Nodding in agreement with the older man’s words, Jack’s brow lifted when he felt a hand on his shoulder. This fella here was a nice man, a kind man -- everythin’ he wished for his ole man to be. Not that he thought he was too old for him; Jack was an easy-goin’ fella himself, who just happened to like the company of other men, is all. ‘Course, Ennis would always be first in his heart, but God saw fit to put Jack here, so what could he do? When McCoy finished talkin’, askin’ a question of his own, the young cowboy answered, having warmed up to the doc.

“I guess they seem nice enough.” But, to Jack’s eyes, most people looked downright unfrien’ly if only ‘cause so many from his time were, ‘specially men.

Then Leonard said the strangest thing, and the youth had to know what on Earth he was talkin’ about. “What do you mean ‘until it’s not’?” He pulled a bandana out of the pocket of his jeans, wipin’ the sweat off the back of his neck. “You know, those long, skinny tootsie pop thangs? They advertise ‘em as Astronaut food.”

“’Bout the other, I guess I thought they might be differen’ in a hunred years or so. But they haven’ changed in all this time, I guess.”