Sweet and Clear

“Steve,” Georgia cooed into the intercom. “can you lend me a hand down here?”

“Yes ma’am. I’ll be right down.” he reported. Georgia could practically hear him salute on the other end of the buzzer. She wasn’t even down there for a full thirty seconds and Steve came jogging out.

“Well, that was quick.” she laughed, turning to her taxi. She knocked on the trunk and the drive popped it, revealing a crate of records, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, and her iPod. Along with all of these, was their respective players.

“What is this?” he asked, picking up a cassette cautiously. Georgia took it out of his hand.

“Have patience, Steve.” she advised, hoisting up the crate of music. “We’re obviously going to make more than one trip, but can you grab the record player? I got the door.” Steve lifted the heavy record player in one hand like it was a piece of paper. It took all of Georgia’s strength and the driver to lift the heavy thing into her trunk. Steve took the stereo and 8-track player in the other arm.

“Okay. Nevermind then.” she exclaimed, paying the driver. He opened the door for her and they took the elevator in comfortable silence. Georgia really loved teaching Steve and getting to know him. He was very sweet and kind, like everyone had said and he didn’t seem to have any psychological trauma, which surprised Georgia greatly. He was an interesting person and Georgia hoped that she could keep their relationship strictly professional. She constantly had to remind herself that she was getting a soldier prepared for the government and tried to stay emotionally detached, although she greatly enjoyed his company.

“You look very nice today.” she complimented with a smile. Actually, she found it completely unfair that he wore a light blue linen shirt when his eyes were already so bright. Paired with his signature khakis, she was sure that he couldn’t look any more cute. He turned to her with a grin.

“Thank you, ma’am. You look beautiful today, as always.” he replied, turning back to the doors as they dinged open. He gestured for her to walk out first and she was glad because she was blushing wildly. He beat her to the door and opened it, letting her inside first. Georgia set the box of music on top of a table that Steve and her had purchased for their sessions. She collapsed the loveseat that they had also acquired and produced a deep sigh. Steve set down the various machines on the table as well and sat next to her. Georgia was messily thrown onto the couch, while Steve sat straight as an arrow.

“Dr. Richards?” he asked, after he stared at Georgia, who had her eyes closed and seemed to be asleep. One of her eyes pried open. The young doctor was exhausted after scouring the city for a variety of music the entire day before for their meeting. She smoothed out her slacks and produced a deep sigh.

“Steve, how many times do I have to tell you, call me Georgia.” she mumbled.

“Are you alright?” he responded.

“Yes. I’m just tired.” she admitted, covering a yawn with her fingers. Steve looked at her with concerned eyes. “I’m fine, I promise.” She realized that she was worrying him, so she sat up.

“I can make a pot of coffee, if you’d like.” he prompted, standing up immediately at the thought. Georgia reached out and lightly grabbed his wrist. He tensed at her touch, looking down at her face. She gave him a soft smile and shook her head, patting the couch with her other hand. He sat back down. “Just let me know if you need anything, Dr. Richards.”

“Georgia.” she insisted.

“Dr. Georgia.” he corrected. She chuckled, knowing that he wouldn’t ever just call her Georgia, unless she was no longer his doctor. She reached out and set up the record player, scurrying around. “Do you need help?”

“No sir.” she promised, looking up towards him as she leafed through the albums. “Steve, what is your favorite song?” He looked at her, thinking.

“I don’t know.” he admitted and looked worried. “Should I remember? Maybe I don’t have a favorite song... but everyone does, right? I-” Sometimes Steve got worked up about not remembering something. Georgia felt like she intimidated him frequently. She tried to be like a friend to Steve and she felt like they were friends, but Steve reminded himself that she was a doctor.. Often, this lead to him being worried of being diagnosed. He was still hesitant of her deeming him crazy, although she promised multiple times that he was fine.

“I’m not sure I even have a favorite song, Steve.” she laughed, patting his muscular shoulder. “What’s the last song you remember hearing?” He looked to her face, his eyes lit up.

“Actually... ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’. That’s my favorite song.” he answered, getting excited that he remembered. “Do you have that song?” He flipped through the albums. He found the original recording and set it on the record player, finding the spot. The glass album roared to life, filling every corner of the room with the sound. He smiled and stood, immediately, pulling Georgia to her feet. She giggled as he twirled her into an embrace. She hummed along as Steve held one hand and had the other rested on the small of her back. They swayed around the room and Georgia noticed the smile on Steve’s face. “This is your favorite song?”

“Yes ma’am. It reminds me of my home back in Manhattan. My mom used to sing it to me, before she passed.” he explained. “She worked to take care of me, even though it was hard being a single mother.” He remained happy though, only remembering the happy times, instead of the sad. Georgia was sure to include music that would trigger good memories, as opposed to sad. Steve didn’t cope well with being sad and Georgia hated to see him that way. She often tried to work with him on opening up more when he was sad, but he tended to shut down and go completely internal. The song faded out and they dropped the embrace. Steve stared into his doctor’s eyes and Georgia flushed. She realized how close they were standing as she felt his breath tickle her nose. She stepped away, returning to the record player.

“My parents are music fans themselves and I was actually named after a song.” Georgia said, setting the album on the needle. It crackled and the familiar song started up.

“‘Georgia On My Mind’. That’s another good tune.” Steve replied, offering his hand. Georgia knew she should have stayed back, but the positive reaction she got before made her feel like she was doing something good for him. She walked towards him and accepted his hands.

---

“These guys?” he asked, a condescending tone in his voice.

“What do you mean, ‘these guys’?” Georgia gasped, almost dropping her Coke. ‘She Loves You’ played in the room as the two sat on the couch, looking at the album cover she had in her hand. “This band is the best band of all time.”

“I mean, they are okay, I guess. But they sound very... mundane.”

“This is one of their first songs. They started off as babies with love in their mind.” Georgia said, looking through the albums until she found the one she was looking for. “It wasn’t until they had love in their heart that they actually gave the world something truly beautiful.” ‘Across the Universe’ boomed in the room and she took her seat. The doctor and the soldier simply sat and listened. Though Georgia knew every lyric, she sat without a word and just let the poem wash over her. They touched her head and heart and she felt invincible. At the end of the song, the two sat in silence until the next song on the album started. Georgia turned it down to a dull roar and returned to her seat, staring at the wall.

“Wow,” was all Steve could muster up. She nodded, looking towards him. He looked as if his mind was blown. “That was...”

Georgia nodded. She felt as if she had just enlightened him. It was as if John Lennon was actually Steve Rogers, at that moment in his life. He connected to the lyrics in a way that Georgia could not explain. She found it very ironic that a soldier could connect to a man of peace and it left him speechless.

“Yeah. That’s The Beatles.” she replied after a breath of comfortable silence. Steve sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I take it back.” he muttered, as the two laughed. “I could listen to them all day.”

“Me too, but we have to move on, Mr. Rogers.” she sighed, standing up.

“Who’s next?’ he asked, with an excited tone. Georgia smiled. To see him so excited about something, made her happy.

---

“I think it’s time to say goodbye.” Georgia said, taking a glance at her watch. She had already stayed too long at his house and she was falling asleep to the sound of The Avett Brothers. Out of all the up to date music Georgia had shown him, he enjoyed folk and rock music the most. Steve stood, grabbing the doctor’s blazer and holding it out for her. She put her arms in the sleeves and thanked him.

“I suppose you want this back.” Steve gestured towards the music. Georgia had seen how happy it made him and how excited he got to hear a new song or try a new media. She bought the albums specifically for him to connect to and to keep. She found it important for him to both reminisce on the past while building new memories simultaneously.

“You know what? You can keep them here. I’m too tired to load them back up.” she lied, faking a yawn. Steve didn’t question it, but showed a smile. He walked her out of his apartment, down the elevator, and to the street, where he thanked her for the wonderful lesson.

“Steve, you don’t have to thank me. It’s my job.” she said, flashing a smile as a taxi pulled up to her.

“But you are the best doctor I have ever met, ma’am.” he replied, opening the door and helping her inside. Her heart fluttered and she blushed. It was so nice to have a patient that was competent enough to respect the work that she did for them. Usually, her patients were belligerent, either having a legal obligation or were forced to go by a family member. It was nice to have somebody so grateful. Georgia reached into her purse and pulled out a business card, circling her cell number, writing her address, and handing it to Steve.

“Steve, never hesitate to call me. I will always answer for you. And this is my address, in case I don’t answer.” she joked. “Call me if you have any questions about music tonight!”

“Or I can use text.” he responded. Teaching Captain America to text on his new cell phone and type on a computer was pretty funny and it was still a little foreign to him, although he was always open to try new things. He hadn’t really gotten the opportunity to use the skills.

“Or you could text me.” she nodded. “Have a good night, Steve.”

“You too, Dr. Georgia.”

---

“Thanks.” Georgia muttered to the cabbie as she paid him and walked up the steps to her apartment. She took the elevator up, got out, and shuffled to her room, which she immediately opened with her keys. She stepped inside of her small apartment, kicked off her heels, threw her purse on the ground, and collapsed on her couch, face first. After about half a minute of inhaling the smell of fabric softener and her own perfume, her daze was broken.

“Dramatic entrance, don’t you think?” a familiar voice asked. The young doctor groaned loudly into her couch cushion and flipped over, seeing Nick Fury standing in the adjacent room.

“Why are you here, Fury?” she whined, standing up. Although it may seem strange to other sane women why a man appeared in their apartment, Georgia was used to Fury popping in at the most inconvenient times. She brushed past him and went into her bathroom to do her nightly routine. She peeled off her work clothes and pulled on her silk pajama tank and short combo, topped off with a robe, until Fury left. She honestly didn’t care about Fury’s presence or what he thought about her. She liked working for S.H.I.E.L.D., but Fury either had some beef with her or he just hated everyone. She was fairly certain that Coulson and Agent Hill liked her, so she felt secure in the organization. Fury made no effort to be civil, so neither did she.

“There have been rumors that you have become emotionally attached to our Captain.” he said, completely blunt about the matter.

“Whaaghnn?” Georgia muttered, poking her head from the bathroom with her toothbrush in her mouth. “Argg you graaggy?”

“Am I crazy?” Fury translated. Georgia nodded, confirming the message. “No. I know that most women find Steve Rogers attractive and we have seen how you two interact.” She spit out her toothpaste in rage, her skin boiling.

“You’ve been spying on our meetings?” she asked, exasperated. “Is that legal?” She began to wash the makeup off her face as she wondered what they saw. Did she ever do anything inappropriate? Who was watching this footage? Was it just Fury? Where are the cameras? How many are there? Is there one in the bathroom?

“Don’t worry. We are the only government you need to currently worry about, Dr. Richards.” Somehow, that didn’t make her feel any better. If anything, that made her feel worse. Sometimes the amount of information S.H.I.E.L.D. knew or could acque made her feel sick.

“Well, what do you suppose I need to do to prove that I am not ‘emotionally attached’, as you say?” she questioned, dabbing her face dry. “However, that accusation is completely false and I don’t feel like I should prove anything to you. But knowing S.H.I.E.L.D., it would just be better to cooperate.”

“You don’t need to prove anything to us. We just need you to stay professional. Try and diagnose him and not try and make him feel happy.” Fury explained. “The boy was frozen for seventy years. He’s got feelings, I promise.” Georgia’s patience was growing thin. S.H.I.E.L.D. was the government, but she was getting tired of them wanting her to be the psychiatrist that she normally was while abiding by ridiculous rules.

Georgia looked at Fury. “Listen, I don’t tell you how to do your job, so I don’t really appreciate you telling me how to do mine.”

“Maybe you should watch the way you speak to the man that chose you for this case.” he said, in an authoritative tone. Georgia’s heart skipped a beat as she felt like she had shrunk to the size of an ant. “Just do your job and remember that I have all the power in the world to fire you....” He walked up to her, his good eye piercing through her soul.. “...or ruin you.”

A gasp hitched in Georgia’s throat and she fought the urge to kick him away. “Or, I could be the best thing to happen to your reputation.” he said, backing up. He grabbed an apple out of the bowl on her table, tossing it up in the air and catching it quickly. “Your decision.”

And with that, Nick Fury was gone. As soon as he left, Georgia took deep breaths of air, gulping as if she was holding her breath. She collapsed onto the couch, holding her head into her hands. One of the biggest things that she hated was when she wasn’t taken seriously in her profession because she was a woman. People often thought that she would ruin her cases by becoming emotionally invested with the patients. In her career so far, she hadn’t even thought about being involved with a patient. However, Georgia thought that Steve was an attractive and kind person. She had even gone so far as fantasizing about her dating the soldier. She never would act upon her feelings because she felt like she had a very secure job and would hate to ruin it. Out of pure mental and physical exhaustion, Georgia curled up with a pillow on the couch and fell asleep.