"Stay away from me!"
They're everywhere.
They're everywhere and they're everyone and every time she blinks the darkness that drapes across everything creeps closer and closer.
No matter how much May screams and shouts the ghosts don't go away.
And May screams.
And she screams, and she screams and she screams because for perhaps the first time in her life May has to fight with her words.
May struggles as the restraints cut into her wrists and ankles, the biting pain trickling up her arms and legs. Watching as familiar ghosts float in and out of her vision, the noise that comes out of their mouths growing louder, she thrashes and screams because even though her demons have finally caught up she's not going to go quietly.
(But her wrists burn. Her ankles hurt and her voice is hoarse and her bones ache and now there's a quick sharp pain in her neck. Not only is she still looking at the ghosts, but the darkness that has been creeping around the walls has spread but suddenly all the fight in May is gone, and she closes her eyes.
She remembers another lifetime. Watching as Daisy before she was Daisy aimed her gun without pause at the target and hit her mark every time..
May remembers feeling proud.
But then May remembers the cold steel in Daisy's eyes and the hatred in her voice carving into the air when she said 'I imagined they were all Ward'.
And May remembers how her pride turned into guilt because she realized that Daisy aimed her gun without pause at the target and hit her mark every time and Jemma's still trying to pick up the pieces and Fitz is still so very small.
And May remembers is what she told Daisy and hoped that she would understand 'It's all about control over your mind and your body'.
The last thing May remembers is that right now she has neither)
When she begins to feel again—seconds later? minutes? hours? days?—she's aware that her head is moving side to side and her eyes are fluttering open and close.
And she's aware that the pain screaming from her body is being hushed by the faintest touch stroking her hair. The touch leaves her hair and before May can cry out it rests on her shoulder.
She can barely feel it.
But she can feel it.
May believes that although her demons have caught up her angels haven't left.
The cacophonous noise of the ghosts fades, footsteps echoing and growing distant as May closes her eyes because she's afraid this time she will wake up
"You're going to be alright. I'm going to fix this."
May knows that voice.
(Jemma Simmons won't ever stop picking up the pieces no matter how hard it becomes, and Jemma Simmons will always try to save everyone else even though she's the one in danger)
May has to tell her she's in danger, that she has to leave before the ghosts take over and Jemma's a ghost forever May can't let that happen she won't let—
"You hear me, May?" Jemma whispers. "I promise."
May opens her eyes, and she meets Jemma's, which are too dark and too dead and it's too late to save her because she's become a ghost again.
"It's okay," The ghost murmurs in Jemma's voice. "I'm sorry."
(Everything turns black)
Later, it will come back in pieces. She's not able to explain what it is, exactly, because there's so much May doesn't understand. But it will come back during nights when she's wide awake watching the ceiling fan spin around and around and around and May won't sleep at all because not only is she trying to figure it out but she's afraid she'll close her eyes and this time she won't wake up.
And every damn night she lists what she knows is fact, and what she just knows.
Fact: she died.
But May felt Jemma's hands pounding her chest c'mon May c'mon May c'mon—
Fact: she died.
But May saw Jemma's face streaked with tears you have to come back—
Fact: she died.
But May heard Jemma's voice frantic and cracking I'm not losing you I promised do you hear me Agent May you have to come back that's an order—
Fact: she died.
But maybe some things are stronger than death.