Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 32

The water hit her back, warm, soft. Her clothes had been stripped off of her by Leo and Jemma. Both of them had faltered when it came to her underclothes, but they had to go. They sat her down in the shower stall adjacent to the Lab, and turned on the water, low pressure.

"We need to get all this blood off so I can see what I'm working with," Jemma said softly to Leo, and her voice sounded a million miles away. Asia hugged her knees to her chest. This was all her fault.

In her mind, she was picturing Natasha. What Natasha would have done, what Asia should have done. All the ways she could have saved Skye. All the ways she could have...should have...handled it.

Jemma bent down in front of her, tipping her chin up. Gently, she took a small swab and began to scrub her face, moving gently around her eyes, removing all of the blood. Behind her, Leo tentatively ran a sponge down her back, in slow, circular motions.

From far off, as if through water, a voice spoke, beckoning Jemma away. "Can you finish this and get her ready?" Jemma said to Leo before she left. He must have said yes, for Jemma was gone in an instant. Probably to take care of Skye.

Skye.

And again, it all flooded back. Her eyes ached from being unable to cry; all her tears had already been spent. Her body shivered, even under the warm water. Nothing was going to be okay again. She had to withdraw herself. She had to close herself off. It was the only way.

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Jemma slowly drew the needle across another cut on Asia's riddled body. How had she wound up in this place? Two of her friends, her teammates, injured. Skye, fatally. Asia...well....something was definitely wrong. While usually, Jemma found the brunette's excessive need to chat, need to punch things, need to constantly be moving, need to constantly make Fitz laugh, annoying beyond measure, now she would give anything for Asia to move, to look at her, to say something. Anything. She didn't even flinch when the needle was drug through her flesh, holding her bits and pieces together.

She glanced over her shoulder towards the chamber which was keeping Skye alive, barely. They were nearly at the hospital now. Then everything would go back to normal, and her two teammates would be okay.

Jemma brushed back Asia's hair, inspecting her scalp for any cuts. There were none. Quinn had avoided her scalp, for an unknown reason. Perhaps it was just an uncomfortable angle to reach. Gently, Jemma pulled the girl's hair into a soft ponytail to keep it out of her face. That lovely hair, the hair Jemma had previously been envious of, was okay. One thing was okay.

Carefully, Jemma unwound rolls of bandages and began to wrap them around Asia. Her arms, her legs, her chest, all bound. Her face was patched, her chest, her feet, her hands. Everything was covered in white. She then helped her into a sweater, into soft pants, nothing constrictive. "There," she said, looking for a place where she could gently pat him, but there were none. She faltered. "You're all patched up. You'll be back to normal in no time."

How long would no time be, though?

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Asia stood in the corner of the waiting room, hood of her sweater pulled up, shielding her face. She crossed her arms over her shoulders, straining at her bandages. Jemma and Leo sat on opposite sides of a large couch, and every now and then Leo would glance at her, and the open space between them. Ward sat in a chair, arms propped up on his knees, chewing nervously at a thumbnail. Asia hadn't seen him this worried in a long time. Coulson was on the phone. May was pacing. Most of them refused to look at her.

As it should be. This was all her fault.

Hours passed and Asia refused to sit, refused to move. Coffee was consumed, books were read, and still Asia stood like a statue, dwelling only in her shadows.

Suddenly, Leo was off the couch and grabbing her arm. "Would you just sit down for Christ's sake?" He said, exasperated. The others all turned to face them. Asia looked at her feet. She let him lead her, reluctantly, to the couch. Her legs quivered, thanking him, glad to be relieved of their duty. So she sat.

They all sat.

After what may have been another hour or so, a doctor entered the waiting room. Everyone froze.