The field team made it to their vehicles before the second shockwave. Men from the camp were running after them. They piled everyone the could into the two trucks, but there just wasn't enough room. As the ground rolled under them, Coulson and Marx ordered the drivers to take off. The remaining members of the camp ran as fast as they could but soon fell behind.
"Coulson, what's your status?" May demanded.
"We're fifteen minutes out," he stated.
Simmons studied the monitors as she held the straps in place for Skye. "You'd better push it harder, Sir, the tremors are getting exponentially bigger."
Coulson's voice was calm as he replied, "You forget, Jemma. I was at the first wormhole collapse." No one responded as they each took his statement to mean something different.
May had the plane hovering as the team came into sight. Aishani coughed as the cloud of dust filled the hold when the two trucks came to an abrupt halt. She held her hand over the button, waiting for the last person to get on board. Four team members boarded first, weapons drawn, keeping the men from the camp between them and the other three members With only Coulson, Dodger and Marx left, a stronger wave hit, knocking all three off their feet.
"We need to get out of here," May's exclaimed. "Tell me it's clear."
"It's clear," the Oracle confirmed, watching the three men scramble over the ledge as she pushed the red button.
"Everyone sit down! It's the safest," Marx shouted in Arabic. The S.H.I.E.L.D. members braced themselves as best they could without letting down their guard. Whatever the hell was going on, the group of men between them had caused it. Coulson handed Aishani his back up piece. If expressions could kill, Phil would have died again. Luckily for him, they can't. Aishani clicked the safety off.
None of them would see the blue light emanating from the center of the camp, but they could see the ground give way on the monitors as the engines pushed the big plane upwards then forward away from the epicenter.
Marx side glanced at Coulson. "Fury is going to have my hide for losing that plane."
Coulson smiled, "Better you than me again."
When they were finally airborne, their 'guests' were escorted to the cage. They weren't a chatty group. As the plane didn't have the accommodations to deal with so many prisoners, Marx and Coulson decided it was best to let the interrogators at the 'Fridge' do their thing.
When their 'guests' were secure, Aishani cornered Coulson down one of the planes many passages. Handing his gun back to him, she looked him square in the eye and in a voice devoid of emotion said, "If you ever hand me another weapon, I'll personally become your second worst nightmare."
Not much in the world scared Phil, but he was grateful they'd been alone for the exchange as he blanched and took a few minutes to get himself back together to face the team.
In the lab, Simmons started removing the straps securing Ward to his bed. He'd woken up during the chaos but had remained silent throughout the departure process. "What happened?" he asked his 'doctor' while staring pointedly at the restraints.
"We're not quite sure. It seems when one of the field team discharged his gun, it caused a reaction with the device inside of the tent. The initial readings are similar to when the wormhole from the Tesarac collapsed but on a bit smaller scale. The hole ended within feet of where the plane was sitting."
"How many survivors?" he wanted to know.
"The team made it as well as fourteen from the camp. They were literally hanging off the vehicles when they pulled up," she recounted.
As she made to move away, Ward reached out, grabbing her wrist. "Jemma, do you think I could sit up a little? Laying flat like this is making my back ache."
"Of course. We can't get you too high because of the drainage tube, but we can prop you up some. I can get a pillow for your knees as well. Why didn't you say something earlier," she gushed out.
"I was sleeping and kinda tied up," Ward stated sarcastically.
Jemma blushed feeling a little sheepish, "Oh, right. Let's see what we can do."
It took Simmons, Fitz and Bixby to get Ward situated and comfortable, reclining against strategically placed pillows. As they finished, Charlotte came into the room. She happily squealed at the sight of her dad sitting up, awake and alert.
Reaching his side, she silently asked if she could give him a hug by holding her arms towards him. Ward grinned at his daughter as he stretched out his I.V. free arm. Just as he was about to embrace the imp, the plane hit turbulence. Ward was thrown off his precarious perch. He would've hit the floor if Bixby and Fitz hadn't been standing as close as they were and caught him before it happened.
"That was a close one. Could've been worse," Fitz muttered, putting pressure on the spot where Ward's I.V. had pulled out.
Simmons was about to agree when Charlotte interrupted, "Daddy's lips are turning blue."
Jemma took in her patient's pallor. "Fitz, get the ventilator. We need to intubate again. A rib must've punctured the lung. The chest tube is draining blood again."
Charlotte watched unfazed as once again her daddy was placed on a breathing machine. She continued to stand sentinel as Simmons pulled out the portable x-ray to verify her diagnosis.
Sure enough, a rib had punctured his lung, but had moved back during the rush to get the man back on his bed. The tear was much bigger and on the opposite lung from the first tear, but since the original was still healing, it couldn't take the trauma of being the only working lung and collapsed. Jemma groaned in frustration. Ward was worse now then he'd been right after the initial accident. All three scientists studied the results of the x-ray and nodded in conjunction. There were no other options.
Upstairs, Marx and Coulson were busy updating HQ. They'd received clearance straight to the 'Fridge' but they didn't have enough fuel to make it that far. May was busy trying to negotiate a S.H.I.E.L.D. friendly landing site. Israel was their best bet.
"Sir, would you please come down here a.s.a.p?" Fitz half asked, half demanded through the comm. "And bring Aishani with you."
Coulson and the Oracle excused themselves to hurry down to the lab. Aishani first saw Charlotte standing next to Ward's bed holding his hand, then she saw all the life saving equipment had returned.
Coulson took one look at Ward and barked, "What happened?"
"It was the turbulence, Sir," Fitz/Simmons responded. "It knocked him off the table. He needs surgery to repair the damage."
"Why aren't you prepping him then?" Coulson asked taking in the uncomfortable stances of his two scientists.
"Sir, it's not a surgery I can do. I don't have the knowledge to repair a lung correctly," Simmons admitted.
Coulson didn't hesitate, "May, change of course. We're headed for Cairo, the closest hospital preferably. Radio ahead for an ambulance. Let them know we have a patient with lung trauma that requires immediate surgery."
They could already feel the plane turning before Coulson finished speaking.
"Roger that. ETA, forty minutes," May responded.
Coulson walked over to the injured man. "Life would be boring if it was easy," he said quietly, clasping a hand to Ward's shoulder. "Take it easy. We'll get you there."
Without addressing the others, Coulson left the room.
When he got to the lounge, he beckoned Marx with a slight arm movement and the two men headed for the cockpit. When the got there, Phil quickly updated the other two with the details of their situation. It was decided that they'd land in Cairo, have Simmons, the Oracle and Charlotte disembark with the patient, get the plane refueled and burn for the 'Fridge'. Coulson could tell May wanted to argue, but she held her tongue. Maybe they were just having sex and nothing more, he thought.
The Cairo office was surprisingly accommodating, despite their reputation. Everything was set to transport Ward and his entourage directly to a S.H.I. . supported hospital. With great efficiency, May had them back in the air.