4299/War Heroes
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| War Heroes | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 19 April 2018 |
| Location: | New York City |
| Synopsis: | Cap and Zinda run into each other at a VA hospital and pay their respects to veterans. |
| Cast of Characters: | Captain America, Lady Blackhawk
|
- Captain America has posed:
The NYC VA Harbor Healthcare Hospital stands eighteen stories tall on the edge of Manhattan's North side. It casts a long shadow upon the large parking lots below and is active with a steady stream of patients during the day and sometimes into the night. With the recent grants gifted by the Stark and Wayne Foundations, there's scaffolding set up on the east side that obscures the windows all along that side.
But that just so happens to be the side of the hospital where the older veterans are cared for. The serious care ward for the soldiers that are dealing with lingering issues and are fighting for what they can carve out of life as they can. It's a difficult ward, hard on the nurses and doctors that work there, but the men and women that they care for present a strong face against such difficulties.
And one of the ways that they can keep on fighting is when they know they haven't been forgotten. It's with that hope in hand that Captain Rogers comes to the hospital. That and his hat, which as the bell rings he tucks it under his arm and steps forwards. Bright blue eyes find the nurder on duty's eyes and he smiles that sheepish smile of his as he says, "Pardon me, nurse..."
The woman looks up, "Yes, can I help you, sir?"
"I was wondering if I might check in. Pay my respects to some of the veterans if I may?"
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
Zinda Blake has had a lot on her plate lately, thanks to Cranston International's revitalization of Blackhawk Freight, as well as Blackhawk Island. There's something about knocking around the old base to bring back memories, of course. Zinda also has an empty bottle of scotch on her desk, a tontine that was passed to her as the last surviving member of the squadron.
There isn't a lot that Zinda can personally do for those she served with, but she doesn't forget.
So while Captain Rogers is having his polite conversation at the front desk, the bold blonde bursts in through the front door. Zinda is in her full war-poster costume, completely with jaunty cap and Blackhawk uniform. Short skirt and all. And she's carrying an arm-load of long-stemmed red roses.
"Morning, Miss. Ah was hopin' to..." The Georgia pilot stops dead in her tracks, then, and laughs. "Could it be? Well butter mah butt and call me a biscuit! Steve Rogers?!? CAPTAIN Steve Rogers? That really you?"
- Captain America has posed:
Any response by that nurse is cut off by the arrival of Ms. Blake as she makes her own entrance as big as her personality. But it's her recognition of the man which then might in turn cause the nurse to realize who it was that had stepped up to her desk. "Steve Rogers?"
One of the other nurses laughs but quickly stifles it with her hands covering her mouth, she quickly leans in to whisper frantically into the ear of the nurse at the desk who then says, "Oh please, sir. I'm sure they'd like to see you... and your friend." She shoots a glance Zinda's way, unsure entirely what to make of her and her uniform. But chances are they're together, since they're both... characters, right?
Steve, however, smiles his thanks to the nurse on duty then looks across the way towards Zinda and his brow furrows. His gaze meets hers and he chuckles gently, "The Lady of the Blackhawks?" He asks of her even as he shakes his head and extends a hand as he crosses the distance towards her. "Good to finally meet you, Ms. Blake."
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
Zinda shifts the bundle of roses to the crook of her left arm, shaking his hand vigorously. "Lady Blackhawk in the flesh, Captain. An' the pleasure's all mine." For a couple of WWII veterans themselves, these two still look more like 20-something soldiers.
Zinda nods towards the large bundle of roses, then. Her voice softens as she adds "Ah like to stop in and visit the boys when Ah can. Never know what good a rose and a kiss from a pretty gal can do."
It also helps that it's the anniversary of Wu Cheng's death.
"So whaddya say, Captain? Ah'd be right honored if you'd be mah escort today. Open some eyes and maybe get a few smiles, too."
- Captain America has posed:
The good Captain's smile is warm even if a little sad at the prospect of what these men and women have had to endure for their country. But he nods to her rightly, and tells her, "Well, I'm sure a good number of them will be much happier to lay eyes on you than to see my mug smiling back at them." He continues to shake her hand and then gives a pat on the shoulder before he turns and gestures down the hall, "After you, ma'am."
And with that they'll head on down the hallway, heels of their boots clicking as they walk and they begin the task of doing what they can for the people who have given so much.
And it'll take a good while, to move through the ward, to spend time with each person that's awake and capable of having visitors. When they enter often times it's clear that Zinda is the star of the show, her beautiful features and vibrant attitude wins the hearts and then Cap's earnest good will helps to temper the moment.
Hands are shaken, and the roses are gifted. Many selfies are taken that day even as the staff on the floor follow along in the wake of the two old war heroes. And through it all Zinda gives them a view of what awaits them after their time to recovery. She's the life of the world. And Steve... he's the respect they're due.
They make sure to see everyone in that ward, even as the time slips on and the lunch service almost catches up behind them. But they make sure to see /every one/ and then when they get to the end of the rounds, when there are no more visits to be made and the sun is hanging low outside the window.
That's when they'll have a moment even as they're walking back down the hall together, leaving behind them some of the staff still waving and smiling.
"Think we make a pretty good team, Ms. Blake."
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
The roses are distributed and Zinda's had to freshen her lipstick more than a few times before they finish with the visit. The blonde is still cheerful, but her mood is softened now. Walking alongside Rogers, even in those heels she has to look up to him.
"We do at that, Captain." Zinda is never sorry for these visits, and she always promises herself afterward that she'll visit more often. "Y'know, it's a new thing for me to talk with someone else who's been there. Someone who's lived through it."
Quiet footsteps echo down the hall for a few moments, then she asks. "You wouldn't consider it forward of me to offer to buy you a drink, would you?"
- Captain America has posed:
"There are a few of us left," Steve says as they're walking, his hat still tucked under his arm, but he does look sidelong towards her and nods, "Less each year." He takes in a deep breath and says levelly, "My comm op, Joe Morita... he passed just last week." It's a sober thing to discuss, pain shared is pain lessened. But he nods to her, as he can see in her eyes that she's far from a stranger to loss.
For a few more moments he's looking ahead, then she starts out her question and he quirks an eyebrow towards her, "It'd be an honor, Ms. Blake." He does pause for a moment and checks his watch, left hand sliding his sleeve up his arm slightly even as he takes a deep breath. His brow knits together.
"Though I need to get back to the tower before nine."
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
"Very sorry to hear that, Captain. Ah lost Wu Cheng two years ago." Zinda offers softly. "He was our company cook." She smiles a little when he checks his watch. "Curfew?" the pilot replies almost playfully.
"Ah promise not to keep you out too late, then. Besides, if what Ah hear about you is right, there ain't no way Ah'd be able to drink you under the table. Not like them German flyboys, anyway."
- Captain America has posed:
They continue on towards the elevator and once they get there he smiles a little and steps in front of her, leaning across to hit the down button. He then turns to face her, standing in front of the doors and slightly to the side. An old instinct, but it's served him one or two times. "Not exactly a curfew, though Tony does sometimes give me grief when I wander in. Only this time he'd be surprised that it actually /is/ a beautiful blonde keeping me out to all hours."
That said the door dings and he'll step inside, one hand extended to hold the door for her and once they're both in he'll close it. "Parking?" He asks of her, assuming that's the level she's descending to. But once that's resolved he steps to the back of the elevator and looks up towards the ceiling, shifting his weight comfortably from one foor to the other.
"But you're right. Best not to waste too much money on that drink. Coffee will suit me fine."
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
His manners aren't lost on her, either, and Zinda flashes him a warm smile. "Been a long time since Ah've just gone out for coffee." she replies. "Be kinda nice for a change." Nice to drink without getting into a bar fight, for one.
Zinda is parked below, driving a black Mustang GT. There's a bumper sticker on it with a gunsight and an aircraft silhouette, reading 'My other car is a Mustang.'
"You wanna ride, Captain? Or do y'all prefer Steve? Ah'm becomin' a more modern gal with every passing day, it seems."
- Captain America has posed:
He gestures with his hand to the side, motioning with his thumb some distance away in the parking garage. "Steve's just fine. I'm just down the way. I'll meet you?" He asks as he turns and starts to walk in the direction of his own SUV that's parked some distance towards the back.
But then he stops and walks backwards a few paces and spreads his arms out wide as his eyes narrow a touch with remembered confusion. "But uh, where are we goin'?" He asks her even as he sets his hat on his head and then slides his hands into his pockets.
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
Zinda calls out "Mom and pop diner, two blocks down and one block over. Follow me. An' call me Zinda." Then she's slipping into the car. When he gets to his SUV she's rolled just past him, waiting to take the lead out of the garage.
It's a quiet, cozy place and finding a table isn't a problem. Apparently Zinda knows one or two of the waitresses as well. Waitresses are like bartenders, right? A good place for a couple of old warriors to swap stories and get acquainted.
- Captain America has posed:
The diner has that 1950s vibe which neither of them lived through to be fair, but it had some elements in decor that might hearken to a simpler time in some ways, but it also had some of the more modern amenities. Like the streamed music from the jukebox connected to a tablet at each table, not to mention the LCD TVs that were set up in each corner. But still, it had a nice vibe to it even as the two of them entered the place and Steve walked along in Zinda's wake.
When they were greeted and then taken to their seat, the Captain smiled to the waitress who seemed to be giving him a bit of a doubletake, as if trying to place where she's seen him before. But then again Zinda probably has her fair share of gentleman callers as it were.
Sliding into the booth he sets his hat down on the seat beside him, then smiles across the table towards her. "Nice choice," He says as he looks the place over, then he reaches for the two menus set in the holder next to the ketchup and mustard bottles. He offers one to her before looking at his own. It's just a moment, barely five seconds before he's putting it back down and resting his hands upon it as he smiles at her.
"So how is it we've never run into each other before?"
- Lady Blackhawk has posed:
"Y'know, Ah've been wonderin' the same thing." the blonde drawls in reply, accepting the menu. The conversation continues... to be resumed in another scene.