We are cursed

Chapter Two

Jemma moved into the bathroom, avoiding looking at herself in the mirror as she moved over to the shower and turned it on, but the second that she did the sound of the water hitting off the tile was too much for her to handle. Her senses were overwhelmed. She slammed her hands over her ears and left the bathroom. Jemma dropped her hands from her ears and moved to sit on the floor at the end of the bed, enjoying the quiet her room allowed her. 
What would Dr Simmons say? Her brain asked. Jemma knew what she was trying to get herself to do but she couldn't get her brain to work, to focus. She shook her head the answer finally coming after a moment, Dr Simmons would say that you'll recover soon, that these are changes that your body adjusted to once and they adjust back. But would it?

"Simmons didn't have to go through quarantine, which is good, all things considered" Coulson began. 
"What exactly are these things that we're considering?" Mack asked. 
"Everything that comes with being on another planet for months" Bobbi answered. 
"Different atmosphere, different levels of oxygenation, different microgravity. Every system in her body is out of whack. Cardiovascular, inner ear, respiratory, all got used to being not here" Fitz said. 
"Labs indicate oxidative stress, vitamin D deficiency, upper respiratory irritation" Daisy added. 
"Any mention of life, intelligent or otherwise?" Coulson asked. 
"Some flora, no fauna" Daisy answered, remembering what Fitz had told her moments ago before the rest of the team had gathered. 
"She said she was being hunted" Fitz mentioned. 
"Wait, what? What does that mean? Hunted by what?" Mack asked. 
"She didn't say. I don't know if she even knows" Fitz answered. 
"My god. Imagine her having to go through all that alone, for that long" Coulson shook his head slightly in disbelief. Simmons was definitely stronger than he had credited. 
"Well, thanks to this guy, not any more" Bobbi motioned to Fitz.  
"Monitor her physical health. I've got to call in Dr Garner, her mental health is just as important" Coulson finished as Daisy entered the lab "Don't push her. She'll open up when she's ready" Coulson aimed at Fitz as he and the others moved over to Daisy. 

Jemma moved into the bathroom once again, this time dressed in nothing but a robe. She was determined to take a shower and wouldn't let anything dissuade her. She flicked on the light, the usual quiet hum filling her ears and the the light straining her eyes, it was all too much. She flicked off the light and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her before she moved over to the mirror, taking in her dishevelled appearance. She moved over to the shower, turning it on and letting the sound flood her ears, she covered them with her hands. She occasionally pulled her hands away until her ears adjusted, then she climbed inside letting her feet get used to the spray of the water before she held her hand beneath the spray. Slowly by slowly she moved under the water until it was covering her body. The smell of the shampoo and body wash flooded her senses, she could smell how artificial it was but it felt strangely good to be clean, to wash away the dirt of a place where she never should've been. She moved further under the spray, letting the water wash over her face. It felt heavenly. 

Fitz moved into Jemma's room, shooting her a smile as he moved into her room. 
"You showered" He noticed. 
"I did. It made me feel good"  
"I thought we could take a walk" 
"Where too?" Fitz could sense her nerves. 
"Just to the lab. We don't-"
"I would like to" He smiled again. 
The pair walked hand in hand to the lab, very slowly because Fitz could feel the nerves radiating off of Jemma. They entered the lab and Jemma leaned on the counters, everything feeling familiar and yet so foreign to her. Fitz saw her struggling, his free hand going to their joined ones. 
"Still acclimating to less gravity" She explained weakly. 
"Now this is a sight for sore eyes" Bobbi smiled. 
"Thought it would be good to get back to the lab, see the old workspace" Fitz explained to the taller woman as Jemma's eyes landed on the remanets of rock from when Fitz had pulled her out of the monolith. 
"Is that it?" Jemma asked as Fitz dropped her hand and tucked his hands into his pockets. 
"It was the portal. Now it's a pile of space rocks" Bobbi told her. 
"I've run a complete and exhaustive set of diagnostics, so I can assure you there's no need to worry" Fitz tried to assure her but failed, The rock didn't scare her, what scared her was not being able to find a way back. Bobbi's phone rang out, overwhelming Jemma's ears, she winced. 
"Hey, you okay?"
"Fine" She muttered, shaking off the harsh noise. 
"Just a sec" Bobbi pulled her phone away from her ear "It's Hunter. He's on a Ward hunt" 
"Say hi" Jemma muttered. 
"You know it" Bobbi smiled, heading off as she pressed her phone to her ear once again. 
"Hey, look" Fitz retook Jemma's hand and led her over to her workstation before he dropped her hand again "Just as you left it. Made sure that not even a post-it was moved, cause I know how particular-" Fitz's words faded away and the noise of the lab overwhelmed her before she shook it away again "What is it?" 
"It's just...I'm not accustomed to this many distractions"
"Yeah. Well, I imagine you must have quite a lot to take in, extraterrestrial materials and specimens to examine" She remembered screaming at the sky, digging at the ground, trying but failing again and again to get back home, to get back to the place that now feels so strange to her. 
"My curiosity faded once fear set in" 
"Right. Yeah. No, of course. Sorry" 
"I have to admit, it's all a bit much. Would you mind?"
"Yeah. Well, should I get Bobbi?" 
"No. It's just a little disorientation, attributed to oxidative stress" She knew that Fitz would understand the science rather than another explanation. How could she look him in the yes and tell him that only Will would understand? How could she tell him that she desperately needed to be alone? 
"Okay, yeah. I'll take you back to your room" He retook her hand and began leading her out of the lab. 
"I hope you're not too disappointed" 
"No, on the contrary, you're self diagnosing, which is a sign you're on the mend" Oh Fitz. If only he knew the truth about her so called recovery. Ignorance really was bliss.