X marks the spot

The Real Deal

"No." Daisy snatched the bottle from Aaron's grasp. She looked at it, shaking it and finding only a little left. She threw it behind her, smashing his chances of ever finishing it. She looked at the bag next, one his eyes went to as well.

He dove for it, she was already there, kicking it away. She planted herself in front of where it was. He slowly rose to his feet once again. Daisy kept a hand in front of her to keep her friend at bay as she spoke, "I'm not just going to sit here and watch you self-destruct. You should see Simmons. Seriously." Her voice was stern. More of an order than a suggestion. Aaron scoffed at it.

"She's busy with Elena. I'm not going to waste her time because I can't hold my fucking drink, Daisy!" He raised his voice, but she still stood her own ground.

"You won't be –"

"We have more pressing shit to get to. Like the fact that the fucking monolith's are gone!" He spun round, gesturing to everything around them. They'd only been back for a small amount of time, and already things were falling apart again.

They always do with you. His thoughts told him. His eyes glassed over once again. Look at you, repeating the same thing over and over again. Being a little whiny bitch.

She clicked her fingers in front of his face, the action startling him. Bringing him back to reality. He met her gaze, her uneven gaze that seemed to go between concern and anger. She's angry at you. Of course, she is. You worry her too much. You worry everyone too much.

"...Aaron....Aaron!" Again, he snapped out of his haze. She was closer now, eyes only locking on his own. She placed her hands on his shoulder, "If you need to sit out for a day or two –"

"No." His denial was quick; and, to Daisy, driven by fear, "It's ok to –"

"No. I can't. HYDRA are still out there." Daisy shook her head. Desperate to get her friend out of this tailspin he was in. The one that he was always in, it seemed. A cycle.

"They can't find us." She assured him, believing that part herself. His next words disturbed her.

"Yet." He looked at her eyes, his eyes showing both fear but also defeat in them, "They always get what they want in the end. Even little old me."

"And the pain?" Jemma asked as she checked her friend as gently as she could. Elena groaned a little as she gave her answer, "So-so now. But sometimes my fingers feel like they're on fire."

"It's phantom pain." The two-woman turned and saw Aaron leaning against the doorway. His eyes only on Elena, "You feel things that aren't there. Amputees have it all the time." Jemma noticed his slight slur to his words. She clocked his slightly drunken haze, the bloodshot of his eyes. The tired look that was always there at the start. Now it was showing a lot more.

Jemma couldn't help but remember the time she found her friend in her room, the thing torn to hell after he had an attack brought on by the feelings the small room gave him. She never liked seeing people in pain, friends especially. She was never an actual doctor, she just seemed to have been forced into that role. When she had Lincoln, she didn't really tell him. Never fully embraced the fact that there was now another doctor on sight. An actual one. Now that he was gone, she wished she could go back and appreciate him more.

There's a lot she would change if she could. Just like she was sure the others would as well.

He looked to Jemma next, silently asking permission to enter. She nodded, not quite sure on how to feel about the fact that he still felt the need to ask. He entered, walking up to the other side of Elena.

"I'm so sorry. Daisy's getting more supplies, so we can make you comfortable." That was all Jemma could offer at the moment. The promise that she would get better. The promise that it would get better.