Winter's War || The Winter Soldier

Chapter Sixteen: Nostalgia and Night Terrors

Music is "If You Want Love" by NF.

Picture is young Colin Firth as Galahad.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Nostalgia and Night Terrors

{July 28, 1981 -- Thirty-Three Years Ago}

Galahad escorts me to my temporary quarters after Merlin finishes sharing what the Kingsman know. Evidently, each of the agents have their own quarters here at the mansion, as well as their own personal homes God knows where. They're all posh and elegant rooms along the same hallway, close to each other for safety reasons I assume. The guest rooms are on the opposing wall. One thing I take notice of immediately is that most of the rooms, on both sides, are empty.

I suppose they have HYDRA to blame for that.

"Here's yours," Galahad motions to the middle guest room. When I enter, I find my suitcase already on the elegant bed. The room is a simple design, in classic white and black despite the crazy colorful world that is the 1980s. "Toilet is connected. Telephone will get you to any of our rooms as well as the kitchen if you're hungry."

I nod, taking in the room that houses a large king-sized bed, a dresser, dual nightstands, and a small desk with its chair. "It's wonderful. Thank you."

I turn back to my new English acquaintance. He nods, giving me a small, polite smile. "Can I get you anything? It's fairly late. I thought you might want to freshen up and get some sleep, considering the events of today. Or rather, yesterday. It's after midnight."

I chuckle softly, only now allowing myself to remember the HYDRA agent that almost killed me. "I'm all right, thank you though." Galahad nods, and turns to leave. Remembering another event from earlier, I reach out for his arm. "Wait! I actually do need one small favor."

My arm brushes his, and he turns back towards me. "Yes?"

"My friend, Alexander Pierce, is landing in the morning. We were supposed to meet for lunch. If I'm not at my hotel, he will wonder what happened to me."

The mention of Alexander's name causes Galahad's face to fall, but I can't tell why. It's not as if he knows Pierce. "I'll see that he gets a message."

"He might be in danger," I warn Galahad. "HYDRA bugged my hotel phone. They heard my conversation with him. He could be in danger."

Galahad shakes his head, face calm. "They didn't bug your phone, Sergeant Barnes. We did." The shock on my face must be apparent enough for Galahad to chuckle once. He turns back towards the door, grasping the door handle on his way out. "I'll see that Mister Pierce knows you're safe, but he can't come here. Sleep well, Sergeant."

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After showering, changing into a comfortable pair of pink pajamas that Rose got me for Christmas, and lying down in the silk sheets, I try to find enough peace of mind to sleep. Tossing and turning, sleeping on one side of the overly comfortable bed and then the other, even pillows or no pillows, I just can't fall asleep. My mind is still racing. My body is still in fight or flight mode, despite the fight being long over. I'm in a strange place with stranger people and I have no idea what tomorrow might bring.

Then I remind myself that no building or person or secret intelligence organization is as strange as me. Somehow this makes me feel a little better.

I look to the clock beside the bed, seeing the hands ticking past 2:30 in the morning. I sigh, pulling my heavy bones from the bed and wrap the bathroom robe around my body. It's warm, comforting, soft against my pale skin. I've had many nights like these, and I know when either insomnia, nostalgia, or night terrors have beaten me. Sometimes it's better just to get up and move around a bit, try to reset my body and mind, before trying to sleep again.