AN: MegaDiary123 was the Beta for this chapter, same as all the previous chapters. Nothing more to say this time. Without further due...
All rights go to Marvel
Jemma's POV
It was the fourth time in the row that I heard Skye wake up in the middle of the night, gasping for breath probably because of a nightmare that keeps coming back. She had yet to say a word about it and I had promised to myself not to pressure the issue. I knew that when she felt ready, she would come to me and talk about whatever it was that was bothering her.
I heard her leave and once again I couldn't get back to sleep. My mind was running wild as to what she might have been so terrified of that creates a reaction like that. But I had long learned that Skye carried her demons and no-one really knew how deep these scars went.
So, without having any better option, I opened my desk lamp and started working on my homework. I needed to keep myself busy so that I wouldn't be able to think in depth about anything else. Because I had woken up so early for half a week now, I had already finished every exercise that I was assigned for the next few days and had moved some chapter further in the Academy books. Thankfully, it had the desired result and I lost track of time. My trance only broke when I heard the door unlock. I instantly turned my head and was met with one of the most horrific things possible.
Skye's face had cuts and some bruises were already forming at her cheek. My eyes moved to her hands, which had blooded knuckles. If this was only an indication, then I wasn't sure what was going on with the rest of her body.
I slowly walked up to her and placed my hand on her cheek. She flinched from me when I accidentally touched a sensitive cut there. This was why I needed to properly wake up and take in the situation in front of me. I took the serious face, which Skye knew all too well that meant business and she wouldn't argue with me. I all but dragged her to the bathroom to try and clean her cuts with no success. She was so sweaty that I wasn't able to do a thing.
What the hell was she doing since she left the room? Run a freaking marathon? My thoughts a wild mess and I knew that this wouldn't help Skye. Instead I choose to order her to take a shower to clean up and went back to my bed to clean my head and figure out what to do.
I immediately called Fitz. I told him that I wasn't feeling good and that I wouldn't be able to attend to the lectures that day. It wasn't a complete lie. I hadn't properly slept for some days now because of Skye's night terrors and wouldn't be at a hundred percent. Not that I blamed Skye at all, only my own worry over what was keeping her awake was at fault here.
After that was settled I sat on my bed, took the first aid kit and started preparing bandages and everything that I could think of that would be of use to help my roommate. When I turned around she was out of the bathroom and looking at me with innocent eyes. She wasn't gonna get out of this mess so easily and she knew it all too well.
I made her sit down and started treating every bruise and cut I could find. Questioning her, not harshly but firmly enough so that she would know that I meant every word. She knew how worried I was, since I wasn't really good at hiding it and that was the push that she needed to open up even more. And then she told me that she didn't know when her birthday was or who she was in the past.
I finished wrapping the bandage on her ribs, which were so badly bruised that I made a mental note to go and see agent Maria Hill. This was an unacceptable behaviour for a teacher in an Academy such as this. I understood that this was basically a spy school and Skye wasn't going to be a scientist like me and she would be out there in the field but still. She would sometimes come back with a minor degree of sprain in a wrist or ankle but it was never this bad.
Jemma, focus. I forced myself to get back in reality and look into Skye's eyes. I was thinking really hard to find the correct question to ask or comment to make, thankfully I didn't have to.
"I woke up one day, and didn't really know anything about myself. Who I was, how I ended up in a hospital bed or what the hell had happened. All I knew was my name, Skye". Her eyes had stopped focusing on anything particular as she was lost in the memories of the past. I could tell that it was hard for her to talk about this from the shaking of her hands. I gently wrapped my fingers around hers and squeezed them, letting her know that I was there, and that I wasn't going anywhere, giving her as much support as I could.
After inhaling a shaky breath she continued her story. "I woke up in a hospital bed, surrounded with people I didn't know. They said that I was found in a collapsed building and that I was the only one that they found in the debris. As you can imagine that wasn't really reassuring, considering that I was still very confused of what had happened" she smirked trying to joke a bit around to lighten up the mood.
"Anyhow, those people who I told you that found me? Well, as it turned out they were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, four of them to be precise. And, well, from that day on they kinda became my family" the smile that was on her face wasn't forced. It warmed my heart to see her happy about a memory in all this mess that she was describing. It was a very far-fetched story, I didn't deny that. But with all the secretiveness of Skye's life and all, it wasn't really hard to believe it. Plus, I was more sure than not that she hadn't lied to me once since we met. Hid things? Sure. That was her standard nature and tactic, but lie to me? I would like to believe that the answer was never.
"So yeah. We didn't have much to go from there on. They tried to find any information about me through my name, fingerprints, anything really, but we came up empty. So, as far as I'm concerned my life started on the 27th of March 2000" then she turned and her eyes focused on mine. "My birthday, as some would like to call them".
This Sunday… no wonder she was having one hell of a week.
It took me a while to register everything that I had heard and put the answers that I got, as well as the questions that were created in order. My science and laboratory nature about wanting answers to unspoken questions and puzzles coming up fast.
The story was pretty much solid, but she kept a lot of things out. Like, who were the agents that found her, or how she learned hacking in such young age, or how she even finished school so early with no previous knowledge or memories of her studies. Then my mind went back to the nightmares that she was having. What could they possible be about? She must have seen this question coming long before because I didn't even have to phrase it before I got a reply.
"It's my first ever memory. Basically waking up with no memory to go back to or a past to seek comfort from" her hand moved involuntarily to one deep scar over her left eyebrow and I concluded that this was the, or a main, trauma that caused her amnesia. I averted my eyes from her scar back to her eyes hoping she didn't catch me staring. "Yeah, that's it basically" she laughed at that. "It must sound so foolish, but opening your eyes and knowing nothing is one of the scariest things I've been through". The tips of her mouth were still up, in a shy smile, as she rested her chin on her knees that she was now hugging.
"It's not foolish at all" was out of my mouth before I even registered it. How could she think that something like that was foolish?
"It's not?" She questioned, but never lifted her head from her knees. "I know people who have so much worse nightmares that make mine look like a kid's play. I can't help but feel it's stupid of me to get so scared of this memory that I know cannot change".
That took me back a bit. What she was describing was a feeling that I wish I will never have to know. Her life became a roller coaster since that day she woke up without knowing what had happened. I can only imagine what the rest of her life was up to the point when I met her. Her closeness and secretiveness suddenly making sense and I couldn't help but feel proud of her for allowing me into her inner circle of trustworthy people. This made my determination, to not let her think of herself as stupid, even greater.
"You listen to me" I told her firmly. My hands cupped her cheeks and turned her face so that she was looking at me dead in the eyes. "I don't know who these people that you're talking about see when they close their eyes, but I'm pretty scared just by listening to your story. You are not stupid and nothing you say is going to change my mind about it, okay? No matter how foolish you think something is, I will always be there for you to talk to".
I let go of her face and wrapped her in a one-arm hug. "You know I'll always be there for you as well, right?" She asked after a while, making me smirk.
Here she was again, being in one of the most emotionally fragile states I've found her in, yet still concerned about my well-being and having a shoulder to cry on in case I ever need to. "I do" I told her and relaxed my head on her shoulder.
"So…" she stretched in a matter I knew she wanted a subject change. "Is there anything you wanna talk to me about?" I felt her face turn towards mine form how her shoulder shifted.
"How about how I somehow managed to convince Fitz that I am sick?"
She sat up more straighter, making me mimic her move. Now looking at her face I could she her eyebrows almost reach her hairline. "He actually bought it? You're such a terrible liar!"
