The Father's Return

Anaesthetic

“Skye, lower the ramp!” Coulson ordered through his ear-piece, whilst breaking out into a run with May in his arms. They were above ground now, the hot dry air brushed against his skin as he walked ahead of the others. She lay in a terrible state, it didn’t help that she’d lost a lot of blood and was being to see things that weren’t really there.

“It’s alright May, we’re here now,” he assured her, pity coursing through his veins. He felt his arms being to burn, his muscles aching for having carried her underground, up flights of stairs and a long dirt track which lasted a good 500 meters away from the large plane. Coulson watched as the ramp lowered to the ground, the sun reflecting brightly off Lola’s bumper. He clung onto May and made his way up the ramp, followed by Mike who held Jemma strongly in his arms. He watched as a distressed Skye ran down the spiral stairs, her long brown curly hair waving behind her.

“Mike? What are you doing here-” She stopped at the base of the stairs and her mouth opened wide in shock.

“Jemma! What happened?” she asked reaching them. She looked down the ramp to see May lying cold and pale in Coulson’s arms.

“May!” she breathed hard and felt a heavy cloud shroud over her. Her emotions went haywire, but they needed her to cope in order to help. The tears can be saved for later.

“Skye, take her quickly. She a little faint but she’s alright,” Mike tried to sound calm as he lowered her to her feet. Jemma felt gravity pulling her down and her spinning. Skye put her arm around her friend and supported her bruised body.

“Mike, help me!” Coulson called the man over and the two of them carried May between them towards the medical room. She struggled and fought to get free, but the men kept her in their grasp, carrying her broken body through the humid plane.

Skye walked Jemma to the top of the ramp and helped her walk slowly into the lab. All this time, the stranger stood at the base of the ramp, unnoticed and silent, waiting to make his move.

Reaching the medical room they placed her on the bed, her skin was almost as white as the sheets.

“Let me go!” she cried, her strength lessening with every breath and hand gesture. The lack of blood and intense heat was messing with her head. She couldn’t control herself and Coulson found it painful to watch. He was surprised she’d even made it this far.

“We need anaesthetic,” he said as he pinned her arms down to the bed beside her hips. Mike gave him a look of ‘like I know where that is.’

“I need something to help stop the pain, something strong, and anything that will relieve her from this agony. Check the cupboards for medicines, pills, whatever. There should be some Morphine somewhere in here-” Coulson was cut off by a swift elbow punch in his stomach, as May continued to struggle under pressure. He coughed and his face went red.

“Now Mike!” he shouted getting impatient. All the while Mike had been scouring the shelves for something but there didn’t seem to be anything they could use, or he just didn’t know what the many bottles of scientific names were.

“Go ask Jemma, she’s the only one who knows where everything is in this room. Go!” Mike nodded and ran like the wind out of the room and down the corridor. Coulson found himself left to look after May, which turned out to be a bit of a handful. Especially as she started to break free.

“Let go of me you monster!” she cried.

“Hey, stop it, calm down,” he said firmly. May shifted and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’m drowning, there’s so much of it, so much red!” she screamed fighting to get free but Coulson steadied her force and pushed her arms down stronger. The muscles in his arms pressed against his black suit blazer as he fought to keep her down.

“You’re hallucinating May, you’ve nothing to fear.”

“You know nothing of fear, none of it!” she retaliated and kneed him in the side.  He grunted, wheezing slightly, and then pushed her body back against the bed, his chest against hers.

“Oh I know fear, Agent Melinda May. I feared the day I died, I feared the days when my team did everything they could to save your lives, I feared when I found out why and how I was still alive…and you, I feared I’d lost you forever. My precious, beautiful May.” She started to calm down and smiled.

“You, you really think I’m beautiful? And precious?” she asked, her words slurring slightly. He laughed lightly.

“Every single hair on your body means the universe to me.” She sighed and closed her eyes. Coulson stared at her and checked her pulse on her neck. It slowed down and her features softened. Looking up he saw Mike ejecting a needle from May’s thigh. Coulson sighed deeply and chuckled, resting his back against a medicine cabinet. He exchanged glances with Mike and they both began to laugh quietly, breathing heavily as if they’d just ran a one hundred meter sprint.

She was sleeping painlessly at last. Coulson stroked her hand and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.