Ducklings

Skye

Skye didn't know how hard it was to sneak with twelve stitches to the abdomen until she tried it in the middle of the night. She knew the others were asleep, but she couldn't doze off. After doing nothing all day, for weeks, she couldn't stand just sleeping. 

Sneaking out of the ICU cube on the Bus was easy enough, Simmons didn't know her passcode (Fitz's birthday) was an easily guessed statistical possibility. She was on her way to the kitchen when she heard voice coming from the main screen room.

"—and I called in our favor at the Fridge to inquiry about the package."

"Surgical status?"

It was clearly May's voice talking to whoever was on the screen.

"They said he made it out of surgery, but was still in the ICU. It seems you fractured his skull in three pages, which was compressing his brain, as well as a collar bone, cheekbone, and nose. If he makes it through another day or so, he'll be moved to the Fridge. He may not be dead, but he definitely won't be on the cover of any magazines any more. Apparently brain surgery leaves nasty scars."

"What a pity."

Skye snuck a peek and had to clamp a hand over her mouth when she recognized the face on the screen talking to May. The red hair, pale skin, and bright green eyes were a dead giveaway for the Russian spy.

She knew how May valued her privacy and the specialist obviously didn't like her, and eavesdropping on a clearly private (probably classified) call wouldn't make their relationship better, so Skye was going to sneak back around to the kitchen the long way, until a question stopped her short.

"How's your Duckling holding up?"

Skye's breath was baited as she waited for May's answer.

"Doing better. Bored out of her mind."

There was a chuckle on the other end. "Naturally."

"The doctor thinks she should be up and walking by the end of the month. I keep sneaking her laptop back into the cube they have her holed up in. She's in recovery not isolation, but Simmons keeps taking it away. She hasn't figured out how it keeps getting back in there. Skye's strong though, she should make a full recovery."

Skye felt her chest swell with such a strong feeling an excitement, adrenaline, and warmth at once. She bit her lip to calm her racing heart and pressed her back against the wall, listening closely.

"And how are you holding up with all of this happening so close to..."

"Don't be a наседка, Nat."

May's voice was unnaturally soft.

"You saved this one, сестра, allow yourself that solace at least."

There was a moment's pause and Skye thought May lost her connection before— "Oh and Hill mentioned that they picked Morse to be the head of the welcoming committee for the package. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to see you've started the cake decoration early."

May chuckled and Skye felt her heart thump loudly at the noise. "Well if it can't be one of us, then I'm happy it's Bobbi," May responded.

"She'll keep us in the loop after London. All right, its morning here and I told Clint I would pick up him up bagels if he took the night shift. Next time, were in the same time zone we're going drinking and sparing."

"быть безопасным," May said and Skye could hear the smile in her voice.

"оставаться в контакте."

"You know it's rude to ease drop."

Skye had taken three steps to sneak away from the screen and May. Startled, she gasped, and lost her footing. She cried out as she felt her abdomen twist and a flame of fire go through her body. It was impossible for May to move as fast as she did. One moment she was in front of the screen and the next she had caught Skye before she hit the ground.

"Easy, easy," May was saying as Skye tried to breathe. "Let's get you back in bed."

The pain was subsiding to a more manageable rate by the time May helped her back into the ICU bed. Her forehead was sweaty and

"Let me see your stitches," May said grabbing a sterile suture set from the cabinet behind the bed.

"God, Simmons is going to kill me," Skye muttered under her breath as she lifted up her

"Focus on your breathing," May advised as she sat on the edge of the bed next to Skye, opening the suture kit.

"That was the Black Widow."

"You've pulled one of your stitches, probably from the fall."

"You know the Black Widow?"

"Natasha was checking up on something for me."

"Natas—you're on a first name basis with—"

"Agent Romanoff," May cut in, "is a very valued and respected S.H.I.E.L.D. operative."

"You're a kill joy, you know that, right?"

May smirked. "Shut up while I fix your stitches before Simmons sees them." There was a playfulness in her tone that Skye hadn't heard before.

Her hands were fluid and precise as she cut the twist stitch and retied the "You're awfully good at this," Skye said lightly, "sure you're not a doctor?" May rolled her eyes.

"Were you uh...talking about Ian Quinn back there?" Skye bit her lip and watched the older woman for a response. May's hands didn't pause as they reapplied the bandages to the wound and dropped Skye's flannel shirt.

"Yes."

"Oh."

May's eyes met her face finally. "Quinn made it through surgery and it being moved to the Fridge where, after intensive interrogation, he will spend the rest of his life in a very tiny box under constant monitoring."

Cold relief ran down the back of her neck and she exhaled, leaning back on the pillows. "Ward said you almost beat him to death," she ventured slowly.

"Did he?" she remarked, raising an eyebrow. Her hands wrapped the suture kit and threw it into the trash. Skye frowned and tried a different approach.

"Do you always make classified phone calls to kick ass Avengers in the middle of the night?"

"My call to Agent Romanoff isn't classified nor is it any of your business."

"You were talking about me!"

May rolled her eyes. "Why were you out of bed against medical advice?"

Skye wrinkled her noise, "well I was kinda hoping there was some left of chocolate ice cream in the fridge. I know Coulson keeps a stash of Rocky Road in the back behind the month old frozen hot dogs."

"Ice cream, huh?"

***

hаседка: "mother hen"

сестра: "sister"

быть безопасным: "be safe"

оставаться в контакте: "stay in touch"