Skye sat in the hallway outside of the ER. Grant's blood had coated her hands and stained her jeans. There was a streak of crimson blood on her right cheek. She had dragged him to the checkpoint the team had agreed on if anything went wrong. By the time the rest of the team met her there, Grant's breaths were shallow and his body was covered in sweat. May helped her load him into the back and they drove to the nearest hospital.

Luckily the hospital was only fifteen miles away and they were close enough to have felt the blast of the compound. Grant, however, was the only patient reporting injuries from the explosion. A nurse asked Skye what had happened and she had mumbled something about the two of them camping in the area.

Simmons had given clothes to Skye to change into in the hospital bathroom. It was just a pair of clean jeans and a light pink v-neck. Skye stood in the bathroom scrubbing at the blood crusted to her body. The cold water stung her skin, but she didn't care. She wanted it gone.

The blood tinted the water in the sink a pink color as it drained into the sink. Her curly hair fell into her eyes and she quickly brushed it out of her eyes. Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. Just let them blur her vision. Even after the blood was gone, she continued to scrub. It was always going to be there, she realized. No matter how much time passes or how hard she tried to clean it off, Grant Ward's blood would always be there.

Skye took a deep breath and turned the water off. She didn't bother to look into the mirror; she knew she looked like a mess. With the heel of her hands, she wiped her eyes and pulled on the black high tops Simmons had given her.

She didn't bother to clean the blood out of her old clothes, so she hid them in the bottom of the trashcan. Quickly, she packed her gear into her backpack and shoved her gun into the back of her jeans.

May and Skye waited in that hallway for what felt like an eternity. The rest of the team had gathered in the waiting room. Skye figured that Simmons was sitting in the corner trying not to cry while Fitz was wrapping his arm around her. Tripp was probably drinking some coffee standing off to the side. Coulson was most likely failing to keep his cool and yelling at some poor nurse trying to get an update on Ward's status.

After several hours of waiting and anxiously pacing, a doctor with graying black hair and lab coat that was a few sizes to big stepped into the hallway. He had bags under his eyes that made him look older than he probably was. It was only then that Skye realized it was after two o'clock in the morning. She most likely looked awful too.

"How is he?" May asked rising to her feet.

"He lost a lot of blood, but the surgery was successful," the doctor said. "He's lucky to be alive."

"Can we go in and see him?" May asked.

Skye hadn't said a word since the doctor came into the hallway. She did manage to stumbled out of her chair, but all of the words she was trying to form caught in her throat. They did come out, but in a quiet choking sound that went unheard by everyone, but May. For the first time ever, Skye was speechless.

"Yes," the doctor said walking away.

"I'm- I'm gonna go get the others," Skye stuttered not meeting May's gaze. She dragged her feet down the hallway and May watched her turn into the waiting room.

"How is he?" Coulson demanded clattering to his feet upon seeing Skye enter the room. She walked toward him fiddling with her finger nails.

"He's lucky to be alive," Skye said looking up at her team. Their eyes looked at her hopefully, even Tripp. "The doctor said you can go in and see him."

"Where's May?" Coulson asked.

"She's already in there with him," Skye replied.

"Are you okay," Simmons asked Skye.

Skye hesitated a minute before answering. Honestly, she wasn't okay. Not only did she watch her former SO practically die in the field, but she still loved him. She didn't want to love him, loving him had only ever gotten her clabbered. But she loved him; there was no getting around that. She loved him and she didn't know if she'd ever get the chance to tell him that.

"No," Skye whispered her voice cracking. She clamped her hand over her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. In one long stride, Simmons was next to her wrapping her arms around her. Fitz followed enveloping both of the girls in this warm embrace.

"It'll be okay," Jemma said softly into Skye's hair as a few tears slipped down her cheeks too.

Skye rested her head on Jemma's shoulder, sobbing into her sweater. Jemma's hand trailed through Skye's tangled hair. After a few minutes, Skye's body relaxed and the sobs subsided into quiet hiccups.

Skye pulled away from the other woman and inhaled deeply. "I'm gonna go get some coffee," she said. "Anybody want anything?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Skye pulled the van into the drive-thru of the McDonalds a few miles away from the hospital. The cheery woman at the window shouted something that resembled jibberish into the speaker.

"Can I have three large coffees, a medium orange soda, a ten piece chicken nugget meal with root beer, a chocolate milkshake and a dozen cookies," Skye ordered into the speaker.

"Will that be all?" The woman replied.

"Yeah," Skye said reaching into the glove compartment for a wad of cash. She pulled two twenties into her lap and pulled up to the next window.

The woman handed her two cup holders with the drinks which she rested in the passenger seat and then the bag with Fitz's chicken nuggets on the floor. Skye handed her the two twenties faking a smile to the best of her ability. The woman placed her change in her hand which she dropped into the cup holder.

With the window still down, Skye drove back to the hospital. When she walked into the waiting room the team, May included, was gathered in the waiting room. She handed May and Coulson their coffees and Tripp his soda. Fitz tore into his chicken nuggets like a mad man before she even had the chance to hand Simmons her milkshake.

After throwing away the trash, Skye sipped at her coffee. It burned her tongue, but it wasn't bad for drive-thru coffee.

Skye sat down in a chair nursing her cup of coffee. She observed the world as it went on around her. All the kids playing in the playroom with the puzzles and blocks. The people crowded around each other in their little groups mourning someone's death or praying for recovery. The people walking in and out of the chapel with tear stains evident on their faces. The nurses rushing and bustling around with their colorful scrubs and over-enthusiastic smiles. It all made her feel even sicker to her stomach.