Choices

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Patient Confidentiality

"Long live the reckless and the brave. I don't think I want to be saved." - All Time Low: The Reckless and Brave.

-

 Tony and I land in the Bus with a soft clank. Clint looks grateful to be standing on his two feet again as the hydraulic hatch closes behind us. Tony and I unlock ourselves from our suits. We store them away where Skye had shown me last time. I imagined there to be greeted with the team applauding us, considering we just took down alien terrorists, but this is S.H.I.E.L.D.; this is what we do every day. Instead we are only met by one woman.

 "Whoa, what's with the uniform?" Skye asks from where she leans against then guardrail on the stairs.

 "Black Order's, it was either this or just my bra and pants," I speak without consideration of the two men in huge room, "It was so cold in that room too. I don't like this uniform as much as I liked my old one. This one is so much tighter and it is pushing up things that don't need to be pushed up when in the middle of a firefight. Like seriously, when I'm in a fight why would anyone care to stop and look at my-"

 "Okay, Monica," Tony coughs and waves his hand, "We got it."

 "You seem awfully... chatty," Skye comments.

 "She's been injected with a type of truth drug," Tony informs her, "She says whatever is on her mind, just a heads up."

 "They think I'm annoying," I state.

 "Ah," Skye stands up straight. "Coulson needs you up in his office."

 "Of course," Clint sets down his bow and arrow quiver.

 The three of us head for the stairs. I notice that since my adrenaline has begun to calm down that the pain medicine has nearly completely worn off. I bite my lip to keep myself from groaning as I walk. We catch up with Skye on the stairs. I'm halfway up the spiral staircase with Tony directly in front of me when Clint accidentally bumps my back. My bottom lip pulls from my teeth as I cry out in pain. Everyone stops walking and turns to look at me.

 "Oops, sorry," Clint apologizes, "Did I hit you that hard?"

 "No, no, it's not you," I stop to squeeze the railing as pain pulses through my back.

 "She needs medical attention right now. She's been a captive for almost twenty-four hours," Tony directs to Skye, "Whatever Coulson needs, he can do it with just the two of us or it can wait."

 "Of course," She agrees. "Monica, you know where the lab is upstairs, right?"

 "Yeah."

 "Fitz-Simmons should be in there. Have Simmons examine you."

 Once we get up the stairs, I part ways with Tony, Clint, and Skye. I find my way to the lab. My back aches in discomfort with each step I take. I open the door into the lab and see Fitz-Simmons standing around a laptop. I clear my throat to get their attention.

 "Monica! So glad to see you back on the Bus," Simmons's face lights up with a smile.

 "Yeah, also very glad we don't have to deal with the... the... Black Order anymore," Fitz adds.

 "I'm with you on both," I force a smile, "I've been told to come to you for a check-over because I feel like crap."

 "Oh, of course. Just a usual post-mission check-over I'm sure," Simmons walks over to me, "Did you get a new suit?"

 "It's a Black Order uniform," I reply.

 "I thought I didn't recognize it," Simmons motions for me to sit on the table with my back turned to Fitz.