5706/1951: Taking Care

1951: Taking Care
Date of Scene:	24 March 2021
Location:	Carter-Sousa Home - Long Island
Synopsis:	1951: After a mission goes wrong Daniel takes Peggy home to rest and recover.
Cast of Characters:	Claire Temple, Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter

---

Claire Temple has posed:
A little less than a month after the shocking news and the couple has mostly fallen into a comfortable pattern again. Other than slightly later working hours and Peggy spending a bit more time in her office, nothing's changed at work over all. Peg is managing things mostly from the office, both of them are taking field cases on occasion, and it's working well enough. A doctor's appointment last week, things coming along nicely, though Peggy's been cautioned to get rest *again*. To no surprise, as she insistes that the doctor would say that no matter what she did outside of making her husband dinner and laying in bed all day.

Therefore, it's been her turn to go out today. It was supposed to be a routine 0-8-4 hunt. Clear out a warehouse on the docks of a shipment that's come in, secure the supposed dangerous artifact, arrest those smuggling it. But then a report came in on the radio just about the same time SHIELD's phones were ringing. Explosion at the docks. The whole pier and warehouse they were working in seems to have been destroyed or is on active fire. It's a 4 alarm fire already.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
When the first report comes in, Daniel is moving, calling for a team to assemble and head down to the docks immediately. Once the team piles in he takes the wheel knowing if he didn't drive he'd be all over whoever does to go faster, to get to the docks /yesterday/ so he handles it himself driving with the same daredevil style Peggy did when they needed to be somewhere /right now/ arriving from the office in record time and getting out of the car hand raised to shield his face from the heat of the blaze while he looks for familiar faces, the people in charge and most of all Peggy.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The scene by the docks is a mess. Whatever it was, it went up big. It's taken two floors of the warehoue down with it, much of them into the drink below, and most of what is left standing is on fire. SHIELD's got another car there immediately and someone is helping to organize the fire trucks while corralling the issues that there could still be *weird* things in there. That someone is Samantha Macadino, a junior agent but quite good. As she sees him, her eyes go wide.

"Director! The other Director and most of the team were inside when it went up. They used the west entrance. I was on outside patrol, just... trying to make certain no one else gets hurt in there. I haven't heard anything yet. But I'm certain....I'm sure they'll be out soon." She then dashes back to trying to organize the outside forces here. It's more calm and controlled than most young agents would be.

The West entrance is now entirely collapsed, most of that building face in the water below.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Rose, Chen, Thompson or even maybe Howard would have spotted the little signs of how hard the news hit him, thankfully the agent in charge was new to him and couldn't pick it out behind his 'officer face' the neutral mask he honed in the war to try and keep his men calm even when his mind was a quivvering mess as it was now. "I'm going to go look for them, you're in charge until I come back," he says, before he limps forward towards the burning building trying to see a way inside the partially collapsed pile of burning rubble on the water's edge.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Fortunately, this isn't a day where Daniel is going to have to do something stupid because he's thinking with his heart and not his head. While much of the building is on fire, a pair of shapes can suddenly be seen coming out of the smoke that is billowing over the crater that was a back dock. There's no wooden boardwalk left, but some very teetering concerete that survived the initial blast. A ragged voice can be heard, "Go, just keep moving, a few more feet, soldier!" A familiar, British, ragged voice.

As the sight resolves itself, it's actually two pairs of people, one leaning against the other. The first two are the pair of artifact experts Peggy brought, one helping the other limp along but both of them look worse for wear. The second pair, bringing up the back, is Peggy and Fredricks. She's practically carrying the woman on her hip and doesn't look entirely together herself, but she's walking. She's motivating the rest of her team to move. There's a large gash across her shoulder, some of her clothing's been burnt off, some debris scratches all across her body and face. But she's moving and strong enough to support someone else over her shoulder.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"C'mon" Daniel says to the agent in charge, limping over to meet Peggy and the others half way, calling out, "Can we get some medics over here!" before he reaches Peggy, stopping himself short of hugging her in front of the men, but the impulse is clearly there. "Good to see you made it, Peg," he settles on instead. "Is this everyone?" he asks looking over the others.

Medics from the fire brigade come over then descending on the agents to check them over once everyone is a safe distance from the burning structure. "What happened?" Daniel asks, as one of the medics attends to Peggy.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peg herself is about to call for medics, especially for the two agents that are barely walking. When one of the others tries to go to her, she gives a little hiss and a wave off. "I'm fine, I'm fine...make certain they get emergency attention first." She insists, her words a bit too sharp -- she's probably in pain, a little more shook than she cares to admit, and embarrassed about how badly went down. But she's not letting herself get priority treatment just because she's Director.

Dark eyes look over to her husband, expression softening just a bit. It only now hits just how worried he's probably been. She doesn't rush to hug him, but she stands a little closer than is professional. Maybe outsiders will just take it as the Directors conferring. "Box was bobby trapped. We thought we got through all the detonations, but there was apparently a weight triggered one in the bottom... we heard it counting down, managed to pull out most of the way but ran out of time... We... got lucky, really."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
The worry is plain as day for Peggy to read on Daniel's face, his forehead in particular is crinkled with concern as he looks her over. "Yeah, lucky," he remarks with an eye to that gash on her arm. He doesn't call the medics back, just tells them. "Do it in order of need," he tells them, he's not going to force Peggy to be cared for first, but he's not letting her wait a second longer than the medics think she has to. He nods about the bomb, one professional to another, "Think it was meant as a trap or whoever was doing the smuggling just that paranoid he asks?" eyes, leaving Peggy to scan about the scene looking for anyone who might be lurking in case it was meant to be a trap, one whoever set it intended nobody to survive.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There's no argument from Peggy about being taken care of in order of need. She couldn't get away from it, she knows that. She does finally come over to the edge of a still in tact rail, so she can lean there as the adrenaline finally starts to leave her and aches really set in. She reaches one hand up, trying to brush some soot off of her face as she looks from the building and back to him. "I... suppose it'll matter when we actually examine the 0-8-4. I need to go back through the files, see where we got this research as well. It's... very likely it was a set up. A very good one, but if the artifact we got ends up fake... We got played. We need to trace those files back. I need to get back to the office./'

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Think you can hold together long enough to get to the office?" Daniel asks glancing at the medics currently engaged in fixing up other more injured members of Peggy's team at the moment. "We can take you to medical at the office, get you off the street," he says doing another scan of their surroundings and putting himself between Peggy and the most likely vantage points for a sniper. "We'll dig out those files when we get there and figure out who set us up tonight." That part of it hadn't slipped his mind either. "Sound like a plan?" he asks her, even though he's already offering her his arm to lead her to the car.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The offer of his arm might be more than they normally allow in the field, but most of the office knew they were married. Ahd besides, he'd do it for someone just like she helped carry her agents out of that building. So, Peggy gently lets herself lean against him gently, just long enough to get to the car. A few other agents coordinate with him as they go, but Peggy's letting him take over. She's only half aware of the things he's saying because getting to car and sitting down seems like the best thing in the world.

Within a few minutes, she's inside the company sedan, with him. The other agents he brought are remaining on scene and will be bringing back reports. The others she had are going to hospital. But she sits next to him, exhaling slowly as the last scraps of adrenaline leave her. "...Sounds like a good date. Going...over those files, that is." She offers him a singed, tired smile.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel leaves Gibson, the woman who'd been on the perimeter when the bomb went off in charge of the scene, she was part of the original mission and would know all the details anyone else might not. "Make sure we get whatever's left of the artifact and anything that might give us a clue about who did this," he tells her. "And if you need more people, call in and tell them you've got my okay to pull whoever you need. I'll be back in the office if you need to get in touch," he says before he leads Peggy to the car and slips inside, returning the smile with a shake of his head, "Definitely our kind of date for sure," he says with wry amusement, before his expression grows a bit more serious as he check her over again. "You sure you're going to be up for it? If you'd rather go home or to the hospital, that's fine by me, we can dive into the files when you're set."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The second check doesn't really see anything different than the first. She's upright. No incredibly dramatic wounds, but faintly bleeding from a dozen places and her arm is soaked in blood from that worst gash just below her shoulder. It's hard to tell how bad it could actually be, but her pupils are the same and she doesn't appear to be in awful pain. Just soot and blood covered, her dress half destroyed. She looks up to him quietly, a weak smirk crossing her split lips.

"I practically carried someone out of that building. I've been through the war. I... Think I am up to going back to my office and sitting down for a while." Though that answer isn't really an answer. It's slightly dodging the question with statements she wants to be true without ever lying to him. She doesn't want to admit she's shaken.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Uh-huh," Daniel says, having to learned to speak Peggy over the years she'd been part of her life. "SHIELD medical," he decides. "And once they stich you up if they say your good to sit and work, we're good, otherwise we're going to do whatever they suggest," he says. It was safer than a hospital anyhow. Starting the car, he waits for some of the emergency workers to clear out behind them before backing up, turning around and driving off the docks and back onto the New York streets. "I'm glad you're okay," he says finally, before there's another stretch of silence. "I was worried."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"SHIELD Medical." Peggy echoes quietly, some doubt behind her voice. Since it's a bit of a drive, she shifts to the side on the bench so she's pressed against his side a little bit more. Her hand comes down to rest against his thigh and she just holds on tightly for a few moments. "...we should probably tell them, if... we're going back to SHIELD medical. Or we can just get it stitched up and try to see the Doctor this weekend, but..." There's a large part of her that is scared. Worried. And knows telling them is the best choice, even if it will wreck a lot of plans.

Her head turns, pressing a kiss against the side of his neck. A hidden, sneaky thing as they are waiting in traffic. "I'm...glad I'm okay too. I really think I am. I missed the worst of it, I think. Just caught my left side some. Mainly debris. It... It'll be okay. I'm okay. I really him. We'll just have them stitch me up."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel seems to relax a little at Peggy's touch, both on his thigh and that she's leaning against him on the bench seat, both were tangible reminders despite his worries she was safe and there beside him. "Shit," Daniel swears, and he rarely does, almost as seldom as Steve, clearly he'd forgotten in the heat of the moment they were trying to hide Peggy's condition. "We could do that," he says of getting patched up and then calling the doctor later. "Or we can go to the hospital, get both done now, we can flash them our badges and get them to nix the paperwork, just get you patched up and checked out tonight without anyone being the wiser, just means we'll likely have to run down the files tomorrow instead of tonight."

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's several moments of silence from Peggy as she considers this, her hand firmly remaining clutched against his thigh. It's killing her, this lying to SHIELD. She hates dancing around things with her friends. But she also understands why. A little, low groan escapes her lips and she echoes his sentiment, "Shit... I utterly hate this. I don't...want to lie to them. But it will change everything. You know it will. I'm not ready to leave the field." She stares ahead as she says that, throat still rasping from smoke and the shock of it all.

"...Hospital. We'll flash badges and... *know*. It's the best way not to spend two nights fretting and just get everything... taken care of. I'm sure it's fine." Every time she says that, there's more protest behind it. More trying to convince herself.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel brings the car to a stop at a light and looks over resting his hand on Peggy's. "It'll be fine," he tells her. "And I hate lying to our friends too, but if it's what we need to do then we'll do it, but sooner or later we're going to have to tell them, or they're going to figure it out." The danger of working with so many sharp agents, they tended to notice things you'd rather keep hidden. "But when you're ready to do it, just we've got to be careful until then, more so than usual, alright?" he asks her.

Peggy Carter has posed:
His reassurances that it will be fine help a little. As usual, he was the rock. Peg lets out a slow breath through her nose, head sinking to the side to rest her cheek against his shoulder. "... Hospital now. This time. Next time... we'll tell them." If there is a next time. But there always is. She doesn't plan on leaving field work. She's not even showing. She lets him finish the drive to the hospital, which is probably going to be a little bit of chaos and a long afternoon, but will get them answers faster than not.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel smiles as she rests her cheek on his shoulder. "And fine," he says of telling them next time, even if he hopes there won't be any more close calls. "Sounds like a plan." He squeezes her hand again before honk from the car behind them tells him the light has changed and they get driving again. "We'll figure it all out, but for now, let's get you patched up," he says as he drives them on to the hospital.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's hours later. He's probably been on the phone with SHIELD at least twice and her once, as they tried to juggle why they weren't back at base. At least a consession was made in telling them that the shoulder wound turned out to be worst than expected, so they stopped at the hospital. She told him to go back to the office, calm things down, pick up files for work at home. By the time he returned, she was just being discharged and the sun was going down. "...I'm fine. They said everything is *fine*." It's the first thing she said to him. It made for a very quiet, relieved drive home.

Now they are pulling into the big garage, Peggy pulling herself off of leaning against him. She gives a low groan as she starts moving, all those little aches and bruises now coming to the surface. Explosions are no joke and she's feeling it. But she's patched up, cleaned up, scratches disinfected, shoulder stitched. Bruising and exhaustion would be the worst now. She could take it. "... they never tell you about the bombs when you sign up for these things, you know? I didn't see *bombs* in the SSR brochure." She teases as they move for the kitchen. She's trying to keep things light.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel is bone tired but he somehow manages to keep the car on the road on the drive back home, likely only navigating by muscle memory with his head all wrapped up in worry and the night's events. Worried eyes cut towards Peggy as she starts to move, watching her until he's sure she'll be okay before he gets out of the car himself, circling around to the back to dig out the box of files he brought from the office before following Peggy to the house.

"That's where they get you," he says. "Thinking everything is on the brochure. They also left out Time Holes, Zero Matter, and Nitramine too," he says happy to ramble lightly while he juggles the box and his keys to open the door. "Though not sure that would have stopped me from signing up," he adds with a grin.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"I've got it, I've got it. God, I got stitches and a plaster, not surgery. I can open a door, darling." Peggy gives him a more reassuring smile, pulling keys out of her back pocket and pushing them into the door. She shoves it open and pops the light on in the kitchen, hanging her keys on their little hook. Once he's inside, she shuts the door behind him and locks it. Quietly, she does a sweep of the first floor, shoulders hugging each room's wall as she makes certain there is no one haunting their house. Paranoia is still a heavy part of their lifestyle. "Everything's clear. We can...relax. And maybe deal with those files in the morning." She looks back to him, seeing the utter exhaustion on his face.

Her heart crumples to see it. She steps back for him, reaching for his hands. "You're... beat. I can put some food on. Dinner in bed. Whatever you need. It...it's over now. I'm fine and it's done."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel doesn't have it in him to argue the point and it seems he didn't need to when Peggy opens the door without any new catastrophes happening. He sweeps the room too, aware of the comforting weight of his service pistol under his left arm, though it seems it's not needed and so he makes his way inside and puts down the box of files on the kitchen counter.

He lets his hands be taken looking over at Peggy as she offers him food or whatever else he might need. He smiles, "I'm fine," he tells her, leaning in to give her the kiss he'd been wanting to give her since he saw her standing by the burning warehouse safe and whole. It's gentle at first before too long his fears creep into it seeking a release and the reassurance that she was really here and safe.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Her head tilts just a touch as he reaches for the kiss, not having realized how much he needed it. But, a heartbeat later, she realizes how much *she* needed it too. Peggy's arms shift to wrap around the back of his shoulders. No matter how sore she is, she sure as hell has the energy and warmth to kiss him like its their wedding night. Or, more like that first day in the office where she nearly knocked him out of the chair. She keeps the kiss until they are both nearly breathless. When her lips break from his, she's barely pulling away.

"...well, hello there, husband of mine. Is that better?" She whispers against his mouth, both of them exhaustedly, but lovingly, leaning heavy against each other. Nights like these she's incredibly thankful for the master bedroom on the first floor.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel is a little better prepared than he was for that first kiss, his hands gripping her waist and as he turns to lean a little against the counter to better keep his balance with his attention otherwise engaged. And it was definitely otherwise engaged as he feels the relief the kiss brings wash over him along with the deep and obvious love he has for his wife.

He smiles almost a little drunkenly as the kiss breaks, much like had the first time they'd done this, his head bobs a little, as he replies, "Yeah, much," before catching his breath. "So, how about we skip the dinner part and go right to bed? I can eat in the morning."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"*You* can eat in the morning. I, not so much..." Peggy gives him a rueful smile, pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. She looks exhausted too, but happier now. "And I need a shower, unless you don't care about sleeping with a fire pale." The last bit was only half teasing, though she was getting used to the soot and ashes smell. She leans in to kiss him once more, softer this time, but letting it linger. "Why don't you climb into bed, I'll grab crackers and something, a fast shower, and be with you in twenty minutes? Promise." Another quick kiss to his lips, and she lets him go.

Most of her knows that he'll probably be dead asleep in bed when she's out, but she lets him go, gathering several bits of food that will be easy to munch on in bed. She follows him a minute later, setting the small tray of food down on her side of the bed before beginning to peel out of her ruined dress.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
That rueful smile is met with a heartfelt one of Daniel's own, as he replies, "At this point I really wouldn't," he admits about sleeping next to a fire pale, but he doesn't protest indeed, he's happy to return that first kiss and then the second before he reaches for his cane for the trip to the bedroom. "Don't be too long," he warns lightly and sure enough she's not arriving a minute later, he helps set the food beside the bed before laying back, and watching her undress with a warm smile on his lips, even with her bruised and slightly singed, there's no lack of affection or attraction in his eyes.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's mostly her left side, purple and green bruising all up and down her body. That's clearly which part of her was facing the violence of the explosion. But there's a few other changes now too. Her previously mostly flat, strong stomach is just showing the slightest outwards curve. Maybe it's been there a few days but somehow, after the rush of today, all the little changes seem somewhat more important. She tosses her clothing into the trash, not even a tailor could help that, then leans over his side of the bed.

"I won't be long. I love you." That's the 'good night' I love you. She knows it. That's why she's saying it. A quiet permission for him to drop off into sleep while she's in the shower. She leans over and kisses the top of his head as well, before disappearing off to their bathroom. The shower can be heard a moment later.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel watches her shed her clothes, noting the injuries and the slight bump that has begun to show, he smiles at that last. Grateful he got both of them back tonight. That thought along with that wish goodnight seems to finally give him permission to release the tension that had made it's home between his shoulder blades since he first heard the report of the explosion. It wouldn't be much longer before he falls asleep listening to the sound of the shower, still atop their comforter.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's about 15 minutes before she returns, pausing on the edge of the room to see him in his clothing still, on top of the covers. "Oh, my sweet darling..." She mutters softly. She walks over in her towel and very gently starts undoing the day from him. First his shoes, then slacks, then getting that leg off. His shirt and undershirt. Once he's down to his skivvies, she gently guides him up, "Come my dear, there's covers... crawl in with me..." And she talks his sleeping form through actually getting into the bed. Then she'll settle on her side with a book, a whole pile of cheese, and the comforting sound of his sleeping breath.