- Ouch!
- What a scene you're making, Fitz! Simmons retorts.
- You burned me with a laser!
- Well, I'm nervous, okay? Have you ever fought an alien parasite?
- Stop fighting, you two!- Daisy interjected nervously, dropping the test tube in her hand and crashing it to the floor.
- And you stop breaking the equipment!
- FitzSimmons, I have the test results you wanted, Daisy drop those test tubes and come with me, Coulson needs to talk to you.
The Inhuman huffed and marched out of the room. Mack looked at the two scientists shaking his head.
- Try to work in God's grace, please!- he said before following Daisy. The corridors were filled with people coming and going, carrying various things.
- Listen, Tremors - Mack began - It's going to be okay, isn't it? We've faced a threat like this before.
- I know, you're right, but...
- But?
- I don't know, something feels wrong.
They arrived at the white door of the Inhuman room.
- I have to go back - said Mack - Whatever the problem is Tremors... I'm here.
Daisy smiled at him and entered the room. Phil was in the corner talking to Bobbi, his eyes fixed on Lizie who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her eyes closed. As soon as he saw her he motioned him to come closer.
- What is she doing? - the girl asked, referring to Lizie.
- She says he is "mapping" the mind of this Hive, so he called him - Bobbi answered. In response, Lizie's face twitched, almost in disgust.
- Daisy - said Coulson - I need you to lead the lead team on this operation.
The other one was interrupted for a moment.
- In the sense that...-
- May's not coming - Phil interrupted - No matter how hard I try, she's not fully recovered. I need someone very skilled in the field with some "special" tricks up their sleeve.
Daisy smiled.
- Deal.
- Well, get your team together and get ready, you'll be the first to leave with the Quinjet.
The girl nodded. The Director looked first at Lizie and then at Bobbi.
- Keep watching her, I'll send someone else over - he said to Bobbi, who nodded. He and Daisy left the room. Walking down the corridor, the girl looked at him inquiringly.
- So...you and May - she said, grinning.
- Don't you dare!
- Come on Coulson!
- Go and assemble your team, Detective.
Daisy giggled and walked away. The Director shook his head in amusement and headed for the infirmary. May was sitting on the crib, still very pale; she was talking quietly to Samuel. Phil could only catch the word "Andrew" and became saddened. The doctor had given no sign of improvement: he slept mostly, but in a strange way as if he were in a coma, from which he rarely woke up, coughing, sometimes screaming. Forty-eight hours had passed since the end of Lizie's illusion, forty-eight hours of insomnia. It had all been for nothing then. Hive had come anyway. And he seemed particularly powerful. He was about to enter the infirmary when an agent reached him.
- Sir- he said, "Matron Price wishes to speak; she is in her office.
"How did she get in?" wondered Phil looking back at May. Now the woman was also watching him and the Director thought he had heard.
- I'm coming- he answered wistfully. He had to make a decision.
\\\\\\
- Finally- Rosalind exclaimed as she saw him enter. She got up from the chair she was sitting on and walked over to Coulson. She framed his face in her hands and smiled at him.
- I know about the upcoming mission- she said. Phil sighed and broke away, going towards the desk. The woman followed him.
- Phil - Rosalind called him - I know you're worried. This is a really big problem.
- Have you come to tell me that you are going to help us out? The other one arched an eyebrow.
- Not only that. I also wanted to say hello - he answered - Phil, what is it?
The Shield Director shrugged his shoulders.
- Nothing.
Rosalind snorted amused and fiddled with a pen on the desk.
- Let me guess- she said- Agent May-
Coulson looked into her eyes with a slight astonishment.
- Come on Phil. You, really? - the woman asked him - Wait, it's not a criticism. I have a lot of respect for her for being so cold-hearted.
- She's not always like that, you don't know her- retorted Coulson angrily.
- Don't I? That's what I've seen in you. Don't hurt yourself unnecessarily, Phil.
- I don't know what you mean.
- She might want you, it's true, but she doesn't love you, Rosalind replied. She loves someone else, evidently among other things.
- If it's Andrew you're talking about...-
- No, not Dr. Garner. Agent Kyombe-
Phil burst out laughing.
- Sam?- he asked smiling- Oh no, no, no, you've got it all wrong. They love each other dearly, of course, but trust me, they don't love each other like that, even though they raised Lizie together.
Rosalind smiled saggily.
- Don't lie to yourself, Phil. You can tell by the way they look at each other; you said it yourself: I don't know them well but I noticed it right away- she slowly approached him, touching his bionic arm- you know it too-
Coulson continued to shake his head smiling but with a hint of uncertainty. He didn't want to believe it but after all he wasn't completely wrong. Rosalind caressed his chest lovingly.
- What do you say we relax a little now? - she proposed mischievously - Don't think about May, Phil, I don't want you to suffer-
When she kissed him, Coulson did not refuse her.
\\\\\\
Melinda's pale fingers slowly grazed the lines on Samuel's hands. The two had been silent after watching Phil walk past the infirmary. They didn't need to talk to each other to understand each other. Sam leaned his forehead against the woman's and sighed.
- It's been a long time- he murmured. May smiled.
- I still remember the skating rink, you know? How many falls - continued the man - and the parties, the movie nights, the bike, the Academy...
- The egg-shaped candies-
Samuel burst out laughing.
- The heart-shaped tree we used to climb, the cinnamon gum, the eucalyptus tea.
- Can you imagine, Sam? We even raised a daughter.
- Yeah, and how many memories there, too.
Melinda shook her head slightly, amused at first, then a tear slid down his face.
- I made too many mistakes with Lizie, Sam - she said - I should have been closer to her. I should have treated her like a daughter.
- And you didn't, Mae?
- Samuel, you know. You know perfectly well that in the early days... in the early days it was just another mission for me. And she felt it, Sam, I never understood about children-.
Samuel sighed and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
- And what am I supposed to say? - he asked - I hated Paul Corner, as I never hated anyone, and I raised his offspring! But I realized that Lizie wasn't Paul and then I knew she was my daughter-.
They remained silent.
- We've both done a lot of things wrong, Mae, but you can always start over. You, me, and Lizie can start over, we're a family.
May nodded.
- Did we love each other Sam? - she asked after a few seconds. The man reflected for a moment.
- There was a time when I thought I loved you as a life partner, maybe. But we are not meant to love each other like that. But I do love you Mae, I really do-
- I love you too, Sam.
They hugged each other tightly.
- Are you going on a mission? - May asked in her friend's ear.
- No, Lizie stays here and I stay where Lizie is. I feel that something bad will happen-
\\\\\\
The Quinjet was silent. Daisy watched her team (Lincoln, Mack, Yo-yo, and a couple of other agents) pensively. The initial adrenaline for the new role had worn off and now concern was taking over. Even though they were just a reconnaissance team, the girl feared that they would have to take on something dangerous, more dangerous than what they were used to.
- Anxiety? - Lincoln asked her, approaching her with a reassuring smile.
- Just enough - she answered shrugging her shoulders - No, it's not true, I'm dying of anxiety-.
Lincoln chuckled.
- It's all right, I'm here - he said - At the most, we'll die together.
Daisy punched him in the shoulder.
- Don't even think about it!
- I mean it, D; I'll be with you no matter what happens.
Daisy smiled and gave him a kiss. At that moment the pilot sensed that they had arrived. As they descended from the Quinjet, Daisy met Mack's mischievous gaze, which she repelled with an amused grimace. She was reminded of what she had said to Coulson.
- Well - she said - Team, let's get to work.