Chapter 137: The Line Between Life and Death

The tension was palpable on the bus as it hurtled through the sky, heading as fast as it could toward S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Trauma Center in Zurich. The team had barely recovered from the initial shock of seeing Skye on the brink of death, and now all that remained was a race against time. Coulson kept his eyes on the hyperbaric chamber where Skye was being held, his mind flooded with the fear of losing her.

May, in the cockpit, piloted with cold precision, forcing the bus to fly as fast as possible, while Ward stood, watching the landscape pass by with a hard gaze. Simmons and Fitz were restless, reviewing medical procedures, but unable to do much more than wait for the doctor at the Trauma Center.

When they arrived, the medical team was already waiting. They immediately transferred Skye from the chamber to a stretcher, and Simmons, still panting, ran alongside them to the operating room.

"She's in terrible condition," Dr. Monroe, the head of the Trauma Center, said grimly. "The bullets caused extensive damage, and she's lost a lot of blood. We need to act quickly, but there's a decision you need to make." Coulson frowned, feeling a weight growing in his chest.

"What decision?" he asked, his voice grave.

"If her condition worsens, we need to know if you want to keep her on life support. The damage is significant, and even if we can stabilize her, the prognosis isn't good."

Coulson's face went pale. He looked at May and Ward for guidance. They both looked as devastated as he felt, but they maintained their composure.

"Do everything you can to save her," May said, her voice firm, though her eyes showed the fear she rarely allowed others to see.

Ward nodded, supporting May's decision. "We're not giving up on her," he said with a conviction that belied the anger that was boiling inside him.

Dr. Monroe nodded and disappeared into the operating room with her team, leaving Coulson, Ward, May, Fitz, and Simmons to wait. As the doctors worked frantically to save Skye's life, Coulson gathered the team back on the bus to discuss the next step. He knew they couldn't just stand by passively.

However, tension soon built within the group. Ward and May, unable to contain their anger, marched to Ian Quinn's cell. The bound prisoner watched with unsettling calm as Ward entered the compartment with his fists clenched.

"You think this is over?" Ward growled, moving dangerously close to Quinn.

"Oh, the little soldier is pissed," Quinn taunted with an insolent smile. "Are you going to beat me until I confess something you already know?"

Ward said nothing more. Instead, in one swift move, he grabbed Quinn by the shirt and slammed him against the wall, his face inches from his.

"Why did you shoot her?" Ward roared, his eyes burning with rage.

Before Quinn could respond, May stepped forward and, without hesitation, delivered a sharp blow to Quinn's stomach, making him groan in pain.

"You don't even deserve to breathe the same air as her," May said, her voice as cold as ice. "Speak before I finish you off here."

Quinn laughed hoarsely, trying to compose himself.

"I was following orders," he said, breathing heavily. "The Clairvoyant wanted to test something… I'm just a pawn, like you."

Ward was about to attack again, but Coulson entered the room and intervened.

"Enough. We're not going to get anything out of him like this," Coulson said, his voice authoritative. "We have more important things to do."

Ward hesitated, but released Quinn, who collapsed to the floor, panting. May gave one last deadly glare before following Coulson out of the cell. Back in the main area of ​​the bus, Coulson gathered Fitz and Simmons. They were both exhausted and worried, but ready to do whatever it took.

"There's something that might help Skye," Coulson said as he placed a classified file on the table in front of them. The file was sealed with a "Level 10" classification label.

Fitz and Simmons looked at each other in surprise.

"This is… about your recovery, isn't it?" Simmons asked hesitantly. She'd heard rumors but never heard the details.

Coulson nodded, his expression grave.

"When I was… brought back, they used a protocol that was highly classified. I don't know all the details, but I know there might be something in here that might help Skye. I need you two to read it and see if we can adapt it to save her."

Fitz and Simmons approached the file, clearly hesitant. What were they going to find in there? It was a chance to save Skye, but the cost might be high.

"Let's do this," Fitz said, his determination growing. "If there's something we can use to save Skye, we'll find it."

Simmons nodded, his expression grim. They opened the file together, immersed in the pages, while Coulson watched anxiously.

Meanwhile, an alert sounded on the shuttle's control panel. May, still shaken by her anger at Quinn, watched the screens and saw a Quinjet landing gently on the shuttle's roof.

"We have company," she said dryly.

Ward frowned when he saw the symbol on the side of the Quinjet. He knew that ship well.

"It's Garret," Ward muttered, a hint of displeasure in his voice.

Coulson left the room with Fitz and Simmons just in time to see the new agents step off the Quinjet. John Garrett, a tough veteran of S.H.I.E.L.D., stepped off first, followed by Antoine Triplett, a younger, more skilled agent.

"Coulson!" Garrett called, with a smug smile. "Looks like you guys could use a little help."

Coulson crossed his arms, studying Garrett with a mixture of caution and respect. Garrett had a reputation for being ruthless and efficient, but he was also surrounded by dark rumors.

"Garrett, what are you doing here?" Coulson asked.

"We've been called in to support," Garrett said, shrugging. "I heard you guys have some serious problems. I thought I'd lend a hand."

Ward remained silent, eyeing Garrett suspiciously. He knew Garrett's true loyalties, and it bothered him deeply. Hydra had its tentacles in many places, and Ward was familiar with Garrett's history. Still, he kept his mouth shut for now.

Triplett, unlike his mentor, seemed genuinely interested in helping, offering Coulson and the others a friendly smile.

"We're here for whatever you need," Triplett said, his posture confident.

Coulson nodded, but he was still skeptical.

"We need to focus on saving Skye. We don't have time for distractions," he said, looking directly at Garrett.

"Don't worry, Coulson. We're here to help," Garrett replied with a measured smile.

As Garrett and Triplett settled into the bus, Fitz and Simmons reached the end of the Level 10 file cabinet. Their expressions were a mix of shock and hope.

"This could work," Simmons said, his voice shaking. "But… the risks are enormous."

"What we found here was… unbelievable," Fitz added, still processing the information. "But it's the only chance we have."

Coulson looked at them both, his heart sinking. He knew what the protocol had done to him, and what it could do to Skye.

"Then let's do this," he said with grim determination.

The team now had a plan, but Skye's fate still hung in the balance. Time was running out, and the line between life and death had never felt so thin.