The crack was loud…like a bat striking a ball and knocking it out of the park…the echo sounded for a few seconds before Daisy opened her eyes. She looked up…up…yes, up…she was lying on the ground. She could feel the pavem…no, no…it was grass beneath her hands. She blinked a few times in an attempt to focus, to look through the slats of…of…a rusty fire escape…no…it was green…moving…blue and white just beyond…through the…leaves! Yes, they were leaves. She was looking through the leaves of a very large tree…lying on the ground and looking up through leaves that wiggled in the breeze. And someone…no, more than that…someones were laughing.
'Someones?' She smiled at the silly word, but only for a moment because she really hurt and all that high pitched laughing was making it hard to focus.
"Ur-in trouble now, Poops!" A childish voice sniggered. "They told you to stay outta that tree, but you just can't listen. Can ya?" The laughter in that voice made her angry, made her want to get up and smack it right out of that kid.
Kid? Good gawd, she wanted to hit a kid? She must have smacked her head good when she…she…what the heck did she do to herself. And why were all these kids standing around laughing at her. She rolled to her side and pushed herself up enough to look at them laughing and pointing at her. She squinted in the bright sunlight trying to make out faces that were vaguely familiar but nameless. The taunting voices were so much more familiar and they were feeding the feeling that made her want to plow into the lot of them.
One moved close pressing his face almost to touching hers. She pulled back and blinked at his fuzzy image. "Barrett's on her way, Poops and this time yer gonna get it good. She won't care if you got a boo-boo." He finished with a hard shove to her shoulder knocking back down to the ground.
Before she could bring herself back up…and yes, this time she was going to knock that brat on his ass…the laughter stopped as if it had been flicked off with a kill switch. She watched all of the kids…gawd, where did they all come from anyway. They backed up and parted as someone waded through their midst. Someone who was stomping determinedly toward her…she brought her hand up to shield the light and maybe see this person. Before she could the woman…it was a woman…grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to her feet giving her a very rough shake.
"I'm tired of your blatant disregard for rules!" The woman shook her again and Daisy opened her mouth to speak…tried to pull her arm free but this woman had a grip like a vice.
"Hey!" was all she managed to blurt before the woman grabbed her opposite arm and shook her hard enough to cause her head to snap back and then forward. The pain was immeasurable. She squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth to hold it back.
"Don't you dare talk back to me! Not a word, not one word…I do not want to hear your voice." The woman admonished, letting go of one arm and dragging her forward. Daisy struggled to keep up, not to trip over her own feet. "I've had it with you and your defiance…you won't be seeing Sr. Jeremy this time." The woman stopped and brought her face close to Daisy's ear. "This time, I'll be the one to make sure the punishment is more than a few hours extra kitchen duty. This time you will be punished, not molly-coddled!" She shook her again and this time Daisy couldn't control the tears that rolled over her cheeks. The woman started pulling her again. "Tears won't work with me, Lady Jane. You brought this on yourself and when I'm finished you will certainly have something to cry about!"
The woman pulled her into a building, dragging her down a long hallway that seemed familiar but there was something off about it. It was a hallway in the base…but it wasn't. The doors were wrong, but it felt like the base. She pulled her into the common room and pushed her onto the couch…but it was a different couch, not leather…no it was old with some odd flowery upholstery. It smelled like the cellar.
The mugs and utensils that normally hung over the sink were missing, replaced by…by some kind of wooden decorations. She couldn't make out what they were and the room seemed smaller. Some things were missing and some things were…well they were things she figured must have been put there with all the changes made in the time…the time…what time…where was everyone anyway and how the hell did she get here. She stood up only to have the woman who stood before her roughly shove her back down.
"You stay right were I put you, young lady. Right there, right in that seat and you will have a nice long thought about what you've done this time." She waited a few moments. "Do you hear me?!" She was almost shrieking. "I expect some sort of answer!"
The couch felt different and Daisy realized she was now seated on a wooden chair at a school type desk. Her hands were folded in front of her, feet flat on the floor. She looked around for a second time and found herself in some kind of office. There was a desk…Coulson's desk? No, it was older…bleak, void of any tokens or adornments except for a smaller version of that wooden thing on the wall…the wall…she looked back over her shoulder…the wall, the common room was gone.
"LOOK AT ME WHEN I AM TALKING TO YOU!" The woman bellowed and Daisy turned quickly, regretting it immediately as the pain that was her head screamed just as loudly. She tried to focus on the woman's face, but still could not make out the features. "DO YOU HEAR ME?! I EXPECT AN ANSWER!"
Somewhere…from some distant and still foggy memory a very young voice poked at Daisy and she managed to answer with more than a bit of a smirk. "You told me not to say anyth…" The slap across her cheek stopped her cold and she wondered for just a moment why it didn't make the pain in her head any worse…but only for a moment because she was pretty sure if it got any worse she'd probably be dying…or dead…but, she didn't think being dead would hurt…still she didn't want to be dead.
The woman picked up the front of the desk a few inches from the floor then slammed it back down with a loud bang. She shook a finger close to Daisy's nose and spoke through her teeth. "You get out of that seat before I get back and you won't need a chair until the second coming!" With that she turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard that the metal blinds that covered the small window in it slapped against the wood and turned sideways before bouncing to a stop.
Daisy watched the door for a few seconds then quickly wiped the tears off of her cheeks. What the hell was she crying about and who the hell was that wild woman and where the hell was she and how the hell did she get here and…Hell? Is that where she was…Hell…was this that place she been told about as a child…eternal damnation for those who deserved to be damned.
She deserved it…knew she did. She was bad. She didn't listen, didn't follow the rules. She ran away…ran away because she was nothing but trouble. Trouble is as trouble does…yep that was her…trouble. She ruined everything and lost…no destroyed everything good…everyone…
That's why she was in this room…in Hell. That's why this woman was so…cruel…mean…brutal… OMG! Was Satan a woman? Okay that made sense; women could be so much more vindictive than men…sometimes.
Stop…stop…STOP! Daisy shouted out loud in her mind…no sense in taking chances and having that woman hear her. She was pretty sure this is not what she was supposed to be thinking about…but then again she wasn't quite she what she *was* supposed to be thinking about. It was hard to think anyway because something was beeping and it was extremely annoying…like an alarm clock you might just pick up and wire across the room…yeah like a shot put she told herself with a silent laugh. Why didn't someone turn it off?
Geez, maybe it was a fire alarm…FIRE…oops, Daisy laughed again. A fire in Hell? Really? Alarms'd be pretty useless here. She laughed again and quickly covered her mouth before someone heard.
Someone was talking…mumbling. She could hear them but couldn't understand them. And someone was calling a name but she couldn't make out exactly what they were saying or who they were trying to contact. She was so very tired…did dead people get tired? Well, she'd never been dead before so she wasn't sure…but she was pretty sure they were supposed to hurt. And she didn't want to be dead…not really, and she didn't want to hurt but her head didn't know that so it kept hurting. Maybe that was her punishment. She didn't want to think anymore so she put her head down on her arms and closed her eyes. If only that incessant beeping would stop, she might be able to sleep. If only that kid would answer its parents…parents…mom…mommy…
The darkness was so inviting…she could just let go and drift away with it…like floating in warm water…no more pain…no more memories…no more hurt.
Oh, that damn beeping…that damn alarm clock…smoke detector…someone please just turn it off!
Daisy felt a sharp jab in her shoulder and picked up her head to look into the snarling face of that woman…that…nun…that…Sister Regina. Oh, she remembered now…Sister Regina…No Nonsense Barrett. Sr. Regina had made her life a living hell for the three months she was in charge of the girl's dormitory at the orphanage. They never, ever got along and the other kids used it against her every chance they got. She tried to stay out of Regina's path but it was like the lady had it in for her. If Mary Sue Poots knew Hydra existed she would have been sure Sr. Regina was one of its top operatives. And that operative's mission was to destroy Poots.
"Have a nice sleep?" The woman asked sarcastically, poking Daisy a second time. "Guess you didn't do much thinking…but you never do. If you did any thinking at all, you wouldn't be in this predicament. Would you?"
Daisy blinked a few times wondering if she should answer. She decided it was better to just shake her throbbing head.
"How many times have I told you to stay out of that tree, Mary Sue? How_many_times?"
Daisy swallowed. Tree? What tree? Mary Sue? What?
"Answer me!" The nun spoke slowly, ice dripping from her words.
"I…I don't…" Daisy stammered.
The woman slammed both hands down on the small desk causing the girl to jump. "Of course you don't! You never do!" Now she was smiling, a big toothy smile.
"My head hurts." Daisy moaned reaching to run her hand through her hair.
"Good!" The woman had no sympathy. "Teach you a lesson, won't it?"
"But it really hurts." Daisy moaned again surprised at how young her voice sounded.
"I_don't _care." The woman smiled. "That's not all that's going to hurt." She walked around the large desk and pulled open a drawer. Daisy couldn't see what she took from it but was pretty sure it wasn't good. A moment later the woman slammed a foot long wooden paddle against the desktop.
The beeping grew louder…faster and Daisy could hear a lot of voices now…they sounded excited…no…no…scared. And someone was still yelling…yelling a name. If she could only understand what they were yelling…who were they calling?
The girl pulled herself free of the seat and backed against the opposite wall. She held her hands out in front of her shielding herself from the woman who still stood behind the larger desk. "No…no…you…can't," she thought…pressed her mind through the crushing pain in her head.
He had a bar…a metal bar and she tried so hard to stand, to send enough pulse to push him back…away. But she was too weak…too hurt…what did they do to her? What was that gas that almost blinded her…that brought her to her knees? And then they were kicking and punching and she tried so hard…so hard. The bar…it came down and she tried to move away…tried to stop it but she was too weak…too slow…too drugged and then everything was hazy. She managed one…just one intense pulse that sent the four of them against the wall before she fell back and then the sirens and someone screaming and rapid footsteps and running and someone saying they'd be back…she wouldn't get far…not like that. She pulled herself up and ran…stumbled over debris…knocked over cans and boxes. It was hard to see. Horns blew and someone swore at her…she fell again…were they coming? She made it to the alley…the dumpster…fell behind it and pulled the boxes and bags on top of her. Maybe…maybe they wouldn't find her…maybe.
"Can't? Can't? I can't? Can't what? Can't use this to make you understand that I mean what I say? Can't use this to make sure you remember the next time you feel you're too good to follow rules?" The woman tapped the pipe she held against the top of the desk in time with the never ending beeping.
Daisy blinked tears away. "My…my mmmm…" She wanted to say something, to tell this crazed woman who now seemed to be morphing into something else, to tell her that someone…she had someone who…someone wouldn't let her…
"Your what?" The person before her goaded.
The girl scrubbed away the tears that made her vision blurry. "My mmmother…mmmy mom…my p-p-parents won't let you hurt me!" She spit out, sounding so much like a terrified child.
"Oh, Annie, baby…" The person who was neither Sr. Regina nor a rather large dark-skinned man mocked her. He-she swung the paddle-pipe. "Your parents are long gone," it laughed. "Lucky for you too, they would have killed you…maybe should have." It laughed again. "Total lunatics, Annie, and the sun is definitely not coming out tomorrow."
Daisy shook off the thing's words. "My parents love me!" She bit back.
The thing threw back its head and howled with laughter. "You don't deserve love…you aren't even hu…"
The beeper sounded like a claxon. Daisy threw her hands over her ears but the cacophony of sound burrowed into her aching head. She knew she could not take much more. It was louder, faster almost as if several beepers…alarms… claxons…sirens…were screaming in harmony.
She thrust her hands out in front of her willing her power forward without success. "They DO love me!"
"Jiaying? Crazy Cal?" The thing laughed harder, smacking the pipe-paddle against the palm of its hand. "Love anyone? She's too full of hate to even know what that means and him…well who the hell knows what he's thinking. If he's even capable of forming a thought" It stepped around the desk and started toward her. The sirens screamed louder with each of its steps. "Time for you to take your medicine, Mary Sue, time to get what you deserve." It continued smacking its weapon in its hand and smiling an evil smile as it approached.
"That's NOT my name and they're NOT my parents. My p-parents LOVE me. My m-m…my…my M-May…she loves…me." Daisy raised her hands again and sent out a weak pulse. It was getting difficult to breath…something hurt…something beside her head…every breath made it hurt more…she wanted to stop…to stop breathing and let all the hurt go away because you can't hurt when you're dead but…May…Ma…mom. She did love her and she…she loved her back. She'd be angry if Daisy gave up…she didn't raise a quitter.
The thing was an arm's reach away, its laughter feeding her pain. "May? You think May is your mother…that bitch feels nothing. Wallows so much in her own pain she can barely function outside her damned need to follow orders." It laughed again and the beepers screamed and now there were voices screaming with them, screaming a name…whose name? Who were they calling?
She just wanted it to stop, but not before she set this nun-monster thing straight. "You're wrong! She does love me and I love her. She's the mother I searched for...wished for…prayed for and I know she loves me. You can do what you want to me but you can't make her stop_being_my_mom!" She forced herself forward struggling to pull each breath into her lungs.
The thing raised the pipe ready to strike and she sent out the strongest pulse she could. It hit the pipe with bright blue sparks sending the thing across the room and bouncing the tremor back toward Daisy. It struck her chest with a blast that jerked her body up and away from the wall and then back down.
She drew in a deep breath and everything was still...except for those screeching beepers.
"Daisy! Daisy!" the voice was screaming now and it was clear who it was calling.
"Damn it, Daisy, don't you dare…don't you dare do this to me! Daisy!"
She didn't remember falling but she was lying down and that gods' forsaken bleeping beep was still blaring…
"Daisy!"
She wanted to answer. She knew that voice. Someone was holding her hand and someone was shouting something and geez something bit her thigh…again. When she found her way out of this place she was getting some super heavy duty insect repellant and bathe in it.
"Daisy!"
Another familiar voice…deeper…she knew that voice, too. She wanted to answer but she couldn't speak over those sirens…and she just hurt too much.
"CLEAR!" Someone yelled and she was sure something kicked her in the chest. Her body jerked with the force of it.
Someone was crying and someone was yelling and someone was trying to keep them calm.
"CLEAR!" Another punch to the chest and she gasped as fresh air filled her lungs.
She reached out and grasped the hand that closed around hers. "Daisy," someone breathed close to her.
'Mom,' she said inside her head. 'You love me, right?' She was sure she was thinking it, not saying it.
"Daisy, don't you dare do that again, do you hear me?" Someone squeezed her hand again and she gave a weak squeeze in return.
She almost smiled at May's admonishment wondering what she could have done and promising herself she would definitely not do it again. 'I won't…I won't I promise. I'm sorry, I won't' she answered. If only she could make May hear her thoughts, now *that* would be power.
"You hold on, angel…" A second voice…that other voice…they were both there…both of them.
'Coulson? Coulson, no I'm not an angel…no, Coulson, see I'm in Hell. Angels don't go to Hell, Coulson…d-dad…you've always been dad, AC, always…but not an angel…angels are good, Coulson…not like me.'
"Come on, Daisy, stay with us, stay with us…" Coulson sounded like he was begging. He had tears in his voice.
Daisy wanted to smile…maybe she was smiling…she wasn't sure if she could feel her mouth…she really didn't feel anything except her throbbing head and maybe…just maybe she was getting used to it…yeah, she could live with it…maybe.
"Mom," she whispered and immediately felt the squeeze on her hand.
"I'm here," May answered, "we're here." A second hand covered hers.
Someone kissed her forehead. She didn't mind the pain. She cold smell his cologne. She knew it was him and she wanted nothing more than to escape into his strong embrace…to let him take away all the fear and just relax in his the protection of his arms. Dad…
It had been only ten minutes…ten very long minutes. Daisy had been resting. May's eyes were closed as she rested against Phil's shoulder, yet she wasn't sleeping merely running through her Tai Chi routine in her mind in an effort to control her anxiety. Phil's cheek was against May's head. He'd drifted off for a few minutes at a time, exhausted from his journey and the toll this was taking, but the sleep was fitful.
The blare of the monitors' alarms brought both agents to their feet. Jemma rushed into the room followed by three attendants. They pushed past May and Coulson to tend to the patient who was coding. Dr. Simmons barked orders that the others followed rapidly. One began CPR while a second covered Daisy's face with a mask and began forcibly squeezing a large ambu bag.
Phil and May were helpless as they watched the medical team work. He wrapped his arm around her as they stepped back and out of the way. When Jemma pulled out two metal paddles and screamed, 'clear' they could only watch as their girl's body flailed under the electric shock needed to restart her heart. May's voice caught in a quick sob as Jemma repeated the action a second time. Everyone flashed a relieved smile as Daisy drew a breath and the alarms on the monitors slowed to a steady beat.
"She's not, as you say, out of the woods, but she's stable." Jemma sounded cautious but optimistic as she checked the nearest monitor and turned toward them. "I'm going to reduce the morphine and hope she can bear the pain for a little longer. I'd like her to start waking up. She'll need constant monitoring."
"We aren't going anywhere." Coulson assured her as he took Daisy's hand. May stood at his side, her hand on top of his. She nodded.
"You have to sleep. I don't need two more patients." Jemma scolded.
"Bring in a cot. We'll relieve each other." Phil remarked without taking his eyes from the girl.
"You first," they said together then smiled.
"I'll leave you two to figure that out." Jemma smiled, still shaking with the after shock of Daisy's episode. She turned to one of the attendants clearing the room of the items that had been used from the crash cart. He would be sure to have the cot brought to the room.
"There's bugs in here." Daisy mumbled and everyone in the room turned toward the sound of her voice. "They bite." She commented almost pouting.
"Yes, they do." Jemma smiled at her friend then turned back to the older couple. "She is a bit drugged, a little fuzzy still. When she's fully awake we'll do a few cognitive tests. Until then pay more attention to how she speaks and not so much to what she says." Coulson nodded. "I know neither of you will even consider going for something to eat so I will bring in something for you and you will eat. Both of you." Jemma ordered and they both smiled in agreement.
"You love me, mom, right dad, right?" Daisy rambled.
"We love you, angel, that's right." Phil replied.
"I told that dumb nun you did…I told her." She mumbled.