Rediscover

Part 10

           The lab had become the relief headquarters; it seemed only fitting as it was the only building down Main Street that hadn't been blasted, rammed into by a car, or leveled completely. It hadn't taken Eve long to get ahold of her friends at the hospital to bring supplies and assist those who were injured. A lot of the college students were still camped out in the apartments in the neighboring town and canceled their fall break plans to help rebuild the small town. S.H.I.E.L.D also offered support to the townspeople after finishing their in-depth questions for the scientists. Coulson had interrogated them all himself, though he did so with a patience that Eve hadn't expected him to be capable of before. She answered honestly, seeing no reason not to. She spoke of things she swore she never would've, relishing the feeling of relief it brought as her stories were heard by all of her closest friends.

          As the sun began to set, the foldable tables and sheets that acted as examination tables were pushed to the wall as many homeless families settled themselves upon donated blankets and cots from local towns. The residence had already been flooding back as Erik pulled the van back into the lab parking earlier that night. It nearly drove Eve nuts to wait until Coulson released her from his interminable questions and comfort those who had come back to find that their homes, belongings and lives had been left in ashes. However, even while surrounded by the dregs of once a prospering town, the locals constantly pointed out that buildings were material and could be easily rebuilt. The structures may have been demolished, but the community still remained. Locals dug out the few remaining dining chairs from Izzy's and added them to the kitchenette in the lab where food was being handed out, and Eve noted that one of the children had even taped up a newspaper on the glass doors with 'Izzy's Diner 2.0' scribbled in red sharpie. 

          The scientists did what they could with the remaining day, teaming up with S.H.E.I.L.D agents, nurse interns, and locals alike as they helped families get settled for the night. Finally, as the the sun called an end to one of the longest days of Eve's life everyone started to depart to bed. Darcy finally made her exit, promising to return early as her mom honked her horn impatiently outside the lab. Jane had made Eve promise to rest before disappearing into her trailer where Erik had already taken refuge. The nurse considered following her lead, but found the thought suffocating. She needed an escape from Erik's concerned questions and fatherly glances; even Jane's sullen silence was excruciating. Just as she had in her past, Eve found her feet leading away from the crowds that had taken over their once quiet lab and wandering out into the sandy dunes behind the buildings. Soon the murmuring voices faded and the flashing ambulance lights dimmed into the background as the stars took center stage. This was another reason Eve had been elated to find an internship in her home state, she couldn't imagine leaving the wide swathes of golden landscaping, the barren hills a perfect frame for the light show above. Eve allowed herself to settle onto one of the mountains of sand, burrowing her hands under the cool topsoil and into the still warm earth below. Even though the town was only a small hike away the sky transformed from the faded light polluted grey and swam in a royal blue that rarely had the opportunity to show itself. Recognizable constellations winked down at her like old friends and brought with them a calm that nothing else could. She relaxed, leaning against the slope behind her and crossing her arms into a pillow behind her head. The stars above twinkled teasingly down at her, and Eve envied their all-seeing gazes. They probably had a perfect view of the whole galaxy and would be able to tell her what had happened to her family. The lights above seemed to blur as Eve's eyelids drifted downwards, a sudden heaviness encasing her. She knew better than to fall asleep in the desert, and only allowed herself a few heartbeats of rest before forcing her gaze open once more.

          The constellations above were the same as before, however she was no longer lying on a sandhill. Instead, the nurse was standing on a bridge stretched over a cascading waterfall. It took her a moment to realize that instead of connecting to another landmass the bridge ended just a few steps before her, the beams of frozen light shattered in spiderweb fractures. Eve hastily stepped away from the unsteady ground as she noticed that the waterfall didn't tumble to a cove below, instead the air filled with mist as it continuously tumbled downward into endless space.