Burn Burn Burn
In. Hold. Out.
Label the vial, place it in the centrifuge; repeat.
In. Hold. Out.
Jemma found herself clenching her trembling jaw as more traitorous tears burned the back of her eyes. She tried to focus on her breathing; she could control her breath.
In. Hold. Out.
The last of her resolve crumbled as Fitz stepped up silently beside her and took the test tube she was holding from her shaking hand. She settled for hiding her tears against his chest as he drew her into a familiar embrace.
‘What happened out there Jem?’
She tried to pull away, shaking her head furiously to avoid his gaze, but a soft hand lifted her chin to meet his eyes, brimming with understanding and concern. But he didn’t understand – couldn’t – and it was not her place to make him. They had always had an understanding; Fitz was there for her, no matter what, without question and without asking for answers she could not give. He began speaking softly, as if reading her mind;
‘You need to let me in on this, Jemma, people are asking questions and I don’t know what not to say to avoid making this worse. Coulson may have had his reasons for locking down the base but its caused a panic – Daisy’s stuck in the gym but she has her laptop and the encryption on the inner doors won’t keep her at bay for long –‘
‘You can’t let her out of that room Fitz’. Determination seemed to dry her eyes. ‘She’ll go looking for May – and she can’t – or Coulson, who just isn’t – Fitz, she needs to stay in that room and as far away from all of this as possible.’
Fitz’s next question died on his lips as the security panel buzzed with activity beside them. Jemma’s hands reached it first and he was grateful when she turned it towards him with a questioning stare. ‘Is that not Bobbi’s commander ID?’
ETA 10 minutes to base. 42069 requesting landing and clearance.
Tablet in hand, they both started down the towards the hanger, when a flurry of activity nearly vibrated the console out of her grip.
MEDBAY 1 BEDSIDE SOS. MEDBAY 1 BEDSIDE SOS. MEDBAY 1 BEDSIDE SOS. MEDBAY 1 BEDSIDE SOS.
Catching her frantic glance between the hallway back to the medical wing and the hanger ahead of them, Fitz nudged her gently back towards the lab.
‘Go to her, I can do this –‘
Jemma didn’t need to be told twice, already turning on her heal and racing towards her patient, her friend, leaving Fitz holding the tablet, which continued to thrill for attention as he made his way to the hanger.
He drew to a stuttering halt as he noticed the door to the gym propped open.
Shit
It has taken nearly 3 embarrassingly long hours to work her way through the security system on the door. First, May blows her off for training AGAIN - then Coulson benches her from a callout – and now she couldn’t even punch her way to serenity without getting locked down in the gym like a goddamn toddler.
Daisy was far from happy – but more than a little curious as she headed towards the holding cells to see what special kind of threat had warranted such a response.
Trying not to pick at her split knuckles, Daisy’s thoughts turned sourly to May, who would no doubt be guarding their VIP (Very Important Prisoner, she chuckled lamely to herself). Ever since Gordon had found her – had told her that her real mother was still alive – she couldn’t help but see Melinda May for everything she was not. She had made an effort at the start – lulled her into a false sense of security and affection – but then Gordon showed up. And suddenly it was always another time, excuse after excuse – until today, that is, when she hadn’t even bothered to make one, and just left her freeing her ass off in the gym alone at 6am. She paid attention only when it served her, it seemed. More than once over the past several weeks, the little training she HAD provided Daisy with allowed her to catch the older woman watching her, only somewhat conspicuously, as she went about her day. May’s distrust of the Inhumans apparently extended to her, too. While her affection for the team overall had stayed Daisy’s hand initially, Gordon’s offer of a quick escape was becoming harder and harder to resist….
Daisy’s sharpening thought spiral slowed to a temporary stop as she rounded the corner to see Mack standing guard outside the holding cells – May couldn’t be bothered to do her job nowadays either, it seemed. Before she could call out to him, the piercing shrill of the incoming vessel alarm in the hanger sounded, and Mack rounded the corner, out of site and away from his post.
I guess Guard Duty’s on me today, Daisy thought to herself, as she entered the control station leading into the holding area.
Her absent musings screamed to a stop, the alarm in the background fading into insignificance, as she saw Dr Gardner’s crumpled form slumped in the first cell.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he tried to speak,
‘Daisy….run….mhnghhgh….you too….’