𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐒, agents of shield

[10] damn titrant

Tick tock, tick-tock. The clock on the wall beside me had been driving me insane and I officially decided that I hate bed rest. After our van had been run over by Amador, I woke up in a bed with an achy head and abdominal pain so severe that I couldn't even sit at a 45-degree angle.

Before the crash, I had stayed in my bunk for a few days, contingent on the psychological mental block after Doctor Hall. I didn't mind the decaying muscles due to lack of movement, I didn't mind staying in the same spot for longer than the entirety of Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, several times on repeat. But now I could not stay for a second without getting an itch throughout my body. Spending each second either sighing as attempting to guilt the team into letting me out of bed, distracting myself with a substantially sized novel (despite Skye comparing to "the encyclopaedia on steroids) or fighting with Fitz.

Leo had not left my side unless he was physically dragged away by Ward regarding the mission. We spent equal parts fighting and him reading to me. I loved the way his voice felt when reading a Victorian classic to me, to slight changes in his voice when he doesn't know what a word means or the slight glance he gives me when he messes up to see if I noticed.

Being on the bench meant that I missed the rest of the mission. The team caught Amador which I had full faith they would and bizarrely, she had technology in her eyeball. Totally insane! Not sure whether the eye or me being devastated I wasn't able to remove it was crazier. At least Fitz set up a video call so I could watch the procedure, even though I'm pretty sure they had to mute me because I was back-seat operating.

I was unsure of the time since the only source of the time in the med bay was early, or is it late? But I needed to move, so I assessed my status. Heart rate, vitals and remarkably performed an ultrasound on my own abdomen. Despite a little fluid out of place, I was ready.

I gained the courage and slowly got up from the bed, semi-expecting an alarm to start blaring. Each step was not enjoyable but the thought of seeing the team again outside the med bay was getting me through.

Finally, I see Ward and Fitz from across the room playing some variation of card game.

"Hey guys!" I shouted from across the room, stunning both of them and simultaneously causing them both panic.

"Elliot, you need to be lying down. I've got you, let's go." The frenzied engineer spluttered out beginning to stand and head towards her.

"Slow your roll... I'm good. I'm managing" I managed to breathe out, taking my small steps. "Continue your game."

The two guys hesitantly continued their game and I walked over towards them. Fitz had a newfound sense of confidence which don't get me wrong, I liked seeing.

Fitz was very confident though, placing one of his hands in the bowl of pretzels in front of us. Taking one and extremely slowing eating it. Keeping it in his mouth far too long before crunching it. I know that he's not trying to haze me but it still both confuses the hell out of me and makes me very uncomfortable.

After an uprising of tension, I looked over across the table at Ward who has his commonly stoic expression on his face, flicking his cards.

"I call." Ward proposes. I watch as Fitz continuous to monstrously chew on his pretzel, "And raise 100". Fitz grins at him, nodding his head a few times and puts down the bowl of pretzels.

"You know how I know I'm gonna beat you?" Fitz philosophically leads.

"By losing?" Ward says cockily as he throws his cards down on the table, intensely looking at Fitz.

"You have a tell. A psychological tic that lets me know you're bluffing." Fitz notices. I had been studying Ward for years and could never pick up on his tell. This was going to be fun to hear. Ward returns this with a face of stone.