Fitzsimmons

Cups of Tea

Quick Note: Post the Beginning of the End and Fitzsimmons wedding, Pre Fitzsimmons with kids. Jemma is head of the new S.H.I.E.L.D. science department, and Fitz is head of the technology department. Jemma gets sick with yet another alien virus.

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How many times had Jemma gotten sick while working on viruses? How many midnight cups of tea had Fitz made her? How many coughing fits had Fitz soothed with gentle whispers of reassurance? A lot.

Yet Jemma, being the dedicated researcher she was, continued contracting rare alien diseases that caused her, no matter how carefully she acted, to end up in a hospital bed. Then Fitzsimmons would work together to find a cure, just like they always would, with Jemma resting a few moments between self experiments and DNA analysis. The couple considered it a good day when they could determine even a fourth of what sort of illness it was; most times they had no clue.

Today they were dealing with a respiratory disease, they were fairly certain, with symptoms including raspy coughing, extreme nausea, and sweating. Lots and lots of sweating that, if he was being completely honest, Fitz thought was utterly repelling. Jemma was a mess. Her hair was falling out of her ponytail in tiny wet curls, and the small amount of make up she had put on this morning had since been washed out, leaving her skin glistening in the white light of the medical unit.

Jemma's body stopped heaving momentarily, and she clenched Leo's shoulder surprisingly strongly. Leo leaned closer as Jemma roughly whispered, "Ibuprofen, please." Leo nodded and smiled. Only now, an hour into the full symptoms, had Jemma asked for pain killers. She was brave. He made his way outside to the tiny kitchenette in the waiting area of the facility and made some green tea for both of them, then got some painkillers from the front desk manager, who had witnessed enough of what the scientists could do to not question anything.

When he returned, Jemma was coughing again. Fitz could see small droplets of blood spraying into the tray in her hands. He sat down close to Jemma and patted her back softly and reassuringly. The coughing went away soon enough, and Fitz already had a tissue for Jemma to wipe her mouth on.

"This one's a bad one." she said afterwards, looking down at the tray below her.

"No kidding." Fitz replied, taking the tray out of her hands using latex gloves. "I'll start analysis on this." he told her, hoping that she would be comforted. "Tea and painkillers are on the table there," he pointed to the side table. Jemma reached for a cup. "Jemma, you should rest through this one. I've got it." Fitz left before she could object, seeing the doubt plain o her face.

He made his way to the lab down the hall where he started working on the blood sample. Luckily he had spent enough time with his wife to know how to run and read the machines. He determined the name and treatment of the disease. The name would be Fitzsimmons9 (Fitzsimmons 1-8 had been taken by past alien diseases), and the best treatment option was radiation.

Fitz returned with the good news, and Jemma, after insisting on finishing her tea, was wheeled over to the radiation unit she and Fitz had designed when they first became powerful in the new S.H.I.E.L.D. Jemma had to merely be inside a chamber constantly radiating small radio waves for twenty four hours. Without Leo.

Jemma didn't like radiation for just this reason. She didn't like being apart from Fitz. They were Fitzsimmons more than ever now. And even if it was just a half inch of glass between them, it was too much.

"I'll miss you." she told him as he wheeled her into the unit.

"I'll only be right outside." he replied with a smile, then turned to make sure the cabinets were stocked with the proper nutrition. He even snuck in a thermos of tea for her. He returned to the rolling bed and leaned down to give Jemma a kiss on the forehead before exiting the chamber. He pressed the controls to start the radiation process, Jemma watching him intently. After it had started, Fitz took a seat on the floor right behind the glass, staring at Jemma thoughtfully.

Time passed. He watched her eat. He watched her sleep. He watched her wake up in a weak coughing fit, then lifted his pinky finger up in the air, flicked his wrist in front of his lips, and tipped his head back. Jemma nodded and grabbed the thermos from the cabinet, slowly gulping it. It soothed her sore throat, and she smiled in thanks, then returned to sleep. Fitz watched her the rest of the night until he fell asleep in the morning with his head pressed against the glass.

He woke up when he heard and felt a thumping on the glass. Jemma was smiling at him from inside. She only had about five hours left. She fed herself more, while Fitz called a nurse to bring him some lunch. That was Fitz, fiercely watching Jemma eat and sleep soundly and giving up decent nourishing himself.

For the rest of the time the two agents tried to communicate through the glass with different hand signs and motions that eventually turned into tapping morse code. They barely noticed when the radiation chamber beeped, signaling the end of the treatment.

Fitz let Jemma out and alerted the head of the facility that they were done.

"Do you want to go out for dinner, Jemma?" Fitz asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of staying home and more tea?" she asked with a laugh.

"Whatever, Jemma. I'm just glad you're okay."

"And I'm just glad that you're okay."

Fitzsimmons kissed once more and made their way to the facility door and out into the parking lot, not being able to wait to share a cup of tea.