Conscience (Captain America FF book 3)

Chapter 23: Dig a little deeper

Please follow my best friend in life Dam_Tribute_

Steve Rogers

Captain America

"Two weeks!" I gritted out. "Two weeks! She was supposed to wake up two weeks ago!"

Simmons held her tablet to her chest as she replied calmly "I said things would be critical if she didn't wake up two weeks ago. There was never any guarantee that she would wake."

I plopped in the chair next to Jades bed, looking at her barely healed form. "Can't you use the GH-325 to save her?" Simmons hung a new IV up for Jade as she answered "There's no more. We could barely scrape enough up last time to save her. Plus we don't know what would happen if we used it a second time. It drove any human that used it mad. I couldn't imagine what would happen to her if we used it a second time on an Asgardian."

I take Jades hand in mine, stroking it with my thumb. I missed her more than anything. "Every day I sit here and wait for her to wake up. Every day I wait for her to tell me to stop being to sentimental then punch me in the nose. But it's been over three weeks now and she hasn't come back."

There wasn't a day I hadn't come here to sit with her. If I couldn't save her then she could at least go through this with me by her side. I couldn't give up on her. Not now.

"I apologize Captain Rogers. I've never treated an Asgardian that fell over a hundred stories down. I also apologize for all of this happening in the first place. If I only hadn't cleared her to leave then none of this would've happened. She wouldn't have gotten hurt like this." Simmons sighed, looking remorseful and thinking it was her fault.

I shake my head, leaning forward in my seat not wanting this poor dame to think that because of her Jade is on her death bed. "With all due respect ma'am, did you even know Jade? If you hadn't cleared her she would've left anyway and somehow fatally injure herself. Ive known her for almost four years. She has a complex with following orders and staying put. Even if she hadn't come with us she would have found a way to get there and she still would've gotten hurt."

Simmons presses her lips into a thin line. I could tell she has been in the same position as me before. She had almost lost someone. "I nearly lost Fitz." She started, obviously feeling a need to share about it. "Right after Hydra emerged our old team mate Ward had orders to kill Fitz and I. So we were locked in a room on our plane when he dumped the container into the ocean. We were down there ages trying to think of a way out. When we finally devised a plan and set it into action he shoved an oxygen tank in my hand and told me he cared for me. Before I could even react the window blew in and he was hit by the water. It permanently damaged his brain. He was never the same. And everyday I have blamed myself for it."

She stared at Jade as she finished "I let my best friend in life get ripped away from me. And as soon as he was able to work with the lab again I went into the field and pulled away which didn't help him in the end. So Captain Rogers, if she does indeed wake, remember to hold on to her and don't lose hope. Because if she woke she won't be the same person you once knew."

I nod, feeling bad for this bright young woman. She had a lot of potential and a very kind heart. Skye walks in with Bruce in tow. Bruce had been working with Simmons on Jade. I guessed they got along alright. "Bruce is here to help with Jade." Skye told Simmons.

She then turned to me, pointing as she said "And I've come to take you to get some food because you haven't left this room all day." I nodded, not willing to argue with her. Standing up, I leaned over the bed and kissed Jades forehead, mumbling "I love you darling."

After making sure Bruce and Simmons were going to keep me updated I left with Skye to get some dinner.

~

"Okay, okay, so she told you what?"

"She said that we weren't ready for kids yet. I mean hell, we hadn't talked about our relationship and if we were ready to take on being a couple."

Skye smirked at me, taking a sip of her milkshake as she teased "Well, you guys would make some damn cute babies. Little super soldier Asgardian alien babies." I laughed, for the first time in weeks I laughed for real. "Well I can't argue with such solid logic."

Skye was an bright young girl. She had endured so much but always managed to look at the bright side of things. She believed whole heartedly that Jade would wake up. "You know when Jade woke up she said that her favorite part of the day back when it all started was going to your mandatory training sessions."

I chuckled, leaning back into the booth, cherishing all the good times we had together. "Yeah. Those were always interesting. If there was one thing we were good at was fighting. No matter what contexts. Usually we were arguing while fighting."

Skye pointed at me with her French fry, a mischievous smile on her face. "Now I'd pay to see that. It's weird to think that in some crazy way she is my boss." I nod in agreement, having the same thoughts. "I still have no idea how S.H.I.E.L.D didn't burn to the ground. I still wonder how she managed to get a job as a director."

Skye had an unbelieving look on her face, as if it were the craziest thing she had heard. "Oh that's right, you haven't heard. Jade came up on Furys radar when she was around fifteen, she was in deep trouble with every form of government possible and was running and doing mercenary acts to sustain her and her brother. When Fury finally caught up with them he offered her a job with S.H.I.E.L.D to get her out of trouble. She agreed. After a few months Fury and the council realized how intelligent she was. So she became a part time director and went deep undercover after a rough mission gone wrong. They say after that mission she really went sour and off the deep end of insanity more do than she already had from her parents abandoning her and her brother."

How have I never heard of this before? I thought we were pretty informed of one another's past. Maybe I should've dug deeper for those answers.

Suddenly my phone rang,

Jemma Simmons.

My heart dropped as I answered with shaking hands. "Captain Rogers!" exclaimed Simmons in a panicked tone. "Is she alright?" I asked, no regard for her panicked tone what so ever. I was scared for Jades life far more than I ever had.

"Oh I'd say she's more than alright." Simmons breathed, "she woke up." I nearly fell out of the booth. Woke up? I was supposed to be there when she woke up. "W-what? Woke up?" I demanded, standing and rushing out of the restaurant with Skye on my heels. "Yes sir. She went berserk, The Avengers managed to contain her. She was very weak but still put up a very good fight. You need to get to them as soon as you can."

I had a feeling she wasn't sharing something with me. "There's something else isn't there?" I heard a sigh on the other end before she admitted "She doesn't remember. She doesn't remember any of us. The Avengers, us S.H.I.E.L.D agents, you. Anyone."