[Comprehensive] Have you ever cared about the feelings of the target?

"Take it easy, James—this might be a little tough."

Dr. Erskine is adjusting his robotic arm with his assistant, which is actually a routine inspection.

Check out the Winter Soldier's attendance records for the month, and the number of missions he's completed for the government is a horrific number.He alone is worth ten agents.This made several forces in the military want to snatch people from the Scientific Strategy Corps—no, they should be called SHIELD now.Some people even commented jealously that S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot possess the Winter Soldier while owning Captain America. This happiness is too heavy and too unfair.

But no one can separate these two superheroes, not even the government that has become afraid of their strength.It is precisely because of this strength that they have come outside the system.So, no more of those regrettable threats.The two childhood sweethearts who grew up together in Brooklyn can continue to stick together, loyal to the United States of America they guarded.

All in all, the Winter Soldier is bound to be overloaded with tasks this month.Steve took his Bucky to Dr. Erskine to begin the routine inspection that he escaped for more than half a year before he escaped from the base.The bionic arm installed on soldiers comes from the former Soviet Union. Of course, this future weapon will not be like a pistol. It can be used as an arm. While it brings unparalleled power, it will also cause fatal and dangerous injuries to the user. effects, both physical and psychological.

A soldier is always the one who knows himself best, but James can't refuse his friend's concern.It must be admitted that James is indeed consciously avoiding coming to Dr. Erskine's laboratory. The main reason is that time has passed too fast. Erskine has also reached the age where he can be a grandfather. Of course, he also has an angel. Like a little granddaughter.Erskine's love is like a treasure, and the Frankenstein who always had some mean words disappeared, and he became kind and soft-hearted.Unknowingly, Erskine brought the way he treated his little granddaughter to the soldiers.

That goosebump-inducing tone of coaxing children is what James can't stand the most.

"My God——James, you have to promise me this time, don't mess around again." The data displayed on the instrument and the damage to the arm were enough for Erskine to understand how the soldiers disregarded their own safety.He looked at it disapprovingly, and the worry and disappointment almost overflowed from his eyes.

Voila, this is it.James was a little at a loss. He avoided Erskine's eyes and looked at Captain America who brought him here.The latter just folded his arms and looked somewhere in the room. If it weren't for the uniform on his body, he would have looked like a happy traveler waiting for the bus just by his leisurely expression.

James, who didn't get a response to his request for help, had no choice but to bite the bullet and make a promise to Erskine, as if he had really become a child and faced his grandfather.Finally, the doctor ended his loving examination.And the speed at which James got up from the console stunned the assistant who was recording the data for a few seconds. For such a big man, he was too nimble.

Moving his mechanical arm, James came to Steve and muttered: "What's so good about a table of elements?"

Steve's blue eyes hide a smile: "Anyway, it's not bad—"

James frowned, and he reached out and twisted Steve's jaw, forcing the former to look at him.Erskine interrupted the unspoken dissatisfaction of the soldier, and this time his target was the blond one: "Hey, Steve, it's your turn, you should have an inspection too."

Now it was James' turn to take over the luggage of the happy traveler. While his friend was still busy making an excuse, he pushed the man forward and raised his voice: "Steve really should—he told me a few days ago I'm not feeling well."

"When?" Steve frowned, looking over his shoulder at his Bucky.

"When you look at the table of elements—"

Erskine pretended not to notice the friendly manner of the two soldiers in the corner, as immature as two boys in the seventh grade.Anyway, the blond-haired soldier was pressed down and sat in front of the instrument.Immediately, Dr. Erskine's disappointed voice sounded again: "Steve, you can't do this—"

Steve was also embarrassed by the love.Captain America, who always looks serious and calm, is blushing slightly at this moment, and he can't be seen everywhere trying to heal Erskine's sadness inexplicably and clumsily.Because of this, the assistant who had been leaning back couldn't help but sneered.And it was the assistant who was distracted for a few seconds, and there was a mistake in his data, so that the results on the instrument were abnormal.

It's not enough to make people angry, but Erskine can't help complaining, he adjusted and said: "This damn machine, it's too old-you can't imagine how much it is worth to modify a wrong number. program, but as long as we change it—those stingy guys won't give us a penny anymore, if Noah is still around..."

Erskine stopped short, regretting his great mistake, but it was too late.

Just mentioning such a name, the air that was full of smiles froze in an instant.Steve couldn't help looking at the soldiers in the corner, he understood this feeling, the ground under his feet turned into a thin layer of ice, someone tapped there lightly, and the cold water under the ice instantly submerged here.The biting suffocation rubbed the alveoli of breathing, leaving only uncomfortable pain.

Steve noticed that he was shaking, and the moment he lowered his head trying to catch his breath, James turned and left without saying a word.

"I'm sorry—" Erskine came over and patted Steve on the shoulder.

"It's nothing, Professor—you don't have to feel sorry." Captain America tidied himself up, rolled up his cuffs, and buttoned the top button.You can't find a wrinkle in his uniform, and when he stands up and stands in front of you, you always feel that he is indestructible.He looked at the sad Erskine, "Everyone will be sad for the departure of a friend, we just need time."

The assistant dared to continue his breathing after Captain America left as well, he seemed to have died in the oppressive air just now.

Erskine sighed, but the assistant couldn't hold back his curiosity: "Doctor, that Noah—"

"Yes, you have seen him, the information I gave you."

A vivid and beautiful face immediately appeared in the assistant's mind - most of the doctor's past research results were completed with him, so among the video materials the assistant saw, there were many explanations he recorded.So when he saw Noah Theresa for the first time, from those images, he poured coffee on his body in a hurry. Anyone who sees the blond angel suddenly appearing in front of your eyes will feel panic, like some kind of being The sudden gift of the oracle, the feeling of being dizzy.

So much so that for the first time, he didn't listen to any of Noah's words at all. He only focused on his staring eyes, the tip of his nose, and the curvature of his constantly opening and closing lips.And his slightly indifferent appearance in the image will not make people displeased at all. He is beautiful, and he should sit high on the throne piled up with gems to make everything eclipsed.

Noah Theresa is so charming that the assistant feels like he's on the verge of falling for him.

"Too bad he's a nasty Hydra—"

The assistant's subconscious murmur was heard by Erskine, and he suddenly became angry, his face flushed.This terrifying anger made the assistant panic, and it took him a long time to help Erskine sit down, and he heard him force himself to calm down, trembling voice: "I knew it—they will definitely not make the truth public, you listen What was said, about Noah?"

The assistant swallowed, and he hesitated to say what he found out: "After reading the information, I became curious about him-I asked some people, and I exceeded the authority..."

"It doesn't matter," interrupted Erskine impatiently, "how on earth did they announce that—"

"Noah Theresa, the most powerful and cunning Hydra ever, went undercover in the military, took advantage of Captain America's friendship, and transformed Sergeant Barnes into a vicious killing machine in an attempt to control He—he and his brother, John Schmidt, conducted cruel human experiments..." The assistant carefully checked Erskine's face, "And you, doctor—he finally kidnapped you and wanted to steal Serum, but we saw through the conspiracy."

"There is indeed a traitor among us, but it's not him." Erskine said slowly, his narration was nostalgic and sad, "It was only his younger brother who conducted the human experiment, he didn't participate in those, it wasn't him The original intention—and the person who took me away was just a traitor undercover in the military.”

"In the end he saved me, he saved all of us."

"Bucky."

Steve, who always knows where to find his old friend, sits down against James' shoulder.

"Stop it, Steve." The Winter Soldier said calmly, not knowing where to look.

Steve knew what the people beside him were referring to, and the sudden increase in tasks this month was just to stifle James' footsteps.It is best to stay somewhere abroad and not be able to rush back.In this way, the Winter Soldier who has a mission in hand will naturally be unable to take on another mission, which is to go to Germany to investigate the core base where Hydra was destroyed.

At the beginning, the Red Skull ignited some kind of alien fuel buried under the base when he escaped. At that moment, the burning energy was enough to turn the area into a crater that erupted lava.And the poisonous gas that is constantly drifting away while burning, if you can't stop all this, there will no longer be signs of life there.

So the government ordered Hydra's base to be buried, and even then, the fuel buried there burned for decades.Until now, make sure all the fuel is burned before daring to head to the base of the dust-covered evil organization.

Some escaped from that disaster, some did not.

"You don't have to worry—maybe, you know, the relationship between Schmidt and him, they are like brothers, he can't really lock Noah there." Steve didn't know what he said to comfort him Old friend, or myself.He was not conscious at the time, and James was out of control, influenced by Schmidt's orders, and he kept attacking himself.And Steve had too many worries at the time. He was seriously injured by Bucky's hands, and even the super soldier's serum could not restore him to consciousness in a short time.

So everything that happened after that was Bucky telling him - after nearly killing himself, he finally came to his senses.At that time, they were trapped in the laboratory with the highest authority. This nasty hydra had already escaped by using his ability. He informed through the image in the communicator that in only 10 minutes, the entire base would be burned.The narrow security door in Schmidt's laboratory will only open once, and this time only for a brief second.And for the only time, the door was closed and never opened again.

At that time, the Winter Soldier was surrounded by his old friend who was seriously injured by him, and his old lover was also trapped in his brother's trap.Schmidt started the countdown. He was cruel and joking, asking the soldiers to make a decision. He could only save one person to leave, and the remaining one would be left behind.Forever, buried here.

James didn't want to recall all that when he was sober, but he couldn't control it.Whenever he falls asleep, he deliberately clears his mind, but in his dreams, he always thinks of the last scene again and again.

James couldn't believe it, and he was terrified when he regained his consciousness after breaking free of Hydra's brainwashing code—he almost killed Steve, his partner who had been by his side for years.He raised his head angrily, and looked at the instigator of all this, Noah Theresa deceived himself.

Just knowing the truth, James has lost his mind, not to mention he was also subjected to brainwashing instructions.At that time, his thinking was chaotic, so he resisted to listen to Noah's explanation, and he put all the crimes committed by his brother on Noah's head.Thinking of the officer who had been snuggling sweetly beside him, lying under his brother at the same time—James didn't know that it was a false memory that Schmidt had deliberately planted in his mind.

Anyway, it made him sick.Schmidt thought he was playing a cruel game, forcing him to make a heart-wrenching choice.That doesn't count for him, and he decides to take Steve with him without much effort.James was afraid that if he stayed with Noah for one more second, his grief and indignation at being deceived would make him choke his throat.

But the second James stood up with Steve on his back, the officer behind him spoke.It seems that he has always been like this. In short, he maintained his arrogant self-esteem with a cold face. He was obviously the one who was abandoned, but he acted as if he was giving alms.

His officer said calmly: "Take Steve and go, even if John is really determined to kill me, I can escape by myself-I am also a Hydra, I am familiar with this place, am I not? "

"That's not necessarily true, my dear Noah." Schmidt in the communication video immediately joined the conversation in a sullen tone, "What makes you think that after betraying me, I will leave you a copy?" Mercy. Noah, I wish you could die..."

And his officer walked forward slowly and cut off the communication—James didn't understand why Noah looked so weak at this moment, he could think of it, he just didn't think about it deliberately, he was afraid that he would be shaken, he was afraid This really became a painful choice for him.So he just silently withdrew his gaze and wanted to leave silently.

The program had been automatically set long ago—the design of the base when it was established. When Schmidt activated the destruction program, he also mercifully left time for his subordinates to escape.A security door that is only opened for a second.

James looked up at the countdown number on the door, and about 30 seconds later, he heard the voice behind him ask again: "If, really, it's just if--it's not Steve here today, it's anyone else, maybe The colleague you met once..."

His chief is always like this, he can't hold on to the end arrogantly.

At this moment, Noah Theresa gave up her self-esteem, with a hint of begging.

"Will you choose me, James?"

The soldier who was questioned didn't answer, nor did he look back. Naturally, he couldn't know how the trembling hope in Noah's eyes disappeared.Not to mention hearing the last words his officer said to him, those words disappeared in the sound of the security door closing heavily as he left.

That was a goodbye.

Since then, Noah Theresa disappeared from his life.Only there was some news about him, which James had heard from Dr. Erskine.The Doctor told him that Noah had confessed to him earlier about his relationship with Schmidt, which was a risky move - and he needed the Doctor's help to do so.His superiors already knew that his lover was breaking up with him because of a dangerous and secret mission.At the same time, he also learned that the military had some secret deals with Hydra, which would kill his lover, so he decided to also go to Hydra's base to stop it all.

It seems that Noah returned to his brother to save him - James thought silently.Perhaps because of his noncommittal, Erskine became anxious, regardless of his injuries, and became emotional. He even wanted to grab James by the collar and shake him: "He made a deal with the military, for you, James. What do you think is implanted in you - like the last group of soldiers you saw, that just blows you into a meat ball. He promised to help us destroy the base, and the military eliminated you Outside, I just gave you an injection and let you sleep."

"Schmidt is such a difficult guy, we are so easy this time..." The doctor was still talking about something, but James was distracted again, and he realized that Schmidt's betrayal at that time meant What.

James should be delighted to get the truth of the matter.Although his chief lied to him, he still loved him. This love was more sincere than he imagined, and this love was enough to make him forgive everything.But James couldn't pull the corner of his mouth to show a smile, but there seemed to be a hole somewhere in his body, it was empty, and someone was grabbing him and falling down continuously.

When Howard learned that the name of the Winter Soldier was added to the task list this time, he curled his lips in displeasure.Maria, who was packing his luggage for him, asked him why he was unhappy. He didn't say it was because he was not grateful to a certain soldier. He subconsciously blurted out his real troubles: "I'm afraid I won't be able to come back to Tony's birthday party. It's-"

James, who came to pick up the person in charge of this mission, heard that he first nodded to Maria, and then looked at Howard: "I will let you catch up, Mr. Stark."

"Thank you so much, soldier." Howard took the suitcase from Maria, gave his wife a kiss, and then turned around with a smirk, in a mean tone that he couldn't control himself, "I thought you'd be a little excited about this mission—after all, you're revisiting old places, aren't you?"

James stopped, and he looked at Howard blankly, because of what he said just now.

Mr. Stark has at least seen a little bit of the world, and he is not the kind of soft-legged shrimp who can be scared casually.But facing the appearance of the Winter Soldier at this moment, he did regret the provocation just now.The soldier's tall and strong physique can already give people enough oppression, not to mention his eyes, like a machine without any human emotions, deep and cold, people will tremble in his eyes, so that they will become timid in the end Kneel down and beg for mercy.

This is what Howard hates soldiers the most. He thinks that Hydra really messed up his brain and turned Barnes from a human being with emotions into another kind of creature.Howard considers himself a human, so, naturally, he wouldn't want to get along with non-human species.

The work of excavating and clearing the Hydra base had been carried out a month ago, but because of the weather-a week before their arrival, the rare torrential rain continued until now, which greatly affected the progress of the project.

They waited another week, and Howard could already imagine his Tony, eyelashes drooping, unhappy at the birthday party.His son wore a silly birthday hat, crossed his arms, imitated the tone of an adult, and complained to Maria about why he missed the appointment again-Howard felt guilty, but also smiled at the thought of this silly boy.

Until his car door was roughly opened, and a set of heavy safety clothing was thrown in.

"Hey—" Howard frowned dissatisfied.

"Put it on, you can go in."

The Winter Soldier stood there, with his mask on, making it harder for people to read his emotions.It's just that Howard is acutely aware of this cold killing machine, the muscles all over his body are tense unnaturally.His hanging fingertips trembled slightly, even though it was only for a few seconds.But Howard noticed that James Barnes was nervous for the tasks he was about to face next.

Due to landfilling and burning, the base of the doomed Hydra fell deep, and most of the buildings were reduced to ashes.There are only a few laboratories built with special materials. They are like broken Rubik's cubes, standing abruptly on the scorched wreckage.

"Then, listen up, soldiers, we must hurry..." Howard spread out the restored building plans before he could finish speaking.The Winter Soldier who entered with him has disappeared, and no one seems to know where he went.Howard shrugged his shoulders and signaled to everyone not to pay attention to this stupid man. At the same time, he also forced himself to ignore the sadness that gradually spread in his heart. He also knew that in the past, someone was left here, and that person was a liar. He promised himself to attend his and Maria's wedding, but never showed up again.

James had already found that laboratory—as if that scene had happened only yesterday, familiar memories brought him here with ease.Although the indestructible safety door has not been roasted, it can be opened now with just a slight push from him.

The dusty air hit him with a sour smell. James frowned. He waited for a while before he heard his own footsteps entering the room.The interior of the laboratory seemed to have been burned, and there were scorched black marks everywhere, and it was already difficult to piece together the appearance in memory.But James didn't know what he was expecting, he thought he would find what he wanted, and he concentrated on every corner until——

He spotted a figure.

Suddenly something clenched his heart, and he held his breath.As if even time stood still, James heard the sound of his blood flowing.He was stunned, his eyes were sore and swollen, and he looked at the figure.But James didn't dare to make the slightest movement, he was afraid that it was just an illusion appearing in front of his eyes.

However, the figure that haunted him came to him, and James felt his trembling again.He should have noticed the abnormality of this scene, but he just greedily traced the outline of that person with his eyes.His blond chief was his Noah, and he showed a smile, a smile that made James bewitched to step forward and hug him.

But his arms only embraced a mass of air, and James looked at his hand passing through Noah's body in disbelief.

The person who was hugged by him was also frightened, he took a step back in a hurry, and said to the people: "Hey, don't be afraid-I just, although I was gone when you saw me, no, I mean Yes, I am definitely not a ghost or something, I am just a thought, a thought that was left here, is it right to describe it like this? I mean, just leave some memories from my mind..."

Seeing that his eyes lost focus, James, who was standing aside like a walking dead, didn't say a word.This self-proclaimed thought shadow kicks off his soliloquy: "I knew it, damn it—this is never a good idea, it's just boring, I've been stuck here for days, I've got to find some What to do, or I'll be driven insane..."

"What did you say—" James turned his head sharply.

To be honest, he looked a little scary in the moment when he was in a trance and then violent.If it was a real person in front of him, he would definitely be scared away by him.Fortunately, what he had in front of him was just a saved thought, or it was left because he was bored.So when he heard the question, he was a little happy, and immediately replied: "I mean——I'm trapped here, oh——I don't really remember, maybe it's only three days."

James wanted to reach out and grab Noah—Noah's thinking shoulder, but he couldn't hold anything.James looked at his empty hands again, he said hoarsely and tremblingly: "Why, didn't he let you out?"

"Who?" His Noah was puzzled, and after a while, he was a little frustrated, "I can't remember—anyway, you can see for yourself, the last ones should be recorded here."

The real user of this laboratory is Dr. Zola, a scientific madman under the Red Skull who has already transformed it.In order not to miss his frequent flashes of inspiration, he installed a thought recorder in the laboratory.It's like the ancient Egyptians made mummies for longevity.The recorder made by Zola can naturally preserve his thoughts long enough.

That should have been after James left with Steve. His chief might just want to open the previously cut off communication with Schmidt, but he also opened the recorder by mistake.The weak mutant who hadn't recovered his abilities was invaded into his mind just like that, saving his last everything.

James saw Schmidt's face again, the sickly grin of the nightmarish red skull.

"Noah, this is what happens when you betray me—" Schmidt roared like a storm, "Those two people, the two people you tried so hard to please, did they give you a second look—only me, Noah Ya, I should be the only one left by your side."

Noah Theresa watched quietly until Schmidt dissipated his madness and resumed his annoying condescension: "Now, your punishment is over, as long as you obediently admit your mistakes to me, I will forgive you Your betrayal - let you out."

James looked at all this, and he wished he could rush forward now and agree for Noah who hadn't spoken for a long time.

Just an apology, go ahead, please do so now.

As long as you escape from here, survive.

It's a pity that his chief didn't hear his pleading, Noah's face was pale, but that was just the reason for his weakness.He was already dying, but he could still smile comfortably. His untimely willfulness made people itch with hatred.Facing Schmidt who wanted to forgive him, Noah first found a place to sit down and changed a comfortable posture before he said slowly: "I don't—"

There was a flash of panic in John Schmidt's eyes, and he lowered his volume dangerously, like the low roar of a beast: "Don't challenge my patience, Noah Theresa——"

"Hey, don't be sad, John." Schmidt immediately yelled at him, Noah laughed again, "I know, you hid a flying machine there, right?"

Without waiting for Schmidt's answer, Noah walked over and lifted the place he just pointed to.He wasted a lot of strength, and James subconsciously took steps with such a weak appearance, wanting to do everything for him.But he couldn't, all he touched was air.

Noah made a gesture of a magician coming on stage, and he motioned Schmidt to look at an empty place: "If I'm not mistaken, Zola has already driven away your little prop--before you ordered James to attack our time."

Schmidt's mind must be blank at this moment, and his hateful brother still teased him jokingly: "Such a big mistake, John, you can't make it again in the future."

Schmidt came back to his senses suddenly, he was no longer calm and superior.He was flustered, even the destruction of the world was not worth mentioning in front of him, but it was just to lose his brother.The leader of Hydra seemed to kneel down, and he uttered a mournful begging: "No, Noah—now..."

"Now open that safety door, right? I have your authority, besides, this door can't really only be opened once—" Noah looked at Red Skull, as if he was looking at a vexatious child, "Only 8 minutes left, if my ability is still there, if you don't feed me those messy things, I can run out by myself, and I can even take two people-yes, those two just left me people..."

Noah sighed: "But I can't, my legs are unbelievably weak now - halfway through, your barbecue fuel will turn me into ashes."

"So, I'm sorry, John—I apologize to you, but I can't go, I can only stay here." This time Noah Theresa seemed really annoyed at her beloved brother, but more The reason for this is not because he was locked up here.He was angry that John had taken such a path, and angry that he hadn't noticed it sooner.

He is not a good brother.Noah was evil, and finally stabbed Schmidt in the heart, he stared at him, and smiled softly and self-deprecatingly: "You should be happy, I am really going to die here as you wish. "

"No—Noah, you wait for me—please..." Schmidt screamed like crazy, and he seemed to want to rush back to Noah's side immediately, no matter what method he used.But his cruel brother has cut off the communication, Noah won't care how remorse John has, and he can't care anymore.

Because he was going to die.

James looked at the blond officer sitting there quietly, as if he had just touched a certain kind of reality, that kind of depressive, heart-pounding exhaustion.Yes, it's like the fatigue that a traveler who has traveled a long distance can finally stop and breathe a sigh of relief.But soon, that real emotion disappeared again, and he turned his head to look at himself.

"Aren't you leaving yet? It's going to be boring, I'm like this, sitting—"

James walked to Noah's side: "It's okay, I can stay with you."

"Thank you." Noah smiled softly, it was a very grateful smile.In the past, when he laughed like this, James couldn't help kissing him. He couldn't control it, and tried to lean over. The latter was still talking, "Actually, I'm very happy. After all, sitting and waiting for death is not such a thing. Easy stuff - I think I was kind of scared at the time."

"Thank you for coming with me, it makes me feel better."

James froze in place, once again, a sore throat welling up in his throat, he didn't know what to do with the gratitude.James choked up: "You don't have to thank me, Noah."

His chief once again showed a puzzled look: "Oh——you know me, the reason why you are here today is to find me, right?" At the end of the sentence, Noah gradually became excited and was It is because what is retained is a piece of thought, so he can think, "Can you tell me today's date?"

James spit out some numbers dryly.

Noah's excitement became low again: "So it's been so long—" He lowered his eyes and muttered, "It's been so long, did anyone think of me?"

Every time he said a sentence, someone cut him in the heart.But James refused to leave. He seemed to be in love with the pain, and he accompanied his chief like a masochist. He began to pray that time would go slower, but death came closer and closer.

Noah Theresa began to pace the room anxiously, and James knew that was what he would have looked like before—the materials used to build the laboratory could ensure that the space would not be scorched and deformed, but they couldn't withstand the temperature.The scorching heat has taken away moisture and air, and the mutant who has lost his ability is even weaker than ordinary people. He will feel pain ten times and a hundred times, but at this moment he can still laugh and joke with James: "Look, I'm just saying that's BBQ fuel - you smell me, I feel like I could eat myself."

James could only nod in a daze, he was mournful and couldn't make a sound.

As if to ease the anxiety, Noah continued to chat with him: "Well—you know...forget it." His chief stopped for some reason, and James' heart that was about to fall into his throat fell again Going back, Noah looked at him with dim eyes at this moment, "Aren't you wondering why I'm here?"

Regardless of whether he answered curiosity, the thought left behind was just a reflection of Noah's emotions at that time.The imminent death and the scorching temperature have brought him to the brink of collapse, Noah Theresa seemed to be gnashing his teeth: "I really don't understand why every time, every time I am the one who is left behind. "

He fell backwards, grinning in pain as his back hit the hot wall.Noah covered his eyes with the back of his hand, and when he looked at James again, the latter found that his eyes were just a little red, listening to his choked up tone just now.James thought his officer was going to cry, but he didn't, and he paused, then it occurred to him that maybe his Noah wanted to cry, but he had no more tears to shed in this dry, hard burn.

"I'm tired and I want to sleep for a while."

Time moved forward again, James thought he had been torn apart