Chapter 44

Ward races through the halls only one thought on his mind. 'Skye'. He couldn't forgive himself, he'd been the one to let her get captured, it had been his fault. If he had been stronger, if he hadn't gotten into a silly fight with Skye, maybe she'd be back with him at the academy. They could be snuggling with each other, holding hands, and maybe even talking about their future ideas after school.

But instead she was back here; she was back in this horrible place. Skye had opened up to him, opened up and told him a small amount of her horrible time here. Ward couldn't imagine the rest of what had happened here, of what might have gone on.

"I'm in the control room; I can see Skye in a room on the fourth floor. I'd be careful though, it looks like some guys in white lab coats are on the move after her." Ward bites his lips, his feet not able to move any faster than they already were. "May and Hunter got things covered outside, and Fitz has gotten Simmons. All that's left is rescuing Skye."

"Copy that." Ward says back into the com.

Ward grabs an ICER out of his belt and gets ready to shoot the incoming scientists. Shooting with ease, Ward rushes into the room where Skye is asleep on a table. Ward drops his ICER and walks over to her. "Skye." He shouts, as he bends down next to her. He shakes her lightly. "Skye, hey come on girl." Ward checks her pulse; it was weak for some reason.

"She overdosed." A woman in a flower dress casually explains. Ward frowns and looks behind him. "She didn't think that someone was coming to rescue her, so she tried to kill herself."

"She's still alive." Ward says through grinded teeth.

"For how much longer?"

Ward shakes Skye's body. "Come on Skye, wake up." He cries. "Skye!"

"I can save her." Raina explains. "But it comes at a cost." Ward bites his lip so hard it begins to bleed. "I know that your team has infiltrated this building, and I'm likely to be captured. If I save her, I want you to let me go."

"As if…" Ward stops feeling how cold Skye's body was. "Just do it. Save her Raina." He address to his former professor. "Just save her."

Raina walks forward. "I'll need to pump her stomach. Watch the door, to make sure your little academy goons don't come in."

"How can I trust you?" Ward asks.

"You don't have much of a choice, now do you." Raina discloses. Ward wipes a hand across his forehead. "I'd let me hurry if I were you Grant Ward."

Ward doesn't have a choice, like Raina said. He brings a hand over Skye's forehead. Why hadn't they come sooner, why hadn't he? As soon as he found out where Skye was he should have come and saved her.

Ward goes by the door, and watches as Raina begins preparing equipment. She looks a tad nervous. Ward sees Fitz and Simmons approaching from the hallway. "Ward, what are you doing we need to get Skye out of here?" Simmons says concerned.

Ward digs his nails into the palm of his hand. "Simmons go inside, help Skye." Ward tells Jemma, with his nerves all over the place. "Just go." He cries. Simmons lets go of Fitz's hand and rushes in past Ward.

"Oh my goodness." She pipes. "What, why?"

"She overdosed on some sleeping drugs, if you want your friend to survive I suggest you help me." Raina explains to Simmons. Simmons gulps, not really having a choice here. Simmons walks forward to help Raina with the equipment to pump Skye's stomach.

Ward and Fitz stand by the door, as Ward explains to Fitz what happened. "You should go." Ward says to Fitz.

"No, not till I know both Skye and Simmons are safe." Fitz snaps. "I'll go explain what happened to Skye to May on the com, and get her to tell us what to do next."

Fitz goes and talks over his com with May, while Ward watches Raina and Simmons working over Skye, shoving a tube down her throat, and preparing equipment for her. Ward gulps. "Please be okay Skye, you can't die. Not when we've come to save you."

Fitz comes back over. "May is getting the bus ready for us, and Hunter and Bobbi are securing the premises, so no one else can come." Fitz looks over. "How long…."

"She's still alive." Ward interjects. "And she'll stay that way."

XxXxXxX

After about half an hour, of Simmons and Raina working on Skye, they had used up their time, and had to move her out. Brining her to the bus, they left Raina at the facility. As much as Ward wanted to take her in, he knew that Skye was the priority. Simmons had done all she could for Skye, and all that was left was observing her. Which was hard.

Simmons stays in the med room to observe Skye, but Ward watches from the window. "She'll wake up?" Ward confirms.

Simmons doesn't answer, which just made Ward more nervous.

When they got back to the academy she was transferred to the infirmary where other doctors could take a look at her and help her.

May was the one who went to personally deliver all that had happened to Coulson. "I'm sorry sir, if we'd been a bit quicker."

Coulson just sat with his hands over his eyes. "No it's not your fault, it's not your fault this happened." He leans back. "Maybe if I hadn't brought her here, maybe if when I realized that people were after her again, I moved her to a more secure location, brought her into hiding. If I hadn't been so adamant on her being a shield agent, and trying to give her a normal life." Coulson sighs. "Maybe she'd be okay right now."

"Sir I don't think—" May starts off.

"I need to call Fury, come back when you have any news about Skye." Coulson interrupts her.

May frowns, concerned for Phil. "Yes sir." May walks out of the room, and Coulson goes to dials Director Fury's number.

"Sir, we recovered Skye." He informs over the phone. "But she's on life support."

"And the scientist, Quinn?" Fury asks.

"Ian Quinn and his son Roy are in custody." Coulson explains. "They're being transported over to the Triskelion."

"Good work Coulson, I'm happy you we're able to detain them."

Coulson stays quiet for a minute. "Sir Raina was able to escape. Our former professor."

"I'll get men to start tracking her." Fury explains. "Will catch her soon. What matters is we recovered the girl before they could learn anything." Fury's takes a breath. "You realize that if the girl wakes up will have to transport her, put her in hiding so no one else can find what she's capable of."

"Let's deal with that another day." Coulson hangs up the phone, his head aching from everything that had happened. Coulson goes over into his laptop, putting in his code for secret and redacted documents. He brings up the one from seventeen years ago.

He looks over it, the story described, of how the town grew of people who had incredible gifts of things such as flight, mind reading, telekinesis, and even the ability to control fire. When Shield was sent to investigate they found the source of all these miracles came from one single baby girl, the 0-8-4. When shield attempted to attain the baby, a bloody battle broke out, killing thousands of agents in the Hunan province. Somewhere in the battle the baby was taken and put into hiding.

Coulson looks at his hand again. "Please Skye, be okay."

XxXxXxX

Ward watches her sleep. He sat by her bed, refusing to leave her side. Everyone had gone back to their rooms, but Ward couldn't leave her. He had to stay with her, and had to see if she was okay. He'd abandoned her.

"Please wake up Skye." Ward pleads. "I'm sorry, it's my fault, if I had just stayed with you, if I hadn't gotten you mad." Ward stops, trying to remember what Skye was mad about the day she'd been taken. Ward leans down, bringing his hand through her hair. She seemed so weak, so fragile, so alone.

Like he was once.

Ward leans down, and kisses Skye's sweet lips. "Please Skye." Ward whispers closing his eyes that in hopes when he opened his own, Skye's would be open. He blinks, seeing the girl still asleep on the blankets.

Ward frowns, having nothing left to do but squeeze Skye's hand. But as Ward squeezes it, he feels the warmth returning to her hand. She squeezes his, and her eyes blink open.

"Ward?"

Second to last chapter guys :D Everything will be wrapped up in the next chapter (I hope). Just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who's been reading this story, and will be doing honorable mentions in the next chapter to all those faithful reviewers :D So just a huge thank you, and hope your looking forward to seeing how I end it.