost in Time | Bucky Barnes

|21|

She felt slightly better as they watched the movie.

At least her mind wasn't so focused on the nightmare that—

No.

She wouldn't think about it.

About halfway through, the Soldat met the Doctor in the hall, exchanging quiet words before he returned with her medication and a cup of water. She wasn't sure why Doctor Green hadn't come in herself, but she couldn't help feeling slightly more relaxed that she wouldn't have to face her.

As she swallowed the pill, the Soldat explained that as long as her healing continued, she would be released from the medial wing sometime soon.

She wondered where she would go. Maybe her old room? She thought she might enjoy staying there more than the med room... There was something familiar about it, although she didn't actually remember it. What exactly about it she enjoyed wasn't clear, but she didn't let herself think on it much and instead, focused on the orange and purple fish on screen.

To her discomfort though, as it came to an end, she found her earlier thoughts returning and once again she was left to the buzz of her mind.

The Soldat was quiet beside her as they walked back across the hall, and she was aware of his eyes following her path to the bed, and then to where she curled up. It felt as if she could block out the rest of the world—as if it would keep her in that room, in that moment, and breathing.

"Is there something you want to do now?" the Soldat asked.

More distractions, she thought.

"Can we play again? With the cards?"

"Sure, do you want to play the same game again?"

"How many games are there?"

"Oh, hundreds," he said gently, picking up the cards from where he'd left them on the side table. "How about Twenty-One? Well, not exactly Twenty-One, since its only us, but the premise is the same."

"What is the objective?"

"To reach twenty-one. Each number card is worth its numbered value; one is one, two is two, and so on, but the cards with faces, Jack, Queen, King, are worth ten."

"What about Ace?"

"Ace, is worth one or eleven. You decide depending on what you need... You start off with two cards; for example," he said, pulling two cards off the top, "eight and seven. So that hand is worth fifteen. The player decides if they want another card to get closer to twenty-one." The Soldat pulled the next card off the deck and flipped it, showing a red King. "See, that would have pushed the hand to twenty-five and the player would have lost."

"So, you want as close to twenty-one as possible and cannot go over?" she clarified.

"Yes."

"Alright, I think I understand."

So, he dealt them both hands, and when she flipped her cards, she nodded.

Seven and one.

"Do you want another card?"

"Yes."

He dropped one face down and she picked it up, seeing it was a nine. He did the same for himself, before looking back to her. "Another?"

"How many can we get?"

"As many as you want, but you risk going over."

"Alright... no more cards."