Skye opened the door to the Hub's medical facility. Ward was sat up in bed reading.
"Hey!" She said, meekly when she had got closer.
"Hey yourself! I was just thinking you had forgotten about me!" he teased, putting his book down.
"How could I forget you?" She asked, showing him both of her wedding bands.
"You ok?" He asked, noticing her hair and skin were duller than usual.
"I'm fine." She told him, earning a raised eyebrow. Realising that she was busted she continued "I am not the one sat in a hospital bed!"
"No. I am, at your insistence. So what's wrong?"
"Tired I guess. I haven't been sleeping"
"Aww. You miss me." Ward said. Skye couldn't miss the note of sarcasm in his voice and hit him playfully on the shoulder, making Ward laugh. For the first time in two days it didn't result in a coughing fit.
"You sound better." Skye told him, taking his hand and sitting on the bed. Now that she was this close he could see the tears swimming in her eyes. She couldn't look at him.
"Skye." He almost whispered, using his free hand to cup her face and gently pulled it to look at him.
The tear slipped down her face before she could stop it. Ward wasn't overly worried about this, as fatigue always makes Skye a little weepy. He kicked her off the bed, moved over to the side with the machines and held his blanket up for Skye to crawl underneath.
Seeing the smile on Ward's face, Skye kicked her shoes off and climbed in. She rested her head on his chest and she could hear his heartbeat. It was strong and steady. She let out a sigh of relief and put her arm over him.
Seeing the door was open, Ward used his 'special skill' to close it and for good measure, lock it. After all, Director Fury had insisted, even though he and Skye were husband and wife that they refrain from being a couple while at the Hub.
The soft puffs of air coming from Skye told Ward she was fast asleep, so he picked up his book again. Carefully he found his page and started reading.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but a rattle at the door brought him out of the revere reading had caused. He heard the lock snap back and he put his book down.
The nurse that had been flirting with him since Fury had made him check in entered the room.
"Why was the door locked?" She asked him, giving him her most radiant smile.
"Thought we could use a little privacy"
"Whose we?" She asked, the smile turning into a frown. She then noticed Skye's head sticking out from underneath the blanket.
"That is against regulation." She told him, not quite hiding the jealousy in her voice.
"Why do you think I locked the door?"
"Wake her up and tell her to leave." The Nurse's tone was starting to get icy.
"No."
"I will call director Fury, and Agent Coulson."
"Fine, do it. I will tell them the same thing I'm telling you. She stays."
"You would go against direct orders from the Director?"
"Wouldn't be the first time; and besides, what is he going to do? Fire me?"
The nurse left and five minutes later Fury and Coulson entered the bay.
"The Nurse tells me you are disregarding orders." Fury said he was clearly not amused at having being dragged out of his meeting.
"I am."
"What was the order?" Coulson asked, trying to, yet again, keep Ward out of trouble.
"She wanted me to wake Skye up and kick her out. She hasn't been sleeping and she could use the rest."
It was then that Fury and Coulson saw Skye, curled up in the bed next to Ward. The nurse started checking Ward's vital statistics and all of the other information that the doctor wanted to keep an eye on. Coulson saw the smug look on her face and knew what it meant: 'he's mine'.
"The girl stays."
"She does? Why?" Fury asked, looking at Coulson.
"Same reason you gave me him back in the first place."
"I've done a lot of crazy things in the past year Coulson, you better remind me."
"My team need him." Coulson reminded him, nodding at Skye and then at the nurse as she was busy pressing buttons on the monitors.
"Your team. Of course they need him. Your right. She stays." Fury said, not realising what Coulson meant.
"But director. She can't stay!"
"Is she killing him? Making him wheeze more than he was this morning?" Fury demanded
"No, Sir. His breathing is clearing up."
"Then what's the problem?"
Fury and Coulson left the room. The nurse, temper now riled, started slamming around the bay, and was creating as much noise as possible. Ward used his special skill' to close the curtain around his bed. The nurse quickly noticed the closed curtain and headed around it and pretended to check one of the monitors connected to Ward. She was confused by the fact that Ward had literally just closed the curtain and here he was, sitting in the exact same position, reading his book, as he was before.
By the time Skye woke up it was very dark outside.
"Hey sleepy. How'd you feel?"
"What time is it?"
"Eleven"
"Eleven! I better get back to my own room"
She threw the covers off herself and sat upright. Just as she reached down for her shoes Ward grabbed her waist and pulled her back into a lying position on the bed, and threw the covers over her.
"You're not going anywhere!" he told her, settling himself into a lying position beside her.
"I need to get back to my room before anyone sees me!"
"It's a little late for that." Ward told her sleepily, putting his arm around her, taking care not to kink the oxygen tube he was attached to, and pulling her in close. They were both fast asleep in minutes.