Chapter 46
"Agent Garrett raided the BUS for all of our towels." Skye said as she pulled the cart into Agent Hand's office, and started to unload the supplies. What looked like every towel on that had been on the BUS, and a stack of washcloths too. Several giant containers that had to hold fifty gallons of water between them. Little bottles of shampoos, conditioners and lotions and tiny bars of soap. Hair dryer. A garbage bag with the opening rolled down and lined with more towels like the instructions they had found online for making a makeshift setup to wash the hair of someone in bed had shown. "Looks like he did a little checking online, too, to figure out how we were going to have to do this? Bath or hair first?"
"Hair's probably best." Jemma said after a moment. "That way if we spill anything, we won't have to change her clothes twice. Ma'am?" She called as she checked what Agent Garrett had brought again, and then the instructions they had found using Skye's phone. She thought that Agent Hand was too deeply asleep to hear her, but still, if she could at all, it was best to tell her what they were doing. "We're going to wash your hair for you, alright? That should make you feel much better."
"Which one do you want to use? Agent Garrett brought up a variety." Skye asked as she held out a couple of the shampoos. "I kind of like this one. It smells like roses. Do you think that might be a good scent for her? It's not really strong so don't think it would be too much."
"Flowers should be fine." And Agent Garrett did know Agent Hand, so they shouldn't have to worry about him sending them something she might be allergic too. "Alright, I'm sorry if this is a bit awkward, Ma'am. I've never tried this before, but we looked up up online, and the instructions were very well written. I'm sure we can manage." Jemma said as they moved Agent Hand a bit, so her head was partially hanging off the edge of her makeshift bed, and so her hair fell down into the garbage bag that was going to be their makeshift basin. Skye ran some of the water from the first pot over Agent Hand's hair with a cup to wet it, and then Jemma started working the shampoo in. Not hard at all. This would be fine, she was sure.
A fog. She felt like she was drifting in a fog, with no idea which end was up, or how to find her way out but Victoria could hear voices surrounding her, and then hands touching her. What were they doing, though? She could only make out a few words. Something about John? John had taken to prayer. Her brain wasn't working right, but she remembered that at least. Prayer and reading the Bible. Did she want to know what he had done that he thought that prayer was his only hope? And was that shampoo that had just been mentioned? Victoria suddenly had a bad, bad feeling. John had teased her once, warning her to be sure not go get her shampoo mixed up with whatever Abigail Brand used that had resulted in her green hair. If John thought that her being ill and trapped in bed was the perfect time to pull a joke… But there was nothing she could do about it if he was pulling something, she realized. And the fingers, working through her hair, working in the shampoo that she feared was sabotaged were very nice, the touch light and gentle but firm enough that she already felt cleaner than she had a few minutes before. Maybe she would be okay with green hair, at least for a little while? Who knows, it might look nice. And then the fingers stopped moving, and there was water, splashing over her hair, and something else being worked in as she felt herself drifting back into the fog and thoughts of anything slipped away as she slid into a deep, drugged sleep once more.
"It looks a lot better, and it isn't even dry yet." Skye commented as Jemma worked the conditioner in. It looked like the instructions for how to wash her hair were working perfectly too. "We need to let the conditioner set for a few minutes, right? Should we do her bath while we're waiting on that?"
"That might be a good idea." Jemma said. This was going much, much better than she had thought it would. Skye wet one of the washcloths as Jemma eased Agent Hand out of the hospitall gown. "We're just going to get you cleaned up a bit, Ma'am. It's going to help you, we promise. You're going to feel much better in just a little bit." Jemma was as gentle as possible, running the soapy washcloth over first arms and legs and then body, rubbing in little, gentle cycles that she hoped would offer a bit of comfort as well as cleaning. Skye got another washcloth and came along behind her, rinsing the soap away as she finished each area, and then using a towel to gently blot the skin dry before rubbing on the lotion.
She looks a lot better." Skye said when they were done, Agent Hand in a clean gown and the only drying her hair left to do. "What she said, though? Do you really think she believes that we all hate her?"
"It might have been the medicine." Jemma offered. "I gave her something fairly strong. It could have confused her."
"She didn't really sound confused, though. Even the thing she was saying with the plane, just look at what Fury pulled with AC. Him trying the same thing with her would make perfect sense, at least it would make more sense than what really happened. I'm afraid that she really does think we hate her. How do we even try to fix that? I don't want her to think we hate her."
Jemma definitely felt the same way, but she wasn't sure what to suggest. "The only thing I can think of is to keep doing what we're doing, taking care of her, and trying to make her comfortable. Hopefully something about that will be enough to get through to her, and make her realize that she was wrong and we don't hate her." It was the only idea that she had. Poor Agent Hand. She really had seemed upset, and Jemma hated to let her think that she was with people who hated her, but with the medicine and the effects of the flu still wracking her body, she wasn't sure what they really could do to fix the situation besides continuing to take care of her, and hope actions spoke louder than words.
"Hello?" Sharon called as she hurried to the front desk of the mental institution, her aunt and Agent May's mother following along behind. She pulled out her badge and held it out. "I'm Agent Sharon Carter from Shield. Our director was…" How could she put it nicely? Somehow she didn't think saying that their director had been drugged, tossed in a van and drug off to their hospital would get her anywhere. "Director Fury was brought here just a bit ago. I was wanting to get an update on him."
"Director Fury?" A doctor called as he came down the hallway towards them. "He's been admitted on a 72 hour hold. The Chief of Staff at the White House called himself to arrange it."
"A 72 hour hold?" Sharon said. "For what reason?"
"He attempted to disrupt a wake." The doctor told them. "We believe that he has suffered a serious psychotic break and might pose a threat to himself or others if he was released into society at this time."
"A…. Okay, I was at that wake for Agent Hand." Sharon said. Not good, this was not good.
"Yes, your director seems to be laboring under the delusion that this Agent Hand is still alive." The doctor said. "Were they close?"
"Sharon, didn't you say poor Victoria was alive?" Peggy said. "I don't know why in the world they would have a funeral for her if she was alive. And the President was there. Wouldn't he know if poor Victoria was alive?"
Just perfect. Now the doctor was looking at her like she might be in need of a little stay at the mental home too. If she got locked up, how was her aunt going to get home? Maybe she could beg Agent May's mother to give her a ride?
"It's the oddest thing now that I think about it. There was a mix-up with Phil too. Poor Steve. He was so upset when he told me about Phil dying. And Howard's boy Tony told me the same thing. But then Nick came to see me and said Phil was fine. But Steve, I don't think he would have an idea how to lie, and he said he was at Phil's funeral."
"So, your director has had this issue before?" the doctor said, temporarily forgetting about any plans to grab Sharon to be locked away too for denying Victoria's death. Director Fury, denying two people who had worked under him were dead, on two separate occasions, the man obviously had serious, serious issues.
"I wouldn't say they're issues." Sharon said.
"That is odd about Agent Coulson. Melinda told me he was dead too. I even sent flowers to his funeral. Then a few months ago she called and said he was alive." Agent May's mother said.
"So this is a deep seated problem with your organization." the doctor said. "That's very alarming to say the least."
"It's not an issue. Really, it's not. Well, maybe a communications issue, but…. Listen, would it be possible to get Director Fury transferred back to Shield's custody? We'll be happy to get him any help we think he might need."
"I'm afraid not without a court order." the doctor said. "In the meantime, I'm thinking a course of electro-convulsive therapy might be the best treatment to snap him out of these delusions."