A/N: Hey guys, so sorry I took ages! Been avoiding S3.

Coulson-centric this chapter. it's more of a filler, but needed for Skye to get off her ass and setting up what's going to happen to Ward when he wakes up.

Thank you to Alkeni, VMars Lover, SydTheKid1108, Brenda, ima and a guest for your reviews! :)
SydTheKid1108 - Glad you love my ideas! :3 Ward will wake up soon, and I hope you had a great time at the wedding!
Brenda - Kara will continue to get better over the next few chapters, and why wouldn't Fitz try to help Skye? :P
ima - Here's the update you wanted!
Guest - I'm not watching the show either, but Skyeward won't happen quickly in the S3 fic.

On that topic, I'm carefully planning out 22 chapters for the S3 fic, and it may have to spill over into a S4 fic for things to make a lot of sense.

Enjoy!

Coulson rubbed his fingers over his eyes, hands drifting to his temples as he felt the beginning of a raging headache. Opening his eyes, reports from Simmons, May and Morse on Ward's extraction from Hydra filled his vision. Raising his gaze and finding his glass mostly empty, he huffed and drained the remaining water before standing and carrying it over to the jug on the other table in the room. Which was also empty.

Great.

Frowning as he checked his watch, which read 11:34, he supposed he could check on Ward and his team while he was out of the office. Reports later.

Descending the stairs to the communal area, he passed May and Morse at the bottom having a somewhat frustrated discussion with a techie, the younger agent looking flustered as he tapped away on a tablet. The grim expressions on the field agents faces no doubt contributing to the man's discomfort. I'll ask them later.

Moving past them and heading to the sink, he found the younger members of his team sitting around the end of one of the closest tables. Skye was disinterestedly swirling her spoon around in her bowl of cereal, eating a mouthful when she glanced up at Simmons and found the scientist watching her. Simmons herself was holding a cup of tea close to her mouth, her elbows on the table as she leaned forward in her seat. Fitz sat around the corner from his best friend, and across the table from Skye, also holding a cup of what was most likely tea. Kara slouched over the table, head resting on crossed arms as she watched Skye. Fitz glanced up as Coulson approached and straightened his back.

"Morning, sir." He greeted, causing the other three to look up, Simmons and Skye swivelling in their seats.

"Morning, Fitz." He replied, sending the table's occupants a brief smile. He checked his watch again. "Lunch." He muttered under his breath.

"Skye, why are you eating cereal now?" May asked from a couple of meters behind him. Coulson turned around, empty mug in his left hand while he turned the faucet off with his right. His Deputy was standing in between Fitz and Simmons, looking at her rookie with a concerned and puzzled expression. Morse and the techie had already left the room. "It's midday."

Skye didn't answer, or even look up, so Simmons answered for her. "Skye didn't eat breakfast this morning."

Coulson and May shared a worried look, half confused. "Why?" she asked.

"She's moping." Kara replied, raising her head off her arms.

"Skye–" Coulson began, but was cut off.

"Don't start." Skye growled, finally pushing her bowl away.

May narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. Coulson wisely kept his mouth shut. Grabbing a chair, May dragged it to sit between Simmons and Skye, the seat far enough out for her to rest her elbows on her knees. "Why?" she said in a low tone.

"You know why." Skye muttered back, adopting the same position Kara was in, only her forehead rested on her arms instead of her chin.

"And you think it's helpful?"

Skye didn't reply, but May could see her pouting. So she remained silent until she got an answer. Several minutes passed before it came.

"I don't know."

May sighed. "All of the events we've been through, as well as the one's you struggled through on your own, and its Ward getting beaten up that puts you in this mood?"

"Maybe I've had enough."

"Maybe we all have." She countered. "But maybe our responsibilities don't stop when we want them to."

Skye was silent again for a while, before finally turning her head to face May. "Ward is a responsibility."

"He's not your only one. And he certainly isn't only your responsibility. Simmons and Bobbi and I were all part of his extraction, too."

"It's not like I don't know how to take care of a patient, Skye." Simmons added softly, her cup of tea now held just off the surface of the table. Skye glanced in her direction briefly.

"Skye." May waited until Skye looked at her. "You were the one who brought Kara to us, and promised her – and us – that you would help take care of her." She tilted her head to the side. "Have you done that over the past few days?"

"No." The mutter was barely heard over a couple of agents talking loudly as they strolled down the corridor.

"What about your other tasks? Tracking the Hydra gifted, for example. Have you done anything on that?"

"A little."

May leaned forward, her words for the Inhuman alone. "You need to pull yourself together, Skye. Your world is much bigger than one man." Standing up, May placed her hand on Skye's shoulder, then left.

Coulson decided that Skye had heard what needed to be said, and went back to making his lunch.

Belly full, and feeling more content than he expected to be, Coulson strode along the hallways of the Playground. Agents nodded their greetings as he passed, and the number of them grew fewer as he neared the infirmary. He stopped in the doorway, routinely scanning the couple of other patients in there before his gaze fell upon the most battered and bruised man that he had ever seen. Taking a deep breath, Coulson moved forward, not halting until he stood beside the hospital bed.

Simmons, who had been checking on the vitals of the woman three beds closer to the door, hurried over. "Sir?"

Coulson looked up as she addressed him, his expression thoughtful. "How is he?"

"Healing. Though undoubtedly he will be drastically affected by this, if he even survives." She spoke softly.

"If."

"If." She echoed, nodding. "He needs a machine to help him breathe, and even those are shallow." She sucked in a controlled breath. "Sir, considering that there is a possibility that Ward will wake up, and the fact that he can survive just about anything, we need to organise therapists for both his mental and physical rehabilitation. And as Ward is one of the most dangerous men in the world, it can't be at a clinic."

Coulson's brows creased as he glanced between the doctor and her patient. "How severe do you think it will be?"

"Well, it's not really my area of expertise. The physical damage alone would be easy for I and my medical team to handle. But as that's not the case… Sir, scarring aside, the psychological trauma from this one event would be devastating to anyone."

"Ward's not just anyone."

"True. But he's suffered abuse his entire life. No one has been through shit quite like he has, and there's no way of knowing how he'll react."

Sighing, Coulson dropped into the seat formerly occupied by Skye. "So, the very best and for who knows how long. Anything else that's a possibility if he wakes up?"

Simmons moved closer to Ward's head, reaching out and turning it gently to the side so Coulson could see the back. "The blow he suffered is what placed him in the coma. His memory will definitely be affected, but what will be missing and whether or not it's permanent remains to be seen." She turned his head back so he was facing upwards and stood back. "Sir, there's another issue I need to discuss with you."

"Skye?"

"Not exactly. Raina."

"She's likely dead, Jemma." He looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

"I don't think so. Hasn't she told you before, that she lived on the streets as a child?" Simmons crossed her arms and stared him down. "Even with a new ability, she wouldn't find it too difficult to charm someone into giving her things."

"You think it's important to retrieve her?" Coulson stood up, adjusting his suit jacket automatically.

"Not just for her sake. She could know more about what people like her become, and that would benefit more than just Skye."

"And you want to avoid Hydra getting their hands on her." He concluded, nodding. "Alright. I'll put Morse on it."

"Thank you, sir."

Morse kept her head steady, level, and stayed as low as possible without sinking into a crouch. Her opponent stood side on, hands up in front of his face as he stared down at her. The tension held for a few more seconds, then broke as Morse launched herself at the man's legs, causing him to scramble out of the way. Tucking herself into a tight ball, Morse rolled to her feet and stood upright, bouncing lightly on her toes. A moment later, the man was the one to attack, charging in with a punch, which was deftly blocked, then a kick, and Morse manipulated it so he ended up on the floor on his back. She had a knee pressed against his jugular and both of his arms pinned down by her hands.

"Bloody hell, Bobbi, that wasn't even a minute!" he complained.

"Perhaps you should improve, then." She replied, easing off his throat and standing up before offering him a hand.

"Easier said than done." He muttered under his breath.

"You're supposed to be a field agent, Agent Hunter." Coulson's voice rang out in the almost empty training room. He walked towards them, stopping before the mats. "Fitness and competency in hand-to-hand are usually required."

"I am competent!"

"Ain't that the truth." Morse snarked, leaving the mat area in the direction of the punching bags.

"Oi! Why do you have to be insulting?"

"If that could be saved for a later time." Coulson interrupted dryly, cutting Morse off as she opened her mouth to retort. "Agent Morse, I'm putting you in charge of finding Raina."

Hunter turned to look at his boss like he was crazy. "Eh? That crazy bitch that caused whatever that thing was to change Skye and kill Trip?!"

Coulson flinched and Morse glanced down grimly. "She most likely survived the alien substance, so would have an ability like Skye."

"It does make sense." Morse said quietly. "And better that we get to her than Hydra." She looked at Coulson, her expression stony. "I'll do it."

A/N: What do you think? Leave a review and I'll get back to you :)