May awoke at the first sound of life outside her door, her hand automatically reaching for the ICER on her bedside table. She blinked a few times, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim room as she guardedly waited for a knock, or even an explosion to come. Neither did.
Instead, she heard the electronic beep of the door unlocking and watched as a familiar blanketed figure pushed their way into her bunk. May could feel her body relax as she watched them stumble across the room and slipped the gun away.
“Daisy, what are you doing?” May asked as the girl languidly dropped herself onto the bed next to her with a pained groan. “Daisy?” she asked more urgently.
A few seconds passed, and then a few more and eventually she responded, “I’m sick.”
“Sick? Have you gone and seen Simmons yet?” May queried, gently placing the palm of her hand on the girl's forehead.
“Is too late,” Daisy slurred, her voice raspy and strained, “tomorrow.”
“You’re burning Dais.”
“I’m fineee.”
May watched her for a moment, noticing how unusually pale she was and how the dim glow of the digital alarm clock highlighted the sweat that left her hair clinging to her face. “You’ve gotta at least shed a few of these layers, it’s only making this fever worse,” she offered as she gently tugged at the blanket she’d bundled herself in.
“Mmm no, is too cold,” Daisy protested, sinking her face further into her blanket cocoon.
“If you don’t let me help get your fever down, I’m calling Jemma.”
Her eyes shot open at the mention of the scientist and quickly made to untangle herself from the blanket.
“Hoodie too Dais,” May pointed to the SHIELD academy sweatshirt she was pretty sure was hers.
Daisy grumbled a response but eventually acquiesced, discarding the hoodie to the floor and wrapping her goosebump-covered arms around herself, “better?”
“Yes, much better,” May smiled, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of Daisy’s face before she hoisted herself off the bed. “I’m gonna go get a few things but I’ll be back shortly, okay?”
Daisy made some noncommittal sounds, half asleep by the time May had left her bunk.
When May returned, Tylenol, water and other necessities in hand, she found Daisy asleep, curdled up into herself. Her breathing was laboured and the rise and fall of her chest was uneven, and every so often her body would shudder, but at least she was getting some rest.
Quietly and cautiously, she crawled back into bed, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep herself. As her eyelids grew heavy and her body relaxed, she felt the mattress shift and was met with a sudden warmth up against her side. May smiled down at the sleeping girl and carefully draped her arm around her. With Daisy curled into her, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
“Dais?” May asked groggily when she felt the dip in the mattress next to her withdraw, followed by the sound of quick footsteps against cement flooring. Soft yellow light filled the room and she shielded her eyes, blindly sitting up in bed. May rubbed at her eyes, trying to rid the sleep from her features when the unmistakable sound of gagging reached her ears.
Instantly she was on her feet, rushing to where Daisy sat on the cold linoleum floor, head resting against the toilet seat. Her hair clung to the back of her neck and tear tracks ran down her pale, greenish cheeks.
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry,” May soothed as she knelt down next to her, moving her hair away from her face, “you’re okay, it’s okay.”
As Daisy heaved up nothing but bile, her whole body shivering, May rubbed her back in circular motions.
“I hate this, it’s humiliating,” she muttered between exasperated, shaky breaths,
“I know Dais, I’m sorry,” May tried to comfort her, gently wiping away a stray tear from Daisy’s cheek, “I wish there was more I could do.”
Exhausted and aching and nauseous, Daisy leaned back against May, allowing herself to sink into the older woman’s arms. She nestled her head beneath her chin and shuts her eyes hoping it would stop the room from spinning. May held her close and rocked her gently and for a split second the nausea was gone.
Sooner than later though, she found herself once again hunched over the ceramic bowl, May brushing her hair back as her body forced her to vomit food she hadn’t even eaten.
“Sit here for a second,” May said as Daisy finished, helping her lean back against the wall. She left the bathroom briefly and returned with a bottle of gatorade, a thermometer and two Tylenol tablets cupped in her palm. “Here, you’re dehydrated and this fever doesn’t seem to want to go down on its own.”
Daisy took the medication and gatorade eagerly, downing it so quickly that May had to remind her to slow down as she took her temperature. 102.1°F.
“Low-grade fever,” May mumbled to herself as she slowly dabbed at Daisy’s face and neck with a cool wet cloth. “Think you’ll be okay for now?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Alright then,” she reached out a hand for her to take, “let’s get you back to bed.”
With May’s help, Daisy lifted herself from the floor and the two walked back to the bed, settling in.
The throbbing behind her eyes had diminished slightly, but her limbs still ached and part of her wanted to stay tucked into May’s side forever. “Thank you May,” Daisy whispered.
“Of course,” she adjusted the arm holding her close, “anything for you.”
Daisy shifted closer to May, placing her head on the other woman’s chest, the steady beat of her heart lulling her into somnolence. “I love you mom,” she trailed off, her words muffled by the fabric of May’s shirt.
“I love you too Daisy, sleep well,” May replied, but the girl was already asleep.
By nine the next morning, the sickly pallor of Daisy’s skin had begun to fade and colour had started returning to her cheeks. As May gently brushed her cheek, she noticed that her skin was cooler than it had been mere hours ago. At the soft touch, Daisy burrowed herself further into her side and May could feel her heart swell.
“Shh, go back to sleep,” she said faintly when Daisy stirred awake. Exhaustion and illness were still evident in her features, from her eyes fighting to stay open to the dark circles that had formed around them.
“Mmm, more sleep,” Daisy breathed, closing her eyes once more.
The ends of May’s mouth curled as she watched Daisy’s features soften and her breathing even out. With her girl nestled in her side and tucked underneath her arm, May closed her own eyes. She could afford to sleep in just this once.