ZEITGEIST | james b. barnes

[ 37 ]

James made the sound of a wounded animal at Peggy's words, staring at the woman with daggers. But Peggy barely noticed as they entered an empty infirmary tent that was smaller and more sophisticated. One nurse was in the room, and Peggy dismissed the woman almost instantly.

There were two white dots set up on either side and Steve led James to one of them, who, with much persuasion and the promise of beer, sat down.

Verfall followed Peggy like she'd been instructed, and stopped in front of the cot.

"Where would you feel more comfortable?" Peggy asked and Verfall gulped.

She curled and uncurled her hands into fists. Peggy's eyes dropped to the motion and Verfall immediately relaxed her hands.

"Ground or cot, you're prerogative." The tone of her voice was indifferent.

"Ground." Verfall whispered, because she didn't deserve to sit on the cot when she was messing up so much.

Of course, it must've been the wrong answer because Peggy's face fell. She waited to be reprimanded but Peggy said nothing- again. She walked around the cot and made the pillow atop it fluffy.

Verfall watched her every move in silence, Steve and James watching with confusion.

Finally, Verfall couldn't take it anymore and dropped to her knees in a fluid motion.

"I'm sorry I keep doing everything wrong." She pressed. "I don't understand what you want me to do. I don't understand. Dr. Schaffer was- I don't understand. Please."

Peggy's combat boots appeared in front of her and Verfall started to tremble, hands raising open-palmed.

"Soldat-" she started calmly "-you did nothing wrong. The emotions I express aren't towards you but towards the situation you were in."

She exhaled loudly.

"I would like you to sit on the cot, please."

Verfall was up like a bullet, seating herself on the cot hurriedly in an attempt to make Peggy smile at least once. She tried not to be disappointed when her prior handler didn't.

"Why do you keep calling her soldier in German?" James tried to sound respectful but he couldn't help the anger escaping his lips.

Peggy turned to him with a sad look.

"She's stuck in a different mindset from what you're probably used to. I'm going to try and get Lucy's normal behavior to surface." She explained as she sat at the lower end of Verfall's cot.

Verfall understood what she meant without really understanding.

Steve frowned deeply.

"So she has like, two personalities?" He questioned and Peggy shook her head.

"It's still Lucy, but Dr. Erskine had suspected a part of her brain shuts off when triggered by trauma, or deliberately shut down." She glared at the ground by the end of her sentence, before turning back around to face Verfall.

Peggy leaned forwards and grasped both of her tense hands. Verfall barely breathed as Peggy gently rubbed the back of her palms with her thumb.

"Verfall, I was a Nurse, Nurse Elizabeth. I treated you with IV drips supplied by Dr. Erskine and that da- Dr. Schaffer."

Verfall let her shoulders relax, hope glimmering between her eyes.

"I helped you out of that place, Lucy. We went to my home in England and I promised Dr. Schaffer would never be able to hurt you there. Do you recall that?" Peggy said and Verfall let a frown slip onto her face.