'' I must admit you were one of the toughest cases we've ever had to deal with'', Simmons said. ''And God knows we've had our fair share of tough these years''.
May crossed her arms. ''Can you just answer her question?''
'' I am'', Simmons said, turning to look at May. '' You both have to understand that there are limits to what doctors can do''.
''I thought you were a biochemist'', Daisy muttered.
May could not tell if that was meant to be a joke. Simmons didn't laugh.
''Daisy'', Jemma said, taking a sharp breath, ''I have personally put you together more times than I would like to remember''.
Daisy looked at her arms. Two shiny new casts covered them.
'' And I would love nothing more than to see you healthy, but I am afraid that the damage this time is too much''.
May's heart sunk. Daisy remained silent.
''You won't regain full mobility'', Simmons continued. ''But you will live a normal lofe with minimum pain, on one condition''. She paused, maybe because she didn't want to say what the condition was, or maybe because she was just giving Daisy some time to realise the gravity of what was happening.
''Simmons, just tell us'', May snapped, her voice horribly similar to the day when Daisy had almost died in that traitor's arms.
''On the condition that you don't use your powers anymore'', she concluded.
Daisy looked away. ''Not at all?''
''I'm afraid so, Daisy. This kind of pressure would cause irreversible damage to your arms''. She swallowed back a lump in her throat. '' It would ruin everything we managed to do after your most recent injury''.
Daisy held her gaze and pulled in a breath as though she had something else to say, but then she walked past her friend and reached for the door handle.
''Daisy'', Simmons tried, but she was unable to find the right words to finish her sentence.
''A life with no pain is something you couldn't even dream of a few months ago'', May said, suddenly in charge. ''It's the best thing any doctor could offer you''.
That made Daisy stop but she didn't turn around to look at the other women.
'' It's the best I could ever want for you'', May added.
'' You wanted for me to be a useless cripple?'' Daisy asked, her voice always a challenge.
''Not what I said''.
''That's exactly what you said'', Daisy insisted, and turned to face May. ''This'', she said and made a vague gesture, ''is somehow best case scenario for you.''
''Daisy'', Simmons tried, ''this is the best scenario for all of us''.
The girl didn't acknowledge Simmons. '' What am I supposed to do without my powers?'' . Her gaze was now fixed on May. ''What I am going to do with my life?''
''Simmons, leave us'', May ordered. Jemma did as she was told and hurried to the door. If anyone could make Daisy undestand, that was May.
'' Are you really asking me that?'' May said, once Simmons closed the door behind them. ''You had no powers when you joined SHIELD. You never needed them to be useful.''
Daisy all but collapsed on the couch and May sat carefully beside her, space between them but still near enough to touch. She didn't think she would need to prompt Daisy into talking, and she was immediately proven right.
" No, May," Skye said slowly, staring down the carpet, her arms folded tightly around herself. "We can keep telling ourselves that, but it's not true. ."
May felt her own heart aching deeply.
"I am done, May," Daisy said, finally turning to look at jer, her voice slightly hoarse. "And you can deny it, you can say all these reassuring but mostly false things about my inner strength or whatever. But the truth will always be that I only saved you when I was Quake."
Without breaking eye contact, May reached over and lay her hand face-up on Daisy's thigh, fingers parted and waiting for one thing. Daisy glanced down and it was only two more seconds before she placed her hand in May's. She stared down at their joined hands, blinking tears down her cheeks. "I know you love me," she choked out. "but I'm done."
Without thinking, May reached over with her free hand and brushed the tears gently off the girl's cheek. "You are not done, Daisy'', she said.
They sat in silence for a long minute, their hands joined and May counting the heartbeats she felt in her fingers. She knew she had to say something, something good and meaninful and memorable. But she couldn't.
May squeezed the girl's hand briefly before finally speaking. '' You saved us so many times when you were just Skye'', she said. ''Just a reckless, annoying hacker.''
That made Daisy let out a choked laugh.
'' Your powers are irrelevant, Skye'', May said, without realising she was using her student's old name again. ''Sure, they help you in battle, but it's your heart that makes you who you are.'' May caressed her thumb and let herself fell hopeful that this was going well . "I don't need you to be…whatever it is you think you have to be," she said, her eyes never leaving Daisy's. "All I want is for you to be safe and happy, okay? Be happy. That is more than enough''.
It scared her how much relief those words brought to Daisy's eyes, but the girl only nodded gratefully.
"Thank you'', she said.
''You can still do so much'', May continued. ''You will''.
''We will''. Daisy's head found its familiar place into the crook of May's neck. '' Together''.
May let her fingers drag through her daughter's hair. ''Together'', she promised.
A/N: THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for reading this story and for leaving encouraging comments. Sorry for making you wait and for not being a better writer. Thank you for your time and your kindness.