Ward wasn't sure how far he had run, he just knew that he had to make it into the forest where it would be easier to hide. The blood was pouring out of his shoulder at a worrying rate and he was worried that an artery may have been hit. He needed to find someone and fast or he was going to bleed out. But he couldn't find someone if he didn't fucking know where he was? He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. Great. Leave it to Grant Ward to get lost and injured. "Grant?" someone asked. And now he was hallucinating, perfect. Ward heard footsteps near him. He tried to focus his eyesight on where the noise was coming from, but his vision was going blurry, "Grant?" it was a woman's voice. He didn't allow himself to hope that it was Skye. He wasn't lucky enough to be the one to find her, "Grant?" it definitely sounded like her. Maybe he was dying and imagining the one thing he wanted to hear.
But when he felt her touch him, he knew she was real. He forced himself to open his eyes, despite the fact that he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He needed to see her, if only for a moment, "Skye," he said, relief flooding his voice. She was alive and she didn't look like she was hurt. With that reassurance, he passed out, knowing he was in good care
"Oh god, Grant," Skye murmured as she lowered him to the round as gently as she could. She could see the bullet wound in his shoulder, and was hit with the realization that she didn't have any supplies with her. Grant could very well die out here if she didn't do something. First off, she needed to stop the bleeding, but Hartley had all the medical supplies in her back pack and she was god knows where. Skye took off her jacket quickly and pressed the leather into Ward's shoulder, he flinched slightly, but didn't regain consciousness.
She tied the sleeves as tight as she could around his arm to make a makeshift splint. It wasn't great, but it was all they had for now. Skye wasn't sure what else to do other than wait for him to wake up.
It was too dark to travel now, and she resigned herself to the fact that her and Grant would be spending the night together in the woods. She tried in vain to keep herself warm and she laid back against a tree and kept watch while Grant slept.
When Ward opened his eyes, all her saw was darkness. He tried to sit up and was met by a pain so intense that he fell back down. How late was it? He groaned as he tried again to sit up. This time, he was able to shakily stay elevated, he was so dizzy that he feared he would pass out again.
He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to his surroundings. It wasn't until he began looking around that his eyes fell on a figure lying against a tree. Skye. He hadn't been hallucinating her, she was really here.
He crawled towards her to get a better look. When Ward saw she was unconscious, he became worried. Had she been injured? He visually checked her over for blood, but she was clean.
He felt bad about waking her, but they needed to make some plans. He touched her shoulder gently and shook her, "Skye," he said, "Wake up."
She slowly began to open her eyes. She couldn't believe that she had actually fallen asleep. Ward needed her to be alert and she had fucking fallen asleep.
"Grant?" she said when she noticed that he was conscious, "You're alive" she murmured. For a split second, she considered hugging him just out of sheer relief, but she held herself back. She was happy that he hadn't bled out, but that didn't mean she liked him or anything. She just didn't want Ward getting the wrong idea.
Ward had seen the slight flinch forward and he hoped for a moment that she was going to embrace him. But of course she wouldn't. Sometimes he forgot just how much Skye hated him. She noticed her shiver a bit and said, "Where's your jacket?"
"Holding your blood inside you r body," she replied as nonchalantly as she could. Grant glanced at his shoulder. He hadn't noticed that she had wrapped her jacket around it and bound his arm to his side.
"Thank-"
"Don't mention it" she replied, "How's your shoulder?"
"It hurts like a bitch."
"Yeah, you can expect that from being shot," she replied
"How long have we been out here?" he asked
"I'm not sure," she said, "but we're going to have to stay here for the night."
"We can't" Ward said, "We have to be back at the truck by tomorrow, and we're going to be slowed down enough with my injury."
"So you suggest we walk down a mountain completely blind?" she replied sarcastically, "No wonder men have a shorter life span than women"
Ward couldn't help but crack a smile. The fact that Skye was able to joke showed that she wasn't that pissed.
"It's not any safer to stay stationary," Ward said, "Especially with-" he couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't want to worry her any more than necessary
"Especially with my father hunting us, you mean" she said, "Yeah, I know he's here, Ward."
"I-"
"And don't try and tell me you didn't now," she interrupted, "Because I was wondering why you seemed s freaked out when we got to the cabin and that's why. You knew my dad was alive and you didn't tell me."
"I was going to, Skye," he said quietly
"Yeah? When? When he was in front of me? When it was too late for me to decide for myself?"
"When you trusted me!" he snapped, then said quieter, "That's what I was going to tell you Skye. Before the mission, when I told you I had something to say when you were ready to listen, that was it."
"Really?" Skye said. She wanted to believe him. She really wanted to believe that she could trust Ward, but she just couldn't.
"Really, Skye, you have to believe me."
"Last time I believed you, I ended up getting kidnapped," Skye said.
"I… don't have a comeback for that," he admitted.
"Yeah, it's hard to defend kidnapping," Skye deadpanned.
"I've defended myself against worse" he said.
"Like murder?" Skye asked
"Everyone you know has killed someone, Skye," Ward reasoned, "Bobby, May, Lance, Tripp. Hell, even Coulson."
"It's different," she insisted
"How?" Ward asked. He knew instinctively that he shouldn't push her. It was easy to talk when they were forced to be together. But a wrong word now, and he might not be able to talk to her for weeks once they got back on the Bus. But still, he needed to know what was in her head.
"You know why, Grant," she whispered.
"I don't Skye," Ward replied, "I know I fucked up. Royally. But if the killing thing is your problem, then you're giving me a double standard, and I don't think that's fair."
"I wasn't in love with Bobby or May or Lance," Skye snapped, "And they sure as hell never claimed to love me."
She leaned as far back against the tree trunk as she could, however far away from him she could get right now would still be too close.
"You think it was just a claim? I did love you Skye."
"I bet you say that to all the girls you betray," she sneered.
"Skye-"
"Since we're not going to walk," she said, "then I'm going to try and get a few more hours of sleep
She leaned over to him quickly and untied her sweatshirt from his shoulder, "I just need to check this,"
Thankfully, the blood had stopped flowing from his shoulder and the wound was starting to scab in places. But it didn't take a doctor to figure out that any more blood loss, and Ward would be in trouble. They'd have to be careful walking tomorrow so he didn't injure himself more. She tied to jacket back on as tight as she could and laid back down on the found, as far away from Ward as she could reasonably get.
Ward held his breath as she touched him. She hadn't been this close to him in months and he had to savor it. Sure, she was making sure that he wasn't going to bleed out on the night, but she was touching him. As quickly ad it began, she drew her arm away and laid down to sleep. 4
Ward looked at her for a moment. Had she really been in love with him before, or had she just said it in the heat of the moment. He desperately wanted to know, but now was not the time to answer. With her asleep, he needed to keep watch in case anything- or anyone- found them.
But he felt his eyes begin to close almost immediately this was a losing battle, and ward decided that he should rest himself for the long walk tomorrow. If it came down to fighting, Ward and Skye could handle themselves.
He glanced over at Skye again. He couldn't decide if she was actually asleep
or if she was just blocking him out. Either way, she looked freezing.
Before he could all himself out of it, Ward moved over so he was lying on his food side and gently wrapped his arm around her torso. She'd probably hate him in the morning, but her couldn't exactly give her back her jacket, and he couldn't let her freeze to death. That was the lie he told himself anyway and he fell asleep with her pressed against him
e was in good care
g . with voice. she "to sleep. he hear/ he was worried that an artery may have been hit. he e
