Even sedated and sleeping soundly, Amy's grasp on Face's hand tightened every time he tried to move it. She may not have known who was with her, but he knew she didn't want to be left alone. He stopped trying to get more comfortable after the third time of her hand tightening around hers. He'd just stay how he sat, right beside her, his hand intertwined with hers.
As the adrenaline slowly wore off, the strain of the last few days took it's toll on his exhausted body. He let his eyes close for a few minutes, but vowed to stay awake for her.
It was a few hours later when Maggie cracked the door open and stepped in. Face sat exactly where she left him, his hand still with Amy's, his head slumped down in a fitful sleep.
"Things ok?" Maggie whispered quietly.
He jerked his head up, suddenly awake. "Fine. Sorry. Didn't mean to fall asleep. She's still asleep."
Maggie chuckled. "It's ok, Face. Go ahead and sleep. Come get me if you need anything." She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder. "You did good." She slipped out, silently closing the door behind her.
Face nearly laughed out loud. Did good. Yeah, right. If this is what doing good gets someone, he'd hate to see what bad did to someone.
Amy. She was his untouchable. He had plenty of women around and she knew it, but she was the one who could see through him. She was the only one for whom he would think about retiring his little black book, but she was untouchable. Or so it seemed. They were close friends, former team mates back in the day, although briefly. He wondered what would have happened then if she wouldn't have taken that job in Jakarta. She wasn't all glitz and glam and the finer things in life, but in her he saw something else. He saw steadfastness and home.
He stroked her hand and moved to rubbing her arm gently. He'd take care of her from now on, even if from a distance. Even if the feelings were never returned. Other than Leslie all those years ago, she was the only woman he'd ever loved.
She stirred slightly and moaned, obviously in pain. Face yanked his hand away from her arm, he hadn't meant to hurt her. "Sshh, Amy," Face said quietly.
Hearing another voice in the room with her while still asleep made her forget where she was. She sat up quickly and yelled out, "I won't tell you! I won't tell you anything!"
Face wanted to grab her, to touch her, to hold her, but the wild panicked look he could barely make out on her face made him pause. He knew how to handle trauma nightmares, they all did.
"Amy," Face stayed near, close enough she could touch him if she wanted, if she recognized him. "Amy, it's Face. You're alright now. I promise."
She turned her head to him, illuminated only by the moonlight outside glimmering off the tears on her face. "Why aren't they coming? Why did they forget me?"
His heart broke. Before he could say or do anything, he heard the door open and Maggie flipped on the light. They watched as Amy shrieked and cowered in the corner of the bed, her hands over her head protectively.
"Shut it off!" Face barked. Maggie was already moving to do so and soon they were cloaked in darkness again.
It was silent except for Amy's panicked breathing. Maggie rested a hand on Face's shoulder. "Let me try," she whispered.
"Amy, it's Doctor Sullivan. Maggie. You're in my house in Bad Rock, dear. Face is here with us. The team got you out, Amy."
They waited for a long minute. Finally, they could here Amy's barely-there voice. "Face?"
"I'm here, Amy. Can we turn on the lamp?" He reached out to where he knew she was and found her hand. She grasped it tightly.
Maggie flipped the switch on the small lamp beside the bed. They could see Amy sitting cross-legged now on the bed trying to calm herself with slow breaths. She was dressed in a pair of Emma's pajamas, simple cotton shorts and one of Murdock's old T-shirts, her hair still damp in places from her earlier shower.
"I'm ok," she insisted, looking at both Face and Maggie. "Really. I am."
Face rolled his eyes and it didn't go unnoticed by Amy. She glared at him, defensive once again. "I am.'
Maggie sat on the bed beside her. "What do you remember?" She handed Amy a glass of water.
For the first time, Amy seemed to notice that her hand was in Face's. She jerked it away quickly. Nervously. She took a slow, shaky sip of water. "You telling me I was here."
Maggie touched her arm gently. "It's 2 am, dear. Think you can go back to sleep?"
Amy nodded. "I'll be fine. Really."
Maggie exchanged a glance with Face. He understood. "I'll stay if you want, Amy. Or Maggie can stay."
Amy raised her bruised face to meet his eyes. "Will you stay?"
"Of course."
Maggie brushed the loose hair off Amy's face. "Get some rest. We're all nearby." She flipped the light on her way out and closed the door.
Amy got settled again in the bed. Face sat quietly beside her. Neither said anything as long minutes passed. Neither moved.
The sound was so quiet at first that Face had to strain to hear it. But then unmistakably, he recognized it.
Amy was crying.
"Ames?"
It was his old nickname for her from years back. It came out so naturally to him. It just felt right.
She quieted. "I'm sorry," she sniffled.
Neither said anything for several more minutes. His eyes just started to close when she whispered his name.
"Face?"
He jerked his head up. "Yeah. I'm here."
"This is dumb. And I really feel stupid for asking. I really do."
Even in the darkness, he could tell she felt embarrassed. "Anything, Amy. You name it."
"It's just...I was alone in the dark for so long. And I feel like an idiot. But will you...can you..." her voice trailed off, afraid to finish her thought.
He read her mind. He knew what she needed. And he understood completely. All those years ago, when Murdock would come back days after being hauled out of the POW hut, Face would sleep next to him, as close as he could get. Murdock, in turn, would do the same for him when the time came.
He understood.
He slipped his shoes off, removed his jacket, unbuttoned the top few buttons on his shirt to be more comfortable, and slid beside her in the bed. He was surprised when she turned and curled into his side. He slid an arm around her as she draped an arm across him, resting her head against him.
It was personal. It was intimate. And it felt 100% natural, like they belonged together.
He gently stroked her back as she buried her head into his side as far as she could. "It's ok," he tried to reassure her. "I've been there. We all get it."
Immediately she felt stupid. What they had been through was so much worse on so many levels. Once again, she felt like an idiot.
She was so close to him he could feel her heart pounding. "And honestly, we were trained for it, but it didn't make any easier."
She felt ashamed of comparing her few days to his time in the camp, where she knew things had been unspeakable worse. "I'm sorry, Face."
"Shhh. It's ok, Ames. Just sleep for now, ok?" He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. He couldn't help but linger, his lips on top of her head. Face was surprised when she moved closer to him, pressing up against him as her hand slipped in between the open buttons of his shirt. He could tell she was crying again. She was so bruised and battered he didn't want to accidentally hurt her, so as carefully as he could he tipped her face up to his. He kissed a tear stained cheek.
"You'll be ok, Amy. I promise. You'll be ok," he whispered into her ear. "I'll make sure of it."