She starts breaking down two miles from the motel. They've pulled out of their parking spot, put on their seatbelts, and gotten on the nearest highway out of the city. The sun is still shining in the sky, and wind is blowing alongside the car. His phone beeps, and Coulson answers it, taking a second to cast a sideways glance at Skye in the passenger seat. She is curled up there, knees pulled to her chest as she stares blankly out her side of the car at the trees.
"Hey I've got her."
"Oh thank god," Jemma voice sounds over the line, "Is she okay?"
He casts another glance at Skye, who curls even tighter in a ball.
"She's…she's safe."
"Of course," Jemma says quietly, "We've ordered food, for when you get here."
"Thank you."
He hangs up the phone, and once again the sound of the wind and of the other cars is all he hears. As he swings off the highway though, another sound is brought to his attention. It's so quiet at first, but as the noise pollution dies, it gets clearer, and he takes another glance at Skye. She is still curled up, but now her hands are covering her mouth and her eyes are squeezed shut as she tries to hold back her sobs. He goes to pull over on the side of the road, but she looks at him and shakes her head, eyes filled with tears. As they pull up to the motel, she starts to cry.
Jemma is waiting there, arms wrapped around herself and Coulson can see Trip and Fitz standing back behind the gate that surrounds the pool. He switches the car off, then races around to the other side and opens Skye's door. She stumbles out of the car and into Jemma's arms. Jemma leads her into the gated area before Skye collapses to the ground. Jemma sits beside her, arms around her and Coulson lowers himself to the concrete in order to do the same. He can see Trip say something to Fitz, and they both disappear into the background.
"Oh Skye," Jemma says, tears in her eyes as she holds the girl close. Skye is sobbing now, curled up tight, and all they can do is hold her.
"What happened?" Coulson cannot help but ask. And he can feel his insides boiling at the thought of what Ward could have done-
"Nothing," Skye chokes out, "he didn't hurt-"she hiccups and the tears keep flowing.
Suddenly she lurches out of their grasp, stumbling to the nearest trash can, and she empties her stomach inside it.
Jemma gets up and approaches her slowly, carefully putting on hand on her back and using the other to sweep the hair out of Skye's face.
Skye stays there a long time, gasping into the bin, until she falls back into Jemma's arms on the concrete surface. Trip and Fitz return carrying carry out cups, which they place down on the nearest table.
"We brought tea," Fitz says more to Coulson, who has gotten up to stand beside the girls.
"I need to shower," Skye says suddenly, and she must see the fear flash through Coulson's eyes because she is quick to speak.
"It's not like that," she says, almost retching again at the thought of things being like that, "I just, need to, you know."
Coulson nods and Jemma helps her up and into a motel room. She reaches for her laptop, pressing keys and them turning it towards them, showing to windows, on a diner, the other the cargo hold.
"You can watch it, if you want," she says, "just hit play on this one, and then on the other once the first is over." Coulson nods again and Skye disappears into the bathroom.
They watch the videos, commenting at first, but by the time the first is over they sit in stunned silence. Coulson presses play on the second one, and they do not speak at all until it's over.
"My god" Trip is the first to speak, and all they can do is nod in agreement.
The sun has just begun to set when they finish, and Jemma returns the laptop to Skye's room. She sees Skye looking blankly into the bathroom mirror. She walks up to her, and Skye looks up with red eyes.
"I want to sleep," she whispers, and Jemma nods, laying a blanket over Skye once she's curled up on the bed.
"We'll be right outside," and Skye nods. Jemma sighs and head back outside to sit beside Fitz, who's taken off his shoes and socks and is resting his feet in the pool. She leans her head on Fitz's shoulder and closes her eyes.
Hours later when it is dark, Skye walks out of her motel room. Her eyes are clear and she has her usual spring in her step. She sits on her laptop at one of the tables, and Coulson sits across from her, handing her a piece of his chocolate bar. She smiles and thanks him, and he thinks maybe she they will be alright after all.