I don't own SHIELD and never will. No copyright infringement intended.

Grant woke up feeling like something the cat dragged in, but he still pulled himself out of bed and grabbed a quick shower. He still had to work even though he felt like shit – there were no exceptions to the rule. But as he dragged himself into the kitchen to eat, the smells evoked a feeling of nausea. "Are you okay? You look pale," Fitz observed.

"I'm feeling fine. Back away, Fitz." He didn't even have the energy to bat his hand away from his face though. Grant's face paled and he was vaguely aware of Fitz yelling at May, but he did notice when she placed a garbage can under his face. Fortunately, she did so just in time.

"You don't look so good. Food poisoning or the flu?" she asked once he was finally done.

Grant shrugged. "None of you are sick so it can't be something we ate. Flu? Oh fuck." He felt a little relieved when May shoved the garbage can under him again.

Jemma bustled up rather quickly and put a hand on Ward's forehead. He stared at her. "I'm checking to see if you have a temperature. Now I'm going to use the real thermometer." She waved something over his face and sighed. "101.3 Back to bed for you."

He immediately protested. "I can still work. It's fine, Simmons. Really."

She glared at him. "You are not fine, Ward. You are sick with the flu and need to be in bed. That is an order."

"Bossy," Grant murmured but he shut up when she glared at him.

"I'm going to go clean … or throw out this garbage can." May reluctantly picked it up and headed elsewhere.

Coulson stepped in and saw FitzSimmons fussing over Ward. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Ward's sick and he won't listen to me when I tell him he needs to be in bed. He's being stubborn." Jemma was not happy with him at all.

"Ward, listen to them and get back to bed. Someone will stay here with you to make sure that nothing happens." Coulson smiled at the three of them and went to go find Skye to tell her she was on Ward duty.

"I'm off this mission and have to take care of Ward? Why can't someone else do it?" Skye asked.

"Because I said so. We have a job, and Ward shouldn't be alone right now." Coulson didn't want to listen to any complaints, even though Skye was still justifiably angry at Ward.

They headed back to their bedrooms just as Fitz ushered Ward to his room. "He vomited again – on the floor this time – and Jemma is cleaning it up - before she brings him something to throw up in. She decided that he shouldn't spend all his time in the bathroom," he explained. Grant protested when Fitz helped him into the bed, but talking only worsened the nausea.

Sure enough, Jemma returned about ten minutes later with something that Grant could use. "Just empty it out," she told Skye.

"Yay. Will do." Skye did not want to be here for this at all, but she really had no choice. So she sat down in a chair Fitz got for her and kept an eye on Grant as everyone departed for their latest job.

"I haven't felt this horrible in a long time." Grant was not a huge fan of the flu right now and just wanted to feel healthy again.

Skye sighed. "Stop complaining and take a nap. You'll feel better after you wake up."

"Hope you're right." But Grant's eyes closed and he napped for about half an hour. Skye rubbed his back as he continued to be sick.

"This must really suck for you, huh?"

He nodded and instantly regretted it. "Never again."

"Pretty sure you don't have a choice, Ward." She hadn't called him Grant in months and didn't see that name coming out of her mouth again.

Grant didn't understand why everyone was helping him through this. No one – except for Gramsy once when he stayed at her house to escape the hell his life had become – had ever done something like this before. He didn't know what to do with that. "You don't have to stay here with me, you know? Go have fun, Skye. I'm fine by myself." He had always been. And besides, he had worked jobs sick before. Garrett hadn't cared about his health – the job took priority – and neither had his family (alcohol and drugs took precedence over the Ward children). Grant was independent and had fought his way through many illnesses. There had been no reason for him to sit this job out. He felt guilty Skye couldn't go either (probably something else she'd hate him for later).

"Sorry, but not happening. I'm here to help you through this flu. You better not get me sick, I swear." Skye missed her laptop right about now, but she could talk to him.

"Sorry." That was an automatic reflex at this point, and Grant knew his apologies were completely worthless. They wouldn't erase anything he did.

"You don't have to apologize. It's fine." She sighed and turned her attention to the wall for a few seconds before she had to help Grant again.

As soon as the job was done, May stepped in to take over for Skye. "You need a break. Don't worry about him." May waved off her protests so Skye reluctantly headed to the commons area.

"I'm fine!" Grant complained after May actually fluffed up his pillows.

"Stop trying, Ward. We can see right through you." She smiled and settled in to read a book.

Meanwhile, Ward felt even guiltier than he was taking them away from doing what they wanted to do. This hadn't been what he wanted to happen at all. "Oh God," he groaned. Skye had forced him to eat saltine crackers and ginger ale earlier so he didn't dehydrate and had something in his stomach, but he actually felt a little worse now.

May murmured random, comforting words to him as she helped him deal with the nausea. She even changed his shirt after an incident neither wanted to ever talk about again, an experience that definitely humiliated Grant. He absolutely refused to admit it, however.

Jemma came in to check on him right before bed. "Your temperature's gone up to 102.5. I think you should take some Tylenol to ease this fever."

He shook his head and proceeded to groan. "I can't. It's just going to make me sick again." He couldn't go through this any longer.

She shook her head. "Sorry, but you have to." He glowered at her as he reluctantly took the medication that would lower his fever.

By the following afternoon, Grant felt marginally better. Well enough to leave his room, he joined the team in the common area. "How are you?" Skye questioned.

"Still feel like shit, but better than yesterday."

"Good to hear." Coulson smiled at him and then glared at Fitz when he pulled ahead of him in the game.

"Why are you playing Life?" Grant had never seen them playing it before. Hell, he hadn't been aware they even had that game.

"Because we want to," Skye answered.

"Good enough for me." He sat down and just watched them play before he worked up the courage to say what he needed to. "What do I owe you guys?"

They stopped and all stared at him in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Fitz didn't understand at all what he meant.

"You took care of me so now I owe you something. That's the way this works."

They stared at him in horror, but Skye spoke up first. "Grant, you don't owe us anything. We did this because we want to."

"We don't expect anything in return," May chimed in.

"Is that the way this worked before?" Trip questioned. He didn't know why he was so surprised considering what they knew of Ward's past.

Grant nodded. "No one ever took care of me while I was sick, but this is generally the way this goes. It didn't for any of you?"

Skye shook her head. "Of course not. May was right – there's no favor you have to do for us now." She felt sick now that she realized Ward never had someone to take care of her while he was a little boy. And she wanted to cry, but he didn't need that from her right now.

He shrugged and then leaned back into the couch. "Okay then." He felt extremely guilty they wouldn't take anything and hadn't asked for a favor. He'd make sure to help them out when they were sick next time.

And Grant did exactly that when Skye caught his flu (he felt even guiltier, but nothing new at this point). After that, it spread through the whole Bus. Grant did eventually believe them that he owed the team nothing for helping out during his flu once he got sick again (and no one else did) and they took care of him again. It felt weird (but really nice) to actually be wanted, to have people care for him. Grant would always be appreciative they helped him when he needed it.