Saibh Aislin
Chapter Four

"No! What have you done? What is he doing here?" Simmons screams but all Grant can see is the blue, blue sky.

"Not good," he hears Fitz mutter. "Not how it was supposed... No. Not how..."

"Fitz. Fitz, we have to do something. Ward! Get up! Seriously, what am I gonna do now? I can't leave you with all this! Why is he even here, Fitz? And what is wrong with him?"

"He... got shot with an icer."

"Not Donnie, Ward. He was't shot, he's conscious. Ward! Why don't you get up?" Her face appears in his line of vision and obscures the sky. Grant blinks rapidly and focuses on her. Oh her eyes and her lips. "Are you with me?" Her hand rests against his chest.

"Yes," his voice is hoarse.

"Why did you shoot Donnie?"

"He... wanted to kill you?"

"God, no! It was a cover. He was just telling you! He wanted an out, but I had to give Hydra some explanation. Well, he had to. I mean my kidnapping was supposed to be a trap for Coulson but then I would feign that Donnie lost it, tried to actually kill me and then I would just say that he died, this way Hydra wouldn't follow him. Why am I even telling you this? You are Hydra. But I thought you were in the vault! Fitz, why did you get him out?" She's silent for a minute, then, when Fitz doesn't answer, she shakes her head. "We have to get you all off the street and quickly. Did you have to shoot Mack too?"

Grant lifts his head. It's spinning and his vision is distorted, but sure enough, Mack lies on his side, half on top of him, eyes closed, face peaceful, sound asleep.

"Must have tried to tackle the gun from me and it... discharged..."

"Great."

Grant pulls himself out from under Mack's heavy form. Since he stopped glaring at the sky he feels a little less dizzy, so he decides that he'll only look at the ground now. Vertigo lessens, he realizes.

"I'll get him," he offers, "and the two of you, go, take Donnie. The car's just around the corner."

Fitz stands above them and scratches his head. Simmons looks at Ward for a long while, then nods, gets up and pulls Fitz's elbow. Whispers something to him.

Ward keeps his focus on the ground, while he picks up Mackie and carries him to the car. It's a good thing that he had so much time for push ups and sit ups and stretching excercises while in that cell, because Mack is really heavy.

They load the two unconscious men into the back seat and then Simmons gives Ward that accusatory glare again.

What the hell is going on? – he wants to ask, but reconsiders.

"Can you drive?" she asks instead.

"Who? Me? No."

"Fitz is in no shape to drive either and I was supposed to go back. Damn. If I get you all to the base first, I can say good bye to my cover."

"What cover?" Ward gives in to curiosity.

"In Hydra. Don't ask." She sighs and runs her hand through her hair. It's shorter, Grant realizes. "Get in, you too Fitz."

They drive in silence for a couple of minutes until Fitz blurts.

"Did you... How did you know... How long... That he was..."

"Who?" Simmons doesn't understand. "Donnie?"

"No. Not Donnie."

They are silent a few heartbeats, then Simmons briefly casts a glance at the back seat.

"Ward."

"Yeah. You knew he was in the... in... down. There. Before you left."

"It's why I left," she sais quietly. "One of the reasons. When did you find out?"

Fitz doesn't speak for a long while and Simmons doesn't push. They approach the base and suddenly all Ward wants is to go back there, into his cell. He's so tired.

"Skye went there," Fitz says quietly when they pull up inside the garrage. "I wanted to... She was upset. Next. She went there and next she was upset. Wanted to know."

"It was very risky to let him out," Simmons whispers to Fitz but Ward hears it anyway. She then glances briefly at him, then averts her eyes but not before she skimms his wrists, the healed wounds on them.

"I want to go back to my cell now," Grant speaks out loud, so they know he is not a threat.