"Hey, you okay?" Simmons glanced up at Fitz, his hand resting gently on her shoulder as concern glittered in his blue eyes. "You look pale…" he trailed off, and she knew he was thinking about her… illness.
She smiled up at him reassuringly, but it was forced, and replied, "I'm fine, Fitz. Just a little tired." She knew he didn't believe her, even her excuse sounded weak to her own ears, but he let it go, releasing her should as well.
"Go get some sleep, then; I can finish up here," Fitz told her, his eyes still holding his worry.
Simmons opened her mouth to protest, but hesitated, not sure how to convince him to let her stay without telling him the real reason why. "Are you sure?"
He nodded and assured, "Of course I am. Let me know if I can do anything for you."
"Thank you, Leo," she murmured before standing up from her seat, glancing reluctantly back down at her work. Suddenly, out of impulse, she reached her head up and pecked him on the lips lightly. Fitz froze, startled, and Simmons quickly left, face heating with embarrassment, not sure what possessed her to do that.
Slipping into her bunk and sliding the door closed behind her, she sat down on her bed, pressing up against the wall as she glanced out the window beside her. Grief welled up inside her, the grief that had been chased away when she was with Fitz earlier. Sighing, she looked down at her hands, wishing she knew to tell him. The matter was serious, and she knew the outcome wasn't going to be good. If only the infection hadn't come back…
Jemma tried to old back a yawn. Sleep was too risky, and she tried to encourage herself to stay awake by remembering she had already made it two days without sleep. Besides, she needed to tell Fitz now before it went south. But she was so tired… there was no way she could last longer without sleep, she knew that.
"A little nap shouldn't hurt," she murmured to herself, though she knew fully well it would. She stood up, making sure not to stand up too fast to avoid being lightheaded, but she suddenly felt weak, and stumbled back onto her cot. She tried again, but with no luck.
So, Simmons gave up, and lied down on her bed, grabbing her journal next to her and quickly scribbled down one last note, making sure to leave it opened when she finished. Tears blurred her sleep-heavy eyes and she prayed with all her will that Fitz would come rushing in and save her… but nothing happened.
If only she had time to tell him personally how she really felt…