Cut It Out and Restart *Daredevil*Damned*Agents of SHIELD*

14) Given Half the Chance (Would I Take Any of It Back?)

Matt was exhausted, for the lack of better word – and lacking it was, because that one word couldn't hope to describe everything he was feeling.

Yet, the adrenalin still pumping in his veins kept him going, even if his only mission was to be at Vera's side. It was absurd; he didn't have anything to protect her from now, he didn't even have to monitor her, obviously, the fancy machines did that for him, but... he couldn't find himself to relax if even for a moment.

Instead, he decided to commit to memory as much about her as he could, finally having the time to compare the woman lying on the bed to the one that used to fall asleep beside him on their bed.

He didn't expect Agent Coulson to come to visit; the man had told his team that the questions for Matt would have to wait. Clearly, Matt ran out of time already.

Coulson's footsteps were quiet; a walk of a man who didn't want to disturb. Or the walk of a spy, Matt supposed.

"I'd say she's strong and that she'll make it through, but I have a feeling you already know that," Coulson offered in a conciliatory matter.

His voice was rather soft, almost as much as his footsteps as he circled the bed, his attention no doubt on Vera. Matt sensed the older man reaching out to touch her free hand, but he retreated in the last second, probably thinking of it as an intrusion.

Matt found it ironic; there was only one intruder and it certainly wasn't Coulson. He didn't react to Coulson's words; he didn't know how.

Vera's – Nica's – boss moved a stool, sitting on the other side of the bed, opposite to Matt. He was facing Vera for a while, quiet, but he turned to Matt soon enough.

Matt knew it was coming.

"I know you heard us talking and I don't like to interrupt your time with her, but I don't like unsolved puzzles either. Where did you get that suit?"

"From a friend," Matt answered simply, most of his attention still on Vera.

For this, he was prepared, much more than for the actual encounter with his (ex?)wife. He knew how to answer Coulson's questions; answering Vera's would be considerably more complicated.

"Good friends you have then. Does your friend have a name?" Coulson asked, patient. It surprised Matt and it didn't; the man was a spy, but unlike Agent Machoman Ward, he had tact.

"They do. They would prefer for SHIELD not to know it."

"There's a thick chance that SHIELD already does."

Matt felt himself shrug automatically, one corner of his lips rising. "Then you don't have to ask me."

The older man huffed and leaned closer to the bed, closer to Matt. Matt would swear that when Coulson spoke again, he sounded mildly amused.

"That's fair, I suppose. Let's leave out the suit. How did you move around the world? Because from what I heard, this wasn't the first time you helped us— wasn't the first time you helped keeping Nica safe."

Matt felt as if he got sucker-punched in his gut with the name. It wasn't that he wasn't used to 'Nica'; but hearing Coulson say it to him so blatantly... it reminded how many negative associations he had with it. Including the record of a building falling on Vera, because she stayed behind.

He supposed that particular case was a God's punishment for him and he received the message loud and clear. Yeah, he deserved that for almost suffering the same fate, willingly.

"I'd rather not say. I have a device. I'm not willing to hand it over," Matt said simply, firmness in his voice. As much he was happy to be with Vera, as much as he owned this man... he owned Cisco a lot more. "And if you insist on getting it or will dig too deep, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go."