Blood Stained
Chapter- 2- Remembrance
Rating- PG 13 (a couple uses of unflattering language)
I have been really busy and haven't written anything in a long time. Today I was going to write chapter three of this story and then update ya'll on where the story is going; considering I am way behind and so much crap has happened. I will explain all that in chapter 3 but for now, if you are even still interested, I noticed that when I posted this story, all of the bold, italics, and scene separators didn't post, so it is completely confusing. Also I changed a couple thing based on where I am going to take the story. Please enjoy the new and improved chapter. You will also probably have to reread the first chapter considering how long it has been so have fun...hope you enjoy the edits...and please read and review, 3 should be up by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.
*Also I anybody would like to. I need someone to look over my stories before I post them. Just PM me and Ill look over some of your works to see if you are good for the job. Please don't be offended if you aren't chosen. Thank you in advance*
"Have any threes?"
"Go fish"
Jemma leaned over to grab a card from the pile.
It was a really quiet awkward game, but she insisted on playing something so he chose the stupidest thing he could think of. Go Fish.
He sat on the hospital bed with one foot tucked under him and the other rested over the side of the bed, bobbing up and down impatiently.
He sighed. "Do you have any aces?"
"Ah, you got me again" She looked up and flashed a sympathetic smile as leaned over to pass him the 2 aces she had in her hand.
When their fingers touched, she lingered but pulled back immediately when he flinched nervously.
"I'm sorry..."
He balled his hand into a fist and looked up at her. "Can you please stop doing that?"
Her smile curled downward, "Doing… what?
"I can't stand it, you keep looking at me like I'm some…some, mental patient"
She reached her hand out to touch his hand, "well Fitz, you kind of are-"
"AND STOP TOUCHING ME!" His hands pulled back into fists. He noticed her wince at the raising of his voice so he lowered it to a forcive whisper."You always have your hands on me!
Every time we talk, you have to grab my hand, or my shoulder, or my knee like you are... reassuring me, and I hate it!"
She pulled her hand back from where it floated and looked at the bed. "I-I'm sorry"
"Jemma" He waited for her to look up at him again, "just because we used to be close doesn't mean I remember any of it. The constant touching, and staring makes me uncomfortable."
Her eyes moved back to the bed. "Well…. Fitz, we were... are,
we are friends…friends do that…we did that"
"Well I can't remember that! To me you are just some random girl who won't stop pestering!" He raised his voice again and she cringed at his words.
"I'm sorry… I didn't realize that I made you uncomfortable-it is just that we used to-be...friends", Tears began forming under her eyes.
"and please...stop apologizing"
"Uh-I'm sor- I mean….." She ducked her head down, looked at her cards and began rubbing her brow, trying to drop the conversation, "uh… do you have any sixes?" She tried to smile but the tears began swelling down her cheeks. And she just stared vacantly at her legs that lay crisscrossed on the bed.
Fitz leaned back on the head board and tossed his cards down. He couldn't look at her now.
He felt bad, but he had needed to say something. It was hard enough not remembering, but then always having her there reminding him…it hurt.
"I don't want to play anymore Jemma, I think you should go."
She laughed to herself. It was such a miserable laugh. She swiped her sleeve over her face to rid herself of the tears. "Uh- ya, you are probably right…."She smiled dismissively " I –uh, think I have some tests to look over anyhow." She stood up to leave but turned to face him.
He avoided her glare. He just stared at the cluttered corner filled with dying flowers and stuffed animals.
"So…I guess I'll send in Skye later with your dinner and the rest of those photos I told you about" she sniffled, "ok?"
His eyes focused on the bed; trying to fight back tears.
"Ok then" She smiled to the floor and wiped her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow for your daily check-up"
"He looked up as the glass door closed behind her.
He shouldn't have been so mean. In the last two weeks she had only tried to help, but he just felt that she expected him to have some miraculous recovery. She was buddy-buddy with him and was always making jokes, that he assumed were references, and she just expected him to pick up on them and laugh along. She tried pushing him to remember things. Every morning, day, and night she was by his side telling stories and showing pictures. But it never helped, and she never stopped.
"C'mon Fitz you have to remember this one?"
He stared down at the picture she presented in front of him. How many was this now? 50? 100?
"You and I were trying to prank Skye all day and we kept failing horribly. Then after our mission we were playing scrabble and you came into the telly room looking hilarious, with shaving scream all over your face. You were so mad….do you remember?"
He shook his head and her smile disappeared.
"We never found out who did it…"
His eyes floated over to the envelope sitting on his nightstand.
He reached over and grabbed it, letting the pictures fall out onto his lap.
One after one, he scanned each photo taking only one second glance at the picture Jemma had shown him. He kept flipping until he found another.
After Jemma had given up with the picture approach from his lack of response, Skye, the computer specialist, came in with her own photos and told him about each of the people in them. It was different the way Skye did it. She wasn't pressing for memories to pop in his head, she didn't want him to remember, she was just telling a story.
The photo he stopped to look at was of him and 'the team', or so they called themselves.
He had met them all after he had woken up, but of course he didn't recognize them
Skye told him that this was taken after their first mission all together. They kicked back and drank beers; his idea apparently; and watched spyware get shot into space.
He slid his thumb over him and Jemma. Seemingly enjoying each other's presence. Laughing at something she had said. They looked happy.
His eyes opened and blinked shut again, blinded from the light. He brought his arm up to shade him while he adjusted to the room.
A weight shifted on his other arm and he looked down to find a sleeping girl, her arm linked with his.
Why was his arm broken?
He pulled it out slowly, trying not to wake her, but her head fell to the bed and she jerked awake.
She sniffled a little, wiped the sleep from her eyes and focused in on him.
"...Fitz?- OH THANK GOD!"
She took his face in her hands and started kissing him up and down.
She ended with her forehead on his. "Oh Fitz, I thought you'd never wake up"
He grabbed her hands and watched as she lifted her head to look at him. Tears smothered her face making her eyeliner run.
She was beautiful- but…. "Who are you?"
"F-fitz…I don't understand?" Her smile was twisted into utter confusion.
He shrunk back and began looking around just as confused as her, while she stared at the readings on the monitor on his right.
He took her hand again and asked again more prominently "Who is Fitz?...Where am I?"
She stared at him with disbelief "You are at the playground…..remember we were in the cargo and…you saved me…and sacraf-"
"-Playground?" He interrupted "-I'm sorry….I can't remember…?" Where the hell was he?
A man in a suit came rushing into the room. Fitz pushed himself up. Ow! Why did he hurt so much?
The man pushed his way past the woman, who was now backing up slowly with a dull sad look etched on her face.
"Who are you, why am I here!?", He screamed out.
He began nervously jerking around to look at his surroundings.
"The man took his shoulder as if trying to reassure him. "…Fitz?"
He pushed himself off the bed and backed into the corner, ripping the wires, placed all over his body. "WH-what happened to me!? Why can't I remember anything? Where am I?", he was almost crying now
"You are at the playground..."
"This doesn't look like a playground! Why am I here?"
He jerked at the sound of the door flying open and brunette came rushing towards him.
She threw her arms around him and buried her face into his shoulder. "Took you long enough!"
He stood silently looking at the astonished faces that now crowded the room.
The brunette backed up and squinted at him. "What's wrong?"
She turned to look at the others for answers but they only stood motionless with gaping mouths…. the first girl slid slowly down the wall she was leaning on, to the ground. She wouldn't look at him now. "Skye?... could you uh-wake the other doctor please?"
"Why? What is going on?" The Brunette looked back at him for answers.
"Who are you people…?"
He squeezed his eyes trying to rid himself of the memory, then looked back to the picture.
They were all nursing their drinks, laughing about something…-he wished he knew what.
It was weird seeing himself in situations he couldn't remember.
It was weird talking about himself in third person.
Off to the side of the photo Skye sat on a white cooler, fiddling with her phone.
May was sitting by herself, staring at the rest of them with a straight face. She seemed to never smile.
The Director was standing in the back, cross armed looking to the distance.
He remembered meeting him.
The Director had always insisted he just called him Coulson, or AC; with Skye arguing in the background that it was 'DC' now…But it felt wrong; calling a 'superior officer' anything other than his title…
His hand swiped over the photo until it landed on the last figure. The tall man.
He dreamed about him sometimes.
He always woke up screaming things that didn't make sense and when Skye asked him what he had seen, he couldn't remember.
He could only see the tall man standing in front of him, a wall of glass separating them...the tall man looked so distressed...and sad.
That was all he could see.
Nobody would tell him the man's name.
Only that he was a traitor, and that he had done this to him; made him forget.
They never went into detail, despite him arguing it might help return his memories.
Skye would try and explain, but was always interrupted by the others; Jemma always saying the man was better forgotten.
Whoever he was Skye seemed the most upset by him. They must have been close.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door frame.
"Meal time"
He peered up from the photo to see Skye standing in the doorway with a tray of food.
He tucked the photo back in the back of the stack and smiled at her "Sorry...I didn't hear you come in"
She smiled "Ya, all these extra lessons with the Cavalry are paying off"
He just looked at her confused.
"Right, we haven't gotten there yet- uh... anyways…it looks like you really upset Simmons, what did you say to her this time?"
"I may have accidentally overstated the truth…very strongly, and she didn't take it so well…"
Skye set the tray down in front of him and sat on the corner of the bed. "Was she trying to carry you to the bathroom?-she did that to me…"
"What?-no… It is the way she looks at me- and don't say it is because we were friends, I know that. It is just weird for me having her constantly hover."
"Ha, ya I know what you mean. She was the same when I was shot- I told you that story right?"
"Ya, you did"
"Well anyways, she pestered me too,
and hovered...because she cared-"
"Well-"
She interrupted "No Fitz, I'm serious, listen.
"You guys weren't just friends, you were basically joined at the hip. She hovers because that is what you guys did to each other. You hovered. You finished each other's sentences. You understood each other's stupid science jokes. This whole thing is difficult for you because you aren't used to it yet, and I understand that, but it is also difficult for her, not having the Fitz she has known for so many years."
Of course, he felt bad now.
"-Jemma doesn't have anyone who understands her anymore. That is why she tries so hard to help you remember. She wants her friend back."
He looked down at the photos again, and carefully flipped through each one.
Every time he and Jemma were together.
"I guess that is what I'm afraid of though….and why I push her away. She wants him back so much and I just don't know If she'll ever see that Fitz again."
"I'm sure you'll remember someday…you are still recovering."
He glanced up and smirked at her.
"Now do you have any special requests before I leave? Anything you want I'll get."
He carefully tucked the pictures back into the envelope. "Anything?"
"Anything."
He paused for a moment and looked back down at the envelope, nervously fiddling with the bent corner. "...Tell me about the tall man…you know…" Fitz gestured towards his head "the one with the dark hair."
Skye paused at his request.
"You don't have to…if it is too much, I mean."
Skye opened her mouth to say something but then stopped and started peering around the room.
Fitz followed her line of sight to a camera in the corner "What are you-"
She stood up and grabbed the tablet off his nightstand.
He watched her play with a keys for a moment before she looked back up to watch the red light on the camera go out.
She sat back down on his bed and looked at him sincerely. More than she ever had before "Where do I start?"
She wasn't asking rhetorically. She actually seemed lost and like she needed help.
He wouldn't know but answered the only thing that seemed right.
"The beginning….please"
"Director Coulson?"
He looked up from the giant stack of paperwork on his desk. "C'mon Melinda, you know you can call me Phil."
"Phil"
He smiled "Yes Mel"
"Are those the files on the new agents?" She walked over to his desk and nodded in the direction of the stack.
His eyes followed hers, "If they pass the new tests than yes, they are"
Skye had created a new software similar to Project Insight that examined possible recruits. Checking their background and estimating their future decisions. If they passed the test they were put into the academy, but unlike Project Insight, if they failed the test they were put on a list and unknowingly kept under surveillance. It helped catch Hydra recruiters and kept possible hydra recruits on the right path.
He looked back to her and laced his fingers together on his desk. "I'd actually like you to go over the list when they are done, I need your...professional...opinion"
"I thought you trusted the new system."
"You can never put full trust in anything…."
It was a small comment that wasn't meant for her, but she still flinched. It was unlike her, but a lot of things had changed. She felt more vulnerable.
"-is that why you are here Mel, or is there something else I need to know about?"
"It..." She seemed to rethink her decision to include him, but continued anyways. "It isn't working sir"
"It is Phil...not sir...and what isn't?"
"You know what"
There was a pause.
She continued "He is too well trained for this level of torture. He hasn't flinched at a single tactic. He is as good…or almost better, than Romanoff. Garrett must have really put a lot into him."
"-Or taken a lot" Coulson cut in.
"We need another approach…and you and I both know what that is-"
"-no"
"It is the only way…he won't talk to anyone el-"
"-no, I said no. You can leave now"
"Phil."
"May." He hadn't used her last name in awhile, "We are not sending Skye in."
(That night)
Screams echoed through the halls of the base.
Trip woke with a jerk and without thinking about it, removed his covers and ran to the door ignoring the feel of the cold pavement on his bare feet.
He opened his door to find the room across from his wide open.
He ran in and stopped to find Jemma staring at a sleeping Skye fearfully.
Skye was matted with sweat. She had kicked the covers off of the bed and was curled into a tight ball, with her hands clawing at hers ears. A blood curdling scream escaped her mouth as she rocked back and forth painfully.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with her!" Jemma tried to yell over Skye's cries.
"Go back to bed Jemma, it is ok, I got this"
Skye wailed again.
Trip ran past her to Skye.
"This has happened before...I can stop it, I don't need you. Go back to bed."
Jemma through her hands out, "I'm not leaving!"
He rolled his eyes. "Just help me hold her down."
Jemma ran forward and pulled at Skye's legs.
Skye kicked and pulled but Jemma kept her pressed to the bed while Trip tried to pry her hands off of her ears.
"It has never been this bad before! Normally she wakes up immediately!"
The screaming continued and Trip wasnt sure what to do
He pulled her arms away enough to whisper in her ear.
"It is ok baby girl,
I got you.
Calm down.
You're safe"
Skye yanked her feet away from Jemma and cringed back up and let out another wail.
Trip released her and fell to the ground, letting out his own scream.
Jemma slid over beside him "Trip! What is wrong!"
He tucked into the same position as Skye. Letting out his own wails to match hers.
Blood began coming out of his ears and nose forming a small puddle on the ground, and foam came from his mouth. He was seizing.
Jemma tried to pull his arms away from his ears but he was too strong for her.
She didn't know what to do. She needed help. This was impossible.
Why were they being punished. All this pain.
was Skye doing this? No- it was impossible.
The next thing she did didn't feel right. This wasn't possible. None of this was right.
She jumped back up to Skye and pulled Skye's hand away from her...enough to see her face, and over her own choked sobs, screamed.
"STOP IT SKYE! STOP IT PLEASE
YOU'RE KILLING HIM!"
...and then it was like time froze.
Skye was silent now. She had fell limp in her arms. Still curled in a ball...but silent. Her makeup had run down her face and stained her sheets.
Jemma released Skye's wrists and turned to Trip who was still in a fetal position, but he had rolled over to his knees and replaced the wailing with quiet weeps. His hands still cupped his ears, and the blood started to dry on his skin.
The pained look on Trip was enough to make her hurl.
A group of agents still in their night clothing came rushing into the room after May and Coulson. May dropped down next to Trip and placed her hand on his shoulder while another gent tried to gain his attention.
She felt so dull.
She felt Coulson push past her to Skye. He pulled her sleeping body in his arms and caressed her. Trying to wake her.
A few other agents began filing into the room trying to assess the situation.
Jemma just sat at the end of the bed next to Coulson and Skye, watching the medical team flash lights in the now dazed eyes of Trip.
She would help them, but she couldn't get herself to move. Her ears hurt, and she was tired, so...tired.
She watched Skye wake in confusion over her unknown surroundings. She asked the same question over and over.
"What happened"
But nobody had an answer.
May moved over in front of Jemma now.
She squatted in front of her, and caressed her face in her hands, wiping away her tears.
This is just like what mum does.
May tried to speak to her. But everything just went out the other ear. She just wanted to go back to bed.
She looked over to the still shocked Skye.
Skye's eyes followed all of the agents in the room to Trip.
As soon as she saw him it was almost as if something clicked in her head. She began pushing herself backwards until she hit the headboard.
She was rocking back and forth, shaking her head in disbelief. Her hands pressed back into her hair and tears flooded from her eyes.
"I'm sorry!" She choked on her tears. "I'm so sorry!
I don't know what is wrong with me!"
The confusion in Coulson's face grew even more. He placed his hands on Skye's shoulders. "Skye...what are you sorry about, this isn't your fault"
Skye pulled his hands from her face and looked up at him. The bags under her eyes still soaked with tears. "I-i, did this to him."
Jemma spoke up now, she needed to know if her suspicions were correct, and that she wasn't crazy "Did what Skye"
Skye's eyes trailed from Trip to Jemma, and she let out a hoarse whisper.
"I made him remember"