[ The saying is that time flies when you're having fun, but no one ever made a saying about how slowly time can pass when you're sitting beside someone, waiting for some sign or indication that they're still alive. Logically, Daniel knew that Daisy was alive and fighting when they left the barn, but there's no reasoning with his fears and his worries.
Simmons reassured him that the healing pod worked, and that Daisy would be ultimately fine. It would just take some time for her blood and other vital fluids to be replenished and for her injuries to heal.
It's unfamiliar to him, this business of healing pods. He knows about doctors and stitches and antiseptic, but this is so far removed from all that. It's a science he doesn't understand, despite his best efforts to wrap his mind around it. Of course, he has no reason to doubt Simmons' word, but he can't help but worry and fret while he sits back in that chair and waits.
Everyone told him he might wind up waiting a long time, but he told them in return that he'd wait as long as he had to. He didn't carry Daisy out of that barn just to retreat to his quarters that don't feel like his just yet. Yes, he barely knows her; he barely knows any of them, but he does know one thing: he saw how hard she fought, and someone who went through that much of a hell deserved to have someone waiting for her when she came out on the other side.
So, he waits. Sometimes he has a book that he's barely paying attention to. Other times, he nods off for the briefest of naps. But all of it is short-lived, and soon enough, he's sitting up, just watching and waiting. If he has to do this for a week, two weeks, or even half a month or more, it'll be worth it. ]
[ It's strange how little you remember of the time that passes when you're injured or gravely ill. Hours can stretch between waking and seem like mere seconds, or they can feel like years in a state of being half-aware of one's surroundings.
For Daisy, it's a bit of both. She doesn't remember leaving the barn, though clearly she must have because the next thing she knows, a very fuzzy Simmons is standing over her, wrapping a bandage around her left hand. It was only a fleeting moment, a brief flicker that could have easily been a dream, but the reassurance of being back on the Zephyr is enough to let her ease back into unconsciousness. She doesn't dream.
She wakes again many hours later to the light slowly pulsing above her under the dome of the healing pod, which she's never had the pleasure of being in until now. It catches her off-guard and there's a moment of panic as she turns her head one way and then another, searching for—
Sousa. Something loosens in her chest and she lets out a sigh. He's safe, he'd made it out of the barn too. Thank goodness. ]
[ Maybe when they both look back on this, his response will be to tell her that he remembers the progression of events enough for both of them. And truthfully, he wishes he could forget. Better yet, he wishes he could undo it all and make it so it never happened to her. But he doesn't have the ability to do that, so he's just resolved to do the next best thing: be there for her.
At the moment, though, he's nodded off, allowing himself the briefest of naps, but it's the kind of nap that's easily woken up from. If she wakes up, he wants to be present and responsive, not zoned out asleep. But it seems as though he underestimated how tired he was as well, and at least for the moment, he remains asleep for a few minutes more.
Something goes off in his mind, however, and about two or three minutes later, his eyes pop open, he looks around, and he realizes she's awake. He quickly forces himself up into a proper sitting position, and he zeroes in on her. ]
Daisy, you're awake! How- How are you? Do you need anything?
[ Those few minutes of him sleeping are a blessing. She's had little opportunity to see him like this, without a frown in place or confusion marring his expression. Like this, he's peaceful, and she can't help but notice again how handsome he is. Her pulse quickens slightly as he wakes and she's so grateful that he can't feel her heartbeat the way she can his.
Or... the way she could. Before. Now she can hardly feel anything, the buzzing in her bones little more than a quiet hum. It leaves her unsettled and anxious, shifting her position and wincing as absolutely everything aches. ]
Wa— [ Her voice is slightly raspy, the chamber having focused on more important things than her strained vocal cords. ] Water, please?
[ Her hand is already searching for the button to open the pod from the inside, eager to not feel quite so trapped beneath the glass shield. ]
Yeah, of course. And just let me know if there's anything else you need.
[ Thankfully, Simmons has an excellent eye for detail, and she made sure to put a pitcher of water and two glasses on a table next to the pod.
He reaches for the pitcher and a glass, and fills it about halfway, and brings it over. But then he sees her trying to open the pod, and he hesitates, wondering if he should just open it for her or let her do it. His gut instinct is to just swoop in and help out, but he also knows how independent she is, hence his hesitation.
Finally, he just decides to wait, and if she doesn't have the pod open in the next minute, then he'll just open it for her. the pitfalls of chivalry ]
[ If she knew the debate he was having, she'd have been touched and grateful. Most people would have simply rushed to help without even pausing to consider the other person — Daisy is used to be independent, so relying on others at times this like... It doesn't come easily.
She manages to find the button after a few times, pressing it and breathing a sigh of relief as the glass encasement rises. It doesn't lift away from her completely, but there's enough space for her to roll onto her side (with a slight grimace) and give herself the semblance of space. She wants to climb off the bed completely but even this amount of movement gives her the impression that she'd just end up faceplanting on the floor if she tried it. ]
Are you okay? [ Suddenly, she needs to know that answer before anything else. A glass of water or the pain in her body, neither matters so much as making sure he's okay. She doesn't remember Malick taking him away, but then she doesn't remember much of the barn right now anyway. It's all just a blur with fragments of clarity. ]
[ He pauses as he's about to hand over the glass of water, because she's just asked him if he's okay. After everything she's been through, she's more than entitled to think only about herself and her recovery, but there she is, asking about his well-being instead of hers. ]
Daisy- [ There's a mixture of emotions on his face as he looks at her. She's the most amazing person he's ever met, but sometimes, he just wishes she would take five seconds to care about herself first, before worrying about others. ] I'm fine.
[ Immensely worried, of course, and afraid that someone like Malick might try coming after her again. But now he knows that if anyone ever tries doing something like this again, he'll fight tooth and nail to protect her. Whatever the cost. No one's going to hurt her again, not if he has anything to say about it. And yes, he knows he can't protect her from everything, but he sure as hell is going to try. ]
But the bigger question is, how do you feel? Do you need more time to rest?
[ Of course she asks about his well-being. He'd been in that barn with her, after all. She can recall being nearly delirious from blood loss and pain, him telling her... something about his time in the war. She remembers the glass she'd hidden but not whether he'd managed to use it. For all she knows, Malick had taken a turn on him too, and the team had made the smart decision to put him in the healing chamber first. ]
I'm alive. Seems like a pretty good start. [ Because she had doubted for a while there. She'd hoped Sousa would make use of the glass and get himself out. ] Thank you for that.
[ As flippant as the rest of her words are, those last ones are genuine and heartfelt. Whatever happened back in that barn, she knows that Daniel Sousa saved her life. There is no doubt in her mind of that. ]
[ It's true that both of them were in that barn, but he got off easy compared to her. Being drugged is nothing when he thinks about the hell Malick put her through. He has no right to even put himself on the same level as her, in terms of what she experienced in that barn. ]
I'm glad for that. I, uh- You had me worried for a good while there.
[ If he thought he could do it without aggravating her condition, he'd pull her into a careful hug, because there were a few times that he thought maybe she wouldn't pull through, healing pod or no healing pod.
But then she's thanking him, and a stab of guilt hits him. Sure, he carried her out of there, but he could have (should have) tried doing something to stop Malick, even with the drugging. ]
No need to thank me. It's what anyone would have done.
[ His tone is every bit as genuine and heartfelt, but he still has to work to silence that voice that says anyone else would have done more to break her out. She doesn't need his doubts or insecurities right now. What she needs is his reassurance and support, and doubts or no doubts, he intends to give her both. ]
I'm glad you're still with m- us, Agent Johnson.
[ He's not quite sure why he used her title just then, but it feels right, so he's not going to question it. And he's just going to slide right on by that slip of the tongue. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flip a coin? nah.
Simmons reassured him that the healing pod worked, and that Daisy would be ultimately fine. It would just take some time for her blood and other vital fluids to be replenished and for her injuries to heal.
It's unfamiliar to him, this business of healing pods. He knows about doctors and stitches and antiseptic, but this is so far removed from all that. It's a science he doesn't understand, despite his best efforts to wrap his mind around it. Of course, he has no reason to doubt Simmons' word, but he can't help but worry and fret while he sits back in that chair and waits.
Everyone told him he might wind up waiting a long time, but he told them in return that he'd wait as long as he had to. He didn't carry Daisy out of that barn just to retreat to his quarters that don't feel like his just yet. Yes, he barely knows her; he barely knows any of them, but he does know one thing: he saw how hard she fought, and someone who went through that much of a hell deserved to have someone waiting for her when she came out on the other side.
So, he waits. Sometimes he has a book that he's barely paying attention to. Other times, he nods off for the briefest of naps. But all of it is short-lived, and soon enough, he's sitting up, just watching and waiting. If he has to do this for a week, two weeks, or even half a month or more, it'll be worth it. ]
this is why i adore you
For Daisy, it's a bit of both. She doesn't remember leaving the barn, though clearly she must have because the next thing she knows, a very fuzzy Simmons is standing over her, wrapping a bandage around her left hand. It was only a fleeting moment, a brief flicker that could have easily been a dream, but the reassurance of being back on the Zephyr is enough to let her ease back into unconsciousness. She doesn't dream.
She wakes again many hours later to the light slowly pulsing above her under the dome of the healing pod, which she's never had the pleasure of being in until now. It catches her off-guard and there's a moment of panic as she turns her head one way and then another, searching for—
Sousa. Something loosens in her chest and she lets out a sigh. He's safe, he'd made it out of the barn too. Thank goodness. ]
no, I adore you
At the moment, though, he's nodded off, allowing himself the briefest of naps, but it's the kind of nap that's easily woken up from. If she wakes up, he wants to be present and responsive, not zoned out asleep. But it seems as though he underestimated how tired he was as well, and at least for the moment, he remains asleep for a few minutes more.
Something goes off in his mind, however, and about two or three minutes later, his eyes pop open, he looks around, and he realizes she's awake. He quickly forces himself up into a proper sitting position, and he zeroes in on her. ]
Daisy, you're awake! How- How are you? Do you need anything?
no subject
Or... the way she could. Before. Now she can hardly feel anything, the buzzing in her bones little more than a quiet hum. It leaves her unsettled and anxious, shifting her position and wincing as absolutely everything aches. ]
Wa— [ Her voice is slightly raspy, the chamber having focused on more important things than her strained vocal cords. ] Water, please?
[ Her hand is already searching for the button to open the pod from the inside, eager to not feel quite so trapped beneath the glass shield. ]
no subject
[ Thankfully, Simmons has an excellent eye for detail, and she made sure to put a pitcher of water and two glasses on a table next to the pod.
He reaches for the pitcher and a glass, and fills it about halfway, and brings it over. But then he sees her trying to open the pod, and he hesitates, wondering if he should just open it for her or let her do it. His gut instinct is to just swoop in and help out, but he also knows how independent she is, hence his hesitation.
Finally, he just decides to wait, and if she doesn't have the pod open in the next minute, then he'll just open it for her.
the pitfalls of chivalry]no subject
She manages to find the button after a few times, pressing it and breathing a sigh of relief as the glass encasement rises. It doesn't lift away from her completely, but there's enough space for her to roll onto her side (with a slight grimace) and give herself the semblance of space. She wants to climb off the bed completely but even this amount of movement gives her the impression that she'd just end up faceplanting on the floor if she tried it. ]
Are you okay? [ Suddenly, she needs to know that answer before anything else. A glass of water or the pain in her body, neither matters so much as making sure he's okay. She doesn't remember Malick taking him away, but then she doesn't remember much of the barn right now anyway. It's all just a blur with fragments of clarity. ]
no subject
Daisy- [ There's a mixture of emotions on his face as he looks at her. She's the most amazing person he's ever met, but sometimes, he just wishes she would take five seconds to care about herself first, before worrying about others. ] I'm fine.
[ Immensely worried, of course, and afraid that someone like Malick might try coming after her again. But now he knows that if anyone ever tries doing something like this again, he'll fight tooth and nail to protect her. Whatever the cost. No one's going to hurt her again, not if he has anything to say about it. And yes, he knows he can't protect her from everything, but he sure as hell is going to try. ]
But the bigger question is, how do you feel? Do you need more time to rest?
no subject
I'm alive. Seems like a pretty good start. [ Because she had doubted for a while there. She'd hoped Sousa would make use of the glass and get himself out. ] Thank you for that.
[ As flippant as the rest of her words are, those last ones are genuine and heartfelt. Whatever happened back in that barn, she knows that Daniel Sousa saved her life. There is no doubt in her mind of that. ]
no subject
I'm glad for that. I, uh- You had me worried for a good while there.
[ If he thought he could do it without aggravating her condition, he'd pull her into a careful hug, because there were a few times that he thought maybe she wouldn't pull through, healing pod or no healing pod.
But then she's thanking him, and a stab of guilt hits him. Sure, he carried her out of there, but he could have (should have) tried doing something to stop Malick, even with the drugging. ]
No need to thank me. It's what anyone would have done.
[ His tone is every bit as genuine and heartfelt, but he still has to work to silence that voice that says anyone else would have done more to break her out. She doesn't need his doubts or insecurities right now. What she needs is his reassurance and support, and doubts or no doubts, he intends to give her both. ]
I'm glad you're still with m- us, Agent Johnson.
[ He's not quite sure why he used her title just then, but it feels right, so he's not going to question it. And he's just going to slide right on by that slip of the tongue. ]